Interoperable solution

Epiroc, ASI Mining to automate Roy Hill haul trucks

Roy Hill chief executive Barry Fitzgerald says the Pilbara iron ore miner is putting safety first by signing a contract with Epiroc and ASI Mining to automate its mixed fleet of Hitachi and Cat haul trucks.

Epiroc and ASI Mining will deliver an interoperable solution with the ability to expand to other mining vehicle types and manufacturers.

The solution will also have the capability to integrate with existing and future Roy Hill systems at the Western Australian site.

Epiroc will work with Hitachi/ Wencomine on truck conversion and integration of Roy Hill’s existing Wenco fleet management system.

The project will involve an initial phase of testing and production verification of up to eight trucks, before the full fleet of Roy Hill machines is converted from mid 2021.

Roy Hill chief executive officer Barry Fitzgerald believes the Pilbara iron ore site is well positioned to transition to automation.

“Our teams on site and in our remote operations centre in Perth have demonstrated a clear capacity to deliver complex projects, sustainable change and operational excellence with the recent success of the autonomous drill program and fleet optimisation initiatives,” Fitzgerald said.

“Now is the right time to bring the combined expertise of Roy Hill, Epiroc, ASI Mining and Wenco together to convert our haul truck fleet.”

Fitzgerald reinforced the importance of Roy Hill’s people in this project, saying safety was a key driver of the project.

He said the commitment to Roy Hill’s people extends to the effective transition of impacted operators to other roles.

“Care is one of our core values, with safety at the heart of everything we do. Roy Hill’s Smart Mine program is driving innovation across our business, and the automation of our haulage fleet is central to delivering safety and production improvements,” Fitzgerald said.

Epiroc and ASI Mining, which have global experience on automation projects, plan to establish a highlycredentialed team in Western Australia to deliver the project.

United States-based ASI develops technology solutions for the autonomous operation of mining vehicles. Epiroc acquired a 34 per cent stake in the ASI in October 2018.

ASI CEO Mel Torrie said the companies would also partner with key suppliers, including mining technology integrator Sedna, to deliver the automation haulage system (AHS) at Roy Hill.

“As a manufacturer-agnostic solutions provider ASI Mining looks forward to highlighting the opportunities presented by an interoperable approach to autonomous mining,” Torrie said.

Roy Hill has established reskilling and redeployment plans to assist the transition of op erators to new roles within the business.

“We are committed to an automation journey that creates an environment in which our people can develop new skills critical to the workforce of the future. Our focus is on setting people up to succeed and further contribute to the Roy Hill community,” Fitzgerald said. ROY HILL IS THE LATEST PILBARA IRON ORE MINER TO UNVEIL PLANS TO AUTOMATE ITS FLEET OF HAUL TRUCKS TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY. Roy Hill, Epiroc and ASI Mining celebrate the contract signing.

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