Recently, at the 21st China International Coal Mining Technology Exchange and Equipment Exhibition held in Beijing, Sandvik, a global leader in mining and rock technology, made a stunning appearance with its new generation longwall mining cutter-and-anchor machine, the MB672. This demonstration not only showcased a new generation of digital, intelligent, and unmanned cutter-and-anchor equipment to the industry, but also provided strong support for coal mining enterprises to move towards high-level safety and high-quality development.
Currently, safety and intelligence have become the major trends in the development of underground mining equipment. In recent years, Sandvik has focused on the difficulties and bottlenecks in safe production and automated mining in underground operations, and has devoted itself to developing a new generation of equipment to overcome existing difficulties.
At this coal exhibition, Sandvik’s MB672, the world’s first roadheader-anchor integrated machine equipped with a fully automated top bolt support system, became the focus of attention. Its automation and intelligence ensure stable and sustained production capacity with extremely high precision. The machine’s fully automated bolt support system can reduce the number of roof support operators by at least two, allowing operators to remotely control the equipment from the surface for cutting and conveying operations, thus significantly improving the safety of underground operations. Thomas Vallant, President of Sandvik’s Cutting Division, stated, “The creation of the MB672 is a major breakthrough in underground mining technology. A well-trained operating team uses data generated by sensors for precise operation, ensuring both personnel and equipment safety while maximizing operational efficiency.” Replacing on-site personnel with unmanned, intelligent equipment to improve safety and productivity is the development direction of underground mining equipment worldwide. With the launch of the MB672 in key Chinese markets, Sandvik is committed to setting a new benchmark for automated underground mining systems.
For the vast majority of Chinese users, an efficient and rapid after-sales service system is a crucial guarantee for the safe operation of equipment. Since entering China, Sandvik has continuously strengthened its after-sales service network in the Chinese market. For the latest roadheader, Sandvik has continuously improved its after-sales service system. It has a factory in Wuxi to achieve localized production of cutting and slitting tools to meet the Chinese market’s demand for high-quality products; a warehouse in Shanghai to maintain a sufficient stock of original spare parts; a highly efficient and efficient operations center in Inner Mongolia to facilitate customers’ access to professional technical support and maintenance services, ensuring rapid repairs and shortening equipment maintenance time; and a professional team of 47 local technical service personnel throughout the country to provide customers with value-added services such as training.
In response to the growing demand for intelligent equipment in the Chinese market, Sandvik has chosen China to launch its new-generation longwall mining cutter-and-anchor machine, the MB672. This move aims to leverage the strong demand in the Chinese market to drive the global upgrade of underground mining equipment towards intelligence and automation. Thomas Vallant, President of Sandvik’s Cutting Machinery Division, believes that the demand for automation and unmanned operation in the Chinese mining equipment market will increase significantly in the next 5 to 10 years, and the MB672 is in line with this trend. He also pointed out that Sandvik’s vision is to develop a cutter-and-anchor machine that requires no human intervention, and the MB672 is just the beginning. With over 160 years of history, Sandvik has always kept pace with global mining development. Currently, green and low-carbon are the goals pursued by the global mining industry. Sandvik is moving towards its “2030 Strategy,” working with industry partners to promote sustainable development and create a better future for the global mining industry through electrification, digitalization and automation, and circular business models.
