Komatsu has run its 2026 North America Advanced Technician Competition at its Cartersville Customer Center in Georgia, putting 10 dealer-network diesel technicians through two days of scored tasks. Participants were evaluated on technical capability, quality of work and safety while working on Komatsu mining and construction equipment, mirroring field diagnostics and repair conditions. The event signals continued OEM emphasis on high-skill diesel maintenance as fleets integrate more complex hydraulics, electronics and emissions systems, with dealer technicians remaining critical to uptime and asset life.

Macmahon has secured the mining services contract for the restart of the Mount Carlton gold mine in Queensland, signalling a move from care-and-maintenance back to full-scale open-pit and underground production. The scope is expected to cover drill-and-blast, load-and-haul and potentially underground development, requiring rapid recommissioning of mobile fleets, dewatering systems and ground support in previously inactive stopes. Geotechnical teams will need to reassess pit wall stability and underground conditions after the production hiatus, with updated monitoring and slope management plans before ramp-up.

Panasonic’s latest TOUGHBOOK range is being deployed on Australian mine sites where devices must survive dust ingress, vibration and extreme temperatures that routinely destroy standard laptops. Units are tested to MIL-STD-810H and IP65–IP66 levels, with magnesium-alloy chassis, daylight-readable touchscreens usable with gloves, and hot-swappable batteries to support 12–20-hour field shifts. For geotechs, surveyors and maintenance crews, the key gain is reliable digital access to pit-wall monitoring, equipment diagnostics and mine-planning data directly at the face or on mobile plant.