Sandvik–ThoroughTec Simulation deal: training and safety takeaways for mine teams
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Sandvik has agreed to acquire South Africa-based ThoroughTec Simulation, a developer of OEM-agnostic mining equipment simulators and a cloud-based training management system, which will be integrated into Sandvik Mining’s Parts and Services division. ThoroughTec’s portfolio covers surface and underground loaders, trucks and drills, allowing site-specific virtual training on actual mine layouts and control systems. The deal signals stronger emphasis on simulator-based operator training, with potential to standardise competency management and reduce in-field training hours across mixed fleets.
Technical Brief
- ThoroughTec’s OEM-agnostic simulators allow consistent safety training across mixed-brand underground and surface fleets.
- Site-specific virtual environments enable practising hazard scenarios tied to actual mine layouts and traffic patterns.
- Simulated controls mirroring real machine HMIs reduce transfer risk when operators move onto production equipment.
- Cloud-based training management enables central tracking of operator competencies, refresher intervals and safety-critical modules.
- Digital records of simulator sessions support auditability against internal training standards and regulatory inspections.
- Remote delivery of training content can reduce exposure hours in high-risk headings or production areas.
Our Take
In our database, Sandvik has featured frequently in 2026 items on equipment upgrades and process standardisation (e.g. the global warranty overhaul and RG550Be launch), so adding ThoroughTec Simulation points to a push to wrap more lifecycle services and training around its hardware fleet.
Locating this M&A move in South Africa gives Sandvik deeper access to a mature underground mining market where simulator-based training is already entrenched, which likely strengthens its position when bidding on large contracts such as the recent Cowal gold equipment order with The Redpath Group.
Across the 1,952 tag-matched ‘Projects/Product/Safety’ pieces, relatively few involve simulation-focused acquisitions, suggesting Sandvik is moving earlier than many OEM peers in treating digital training and operator safety tools as a core part of its parts and services business rather than an add-on.
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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