Komatsu’s Autonomous Haulage System Sets Record for Surface Material Moved
Komatsu America announced the FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System has achieved the milestone of more than two billion tons of surface material move autonomously. The FrontRunner system has now hauled more than all other commercial mining autonomous haulage systems combined, Komatsu said.
Since its first commercial deployment in 2008 at CODELCO’s Gabriela Mistral copper mine in Chile, the FrontRunner AHS has experienced exponential growth in cumulative production, breaking the 1 billion tons mark in 2016 and the 1.5 billion tons mark in late 2017. This has been accomplished with more than 130 trucks in operation to date. An additional 150 trucks will deploy to the Canadian oil sands during the next seven years, Komatsu said.
Working closely with customers, the system’s 10-year zero-harm and productivity record has enabled Komatsu to accelerate the pace of AHS deployment. Today’s FrontRunner system operates around the clock, hauling copper, iron and oil sands at seven sites on three continents.
“The ongoing investment in technology and equipment by major mining companies in Chile, Australia and Canada underscore their belief in the value of autonomous haulage,” said Anthony Cook, vice president autonomous and communications solutions at Modular Mining Systems, a subsidiary of Komatsu.
Komatsu’s approach for FrontRunner AHS brings together ultra-class dump trucks with MMS’ DISPATCH Fleet Management System, the preferred management system in nine of the 10 largest mining operations in the world. The system enables 100-percent compliance to its proven optimization methodology, delivering unrivalled performance.
“AHS continues to play an increasingly crucial role in effective mine management as more and more operations transition from manned to unmanned fleets,” said Dan Funcannon, vice president and general manager, large mining truck division, Komatsu America. “As the demand for autonomous systems grows, Komatu will continue raising the bar in an effort to help mines provide safer working environments, maximize production, and reduce operating costs.”
Prior to achieving the autonomous haulage milestone, Komatsu hosted an Autonomous Haulage Demonstration Day in Tucson, Ariz., showcasing the company’s autonomous haulage and assisted operations solutions.
Komatsu plans to enhance the AHS’ mixed operation functions, enabling manned trucks of any make to inter-operate with Komatsu AHS trucks in a blended operation. Komatsu is also working with industry stakeholders towards standardization of interoperability between Komatsu and non-Komatsu autonomous vehicles to improve safety and efficiency at customer operations.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.