Weir’s redefined flowsheet solution includes Enduron HPGR technology. Image: Weir
The Weir Group has been awarded a £53 million ($102 million) contract to provide energy-efficient and sustainable solutions to the Reko Diq copper-gold project in Pakistan.
The project is 50 per cent owned by Barrick Gold, and is located in the Chagai district of Balochistan. Barrick is targeting first product at the site in 2028, with an estimated mine life of over 40 years.
The contract will see Weir provide fine grinding, separation and tailings solutions, featuring equipment such as Weir’s Enduron high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR), Enduron Elite wet and dry vibrating screens, Warman slurry pumps, and Cavex hydrocyclones.
“We are delighted to have secured this significant contract which represents further industry acceptance of Weir’s differentiated sustainable and cost-effective redefined flowsheet solution, with our market leading HPGR technology particularly suited for the water-scarce climate and geology of the Reko Diq copper-gold project,” Weir chief executive officer (CEO) Jon Stanton said.
“Our engineers have designed an innovative solution that comprehensively addresses the particular challenges of this project and is a great example of working in close partnership with an ambitious customer who shares in our purpose to sustainably and efficiently deliver the natural resources essential to create a better future for our world.”
After equipment commissioning is completed, Weir will provide aftermarket support via an on-site service centre staffed with Weir technical personnel.
Barrick president and CEO said the company is proud to be partnering with Weir.
“The Reko Diq project will grow Barrick’s strategically significant copper and gold portfolios, benefiting all its Pakistan and Balochistan stakeholders,” he said.
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Weir’s new Port Hedland facility services Enduron® HPGRs along with critical parts storage for faster service times for customers. Image: Weir
De Grey Mining has awarded Weir a contract to supply an Enduron high-pressure grinding roll (HPGR) for its Hemi gold project in the Pilbara.
The contract comes as Weir officially opens its Port Hedland Service Centre to further support its customers in the Pilbara.
De Grey Mining project director Peter Holmes said the company is looking forward to the partnership.
“De Grey Mining is pleased to partner with Weir on one of its key long lead items for its Hemi gold project and appreciates Weir having a local service facility to provide the required support to our site and the region,” he said.
Weir Enduron HPGRs global product manager Bjorn Dierx echoed similar sentiments.
“Our partnership with De Grey Mining further expands our footprint in sustainable comminution,” Dierx said.
“Our proven track record of developing highly engineered solutions for the industry, together with our capability to partner with our customers to bring projects to life, ensures that De Grey Mining will be in good hands to achieve its productivity, sustainability and project execution targets.
“Importantly, Enduron HPGRs also provide significant improvements versus traditional tumbling mill technology with energy savings of up to 40 per cent and in turn, a lower carbon footprint. This will be the fifth, similar-sized Enduron HPGR in the Pilbara region alone, which is a testament to its credibility in high capacity, hard-rock grinding.”
Weir regional managing director Kristen Walsh said the contract elevates Weir’s sustainability goals.
“This win further underscores Weir’s commitment to making mining more sustainable and demonstrates the substantial opportunity that can be made to CO2 emissions reduction when choosing an energy-efficient technology in a large greenfield project,” she said.
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Revizto uses the unity of BIM intelligence to empower its users. Image: Revizto
Revizto is bringing its project coordination platform to the mining industry, with Thiess one of its trusted mining clients.
Over 12 months ago, Thiess was looking to digitise its engineering coordination workflows across projects and streamline its site-based delivery objectives.
The global mining services provider wanted to visualise its upcoming construction projects by using a platform to better deliver projects digitally, while managing all external project members, its technical query processes and site-based defects.
To address these issues, Thiess engaged Revizto, a Swiss-based company that first launched its coordination software for the architecture, engineering, construction and mining industries in 2012.
“One of the fastest growing 2D and 3D fully integrated collaboration platforms, Revizto has been operating in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region for more than seven years now.” Revizto mining lead Jack Joy told Australian Mining.
