MINING ENGINES
Cummins says it is focused on maximising value across the full engine lifecycle, including multiple rebuild cycles supported through its global service network
The RPM revolution
New clean-sheet engine designs, hybrid retrofits and more. Dan Gleeson reports on the latest engine-related trends
The internal combustion engine is not going away any time soon. The realities of electrifying mobile mining equipment are fast becoming apparent, with more mine sites electing to choose decarbonisation options that offer less operational friction than the current full electrification pathway, while providing interim emission reductions.
This is seeing engine suppliers and technology integrators pivot towards nearterm solutions that can augment dieselbacked propulsion, while keeping longerterm, fully-electric advances alive through R & D spend.
Practical, future-proofed solutions
Cummins has embarked on such a dualpronged approach as it made clear recently when announcing it was working on a series of technological developments for its portfolio of mining solutions.
The developments include updates to the QSK60 high-horsepower mining engine, new capabilities within the PrevenTech ® remote monitoring platform, continued refinement of hybrid-electric haulage solutions and an all-new, clean-sheet mining engine. The advancements are designed to help boost productivity, reduce ownership costs and deliver greater lifecycle value across the installed based, while offering practical solutions for lower emissions in modern mining, the company said.
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Cummins’ newly introduced model year change program, intended to proactively evaluate enhancement opportunities for industrial high-horsepower products and deliver improvements within a threeyear cycle, was highlighted in this recent announcement, with the 2027 QSK60, the latest-generation of Cummins’ 60-litre engine, the first of many platforms that will be part of this program.
This mining-specific model introduces targeted updates to further optimise total cost of ownership( TCO) and operational performance, delivering benefits to customers through new QSK60 engines produced after the March quarter of 2027 and through engine rebuilds completed from that point forward.
These enhancements reflect Cummins’ focus on maximising value across the full engine lifecycle, including multiple rebuild cycles supported through its global service network, it said.
The full model year scope is projected to deliver an up to 3 % improvement in TCO and an up to 16 % improvement in lifecycle cost, with realised benefits varying by application, duty cycle, operating conditions, maintenance practices and configuration.
The life to overhaul of the engine is projected to extend by 5 to 10 % of fuel consumed and maintenance costs could reduce by more than 50 % due to inclusion of NanoNet ® Plus technology as standard, removing the need for injector change-out at mid-life, Cummins claimed.
Additionally, customers will have the option to receive their engine from the factory with the FIT( Filtration Intelligence Technology) suite of sensors and monitoring capabilities when paired with PrevenTech, enabling miners to further extend maintenance intervals and maximise uptime through advanced analytics. This system is currently undergoing field testing through Cummins’ partnership with Komatsu.
Cummins told IM:“ The QSK60 is the first program to the enter our model year program, but the strategy extends across the entire large-engine portfolio, from the QSK50 and above. We are currently planning model year updates for the QSK50 and QSK78, with the next releases expected over the next two to three years.”
PrevenTech, Cummins’ integrated engine reliability and performance solution for mining, plays a central role in helping customers monitor engine health, plan maintenance more proactively and reduce unplanned downtime through connected insights delivered via Cummins’ global service network.
Building on enhancements introduced last year, Cummins plans a platform update shortly that, it said, will further improve how maintenance issues are identified and managed, helping customers focus on the most critical actions with greater clarity. This update will impact the existing software population as well as new installations, further advancing Cummins’ data-enabled service capabilities across its installed base. The planned PrevenTech updates will
International Mining | OCTOBER 2026