Epiroc sending Minetruck haulers to new lithium mine

Underground mining contractor Byrnecut has ordered a fleet of Epiroc Minetruck MT65 S haulers for the Liontown’s new Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia. The mine is currently under development, with production targeted to begin in 2024. Full story.

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Orica ORBS takes remote blasting underground

Orica’s next-generation centralised blasting system ORBS has made a leap into the digital world, allowing customers in the underground mining segment to now experience its benefits. ORBS, or the Omni Remote Blasting System, is now available to i-kon and eDev customers. It is designed to provide operations with the ability to safely initiate multiple development headings and production blasts concurrently…

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GMG, EMC team up

The Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG) has teamed with the Electric Mine Consortium (EMC) to further their shared mission of accelerating electrification and decarbonization in the mining industry worldwide. The pair announced their memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 17 July. “We aim to leverage our collective expertise, resources, and networks to drive collaboration and create innovative solutions that address the…

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Virginia Tech researchers use autonomous technologies to make mines safer

How do you use drones and robots to make underground mining less risky for workers? Virginia Tech researcher Richard Bishop and his West Virginia University collaborators are working to answer this question. A recent two-year, $569,149 Alpha Foundation grant will allow the team to study ways to use autonomous drones to predict and prevent roof collapses underground. Full story.

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Epiroc launches ‘Deep Automation’ for underground material handling

Deep Automation is Epiroc’s cutting-edge set of automation systems and applications used to orchestrate loaders and trucks in underground mining operations. Developed with interoperability in mind, customers can take control of safety zones, production assignments and autonomous traffic in real time – boosting safety, consistency and productivity. Epiroc has a long history of developing and implementing automation solutions in mines…

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New Sandvik battery offers boosted BEV runtime

Sandvik has introduced a higher-capacity battery for its battery-electric vehicle (BEV) loaders and trucks that delivers 36% more energy in the same envelope and is ideal for underground mining. Featuring the same less volatile lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry ideal for underground mining, the new battery is a leap forward in safety, reliability and performance. In addition to 36% longer…

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