Market Trends of Automated Mining Equipment Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Automated Mining Equipment Market according to our research experts:
Excavators is Expected to Hold Significant Market Share in the Hardware Segment
- A wide range of excavators can be seen in the mining fields, ranging from a skid’s size to a massive building-sized earth mover. These excavators are used in the foundation of any mining operation. The excavators play a vital role in digging and pulling back the materials using hydraulics. Many companies offer excavators classified into two categories: wheeled excavators and large excavators, with differences in their manufacturing processes.
- Moreover, wheeled excavators are popularly used for multi-tasking and are designed to deliver the speed and power required for such tasks. Continuous innovations in load management have enabled the creation of excavators with maximum digging capacities. To cater to the concerns about safety and improved productivity, automated excavators provide improved visibility. The operator stands in line with the sight and uses a remote to run the vehicle operations. Thus, automating the excavator on a job site can increase productivity and accuracy and decrease operator fatigue and fuel consumption.
- In March 2020, Leica Geosystems, a Hexagon company, released its new semi-automated excavator functionality for the iXE3 3D excavator machine control solution, including tilt and tilt rotator bucket automation. The solution automatically controls bucket, boom, tilt, and tilt rotator bucket functions to dig faster and more accurately to the target design surface and cross slope. The new semi-automatic functionality makes the operator execute complex tasks, increase productivity, reduce manual controls, speed, and accuracy of the work, even for less experienced operators.
- The manufacturers of heavy earthmoving and construction machinery are collaborating with tech companies to develop automated excavators. For instance, Engcon, the tilt rotators technology-based equipment manufacturer, teamed with Kobelco Construction Machinery Europe BV (KCME) and Leica Geosystems, developed the tilt rotator compatible excavator guidance system on a Kobelco SK210LC-10 excavator. The system is based on the latest 3D machine control (3DMC) technology by Leica Geosystems, along with the newest tilt rotator technology from Engcon.
- Further, in January 2021, Hyundai Construction Equipment launched the upgraded series of excavators under the series name SMART PLUS and new global color to strengthen the brand positioning, especially in India and the export market.
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North America is Expected to Account For Significant Market Share
- North America is one of the major mining equipment markets, owing to the United States and Canada's presence, which combinedly hold a significant share in the mining industry. According to the data produced by the US Geological Survey, more than 22% of the global active mineral exploration sites are located solely in Canada. Together, the United States and Canada host more than 34% of the international active mineral exploration sites. The production shares of the two countries, for a few essential mineral commodities, put them in leading positions compared to other countries.
- Further, the US government has various regulations that guide the mining industry to work without damaging the environment and providing safety to the workers involved. This is driving the market in the region due to the capabilities of automated vehicles working in hazardous environments without time boundaries. The US government has environmental regulations such as National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), etc. Owing to such regulations, the country is driving the demand for autonomous mining vehicles.
- The region provides substantial business for mining equipment producers. For instance, Komatsu, one of the significant vendors of mining equipment worldwide, generated JPY 447.8 billion from the region with sales of its construction, mining, and utility equipment. Komatsu's American subsidiary, Komatsu America Corp., recently announced that its front-runner Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) has qualified to operate on private long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband technology. It is the first AHS enabled to run on private LTE in commercial operations.
- Moreover, the regional players are contributing to the growth of the market. For instance, Cisco's IoT industrial networking technology and Sandvik's automation systems and software helped the Swedish mining company, Boliden, automate and optimize mining operations. Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology is a business area within the Sandvik Group. It is a global supplier of equipment and tools, services, and technical solutions for the mining and construction industries. The application areas include rock drilling, rock cutting, crushing and screening, loading and hauling, tunneling, quarrying, and breaking and demolition.
- Further, ABB has launched ABB Ability Operations Management System in Canada that maximizes coordination between weekly production plans and dynamic situations in mining to improve efficiency, increase productivity, and maximize profitability. It has developed in collaboration with Boliden AB and ArcelorMittal Mining Canada. Moreover, ABB Ability Operations Management System for mining (OMS) connects and coordinates mine operators, workforce, equipment, and mining activities in real-time, from face preparation to the crusher.
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