For automated haulage
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.
"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.
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.
"Our focus areas in automating these trucks were the safety of operators and other personnel," says Jarkko Ruokojärvi, Product Line Manager Equipment 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."
