WORLD PROSPECTS
Sandvik introduces Fast Cable Anchor at Afrirock
Sandvik Mining introduced the new Fast Cable Anchor at Afrirock 2025 in July, it says providing an innovative design for rapid development. This newest addition to Sandvik’ s extensive portfolio of ground support solutions significantly increases cable bolting productivity in hard rock mining.
A tool-less connection to the cable enables the use of bulk cables, allowing for fast mechanical installation with Sandvik cable bolters. Even manual installation becomes more efficient, as every step of the bolting processes, from drilling to plating and tensioning, can be done directly in succession. There is no need to wait hours or even days for the grout to cure, as the tensioning can begin immediately after anchor insertion.
In addition, the new Fast Cable Anchor also enhances safety in mining operations. The anchor engages securely with the rock wall of the borehole, providing additional installation stability. During the installation process, the anchor will push the grout even in the smallest cavities and gaps.
“ With typical curing times of at least 12 hours and an average waiting time of 24 hours before tensioning, our innovative new design can reduce re-entry time by as much as a full day,” said Jamie Wang, Research & Development Engineer – Bolting at Sandvik Mining.“ We are happy to present this new Fast Cable Anchor for the first time at Afrirock 2025, and to show our visitors how our latest innovation supports rapid development in underground mining.” https:// www. mining. sandvik /
Ericsson and 5G – accelerating the future of mining
A recent article by Kirstin Sym-Smith, Global Vertical Partnership Lead, Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions titled‘ Accelerating the future of mining with 5G connectivity’ points out that while mining has long been a cornerstone of the global economy, it faces a growing need for improved productivity, safety regulations, and efficiencies. A critical skills shortage threatens to undermine production targets, with 20 % of mining decision makers in the UK concerned about their workforce lacking the skills or qualifications to operate more advanced equipment and digital systems. According to the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, the UK also needs over 60 new mining engineering graduates annually to sustain its domestic sector. Yet, there have been no new undergraduates since 2019.
Sym-Smith:“ Overcoming these challenges comes down to realising the concept of‘ smart mines,’ which use data, automation and advanced technologies to achieve efficiencies. And while large scale operations like those in Australia warrant an overhaul, the need for digital transformation is just as urgent in smaller or more traditional extracting industries, such as masonry quarries in the UK or mid-sized European mines. These sites still face labour shortages, tightening safety regulations, and increasing pressure to operate more efficiently and sustainably.”
She adds that ubiquitous mobile connectivity plays an important role in enabling technologies, like autonomous vehicles, predictive maintenance, and precision drilling which contribute to improved efficiency in mining. While traditional Wi-Fi infrastructure can support many of these applications, especially in well-established environments, it may face limitations in vast or remote mining areas.“ In these situations, 5G provides a robust alternative, offering greater mobility, reliability and low-latency communication to support real-time coordination between the equipment. The impact of this cannot be overstated either – in Australia, mining firms expect to automate half of the country’ s mining operations by 2030, reducing the number of staff needed in hazardous areas by up to 75 %.”
But what does the adoption of 5G in remote, legacy mines look like in practice? Large-scale mines face a myriad of critical operational challenges and objectives, including removing human workers from high-risk, remote areas to improve safety while maintaining productivity. Sym Smith:“ Unfortunately, Wi-Fi has become too unreliable and limited in latency and bandwidth to optimise real-time, autonomous operations deep underground. Satellite is not even an option due to it needing a line of sight to work. This is preventing mines from capitalising on the productivity benefits of the autonomous equipment that’ s transforming the industry, like haul trucks and drilling rigs.”
In these situations, private 5G networks can support on-site automation, improve environmental monitoring, and reduce the dependency on human supervision in hazardous zones by providing low latency, high bandwidth and reliable connectivity. Realtime data is critical to ensure that these operations stay online and keep workers safe, while helping mining operations maximise efficiencies. The deployment of 5G private networks in practice naturally comes with some challenges.
“ Smaller or legacy operators, in particular, will encounter roadblocks tied to the lifecycle and limitations of their existing equipment. In the UK, stone and masonry quarries, which provide essential materials for infrastructure and heritage restoration, often rely on ageing equipment such as processing units, trucks, and conveyors not originally designed with connectivity or automation in mind. There are, of course, some regulatory hurdles to consider as well. For example, using autonomous equipment may require changes to site safety plans, new licensing, and approval from health and safety regulators.”
Fortunately, mining companies can work with implementation partners to bridge these gaps. They can provide guidance and help foster partnerships with manufacturers, system integrators, and regulators alike, ensuring companies can evolve at a pace they’ re comfortable with. Sym-Smith adds that major players, such as Newmont are already using private cellular networks to enhance worker safety and operational efficiency across their global operations.
Its Cadia gold-copper mine has enabled the first use of private 5G technology for teleremote( remote control) dozing as part of its surface operations. Previously, Newmont couldn’ t connect more than two machines at distances of no more than 100 metres on Wi-Fi before the network became futile. Wi-Fi was unstable and could lead to downtime of up to six hours or more for troubleshooting to restore connectivity. With Ericsson private 5G, Newmont now maintains continuous production, allowing more work to be completed autonomously per shift while simultaneously making production safer. It can connect its full dozer fleet across the width of its tailings works construction area – up to 2.5 km – from a single 5G radio while achieving up to 175 Mbps uplink throughput( enough for up to 12 dozers if required), with zero interruptions. https:// www. ericsson. com
6 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2025