Sandvik’s pioneering 65 t battery electric truck was recently on display at Electra Mining Africa. The 65 t TH665B battery electric vehicle (BEV) was introduced to the African market before being sent to Australia for intensive site testing.

According to Sandvik strategy and commercial VP Jakob Rutqvist, this innovation takes mining decisively into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“Many industries are well advanced in the technological trajectory of digitalisation, automation and electrification – and it is now mining’s turn,” says Rutqvist.

The range also includes a 50 t equivalent and an 18-t-capacity battery electric LH581B underground loader. These vehicles, he says, are tested and proven as mature technology within Sandvik.

He highlights that Sandvik BEVs are faster, stronger and much less constrained than machines that are converted from a diesel design.

“Our display at Electra Mining Africa demonstrates our overarching commitment to achieve a full range offering of battery electric trucks and loaders – covering all the major size classes – by 2025,” he says. Rutqvist points to the high level of interest in BEVs in Africa, with the company’s first unit – the LH581B loader – already on order from a deep-level South African gold mine.

The company’s AutoMine offering for underground and surface mines was also on display at the exhibit. The automation technology is now installed on about 600 machines on mine sites worldwide, says Sandvik Southern Africa business line manager: automation and digitisation Kabelo Nkoana.

Sandvik showcased its latest AutoMine offerings such as the integration of AutoMine and its OptiMine systems. The latter focuses on gathering data from all assets into one data management source, providing real-time and predictive insights to improve operations.

Nkoana notes that Sandvik’s latest automation next generation offering – AutoMine Mine Mapping solution – enables any mine vehicle to map an underground environment into three dimensions and use the information to generate 3D and 2D maps of the mine. This results in faster configuration times of setting autonomous areas.

The company also displayed its Shark brand of ground-engaging tools and buckets, featuring specialised hard-wearing metallurgy that the company has developed in-house.