Sandvik carbide supply under tungsten price shock: drilling economics for mines
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Tungsten’s recent price spike, driven partly by defence-sector demand, is sharply increasing input costs for tungsten carbide drill bits that control development and production metres in both surface and underground mines. Sandvik, a major supplier of cemented carbide tools and top hammer and down-the-hole drilling systems, is being leaned on by miners to secure stable carbide supply and manage volatility in raw tungsten feedstock. The situation is likely to influence bit selection, drilling economics, and mine planning where high penetration rates and bit life are critical.
Technical Brief
- Different carbide grades are tuned for abrasion vs impact resistance, directly affecting regrind frequency and total bit life.
- Supply risk is acute for high-consumption applications such as production blasthole drilling and longhole stoping.
- Contract structures are reportedly shifting towards longer-term carbide supply agreements rather than spot purchasing of finished bits.
- For similar hard-rock operations, tungsten volatility is likely to push more detailed tracking of bit performance per metre drilled.
Our Take
Tungsten and tungsten carbide appear in only 29 keyword‑matched pieces across our mining database, so Sandvik’s carbide offering is operating in a relatively niche but technically critical segment compared with its more frequently covered copper and platinum equipment work.
Recent Sandvik coverage – from the CH662 cone crushers for a platinum project in Limpopo to the Tundo RH700 cluster hammer – shows a push to optimise wear parts and drilling efficiency, which suggests carbide selection here is being used as a lever to cut operating cost per drilled metre rather than just extend tool life.
With Sandvik also investing in a logistics hub in Turku for underground load‑and‑haul equipment, dependable tungsten carbide supply chains are likely becoming more strategically important for the company, as any disruption would directly affect availability of high‑wear components across its expanding global fleet base.
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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