en.Wedoany.com Reported - Peru is deploying the first autonomous low-profile loader fleet for underground mining. Ferreyros, its represented brand Caterpillar, and Volcan Compañía Minera have collaborated to introduce the CAT R1600H loader into the Romina mining unit. This equipment, with a payload capacity of 10.5 tons, will begin production operations there.
These loaders are equipped with Caterpillar's MineStar Command for Underground technology, operating autonomously during tramming and dumping, while loading is performed remotely (without line of sight). An operator at the Romina site provides support from a control station. Edgardo Zamora, Romina Operations Manager at Volcan Compañía Minera, stated that this introduction is part of its operational innovation strategy. By enabling this technology, the company is advancing its "Mining 4.0" initiative to strengthen safer, more efficient, and more sustainable operations. The adoption of this technology aligns with the development vision of the Romina project, which employs sublevel stoping mining methods and operates under a "Mining 4.0" model based on real-time monitoring and control of production processes. This strategy helps achieve higher productivity, efficiency, and operational traceability, positioning it as a benchmark for underground mining innovation in Peru.
Peru will become the first country in Latin America to be equipped with CAT low-profile loaders operating autonomously using MineStar Command for Underground, joining a fleet of over 100 units already utilizing this technology in North America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. This system enables a single controller to manage the autonomous operation of up to three CAT loaders simultaneously. Leveraging advanced algorithms, the technology analyzes data from cameras, radar, and machine sensors in real time, along with digital map information of the work area. It autonomously handles the loader's movement and steering, detects other equipment (with the ability to stop and restart), and performs bucket dumping. The solution also integrates a control center to support remote operations, a local network for communication with the low-profile loaders, and a zone isolation system to safely define the operational boundaries.
The equipment at the Romina site is part of Peru's leading fleet of CAT low-profile loaders. Ferreyros, a pioneer in mining automation, deployed Peru's first autonomous ultra-class mining truck fleet five years ago and recently commissioned CAT autonomous drills.
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