Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In
Built byBoxcut Studio

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects
    Product

    ABB’s Automation Extended: staged DCS upgrades for brownfield mines explained

    February 3, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    ABB’s Automation Extended: staged DCS upgrades for brownfield mines explained

    First reported on International Mining – News

    30 Second Briefing

    ABB has launched its Automation Extended programme as a strategic evolution of its distributed control systems, aiming to let mines introduce new automation capabilities progressively while preserving existing DCS investments and control logic. The approach is pitched at brownfield process plants with ABB’s large installed DCS base, where operators want to add advanced process control, data integration and remote operations without major shutdowns or rip-and-replace projects. For mining engineers, this signals a stronger focus on staged upgrades of concentrators, smelters and material handling systems rather than full control system overhauls.

    Technical Brief

    • Automation Extended is framed as an evolution of ABB’s existing DCS architecture, not a replacement platform.
    • Programme scope centres on integrating “future automation capabilities” into current control layers while retaining validated control logic.
    • Data integration is a core element, signalling closer coupling of DCS with higher-level information and optimisation systems.

    Our Take

    ABB’s Automation Extended sits alongside its recent work on Boliden’s Aitik tailings facility and Vulcan Energy’s Lionheart project, signalling that ABB is standardising an integrated electrification–automation stack that can be ported across both conventional and emerging critical-materials operations.

    The long-running ABB–Fenner Conveyors collaboration in Australian mines suggests Automation Extended will likely be engineered to plug into existing ABB drive, hoist and conveyor ecosystems rather than replace them, which matters for brownfield upgrade strategies.

    Within our 858 Mining stories, ABB appears frequently as a systems integrator rather than a point-solution vendor, so Automation Extended is likely to be positioned as a coordination layer that helps miners stitch together disparate ABB and non-ABB products into a more coherent control environment.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Mining
    about 8 hours ago

    JOEST Australia’s Pilgangoora expansion order: design and wear notes for mine engineers

    JOEST Australia has secured the largest order in its history from Pilgangoora Operations Pty Ltd for the PLS P2000 Expansion Project at the Pilgangoora hard rock lithium mine in Western Australia. The contract covers multiple vibrating screens, feeders and a primary grizzly, building on JOEST’s previous scope at the site. With the P1000 Expansion Project due to complete in 2025, the new package signals further scaling of front-end crushing and screening capacity, with implications for equipment sizing, wear-liner selection and maintenance planning in high-throughput lithium circuits.

    Mining
    about 8 hours ago

    BHP’s first Olympic Dam block cave resource: design and cave stability notes for engineers

    BHP has declared a first underground block cave resource at Olympic Dam in South Australia, reporting 10,730 Mt at 0.59% Cu, 0.19 kg/t U3O8, 0.21 g/t Au and 1 g/t Ag in its operational review to 30 September 2026. The scale and grade support long-life mass mining beyond the existing sublevel open stoping, with block caving likely to demand extensive footprint development, cave propagation monitoring and high-capacity materials handling. Geotechnical teams will be focused on managing cave stability in the complex copper-uranium breccia-hosted system and controlling subsidence above critical surface infrastructure.

    Mining
    about 8 hours ago

    FLANDERS hybrid cabinet on Komatsu 930E at Belle Ayr: lifecycle gains for mine fleets

    FLANDERS has completed a claimed world-first installation of its hybrid-electric control cabinet on a diesel-electric Komatsu 930E haul truck operated by Eagle Summit Resources at the Belle Ayr coal mine in Wyoming. The retrofit cabinet replaces legacy electric-drive controls to address haul truck obsolescence while retaining the existing diesel-electric drivetrain. For mine operators, the approach signals a pathway to extend 930E fleet life and prepare for future higher-level electrification without full truck replacement.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalInfrastructureHazardsEnvironmental