Sandvik TH663i AutoMine loaded
The new Sandvik TH551i and Sandvik TH663i trucks are designed for intelligent mine production. The high-capacity trucks are safer, efficient and easy to maintain with low cost per ton. An integrated weighing system helps operators ensure a full payload every trip.
The new trucks essentially deliver increased production with no increase in fixed costs. Multi-machine control and improved operating discipline can reduce operating costs by as much as 50 percent. Better availability and improved performance mean that mines can achieve the same production volume with fewer trucks.
The addition of four to eight productive hours each day, which otherwise would be wasted for blast clearance, can increase production by as much as 30 percent compared with conventional trucks.
“By removing the operator from the truck and running the entire trucking loop autonomously, mines can achieve significant operational cost savings and efficiency gains that are unheard of using traditional current underground trucking methods,” says Mark Ryan, Product Line Manager Trucks at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology. “We’ve proven these benefits with automation projects at mines from Canada to South Africa.
Sandvik AutoMine TH663i-038
“Our focus areas in automating these trucks were the safety of operators and other personnel,” says Jarkko Ruokojärvi, Product Line Manager Automation at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology. “We’re relocating operators from underground to the surface and isolating the automation area, as well as reducing decline safety hazards caused by operator fatigue.”
The new evolution in AutoMine® Trucking is decline haulage, which enables high-level utilization and improved productivity also in declines for underground hard rock miners who use ramp haulage. This helps enable several additional daily hours of haulage with automation. Haulage-level automation has been in operation since 2005 at Petra Diamonds’ Finsch mine in South Africa, and now the same proven technology is also available for decline ramp applications.
The new intelligent trucks have inbuilt data collection capabilities, ensuring all information can be visualized at any time. Every load is analyzed and high speed continuous production in autonomous mode enables higher utilization and extended equipment lifetime.
Turku, Finland, July 7, 2017
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Sandvik Group
Sandvik is a high-tech and global engineering group offering products and services that enhance customer productivity, profitability and safety. We hold world-leading positions in selected areas – tools and tooling systems for metal cutting; equipment and tools, service and technical solutions for the mining and construction industries; products in advanced stainless steels and special alloys as well as products for industrial heating. In 2016, the Group had approximately 43,000 employees and sales of 82 billion SEK in more than 150 countries within continuing operations.
Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology
Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology is a business area within the Sandvik Group and a global leading supplier of equipment and tools, service and technical solutions for the mining and construction industries. Application areas include rock drilling, rock cutting, crushing and screening, loading and hauling, tunneling, quarrying and breaking and demolition. In 2016, sales were approximately 31 billion SEK with about 14,000 employees in continuing operations.