The Revizto platform empowers users to access, manage, and collaborate on construction and infrastructure projects through the unity of building information modelling (BIM) intelligence.
Users can access Revizto via a computer or mobile app. Image: Revizto
“Built on a video game engine, Revizto is easy to use and allows fast adoption by project teams across all disciplines and with any level of technical skills,” Joy said.
“Its processing power and ability to bring in hundreds of 3D models and thousands of 2D drawings into the one platform is unmatched, making Revizto suitable for projects of any size.”
Users can also use Revizto via a mobile app, allowing subcontractors and site-based teams to access and use the models and drawings on-site, leading to less redrafts, safer workflows, and higher efficiency.
It was these features, and Revizto’s ease of use, that caught the eye of Thiess.
Thiess senior civil engineer Brett Jenkins told Australian Mining the company operates a greenfield site in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, which includes the construction of the mine infrastructure area.
“Revizto is working with Thiess on this construction to coordinate and collate the various design models and drawings,” Jenkins said.
“Thiess and MACA (Thiess’ subsidiary) are also working together with Revizto to assist with the project management of construction activities Thiess provides to the mining industry.”
Since using Revizto, Thiess’ civil engineering and delivery teams have seen an array of operational benefits.
“Revizto has allowed for the various design models, including the pit and dump designs, to be incorporated into a single program allowing multiple views without the need for installing design software,” Jenkins said.
“Revizto has also allowed for the management of subcontractors with RFIs (requests for information), NCRs (non-conformance reports) and as-built mark ups all coordinated into the single program.”
Since using Revizto, Thiess has saved a significant amount of time and resources. Image: Revizto
Prior to using Revitzo, Thiess would have a person go through each NCR or RFI to ensure they were referenced in drawings, which used a significant amount of time and resources.
“Previously, RFIs and NCRs were managed through emails and folders with information needing to be updated for the as-built mark ups,” Jenkins said.
“Revizto incorporates this into the program, eliminating the requirement to manually update document trackers and as-built drawings, and email documentation to relevant parties.
“The Revizto software also automatically references the relevant drawings and has helped stakeholders visualise the design of the infrastructure, as well as recommending design changes prior to construction.”
After resolving various engineering and design issues with Revizto, Thiess is in talks with the company to bring the platform to other upcoming projects.
The partnership between Thiess and Revizto continues to thrive.
“Revizto’s ability to manage RFIs and NCRs has significantly reduced our manual efforts,” Jenkins said.
“With these improvements, Revizto looks forward to demonstrating its impact at various events across APAC and beyond, highlighting the substantial benefits the company brings to the mining industry.”
Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sectors generated $114 billion in revenue in 2020, according to the latest Austmine national survey, of which two-thirds of companies exported $17 billion of goods and services (five per cent of all exports in 2020).
Strong resources and energy exports and a steady increase in mining investment suggest METS sectors have grown considerably in subsequent years.
And expenditure is expected to continue. Australia’s mining industry invested $11.5 billion in the March quarter of 2024, up six per cent from a year earlier and nearly 60 per cent higher than the March quarter of 2019. Current estimates suggest the mining industry invested $53 billion during the 2023–24 financial year.
Further, rising exploration expenditure indicates an increase in broader capital expenditure from resources and energy firms in the coming years. Spending on exploration and other mining support services averaged $486 million per quarter in the year to March 2024, 25 per cent more than the average quarterly spend in the prior five years.
In particular, growth in exploration expenditure since 2020 suggests interest is rising in precious and industrial metals (such as copper and iron ore) and critical minerals amid the ongoing shift toward net-zero global emissions.
The June 2024 Resources and Energy Quarterly report shows exports of clean energy metals and minerals are projected to remain over $50 billion per annum over the next two years. Meanwhile, there are expectations for enhanced exploration activity over the next few years for traditional energy commodities including coal, gas and uranium that are currently experiencing relatively strong prices.
To execute these plans, services – ranging from provision of labour, explosives and transport to draining and pumping services, drilling and blasting services, railways, piping and electrical cabling – are all poised to benefit.
