SURFACE LOADING
Building on the proven performance of MOTION METRICS™’ AI-based Payload Monitoring platform for hydraulic shovels, which delivers payload accuracy within ± 5 % in tonnes more than 95 % of the time, the addition of P & H compatibility it says brings high-confidence payload measurement to larger-scale shovel fleets, where critical loading decisions are made.“ By shifting payload intelligence upstream from the truck to the shovel, operators gain real-time, actionable guidance in the cab when it really counts. This replaces estimation and variability with precision, bucket-by-bucket and shift after shift.”
Traditional truck-based payload monitoring systems often struggle with sensitivity, repeatability, and consistency, contributing to chronic under-loading, excessive over-loading, and avoidable wear across the fleet. These inefficiencies quietly compound, eroding productivity and increasing energy use over thousands of daily loading cycles.
Payload Monitoring from MOTION METRICS™ addresses this challenge by integrating ruggedised precision sensors directly onto the shovel, enabling real-time bucket weight measurement, automatic cycle tracking, and intuitive visual and audio cues that help operators consistently hit target payloads with confidence. Extending this capability to P & H shovels brings shovelbased payload intelligence to one of the most widely deployed machine families in global mining. Given the capacity of these machines, even modest gains in loading accuracy translate into meaningful operational impact, higher average truck fill, faster loading times, lower specific energy consumption, reduced overload-related wear, and lower CO₂e emissions.
“ Customer deployments on hydraulic shovels have already demonstrated the value of this approach, delivering increased average truck fill and payload consistency; faster, more predictable loading cycles; lower energy use per tonne moved; reduced payload deviation and rework; and more consistent and efficient operator workflows.”
As mining companies continue to pursue higher throughput, lower operating costs, and stronger ESG performance, expanding shovel-based payload intelligence to more machine types represents a practical and scalable step forward. With P & H support now available, world-class, AI-driven Payload Monitoring can be deployed across mixed shovel fleets, providing a consistent payload standard, fleet-wide optimisation, and seamless cloud-based reporting through MetricsManager™ Pro.
Supervisors gain clearer visibility into loading performance, while operations teams benefit from data-driven insights that support continuous improvement, from pit
30 to plant.“ We’ re proud to bring our most advanced payload monitoring technology to P & H shovels,” said Ali Torabi, Senior Engineering Manager, MOTION METRICS™.“ This expansion unlocks shovel-based loading intelligence for a much larger share of the global fleet, helping mines move more material with fewer resources, extend equipment life, and make measurable progress toward their productivity and sustainability goals.”
ShovelMetrics™ Gen 3 integrates seamlessly into existing MOTION METRICS™ installations, with no additional in-cab screens required. Operators receive intuitive, real-time feedback at the shovel, supervisors access comprehensive cloudbased reporting, and mines gain a scalable platform designed to deliver long-term value across operations.
Schlam customises wheel loader buckets for greater flexibility
Schlam has been commissioned by Glencore to produce three bespoke wheel loader buckets to flexibly move either coal or waste at Australian mine sites. What started out as a discussion with one of the world’ s largest mining operators around optimising truck bed efficiency turned into the creation of the largest capacity wheel loader bucket every produced by Schlam.
The load and haul accessory manufacturer was commissioned by Glencore for 40 metre capacity buckets to be used at mine sites across Queensland and New South Wales to give greater flexibility in operations. The big Barracuda buckets were sought as a solution to compliment new Caterpillar 995 wheel loader trucks that operate in both coal stockpile and waste applications and improve efficiency by lifting both coal extraction and waste capacity.
The three big buckets were produced featuring the same base but two different lips for ground engagement tools( GET), optimised to site requirements. Schlam
Global Product Manager – attachments Ian Cornfoot said the design and construction leverage Schlam’ s track record for highquality solutions and benefit from experience in supplying mining truck beds to the Glencore mines.
“ We knew Glencore’ s haulage fleet, their material and their conditions,” Cornfoot said.“ This helped us to foresee challenges and proactively mitigate them throughout the design and engineering process.”
The primary challenge for Schlam was optimising bucket capacity to maximise coal payloads, while remaining compatible with current and future pass-match requirements. In practice, these requirements limited the ability to fully realise the machine’ s theoretical payload potential in coal, meaning the benefit of a lighter bucket in this application was marginal.
As a result, durability was prioritised. Steel was added into the design to ensure the bucket could operate effectively in waste / overburden conditions, where it is exposed to digging forces, rather than loading, and where fill factor must be tightly controlled to ensure maximum swung load is not exceeded.
At 7 m wide, 4 m deep and 3.5 m high, the new buckets are similar in size to a luxury caravan.“ We needed to demonstrate we could sustain the centre of gravity of this large bucket on the wheel loader and not destabilise or overload the machine,” Cornfoot said.
“ The design also had to consider stresses when digging with such a wide bucket. Depending on the material being extracted, loads in corners can lever and amplify digging forces and create a large bending movement.”
Glencore engineers and third-party quality assurance and quality control inspectors worked with the Schlam team throughout the build.“ It’ s a great example of the importance of collaboration between our team, our customers and suppliers,” Cornfoot said.“ The inspectors verified every
The largest bucket ever produced by Schlam needed its own semi-trailer for the cross country delivery from Forrestfield in WA to Glencore’ s operations in Queensland
International Mining | MAY 2026