Macassa miners will put two A-10 battery-powered LHDs to the test. (Photo: Sandvik)
Sandvik reported it delivered two Artisan A10 battery-electric loaders to Kirkland Lake Gold’s Macassa mine in Canada. The loaders will be put to use in the fourth quarter. The loaders were tested at Artisan Vehicle’s California facilities.
Designed for underground hard rock mines, the loaders have a 10-metric-ton (mt) capacity and are equipped with a battery self-swapping system that speeds battery change and reduces infrastructure requirements, Artisan Vehicles reported. Company leadership said the units aced their pre-delivery tests. “Through our experiences we have realized that in order to truly capitalize on this technology, it is not about replacing some components, nor redesigning some parts of the equipment, but you must rethink the entire machine and design it around the technology as opposed to trying to fit it in an existing product,” said Joe Giraldi, business development manager, Artisan Vehicles.