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Weir is aiding the mining industry in rethinking tailings. Image: Weir
While producing tailings is inevitable, Weir is here to ensure waste is removed and handled sustainably.
As millions of tonnes of ore are processed each day across the mining industry, it stands to reason that not all material is exported or used.
Although mine waste – also known as tailings – is unavoidable, heightened environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards in the mining industry are necessitating enhanced waste management methods.
Backed by an extensive portfolio of tailings solutions, technologies and processing equipment, Weir is on a mission to help the industry rethink, reduce and repurpose tailings through its transformational tailings flowsheets.
“We are looking to engage with the market to assist with solutions that will achieve new benchmark outcomes for water recovery, energy consumption, carbon footprints and safe storage,” Weir head of tailings and pipelines – Asia Pacific Simon Acutt told Australian Mining.
“We want to trigger new thinking on how to treat tailings.”
An example of this is Weir’s Cavex DE hydrocyclone, a technology that performs two stages of classification in one operational unit.
“The larger particles move downwards under gravity and leave via the bottom outlet with a small quantity of water,” Acutt said.
“A small amount of the fine solids remain with most of the water; this then spirals upwards through a central pipe and out the top as the overflow product. The Cavex DE hydrocyclone goes through this process twice.
“The aim is to separate the large particles and use them for construction material. The main use for the cyclone underflow is to build tailings dam walls.”
The Cavex DE hydrocyclone works without the need for intermediary pumping, piping or sumps. It’s fitted with an air core booster to improve capacity and efficiency by reducing the total pressure across the hydrocyclone and increasing the volume flow split to the overflow.
The Cavex DE hydrocyclone works without the need for intermediary pumping, piping or sumps. Image: Weir
“This creates value out of the mine’s waste,” Acutt said. “By using sand from tailings, operators have less product going into their tailings storage facility (TSF), meaning the TSF can be smaller and save on diesel-powered earthmoving equipment.”
Another example of innovation is Weir’s second-generation Cavex 2 hydrocyclone, which expands upon the Cavex hydrocyclone range and marks a new era in separation technology.
Combined with the feed chamber, the LIG+ advanced laminar spiral inlet reduces turbulence and enables the hydrocyclone to classify up to 30 per cent more feed slurry within a similar footprint as the original Cavex hydrocyclones.
Alongside Weir’s range of tailings products and solutions, the company carries out pipe loop testing to provide design data, centrifugal pump testing, and high-pressure positive displacement pump testing at Weir Technical Centre in Victoria.
“Mineral slurries vary in many ways, meaning each slurry behaves differently in a pipe system,” Acutt said. “Therefore, pilot testing is important to help determine the best solution for each site and reduce the overall design risk.
“Weir can run a variety of tests to identify possible operational issues, with testing able to determine how the slurry behaves when pumped in a range of different conditions, solids concentrations and velocities, all while simulating pump failure and a potential restart event.
“The outcome ensures the selected pump and motors are right for the job and tailored to a mine site’s unique operating environments.”
To ensure it can offer the coarse particle flotation (CPF) technology to its customers, Weir has a cooperative agreement with Eriez, allowing the company to collaborate and apply its HydroFloat CPF technology when needed.
The CPF solution reduces energy consumption by 10–20 per cent and increases water recovery by up to 85 per cent by using advanced dewatering technologies.
“The technology works by injecting air bubbles into the lower levels of the tank,” Acutt said. “These bubbles lift ore to the top of the tank, which is collected via a concentrate overflow.
“The grind size is substantially larger than conventional flotation, significantly reducing energy consumption in the comminution phase. This also makes it much easier to separate water from tailings.
“CPF waste stream can be used for dam wall construction and dam wall support. It requires little further treatment, hence less expensive capital equipment and energy consumption. Weir is working closely with Eriez on several pilot trials.”
With a long-standing global presence in tailings management, Weir is an ideal partner to help the mining industry rethink its approach to tailings.
