Putzmeister Underground Division has appointed Cannon Mining Latin America as its exclusive distributor for Mexico, covering shotcrete equipment, concrete transporters and other specialist underground mining solutions. The deal aims to expand parts and service coverage across key mining regions such as Sonora and Zacatecas through Cannon’s local workshops and field service teams. For mine operators, the partnership should shorten lead times for fleet support and commissioning of new underground concrete placement systems, reducing reliance on imports and remote technical support.

Epiroc’s fleet of Autonomous SmartROC D65 MKII blasthole drills is expanding across mining and quarrying, with units now running at Fortescue’s Solomon and Eliwana iron ore operations in Australia and at Luck Stone’s Rockville quarry in the United States. The rigs automate drilling cycles for production blastholes, delivering repeatable hole depth and spacing and reducing operator exposure at the bench. For engineers, the deployment signals growing acceptance of OEM autonomy for large-scale production drilling rather than limited trial use.

A fleet of 60 SANY battery-electric wide body mining trucks equipped with EACON Mining Technology’s autonomous haulage system has entered full operation at Tibet Julong Copper’s Zhibula Copper Mine, running at more than 5,400 m above sea level. Operating at this altitude imposes constraints on battery performance, cooling and braking behaviour, making Zhibula a key test case for high-elevation autonomous haulage. The project signals growing confidence in large-scale AHS deployment on steep, high-altitude haul roads in complex open-pit copper operations.