Komatsu marked a significant milestone within the mining industry this month. The company reportedly moved more than four billion tonnes of material using their FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System.
The truck was first deployed in 2008 in the hope of enhancing efficiency on mining sites. The trucks were trialled at the CODELCO’s Gabriela Mistral copper mine in Chile.
There are now over 400 trucks commission worldwide across 13 sites and 3 continents.
The trucks are mainly used to support copper, iron ore, oil, mineral sands and coal operations. There have been zero system-related injuries have been reported, emphasising the safety standards of the autonomous haulage solution.
“It has been gratifying to help customers save hundreds of millions of dollars while autonomously moving another billion metric tons of essential minerals.
Our customers’ continued investment in the technology and equipment to transition to autonomous haulage supports the evolution of mining methods and opportunity for advancements in safety and production,” Komatsu vice president of autonomous systems Anthony Cook said.
As well as the FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System, Komatsui have showcased its new underground hard rock drilling machine, the battery-electric ZJ32Bi jumbo, at MINExpo.
The company has announced it will also be trialling a new autonomous water truck based off its HD785-7 range. This new development will allow the truck to autonomously control both movement and water disbursement through the same platform.