Sandvik DR410i at Copper One: autonomy‑first drilling lessons for mine engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Sandvik Mining has delivered a DR410i rotary drill rig, factory-equipped for autonomous operation with AutoMine Surface Drilling, to Mariana Minerals’ Copper One open-pit copper mine in Utah. Commissioning of the AutoMine system is under way, setting up an autonomy-first drilling operation rather than retrofitting automation onto an existing manual fleet. The deployment will test fully automated rotary drilling in a greenfield context, with implications for blast-hole quality control, shift utilisation and remote operation in similar large-scale copper projects.
Technical Brief
- Autonomy-ready configuration reduces future modification downtime compared with converting conventional rotary rigs in-pit.
Our Take
Sandvik Mining features heavily across our recent mining coverage, with the Copper One deployment in Utah adding a surface copper application to a portfolio that also includes underground gold (Marmato) and salt (Great Atlantic), signalling a deliberate push to showcase automation across multiple ore types and mining methods.
Sandvik’s recent acquisition of ThoroughTec Simulation, alongside launches like My Sandvik Geo, indicates that autonomy-first rigs at Copper One are likely to be supported by an expanding digital and training ecosystem, which can materially shorten ramp-up times and de-risk operator acceptance at new sites.
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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