AUSTRALIAN METS
can generate approximately 170 additional operating hours per truck each year.
Productivity improvements are achieved through a combination of operational efficiency and lower fuel consumption. In comparative underground haulage scenarios, the Toro TH663i | Gen2 is approximately 6 % more fuel efficient and has a circa-5 % lower cost per tonne operating cost than the industry average, all while maintaining high production, Sandvik claimed. Faster speeds, efficient powertrain performance and optimised haulage cycles all contribute to improved fleet economics.
Operator experience has also been enhanced with the latest generation, Sandvik said.
Improved controls, better visibility, integrated safety technologies and a lowfatigue operating environment help support safer and more consistent performance throughout the shift.“ These improvements enable operators to maintain productivity while reducing physical and cognitive strain in demanding underground conditions,” the company said.
The success of the Toro TH663i | Gen2 lies in the cumulative impact of many targeted improvements, according to Sandvik.
More than a decade ago, the original Sandvik TH663 dump truck established itself as a highly successful underground haulage machine. The transition to the Toro TH663i introduced greater intelligence, connectivity and operational capability. The Gen2 truck builds on that foundation through a series of engineering enhancements developed from customer feedback and operational experience across the machine lifecycle, Sandvik explained. Many of these were shaped through ongoing collaboration with customers and insights gained from years of underground operating experience across diverse mining environments, including in Australia.
Updates have been implemented throughout the truck, which includes engine, drivetrain, electrical, structural and software systems. Collectively, these enhancements reduce wear, extend component life and help deliver the performance gains demonstrated in field testing, Sandvik claimed. While the measured outcomes of these enhancements are reflected in improved availability and reduced repair times, many of those gains stem from practical enhancements that make day-today maintenance easier and more efficient.
Several Gen2 updates were specifically developed to reduce planned maintenance requirements and improve lifecycle performance. One example is the extension of axle maintenance intervals from every 4,000 hours to every 8,000 hours following the initial service interval. This significantly reduces planned maintenance interventions over the life of the machine. Ground-level service access, integrated diagnostics and maintenance-focused design features further support more efficient servicing and troubleshooting, helping maintenance teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time keeping equipment productive.
“ These practical improvements highlight an important differentiator for Sandvik in the Australian market,” the company said.“ Rather than focusing solely on machine specifications, Sandvik’ s approach is centred on helping customers achieve better operational outcomes through continuous product refinement and a deep understanding of underground mining applications.”
The TH663i | Gen2 truck is one part of a broader Sandvik offering designed to support underground mining operations throughout the equipment lifecycle. Customers benefit from access to OEM expertise, global aftermarket support, parts availability and digital service solutions, Sandvik said.
My Sandvik connectivity solutions provide visibility into equipment performance and maintenance requirements, while remote monitoring capabilities help identify potential issues before they affect operations. The Gen2 truck also incorporates enhanced diagnostics and condition monitoring that help maintenance teams identify potential issues earlier and make more informed maintenance decisions. AutoMine ® compatibility, meanwhile, provides a futureready pathway towards automation as operational requirements evolve.
“ Combined with comprehensive service, training and lifecycle support programs, these capabilities enable Sandvik to act not only as an equipment supplier but as a longterm productivity partner,” it said.
Where hoisting wins in underground mines
For underground mines chasing ore beneath the last of the near-surface resource bases, one of the biggest decisions with the largest bearing on project economics is how that ore gets from the stope to surface. As mining depths increase, so do haul distances, ventilation demand and capital intensity – and the received wisdom that shaft hoisting is slow to establish and expensive to build is starting to look outdated, according to SRK Consulting.
A recent trade-off study from the company on behalf of ABB Australia tested that wisdom directly. Three scenarios relating to material handling systems( MHS) were considered. These were decline trucking via conventional diesel-powered equipment, shaft hoisting and belt conveying – across three conceptual mine depths( 600 m, 900 m and 1,400 m below surface) for a 3 Mt / y long-hole open stoping gold mine in remote Western Australia. All three scenarios shared an identical orebody, mining method and processing plant, isolating the MHS itself as the only variable under test.
The result: while slower to get started, hoisting wins on net present value( NPV) at every depth tested, and the margin grows the deeper the mine goes and the larger the deposit.
The conventional case against hoisting is capital and schedule. Blind sinking a production shaft can cost tens of millions more than a raisebored equivalent, and production cannot start until the shaft is fully commissioned. This could sometimes be a year or two behind a decline. This study’ s hoist scenario sidesteps that penalty entirely by changing the initial design and tramming philosophy.
Rather than blind sinking, the shaft is raisebored from the base of a service decline, while that same decline – built with an identical fleet and schedule to the pure trucking case – drives interim production. First ore arrives in year three, matching the decline scenario exactly, with the shaft taking over as primary haulage once commissioned( year five at 600 m, extending to year nine at 1,400 m).
The effect on NPV is decisive. At 600 m depth, the hoist scenario delivers A $ 2.801 billion($ 1.916 billion) against A $ 2.659 billion for the decline – a lead of A $ 142 million, or 5.1 %. That lead widens to A $ 176 million( 6.7 %) at 900 m and A $ 195 million( 8 %) at 1,400 m, as the value of eliminating diesel surface haulage grows with haul distance and fleet size. Against conveying, the hoist also holds a steady advantage of around 6 % to 8 % at every depth tested.
Perhaps the more surprising finding is on capital. Pre-production capital for hoist and decline is nearly identical at every depth, since both scenarios share the same access decline before first ore. Over the life of mine, however, the picture inverts. The decline’ s surface haul fleet requires repeated rebuilds and full replacements, with as many as 54 trucks cycled through in the life of mine for a single 1,400 m operation. That burden makes the decline-only scenario the most capital-intensive option overall, while hoisting – despite its shaft and headframe – ends up with the lowest total life-of-mine capital of the three options at every depth. The decline’ s larger truck fleet is also more labour intensive to run, adding camp, training and wage costs that hoisting avoids once the shaft takes over.
Hoisting is also the cleanest option of the three options, SRK said.
Electrically driven haulage and a smaller residual truck fleet make the hoist scenario the lowest life-of-mine greenhouse gas
30 International Mining | OCTOBER 2026