AUSTRALIAN METS
It is not just investment dollars returning to Australia’ s burgeoning mining sector; mining companies are also increasingly tapping expertise and equipment from the country to boost operational efficiency and productivity, Dan Gleeson writes
Australia’ s underground mining industry requires equipment that delivers consistent performance. Reliability, productivity and uptime are critical to meeting production targets and controlling costs.
In this environment, mining companies value partners that can deliver tangible improvements that make a difference underground, according to Sandvik Mining. The OEM has recently showcased this partnership approach with the launch of the 63-t payload Toro ® TH663i | Gen2 truck.
Rather than introducing change for the sake of change, Gen2 focuses on practical enhancements that help customers increase machine availability, reduce maintenance demands and lower operating costs while retaining the characteristics that have made the TH663i a trusted underground mining truck, Sandvik said.
“ Australia’ s underground mining operations are among the most demanding in the world, placing constant pressure on equipment performance and reliability,” the company explained.“[ The ] Toro TH663i |
Return to Oz
Gen2 addresses these challenges through more than 30 targeted upgrades across key machine systems, all focused on delivering results where it matters most: uptime, productivity, safety and total cost of ownership.”
The Sandvik Toro TH663i | Gen2 truck comes with more than 30 targeted upgrades across key machine systems, all focused on improving uptime, productivity, safety and total cost of ownership
Rox Resources has selected the Glencore Albion Process to carry out oxidative leaching technology at its Youanmi project in Western Australia( pictured)
Reliability was a major focus with these updates, with field trial data showing that the Gen2 standard maintains more than 85 % availability and a 12 % increase in mean time between failures compared with previous TH663i models. Serviceability improvements have also reduced mean time to repair by 25 %, helping customers return trucks to production faster when maintenance is required, Sandvik said. Together, these gains
28 International Mining | OCTOBER 2026