Epiroc has secured a large underground mining equipment order from MMG Limited for the Khoemacau copper mine in Botswana, where MMG is working with Chinese contractors China Huaye and 23MCC under the ownership of China Minmetals Corp. The package is expected to include core underground production fleets such as face drilling rigs, loaders and mine trucks suited to deep, high-tonnage copper operations. For engineers, the deal signals long-term mechanised development at Khoemacau and likely standardisation around Epiroc’s automation-ready platforms and digital support tools.

NRW Holdings’ Mining division has secured a Letter of Award extending its mining services contract at the Karara magnetite iron ore mine in Western Australia by five years, pushing the term from March 2027 to February 2032. The extension covers continued load-and-haul, drill-and-blast and ancillary mining services for Karara Mining Ltd’s large-scale, 8+ Mt/y magnetite operation, which uses high-pressure grinding rolls and magnetic separation. The longer tenure gives NRW greater certainty for fleet deployment, labour planning and maintenance scheduling across the Mid West project.

Crushing, conveying and screening circuits are identified as major sources of avoidable downtime in fixed plant, with bearing, gearbox and drive failures often traceable to misalignment, poor lubrication and contamination rather than design limits. A Motion–Timken webinar uses real-world case studies on crushers, screens and overland conveyors to show how condition monitoring, correct bearing selection and improved sealing can extend component life and reduce unplanned stoppages. Reliability engineers and maintenance planners are urged to focus on root-cause failure analysis and data-driven inspection intervals rather than reactive part replacement.