New AutoMine® Lite 2.0 from Sandvik – a leading-edge integrated package for consistent and dynamic mining

The award-winning AutoMine® product family from Sandvik continues to evolve. The brand new next generation release of AutoMine® Lite 2.0 includes both consistent high-speed automated production missions and smart teleoperation capabilities for dynamic mining operations. As a combined package, the new AutoMine® Lite 2.0 is a unique solution for integrated autonomy and advanced remote control of underground loaders and trucks.

AutoMine^® Lite is a powerful tool to take advantage of full equipment performance through automation, and delivers substantial benefits including increased productivity, improved safety and cost efficiency in mining. Loader or truck production cycles can be automated with autonomous tramming and dumping as well as with loaders using Sandvik’s automatic bucket loading assistant functionality.

Automated missions with AutoMine^® Lite are particularly suitable for mining operations requiring repeatable and consistently high performance, such as sub-level open stoping, sub-level caving, transfer levels or individual block caving drives. In addition to the optimized route-based automation, intelligent teleoperation is now an integral part of the AutoMine^® Lite 2.0 product, enabling also automatic steering without pre-defined paths. This integrated solution expands the range of ideal mining applications to continuously changing mining environments, such as applications with small stopes or mine development.

“AutoMine^® is the fastest underground loading and trucking solution on the market,” says Jarkko Ruokojärvi, Product Line Manager Automation at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology. “The combination of automation and smart teleoperation capabilities means greater flexibility, enabling mining customers to use the most efficient operating mode in each production area or even both modes in sections of the same production cycle. It is also easy for the operator to take full advantage of the new features in the system. Switching operating modes – from automation to smart assisted teleoperation and vice versa – is simply done by pressing a button.“

AutoMine^® Lite provides extra productive hours each day by allowing the continued operation of the loader or truck during blast clearance times. Additionally, equipment utilization is increased as operators can hand over between shifts much faster without the need to locate and travel to the equipment. Another advantage of AutoMine^® Lite is that it significantly extends the lifetime of equipment, as the machine runs optimally, reducing wear and tear and maintenance costs. The AutoMine^® system is designed to a high level of safety and eliminates operator exposure to potential hazards in underground environments.

With the new AutoMine^® Lite 2.0, Sandvik continues to drive the evolution of underground equipment automation. The solution is built on the proven AutoMine^® platform and can also be easily expanded to AutoMine^® Multi-Lite, which enables each system operator to simultaneously control multiple loaders or trucks and achieve even more significant value.

Tampere, Finland, February 27, 2018

For more information, contact:

Jarkko Ruokojärvi
Product Line Manager Automation, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology
Tel: +358 408 429 106
Email: jarkko.ruokojarvi@sandvik.com

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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 2017, the Group had approximately 43,000 employees and sales of 91 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 2017, sales were approximately 37 billion SEK with about 15,000 employees in continuing operations.