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.

Unplanned conveyor shutdowns in bulk material handling are linked to single belt failures or undetected drift conditions that can stop an entire processing plant or export chain, with losses rapidly escalating per hour of downtime. Pacific Automation’s Smart Series approach focuses on eliminating nuisance trips by improving belt drift detection, pull-wire reliability and misalignment sensing, using smarter field devices and better trip logic. For mining engineers, the message is to treat conveyor protection systems as critical process equipment, not simple safety interlocks, and to prioritise condition monitoring and diagnostics in design and upgrades.