Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has received a major order for its AutoMine® load and haul automation system valued at about $27.5 million from Chilean mining company Codelco, to be used in the El Teniente mine.

In addition, a connected load and haul equipment order, with an initial value of $16.5m, was received, bringing the total value of the orders to $44m. Both orders were booked in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The contract will run from 2022 through 2027. During 2022 and 2023, Codelco will receive Toro TH663i trucks and Sandvik LH514 loaders, as well as an AutoMine Fleet system, capable of being scaled to support up to 32 machines, and AutoMine production area hardware for future expansions over several years. From 2023 through 2027, Sandvik will deliver additional trucks and loaders to be added to the AutoMine Fleet system.

Henrik Ager, president of business area Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “I am pleased to see a continued strong interest for AutoMine solutions that contribute to improving safety, reliability and productivity in the mine and I look forward to the partnership with Codelco in this project.”

AutoMine Underground for loading and hauling is an automation system for autonomous and tele-remote operation of a wide range of loaders and trucks. SAndvik said its scalable solution can provide tele-remote to fully autonomous operation for a single machine or multiple machines, including full fleet automation with automatic mission and traffic control capability.

Sandvik added that the AutoMine Fleet system is a highly advanced automation system for a fleet of underground loaders and trucks sharing the same automated production area. It provides advanced traffic control capabilities, as well as a wide range of interfaces for infrastructure integration to allow for complex automation applications in challenging environments.