Weir’s Head of Data and AI, Kenneth Ulrich, outlines how the company’s NEXT Intelligent Solutions platform uses machine-learning models to optimise mineral processing plant performance in real time. By combining sensor-rich equipment data from Weir comminution circuits with digital twins of crushers, screens and pumps, the system can predict wear, adjust operating setpoints and flag impending failures before they hit throughput. Ulrich points to continuous model retraining on live plant data as critical for coping with ore variability and changing operating conditions.

Endura Mining has awarded Macmahon Mining New Zealand a five-year underground mining contract at the Snowy River gold mine, valued at about A$406.2 million and scheduled to start in October 2026. Macmahon will take on core underground production activities under a single integrated scope, signalling a substantial re-entry into the New Zealand hard-rock sector for the contractor. The long-term, high-value package points to sustained demand for specialised underground fleet, ground support, and local workforce mobilisation in a relatively remote West Coast setting.

Sandvik has launched xCell Banshee and xCell Hydra digital ground support tools at the ACG Caving Conference 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, targeting real‑time insight into rock bolt performance and ground behaviour in cave and hard‑rock mines. The systems use instrumented bolts and connected sensors to capture load and deformation data, enabling engineers to track support performance over time rather than relying solely on periodic visual inspections. Sandvik positions the tools within its existing digital ground support portfolio, signalling further integration with mine monitoring and data platforms.