“Weir is not new to the tailings space,” Acutt said. “We have been actively investing in and expanding our knowledge and testing support facilities, positioning ourselves as a key partner for the future.”
Metso has signed a comprehensive frame agreement with Reko Diq Mining, the owner of the Reko Diq copper-gold project, one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits in the world.
Under the agreement, Metso will deliver crushing and grinding circuits that include Superior6089 MKIII gyratory crushers, Nordberg MP1250 cone crushers and Premier ball mills with 51-megawatt installed power. These are equipped with gearless mill drive technology and Metso’s failsafe polymer hydrostatic shoe bearing systems.
Reko Diq Mining has also placed orders for TankCellmechanical flotation cells, high-intensity Concorde Cellunits, HRT thickeners, Vertimill and HIGmill regrind mills, mill reline equipment, concentrate filters and automation equipment, all of which are expected to be signed and booked in Metso’s minerals segment order intake later this year and 2025.
The equipment packages under the framework agreement are valued at $EU200 million ($333 million).
“We are excited to work as a strategic partner with Reko Diq Mining in this major greenfield project which will ramp up global copper production required for energy transition,” President of Metso’s minerals business division and deputy chief executive officer (CEO) Markku Teräsvasara said.
“Metso will provide Reko Diq with advanced and sustainable technology for the production of copper and gold concentrates.”
Reko Diq Mining is 50 per cent owned by Barrick Gold, 25 per cent owned by three federal state-owned enterprises, with the balance held by the Balochistan Government.
The Reko Diq project is expected to have a mine life of approximately 40 years as a truck-and-shovel open pit operation, with construction expected in two phases. This will provide a combined processing capacity of roughly 90 million tonnes per annum. First production is targeted for 2028.
“Reko Diq will substantially expand Barrick’s strategically significant copper and gold portfolios and benefit all its Pakistani stakeholders for generations to come,” Barrick president and CEO Mark Bristow said.
“We are pleased to partner with Metso in this project where sustainable concentrate processing is one of the key drivers for plant design and operation.”
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Lorbrand has provided industry-leading conveyor belt systems for over a decade. Image: Lorbrand
Australian Mining spoke to Lorbrand about what makes its composite rollers stand out.
Conveyor rollers remain one of the most important conveyor belt components on the market.
As it looked to boost operational efficiency and material transportation, the bulk material handling industry had been searching for a lighter and more robust conveyor roller.
For over a decade, Lorbrand has provided industry-leading conveyor belt systems and solutions such as conveyor idlers, pulleys and rollers.
Now, Lorbrand offers a lightweight and durable alternative to standard steel conveyor rollers.
“Traditionally, steel rollers have been the way of the industry, but over the last 10 years there’s been a transition to composite,” Lorbrand general manager – Australia David Massarotto told Australian Mining.
“There’s several drivers behind the change, weight being one. A composite roller will weigh anywhere from 30 to 60 per cent less than a steel roller.”
Reduced weight offers several advantages.
“By carrying less weight, we considerably reduce the risk of manual handling issues and physical injury,” Massarotto said. “Our aim for iron ore is to get everything under 20 kilograms, which is not possible with steel.
“Miners and exporters are always looking at ways they can put more tonnes on their conveyors. So every kilogram we take off a machine means an added kilogram to their throughput.”
Available in materials such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and nylon, Lorbrand’s composite rollers are known for reducing noise violations and being “belt-friendly”.
“If a composite roller is to seize or fail, it won’t damage the conveyor belt allowing belt crews to plan a roll changeout or slot it into scheduled conveyor downtime rather than having to stop the conveyor to prevent damage to other conveyor componentry,” Massarotto said.
“With a traditional steel roller, if it jams or seizes and the belt runs over it, the rollers begin to wear and form sharp edges which can severely damage the conveyor belt, impairing a critical piece of conveyor componentry and leading to unscheduled downtime. This can have considerable cost implications.”
It’s no secret unscheduled downtime can cost operations millions of dollars of lost productivity per day. With Lorbrand’s composite rollers, operations can continue even if a roller fails.
