en.Wedoany.com Reported - Swedish mining equipment manufacturer Epiroc is expanding its depth automation portfolio with new integrated drilling and bolting solutions to address emerging challenges in deep mining operations. The updated depth automation concept now covers all stages of the customer's automation journey, from remote operation to higher levels of autonomy, aiming to ensure predictable performance and consistent results in underground operations.

Rickard Johansson, Vice President of Marketing for Epiroc's Underground division, stated that depth automation is being used to build a more comprehensive and powerful automation offering and to advance the vision of an integrated ecosystem approach, which is particularly important as mining operations move deeper and face new challenges. The automation suite is designed to optimize applications across the entire mining cycle to enhance safety, productivity, and operational efficiency. According to Guilherme Paiva, Global Automation Manager for the Underground division, drilling depth automation can significantly improve financial performance: increasing mine development speed by up to 30% and reducing extraction cycles by up to 70%. This helps reduce waste, improve fragmentation, and generate cascading positive effects, including higher equipment utilization and overall productivity. Reduced waste and improved fragmentation also directly impact subsequent rock reinforcement and hauling operations, creating synergies that multiply productivity benefits in integrated operations.

Depth automation was first launched in 2023 as a suite of automation systems and applications coordinating underground loaders and trucks. The platform has been successfully integrated with other mining systems, enabling interoperability between equipment from different manufacturers. Customer sites have already unlocked millions of tonnes of ore through this technology that previously could not be safely recovered. Documented cases include: a production increase of over 15% through continuous feeding of underground crushers during post-blast cleanup operations; and an increase in truck productivity of over 3,000 tonnes per Minetruck per month, maintaining operations even during shift changes.

This expansion aligns with the global trend of deepening mining operations and the ongoing need for integrated automation to maintain safety, productivity, and efficiency in increasingly complex environments. By evolving towards a unified concept of drilling and material handling automation, Epiroc aims to help mining operations unlock new levels of performance and operational excellence in ever-deepening environments.

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