Japanese equipment manufacturer, Komatsu Ltd., made a big statement at MineXpo International 2016 in a big way three weeks ago when they unveiled their autonomous haulage vehicle (AHV) prototype. Although the first of its kind within the Komatsu family, the autonomous haulage vehicle didn’t make waves for being self-operational (the company already has several autonomous haul trucks, like the 830E and 930E models).
In fact, the main attraction of the autonomous haulage vehicle isn’t what it has, but what it doesn’t have. While most mining trucks, autonomous or not, come equipped with a cab for drivers, Komatsu issued a serious stamp of automation by removing the cab from the AHV entirely. Simply put, there is no cab. And removing the cab essentially means removing the driver completely.
The decision to remove the cab was made in an effort to optimize load distribution, according to Komatsu. And as a result of the company’s strives towards full automation and better load distribution, the AHV prototype doesn’t distinguish between forwards or backwards, unlike most traditional mining trucks. The design itself allows the truck to distribute weight more evenly to all four wheels with the cab gone, and uses four-wheel drive and four wheel steering for better grip and maneuverability.
Komatsu doesn’t just hope to aim for full vehicle autonomy with their new design, either. The company hopes that the cable-less feature of the AHV will eliminate the necessity of K-turns to save time and boost onsite productivity. Komatsu says:
“[The company] is aiming for high-performance shuttling of this vehicle in both forward and reverse travel directions, thereby totally eliminating the need for K-turns at loading and unloading sites. In particular, Komatsu expects that this new vehicle will considerably improve the productivity at mines where existing unmanned haulage vehicles face challenging conditions, such as slippery ground due to frequent rain/snow fall as well as confined spaces for loading.”
In addition to being able to handle a payload of 254 tons, the new AHV specs also include:
- A nominal gross vehicle weight of 459 tons
- A gross power output of 2,700 hp
- Max speed of 40 mph
- Turning radius of 52 ft
- 59/80R63 tires
According to Komatsu, dump trucks equipped with their Autonomous Haulage System have hauled more than 1 billion tons of overburden and minerals at large-scale mines in Chile and Australia. With plans to officially introduce their new AHV into the market in the near-future, Komatsu says they hope to continue to help improve industry productivity.
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