NARROW-VEIN & LOW-PROFILE
The WX06LP’ s lower-profile structural design improves visibility, Komatsu says
Low profile, big performance
Outside of this partnership, Komatsu has an extensive line-up of low-profile loaders, including the WX05LP, WX06LP, WX08LP and WX10LP.
Komatsu branded low-profile equipment has seen some product enhancements aligning with the industry direction. The WX06LP brings updated kinematics for superior lashing and loading capability, enhanced cooling systems with separate brake cooling and larger tyres for improved traction on steep gradients. Its lower-profile structural design improves visibility, while 10 years of design evolution and a proven 20,000-hour platform life underscore durability. Simplified hydraulics accelerate fault finding and enhance operator feel, complemented by the latest Spicer C3000 torque converter for higher pump outputs, Komatsu says. Safety is further strengthened with SIL-2 rated relays and improved emergency stop systems, and a redesigned cabin enhances operator comfort.
The newly launched WX10LP is equally impressive, powered by a Cummins 200 kW engine capable of operating in mining heights below 2 m, the OEM says. Its ergonomic, pressurised cabin offers climate control for operator comfort, while Z-link kinematics allow tipping into any 30 t truck on the market. Hydraulic engine cooling reduces fuel consumption and emissions, and the machine delivers exceptional ground clearance, speed on grade and breakout force, Komatsu claims. Maintenance is simplified through a swing secondary cooler and advanced brake circuits provide full mechanical redundancy. Load-sensing hydraulics optimise truck loading, ensuring outstanding grade performance and breakout capability.
As a partner for the WX10LP loader, the newly launched HX30LP dump truck is designed and built to set the new standard in low-profile mining. Based on the HX30
60
truck platform, the HX30LP has a low-profile cabin; low and wide dump box; and wider real axle. The low-profile truck is a powerful, reliable and ergonomic 30 t low profile truck offering, Komatsu says, a best in class power rating, oscillating articulation and state of the art low profile cabin. The HX30LP is built to deliver high performance and productivity. It’ s also designed for operator comfort, in constrained environments and efficiency with an ergonomically designed cabin and intuitive controls.
Designing for restricted profiles
During preliminary evaluations of narrowvein mining operations in Latin America, the engineering team consistently encountered the same challenge: mechanised bolting could not be deployed due to insufficient heading dimensions.
Although operators expressed a clear need for the productivity and safety improvements associated with mechanisation, the geometric constraints of the headings prevented the use of conventional bolt modules and drifter systems. These conditions shaped the
The DPIS-1-HD-KRMG3 incorporates a HV32 hydraulic percussive drill, Fletcher N3016-AD / E carrier( pictured) and the Cannon DPIN carrier
inception of the DPIS-1-HD-KRMG3, a system conceived not by reducing the scale of an existing jumbo, but by reconceptualising how drilling and bolting systems could be designed to function within extremely restricted profiles.
Rather than beginning with a predetermined carrier and adapting the bolt module to it, Fletcher and Cannon Mining designers reversed the design sequence. They examined the narrowest operational environments and established the minimum feasible envelope for a mechanised bolt installation system. This design approach led to the development of the KRMG3 remote bolt module, the shortest mechanised bolt module available on the market, the companies claim.
Its overall length – equivalent to bolt length plus approximately 27 in( 686 mm) – was achieved by structuring the system around the compact HV32 hydraulic percussive drill.“ The HV32’ s notably short body permitted the mast, travel mechanism and housing to collapse into an exceptionally small footprint,” Fletcher and Cannon Mining said.“ When integrated with the Fletcher N3016-AD / E carrier( 5 ft 4 in( 1.63 m) in width) and the Cannon DPIN carrier( 5 ft 11.5 in in width), the resulting platforms could access headings that had previously been inaccessible to mechanised support equipment.”
However, minimising system dimensions alone did not resolve the operational challenges.
Narrow headings inherently increase the impact of misalignment, vibration and off-axis loading, causing minor collar deviations to become significant errors over the course of a 6- to 8-ft( 1.82-2.43 m) bolt hole. To address this, the engineering team incorporated several precision-oriented mechanical features into the module. These included 18 in of independent crowd on each mast, variable feed rate capability suitable for hard-rock conditions, a hydraulic stinger for module stabilisation and centrally aligned drill-steel paths designed to preserve bushing and seal integrity.
“ Collectively, these measures allowed operators to achieve accurate collaring and
drilling in environments where handheld equipment had historically been the only practical solution,” the companies explained.
Selection of the drifter was equally consequential. The engineering team chose to support both the Fletcher HV32 and Cannon CH32 drifters, designing the KRMG3 so either unit could power both the drilling and bolt-feed functions. This design decision reduced inventory requirements, simplified training and lowered maintenance complexity.
The HV32 provided an additional advantage: its compact form factor reduced overall module length and operates without nitrogen accumulators, eliminating a common cause of vibration surges, rebuild-related downtime and additional maintenance expense, according to Fletcher and Cannon Mining.“ Operator feedback
International Mining | JANUARY 2026