Jevons Robotics–Newmont pre-split loading robot: safety and design notes for pit engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Jevons Robotics has signed an agreement with Newmont Australia to deploy an automated pre-split loading robot based on its ARTEV1000 rugged, battery-electric robotic platform in highwall mining environments. The packaged system is purpose-built for drill-and-blast pre-split loading, extending the ARTEV1000 from a proven autonomous carrier into a fully integrated explosives-handling unit. By automating loading on highwalls, Newmont aims to materially cut exposure hours for personnel working near unstable faces and blast lines, with implications for wider robotic deployment in hazardous pit zones.
Technical Brief
- Payload extension converts the carrier into a dedicated explosives-handling module with integrated loading hardware.
- Packaged system implies pre-engineered interfaces between robot, explosive containers and blast-hole loading tools.
- Automation targets pre-split blast patterns, where tight burden and spacing increase exposure risk for personnel.
- Remote operation keeps shotfirers and offsiders away from highwall toes and crest edges during loading.
- Robotic loading aligns with industry moves to treat drill-and-blast as a fully mechanised, segregated work area.
Our Take
Within our 1059 Mining stories, Australia-based automation deployments like this one increasingly sit in the Safety tag set, signalling that majors such as Newmont Australia are now framing robotics primarily as a risk-control tool rather than just a productivity play.
Pre-split loading is typically one of the higher-exposure tasks for drill-and-blast crews, so automating it in Australia is likely to influence local regulatory and union expectations about what constitutes ‘reasonably practicable’ controls in similar underground and highwall environments.
For equipment and product suppliers like Jevons Robotics, a reference deployment with Newmont Australia in our Projects and Product-tagged coverage can materially strengthen their case when bidding into other Tier 1 operators, who often look for proof-of-concept in comparable geotechnical and regulatory settings.
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.
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