LGMG is partnering with autonomous driving specialist Boonray to develop the RTE156, a factory‑fitted autonomous, battery electric mining truck aimed at the Chinese surface mining market. The collaboration integrates Boonray’s AHS stack directly into LGMG’s haul truck platform, avoiding aftermarket retrofits and allowing tighter control of drive‑by‑wire, perception and fleet management systems. For mine operators, the model signals growing availability of OEM‑level autonomous electric haulage options that can be specified at purchase and tuned to local duty cycles and ramp profiles.

A large South American copper mine has increased crusher availability to production by 2.2% after switching the bushing gear oil to a formulation supplied by Lubrication Engineers. The change also cut lubricant consumption by 83%, delivering direct cost savings alongside reduced handling and storage requirements. For reliability engineers, the case underlines the impact of lubricant selection on crusher uptime without major mechanical modifications.

Sierra Gorda, the Chilean open-pit copper mine in which South32 holds a 45% interest, has approved construction of a fourth grinding line following a completed feasibility study. The brownfield plant expansion is designed to lift processing capacity by about 25%, debottlenecking the existing concentrator rather than adding new mining fronts. For process and geotechnical teams, the project signals higher mill throughput demands on existing tailings and water circuits, with scope for re-optimising grinding media, liner wear strategies and cyclone classification.