Anglo American's new venture capital firm, Traxiq, has been launched with the specific goal of disrupting transportation in the quarrying and mining industries. The company is led by Luke Smith, head of technology development at Anglo American, and other key team members include Aljoscha Gleser, builder of Anglo American ventures.
Smith said Traxiq is making strides toward a smarter, safer and more sustainable future for mining and quarrying, because if your truck isn't running, you're losing money. Autonomous vehicles will reduce productivity issues and put profits on track, he said. Whether it's an open pit or underground mine, a greenfield mine or a brownfield mine, Traxiq is developing scalable solutions. “We're reimagining the mining industry with modular components, lightweight materials, and smart technology. The result will be a green, low-energy solution that protects both the environment and your bottom line.
Traxiq's goal is to achieve twice the efficiency and twice the speed: "Our vision is that in the future, capex, opex and human error will be reduced;Profits, performance, and reliability will all improve;Nothing is set in stone. The company is also seeking input from the mining and quarrying industry, "The more we know about the specific challenges you face, the better our solutions will fit." ”
Earlier this year, at Bank of America's 2023 "Smart Mine 40" conference, Donovan Waller, Head of Technology Development at Anglo American, reminded attendees that the mining industry has been using trucks and forklifts for the past hundred years, and this is probably the most successful combination of mining technologies ever. But there is still a lot of room for further innovation: "I think their success is largely due to flexibility, reliability and scalability. We step into this sacred realm and allow ourselves to be Xi on a blank sheet of paperTrying to address the shortcomings of mining trucks, namely: cost, speed and energy consumption.
Anglo American said it had redefined the weight distribution, symmetry, modularity and use only off-the-shelf components by adjusting the basic operating settings for loading and working with vehicle designers and tyre manufacturers. "We unexpectedly created a unique alternative value proposition using the vehicle as a sensor, almost halving energy consumption, increasing speed and efficiency, all at a reduced cost. It's still early, but we already have the foundation for a future precision-focused mining system. ”
Anglo American has worked closely with specialist engineering and technology firm First Mode to develop the Nugen Zero Emission Transport Solution, a modified fuel cell electric vehicle design deployed on the Komatsu 930E and still operating at the Mogalakwena platinum mine in South Africa, the world's largest open-pit platinum mine. Anglo American then became the majority shareholder in First Mode, which is now working to apply the technology (as well as hybrid electric and battery electric vehicle conversion solutions) to Anglo American's own fleet, while also providing commercial services to other interested groups.
sources: im-mining.com