Global Air Cylinder Wheels’ patented Air Suspension Wheel (ASW) has won the 2026 People’s Choice Safety Innovation Award at the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference, recognising its performance in Australian mine trials. The ASW replaces conventional pneumatic tyres with a mechanical air-cylinder suspension system integrated into the wheel, designed to reduce tyre blowouts, heat build-up and vibration on haul trucks and other heavy equipment. For mine operators, the technology targets lower maintenance downtime, more predictable tyre behaviour on haul roads and improved operator comfort in high-duty cycles.

IMARC in Sydney later this month will bring thousands of mining leaders, investors and METS suppliers together with a deliberate focus on mine operators as on-the-ground decision makers. Organisers are rolling out structured matchmaking initiatives to connect local site-based teams with technology vendors, aiming to accelerate adoption of solutions such as fleet management systems, ore-sorting technologies and remote operations platforms. For METS firms, the format signals more direct access to operational budgets and shorter feedback loops on deployment constraints at Australian mines.

Two Toyota HiLux battery-electric vehicles are now operating in production conditions at BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s Goonyella Riverside open-cut coal mine in Queensland, extending BHP’s earlier HiLux BEV trial into a high-duty, hot-climate pit environment. The light vehicles are being used in regular mine operations rather than test tracks, exposing the BEV platform to rough haul roads, dust, and extended shift cycles typical of large truck-and-shovel coal operations. Data from this deployment will inform future mine-spec BEV light vehicle design, charging strategies, and maintenance regimes for heavy mining fleets.