Sandvik awarded major order from Byrnecut
Sandvik has received five AutoMine orders from Byrnecut, the world’s largest underground mining contractor, for operations across Australia and Namibia. Byrnecut has also acquired AutoMine for underground drilling across four of these sites and now, with these orders, the majority of Byrnecut’s global operations now run AutoMine for loading. AutoMine multi-lite is an advanced automation system that enables loaders to operate fully autonomously from the stope to the designated loading or dumping area, allowing a single operator to control up to three loaders simultaneously from a safe, climate-controlled control room on the surface. Byrnecut automation and electrification manager Luke Clements says safety is Byrnecut’s number one priority “AutoMine helps ensure that our people get home safely, while also enabling high productivity through precise, consistent, repeatable operations,” he said. Shift changes are one of the largest contributors to downtime in underground operations. Byrnecut is using AutoMine to reduce the impacts by maintaining material movement and drilling progress during these periods — minimising downtime and enabling consistent production. Operators also benefit from the system, as they can remotely supervise and control multiple machines, reducing exposure to dust, noise, vibration and other onsite hazards. This approach enhances safety for operators and mine personnel, while also supporting workforce development as moving operators into technology-focused roles and providing real-time feedback helps build skills for an increasingly automated mining environment. Sandvik automation vice president David Hallett says the deal highlights the growing understanding across the mining sector that Sandvik’s advanced automation solutions help mines run safer, more efficiently and more sustainably. “Byrnecut and Sandvik have a long history of collaboration, and Byrnecut has been a key development partner in our suite of automation solutions,” he said. “We are proud to continue supporting them as they expand the use of automation across their global operations.”