“Historically, a site will immediately have to stop a belt if it has a seizure,” Massarotto said. “If you’re in iron ore, to change one roll can take between one and three hours of downtime given the associated safety measures that need to be completed first, especially on long overland conveyors.
“However, a composite roller will continue to wear without sharpening, meaning you don’t get this razor sharpness that can cause conveyor failures.
“A composite roller enables you to continue running the belt, and then when you have scheduled downtime, you can go through and change the rollers when possible.”
While many Australian mining operations are in remote regions of the country, there are also mines proximate to residential areas. Here, noise reduction is critical.
“In regions such as the Hunter Valley, you might have big overland conveyors running close to residential areas between a power station and a coal mine,” Massarotto said.
“Noise pollution can be deadened by transitioning to composite rollers, because there isn’t the shell resonance that you get with steel or aluminium rollers.
“This means mining companies and exporters can operate for longer with lower chance of noise restrictions being enforced on them.”
Lorbrand also manufactures composite conveyor guarding and composite wind guards to further supplement conveyor systems. These provide further noise reduction.
“Our guards and wind guards tend to further dampen noise around the conveyor,” Massarotto said. “Plastic tends to absorb noise, whereas steel reflects noise.
“We installed wind guards to help with corrosion and weight, but we’re seeing this product also make conveyors quieter.
“This highlights the advantages of using composite componentry around conveyors. They are safer, can drive down weight and noise and enable operators to avoid costly unscheduled downtime on their conveyors.”
Zenith plate lips currently come in standard, long and heavy-duty options to suit all application requirements. Image: Bradken
Bradken has expanded its GET range to include Zenith plate lip GET to further support Australia’s mining sector.
Given the often-harsh conditions of the Australian resources industry, it is critical that mining companies select the right ground engaging tools (GET) for their operation.
Premium GET solutions extend machinery wear life and lessen the risk of equipment failure, minimising costly downtime. The right GET tooling also delivers reduced dig energy and improved penetration.
That is why Bradken has continually advanced its own GET solutions, ensuring customers always have the right option at hand. This includes the Zenith series, the latest addition to Bradken’s GET range suited to 100–250-tonne hydraulic excavators.
Bradken GET principal product manager Glenn Baxter explained the evolution of the company’s products.
“Bradken’s GET range has evolved from being regionally based with a suite of first-generation products, to now being more globally focused with a second and third generation of innovative products, all backed by a global original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in Hitachi Construction Machinery,” Baxter told Australian Mining.
“The Zenith technology is Bradken’s next generation of plate lip GET products, so it’s one of the latest solutions in the Bradken GET range.”
As Bradken developed an improved GET solution for higher tonnage hydraulic excavators, the company had several research and development (R&D) objectives.
“In the development of the Zenith range, we had a focus on creating an efficient tooth system from a machine performance and maintenance perspective,” Baxter said.
“We wanted to minimise the size of the tooth (without compromising strength) so the machine uses less power during each cycle, and simplify the locking system so it’s intuitive to use and easy to maintain when required.”
The Zenith series of GET is suited to 100–250-tonne hydraulic excavators. Image: Bradken
The Zenith locking system requires only 180° of rotation to be actuated, with the locking pin pre-installed in the point, which is another simplifying aspect of the range.
Other key benefits of the unique design is the reduction in change-out time and improved safety with the truly hammer-free pin and dedicated point removal tool enabling a safer removal process. Together these improve the ease of use and enable greater diversity in the workforce.
The Zenith points currently come in standard, long and heavy-duty options to suit all application requirements. And they can be used to extract any commodity, including copper, gold, coal or iron ore.
Baxter said operators have resonated with the intuitiveness of the range with simple installation and removal, along with the flat contact surfaces between the point and the nose enabling easy rebuilds if required.
“Maintenance teams will often have a list of tasks to complete on a shift, and when they come to changing their Zenith GET, because of its simplicity, personnel can easily make their tooth changes without having to constantly refer to the instruction manual,” he said.
