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More than four billion tonnes of material has been moved by Komatsu’s FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System, marking a significant milestone for the company and the mining industry.

First deployed at CODELCO’s Gabriela Mistral copper mine in Chile in 2008, Komatsu’s goal was to enhance efficiency on mine sites, accompanying its dump trucks with Modular Mining’s DISPATCH Fleet Management System.

With over 400 trucks commissioned with the FrontRunner system worldwide, the innovation operates on 13 sites across three continents, supporting copper, iron ore, oil, mineral sands and coal operations.

Zero system-related injuries have been reported to this point, consolidating the safety of the autonomous haulage solution.

Komatsu vice president of autonomous systems Anthony Cook said he is excited by the mining industry’s continued autonomous trajectory.

“It has been gratifying to help customers save hundreds of millions of dollars while autonomously moving another billion metric tons of essential minerals,” Cook said.

“Our customers’ continued investment in the technology and equipment to transition to autonomous haulage supports the evolution of mining methods and opportunity for advancements in safety and production.”

The announcement comes as Komatsu showcases its mining offerings at MINExpo 2021, taking place in Las Vegas until September 15.

Komatsu has unveiled a number of soft rock mining solutions such as its 12HM46 continuous miner, the BH-18A battery hauler with new lithium-ion battery technology and the NXT Single Sprocket Conveyor Chain.

Komatsu has also showcased its new underground hard rock drilling machine, the battery-electric ZJ32Bi jumbo, at MINExpo.

As Komatsu looks to extend its Autonomous Haulage System even further, the company has announced its been trialling a new autonomous water truck based off its HD785-7 range.

The new HD785-7 concept truck autonomously controls both the truck’s movement and water disbursement through the same platform.