UTILITY VEHICLES
The TS100 SC scaler within the Terrah Series has been designed to place the operator as far away from the face as possible , Epiroc says
What will also help this adoption is the fact these machines will eventually be equipped to seamlessly integrate into the wider Epiroc offering , meaning customers can benefit from both a production and utility fleet all underwritten by the Epiroc network .
“ Customers can now look at us as a one-stop shop ,” Tibbles said .
The Terrah Series , itself , has nine different cassette options to choose from . Some of these are considered standalone – the Terrah TS100 SC scaler and Terrah TS100 CHE / CHA charging carrier being the primary application examples – but the others are all built to roll on and roll off the common Terrah TS100 FR and Terrah TS100 FC carriers .
All of the options – from the scissor lift , to material and personnel transport , to maintenance vehicles – have safety , productivity and durability at their core . The former is evident with FOPS and ROPS protection throughout , plus – on the scaler specifically – a design that moves the operator as far away from the face as possible . Productivity is covered by the new powerful drivetrains the vehicles are benefitting from , plus the high carrying capacities offered ( the Terrah TS100 FL heavy material transporter can carry up to 10 t ). Durability is exemplified by that high-grade stainless steel offering finish for tank cassettes , as well as the use of other elements such as MyEpiroc Fleet + to analyse machine performance .
Tibbles is excited by what may come into the Terrah Series fold in the future , looking across the Epiroc spectrum and seeing what benefit the likes of Mobilaris could have on the machine ’ s operation .
The Titan Proximity Detection System is one additional safety feature that could be incorporated , with the scaler being the obvious starting point due to its typical cycle of machine interactions . Similarly on the scaler , there is talk of a line of sight operating option , looking at leveraging the RCT ’ s ControlMaster platform to further remove operators from exposure to the face .
Tibbles and Sandström are already seeing a future where the Terrah Series is catalysed by the automation , digitalisation and electrification industry ambitions Epiroc ’ s offering is looking to cater for .
“ We are addressing all the three of these pillars in the roadmap , and we are doing it in a step-by-step approach ,” Sandström said . “ From a customer point of view , it all has to be valuedriven . Depending on customer needs we can easily accelerate the development as we have all technologies in-house used on other machines . For example , on the automation side , we ’ re talking about line of sight controls , as well as what operator assistance functionality we can bring in . It has to start here before we consider what a fully autonomous vehicle might look like .”
MacLean leveraging the learnings
MacLean expanded its utility vehicle product line at last year ’ s MINExpo with the global announcement of a decarbonisation partnership with Fortescue that will see the Sudbury-based company manufacture a fleet of battery-electric surface motor graders for Fortescue ’ s iron ore operations in Western Australia .
MacLean also used the global stage of MINExpo to announce a pledge for ‘ Real Zero 2040 ’, joining Fortescue ’ s call to the industry to more rapidly decarbonise and electrify , in keeping with the urgency of the climate change
threat and the massive opportunity for collective action up and down the supply chain .
MacLean CEO , Kevin MacLean , said : “ Our first 50 years of operation as a company saw MacLean shape the underground mining industry in the name of increased safety and productivity . Now our next chapters will be shaped by our deep commitment to supporting the decarbonisation of the mining industry around the globe , where a majority of operations are above ground .
“ We ’ re taking all the learnings from our GR5 Underground Grader commercialisation and our decade of experience in underground batteryelectric vehicle design , manufacturing and site support , and putting it to good use in the context of surface mining electrification .
“ With MacLean and Fortescue , you have two ambitious companies that share the same vision and depth of commitment to innovation that delivers results when it comes to transforming the industry through decarbonisation . This is a powerful collaboration for positive change and working towards a mining industry no longer reliant on fossil fuels .”
The GR8 isn ’ t the only recent addition to the MacLean product line of innovative utility vehicles fit for purpose in the underground mining environment .
The latest addition to the company ’ s Elevated Work Platform ( EWP ) product suite , the ML5 Multi-Lift , achieved WorkSafe certification in Australia as well as meets the applicable EWP ISO standard and will undergo customer trials in that country in 2025 . This model is part of the next generation 5 Series mining vehicles of ergonomically designed , data-rich and automation future-proofed MacLean mining vehicles , the company says .
The ML5 Multi-Lift is a purpose-built alternative to the use of integrated tool carriers ( ITs ) in underground operations across Australia . The model is designed for mine services installation and repair work from a certified elevated work platform with a 6.5 m working height and a 4.5 t payload , with best-in-class application versatility , the company states . The ML5 comes with a two-person cab , in-basket controls with emergency lowering and a slew boom that extends the range of motion for increased productivity . The quick coupler on the boom allows for timely change-out of attachments to add to the mining vehicle ’ s versatility of the ML5 .
MacLean Product Manager , Bryson Lehman , said : “ This is another MacLean mining vehicle designed expressly for the Australian market , but it has application relevance across the mining world . We ’ re excited to launch this new model because of how it complements our EWP product suite – the SL2 and SL3 Scissor Lifts , and the LR3 Boom Lift – as another certified and safe working
66 International Mining | MARCH 2025