In early September, Volvo introduced its first autonomous truck to the world. The demonstration was carried out in a mine in Sweden, with a driverless vehicle carrying 25 tons of stones, between rock walls, at a depth of 800 meters. The Swedish automaker's tests have been going on for 3 months now, and the expectation is that the first Swedish autonomous trucks will start to get heavy in 2017.
Figure 1 – Volvo test in Sweden
Source: Volvo
Volvo's tests meet the needs of the mining sector, which has suffered for some time from a reduction in world demand and, consequently, a drop in product prices. In addition, companies in the sector traditionally work with tight margins and high logistical costs, which in Brazil represent 16% of the net revenue of mining companies (with a strong participation of the transport activity, responsible for almost 70% of logistical costs).
If, in Sweden, the tests are still taking place, in Australia, two mines of Rio Tinto, one of the largest mining companies in the world, already move 100% of the iron ore production with autonomous trucks produced by the Japanese from Komatsu. The autonomous fleets of these two mines are controlled by a mining company operations center located in Perth, 1.200 km away, which controls 69 autonomous trucks.
Figure 2 – Trucks in action at a Rio Tinto mine
Source: Rio Tinto
Rivals of Rio Tinto BHP Billiton and Fortescue are also eyeing autonomous technology for their mines in Australia. The more advanced of the two is BHP Billiton, which has already carried out tests in New Mexico, in the United States, and, since 2013, operates the technology on an experimental basis in a mine in Australia.
Logically, mining companies see the new technology as an opportunity to improve productivity and, consequently, increase revenues. In fact, one of the main advantages of autonomous trucks is being able to work 24/7 without interruptions for lunch or rest. In addition, one worker can manage approximately 50 autonomous vehicles, which allows for a gain of 500 hours of work according to Caterpillar. Another advantage of autonomous vehicles in mines is the reduction of risks to the health and safety of workers, who tend to suffer from the most aggressive and dangerous environment in mines.
References:
<http://www.komatsu.com/CompanyInfo/press/2008122516111923820.html>
<http://www.mining.com/the-mine-of-the-future-might-be-a-thing-of-the-past/>
<http://www.caterpillar.com/en/company/innovation/customer-solutions/autonomous-operations.html>
<http://news.volvogroup.com/2016/05/09/the-future-of-automation-is-happening-now-at-volvo/>
<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/26/volvo-driverless-mining-trucks-descent-machines>
<http://www.valor.com.br/empresas/4700425/vida-na-mina-sem-ninguem-ao-volante>
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-18/rio-tinto-opens-worlds-first-automated-mine/6863814>
<http://www.mining.com/two-aussie-mines-start-moving-all-their-iron-ore-with-driverless-trucks/>
Alexandre Lobo
https://ilos.com.brGraduated in Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and in Social Communication from Faculdades Integradas Hélio Alonso (FACHA). Expertise in several projects with emphasis on market analysis for companies such as Unilever, Intertank, Invepar, Aqces, Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank.
