FLSmidth has signed a lifecycle agreement with Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited covering the full FLS equipment flowsheet across LMEL’s iron ore mining and metals processing operations in India. The undisclosed-value deal spans mining, comminution, classification and beneficiation equipment, shifting support from discrete spares and service orders to long-term performance-based coverage. For engineers, this signals tighter OEM involvement in asset reliability, process optimisation and wear-part planning across LMEL’s integrated iron ore value chain.

Sandvik has unveiled “Sami”, a concept underground mining machine shown at the Future of Mining 2026 event in Tampere, Finland, as a testbed for advanced automation and AI-driven operation. The platform is designed to integrate sensor fusion, onboard edge computing and cloud connectivity, enabling autonomous tramming, real-time ground awareness and adaptive control in complex stopes and declines. For mine planners and engineers, Sami signals Sandvik’s direction towards interoperable, software-defined fleets where new automation functions can be trialled and deployed faster than traditional machine development cycles.

Sandvik’s SEK260 million expansion of its Tampere, Finland rock drill plant has reached a key phase, with the new factory area, CNC machine tools and automation systems installed and production ramp-up underway. The 2023-launched programme targets higher output of top hammer and down-the-hole drills for both underground and surface rigs, consolidating core component manufacturing at a single European hub. For mine operators and contractors, the added capacity should ease lead times on OEM drill strings and support fleet standardisation across Sandvik’s latest automated drilling platforms.