“GET can be replaced in a consistent short timeframe, meaning maintenance personnel can plan and spend more time on other tasks that might be of a higher priority.”
A product comparison demonstrated the efficiency of the Zenith range, with teeth able to be replaced in one minute each, whereas a generation-one tooth took on average 11 minutes to replace.
“When changes are made to six teeth, operators can save a lot of time on maintenance and spend more time in production,” Baxter said.
“Our R&D teams conducted numerous simulations during the design phases and when compared to our generation-one system, the Zenith teeth penetrated material using up to five per cent less power, which is a significant advantage over the long run.”
The Zenith range also has on average an 11 per cent longer wear life than Bradken’s first generation system, based on recent infield performances.
Bradken understands that not only can it supply customers cost-effective and reliable solutions such as its Zenith GET range, but it can also bring together solutions from other product lines to provide a holistic offering.
“We’ll continue to expand the Zenith range as part of this new generation of plate lip products,” Baxter said.
“More broadly, Bradken is combining the recent structural development work undertaken on our mining excavator buckets – including the addition of a cast upper structure – with our GET solutions on the front of the bucket.
“Our design team specifies the right sizes for the operating conditions, and by using machine parameters we can take a more holistic approach, rather than just provide the GET solution alone.”
Baxter said Bradken’s digital portfolio is also advancing.
“The advancement of our tailored condition-monitoring solutions, where we can track the performance and wear of the GET in real-time, demonstrates that there is some pretty exciting R&D occurring at Bradken,” he said.
“And through all our innovations, Bradken is fortunate enough to be backed by a Tier 1 OEM in Hitachi Construction Machinery, who support our product development and the speed with which we can innovate.”
Newmont will begin rolling out more autonomous haul trucks, drill rigs, and graders following a trial to boost the technology capabilities of its Cadia mine in New South Wales.
The gold miner will begin expanding next generation 5G wireless networks to improve safety in underground mining in partnership with Ericsson and Telstra Purple.
Before the trial, Cadia – one of the largest gold mines in the world – was limited to upload speeds of 20–30 megabits per second (Mbps) using Wi-Fi to operate autonomous equipment such as ore loaders and remote-controlled mining machines.
These wi-fi connections were unreliable and unpredictable when under load.
The new 5G network has allowed for speeds up to 90Mbps along access drives and declines throughout the underground complex, and 150Mbps upload and 500Mbps download on all-important extraction drives.
Newmont has since been able to deploy additional safety systems like radars and collision avoidance to improve overall mine safety systems.
“The trial results show the extraordinary potential of 5G to improve safety, increase the number of machines that can be operated on a single network and boost production efficiencies in underground mining,” Newmont chief safety and sustainability officer Suzy Retallack said.
“These trials are part of the new frontier of technology in mining – using innovation to make our people safer and our mines more productive.”
On the basis of the trial, 5G now has a firm place in Newmont’s communications strategies for Cadia and its other Tier 1 underground and surface mines across the world.
Newmont also garnered support from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for the trial, and has now applied to the ACMA for licences to extend and embed Newmont’s use of 5G technology across its Australian operations.
Newmont plans to expand the use of 5G networks across its global network of Tier 1 underground gold-copper mines.
“5G is enabling rapid global transformation of industry, supporting digitalisation and movement towards automated, more efficient, and safer operations across a number of sectors,” Ericsson head of private cellular networks Manish Tiwari said.
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Hitachi aims for the EX5600-7 excavator to be fitted with the boom and arm system as standard at the start of 2026. Image: Hitachi Construction Machinery
To further strengthen its EX-7 excavator series, Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia is about to release two new technology solutions.
For over 50 years, Hitachi Construction Machinery has been a pioneer in manufacturing equipment, machinery and parts for a range of industries.
To expand its global footprint, the company founded Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia in 1999.
“We’re a supplier of surface mining and construction equipment to Australian operations within the mining, civil and forestry sectors,” Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia general manager – mining sales Sean Ryan told Australian Mining.
