German Aramine partners with automation system supplier sensmore to launch automated L140B loader

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Germany Aramine has partnered with automation system supplier sensmore to launch an automated L140B loader at the Rüdersdorf quarry, an underground limestone mine operated by Cemex in the state of Brandenburg, Germany.

As Europe seeks to secure the supply of critical raw materials, underground mining must become safer, more efficient, and less reliant on scarce skilled labor. Marc Melkonian, co-president of Aramine, stated that automated equipment offers a viable path to achieving these goals. Melkonian noted that the next step is to extract raw materials from beneath Europe's surface, rather than from the other side of the world, requiring machines capable of autonomous operation to be sent underground instead of personnel.

Aramine launched the battery-powered L140B loader in 2016, designed with the openness required for automation control. The L140B has a payload of 1.3 metric tons and is specifically designed for narrow-vein mining applications, combining productivity, maneuverability, and operational flexibility in confined underground environments. sensmore integrated the automation stack, safety architecture, machine control, and operator interface required for production, making the automated loader part of the surrounding underground production environment.

At Cemex, sensmore connected the automated L140B to the entire underground production process: machine control, conveyor belts, functional safety systems, network infrastructure, operator interface, and production workflows. Maximilian Rolf, CEO and co-founder of sensmore, stated that in heavy industry, true value is only created when autonomy is vertically integrated into the production environment. At Cemex, they integrated the Aramine L140B into the entire underground process, making autonomous machines an industrial reality.

Christian Zinnecker, coordinator of underground operations, mining, and blasting at Cemex, said that implementing this system is an important milestone, helping to increase productivity, reduce underground risks for operators, and support the transition to safer, lower-emission mining operations. The operational results are already evident: the automated L140B can operate for up to eight hours, compared to approximately five hours in manned mode, meaning higher machine availability, fewer repetitive tasks, and a safer underground working environment.