HAULAGE: Sandvik smart truck designed for intelligent underground production

FINLAND – Sandvik is introducing a pair of new intelligent mining trucks for automated underground haulage. They deliver safety, productivity and profitability benefits. Paired with AutoMine Trucking, mines can increase haulage tonnage by as much as 30%, says the manufacturer. [caption id="attachment_1003719091" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sandvik’s new intelligent underground trucks have proven safety and productivity benefits.[/caption] The new Sandvik TH551i and Sandvik TH663i high capacity trucks are safer, efficient and easy to maintain with low cost per tonne. 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%. 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% compared with conventional trucks. This is possible because operators are relocated from underground to the surface. Operator fatigue is also reduced, an added safety benefit. Sandvik has proven its cost savings benefits with automation projects from Canada to South Africa. 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. Find the Sandvik sales and/or service office closest to your mine at https://Mining.Sandvik.com/en/contact.