One of Hitachi Australia’s flagship offerings is the Hitachi EX-7 series of excavators, which first hit the global market in April 2019.
The operator assist system has undergone a successful trial on a Hitachi EX3600-7 backhoe excavator operating in the Pilbara region of WA. Images: Hitachi Construction Machinery
While the series has seen over 120 units sold, Hitachi is all about improving and innovating its range to meet customer feedback.
It was customer consultation that planted the seed for the long-life boom and arm and operator assist systems, both of which Hitachi has developed over the last five years.
“The boom and arm system extended the component’s maintenance life by 1.5 times, improving the durability and serviceability of our ultra-large hydraulic excavators,” Ryan said.
“To bolster durability, we have implemented cast steel technologies in high stress connection points, specifically the connection points of the boom to the arm and the cylinders to the boom. This has improved the strength and quality of those structures.”
Hitachi also placed manhole covers inside the boom to improve serviceability.
“The manhole covers have allowed easy access to the internals of the boom so non-destructive testing inspections can be carried out throughout the life of the component,” Ryan said.
“We haven’t increased the weight of the boom and arm, so we don’t reduce the capabilities or bucket sizing of the equipment.
“We also looked to improve the welding processes by using new design techniques and technologies. This included alleviating high stress areas.”
Further supporting digging and loader operations is Hitachi’s new operator assist system, which aims to reduce burdens such as operator fatigue.
With the help of sensors, a digging assist function helps to automatically improve control of the hydraulic excavator, while the loading assist function helps to avoid collisions by automatically controlling the front attachment when material is loaded onto a dump truck.
“The operator assist system makes it safer at the dig face, increasing productivity by maximising the use of the machine’s capabilities,” Ryan said.
“Rather than having a fully autonomous piece of digging equipment, which is very difficult because of the variabilities of mining conditions at the dig face, we can make part of that process automated, so operators realise the greatest efficiencies of the excavator’s capabilities.”
Ryan said decarbonisation was a key driver behind the creation of its boom and arm and operator assist solutions.
“The operator assist system is about looking at how you can get the most efficiency out of the fuel burn for your operation,” he said. “While the boom and arm seeks to extend the service life of components, therefore extending the overall life cycle.
“With every ultra-class mining piece of equipment that gets scrapped at the end of its life, an estimated 400 tonnes of CO2 (carbon dioxide) is generated. If we can extend serviceability and overall life, it reduces the need for new replacement components and it improves our decarbonisation position.”
Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia was founded in 1999. Images: Hitachi Construction Machinery
The operator assist system has undergone successful trials that commenced in early 2024. The system was fit to a Hitachi EX3600-7 backhoe excavator operating in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
As a result of the effective trial, Hitachi is aiming to achieve practical application of the operator assist system in stages from 2025.
“The operator assist system is retrofittable, meaning it can be set up with any EX-7 mining series excavator,” Ryan said.
The boom and arm solution has also seen a successful trial in the Pilbara, trialling on a Hitachi EX5600-7 backhoe excavator for more than 12 months.
Hitachi aims to begin taking orders of the boom and arm system at the end of 2025, with the EX5600-7 excavator being fitted with the product as standard at the start of 2026.
To aid the rollout of the boom and arm and operator assist system over the next few years, Hitachi Australia has 19 mining branches located in regions such as the Pilbara, Townsville, Emerald, Mackay and Brisbane in Queensland, and Muswellbrook in New South Wales.
“With over 1300 employees, more than 900 are electric and mechanical tradesmen who are there to service our customers and their Hitachi products in the field,” Ryan said.
“We also have a division that manages any parts required for equipment across Australia and two remanufacturing centres in Brisbane and Perth where components get repurposed at the end of their lives and are sent back to customers, reducing the amount of raw material and carbon emissions that come with new products.”
Alongside its extensive excavator range, Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia manufactures rigid dump trucks and wheel loaders for a variety of mining applications, among other solutions.
“We provide the whole service for overburden or mineral product removal from a mine site,” Ryan said.
