Glencore’s George Fisher Mine (GFM) at Mount Isa, in Queensland, Australia, is continuing to pioneer the use of underground automation equipment with the rollout of Toro® trucks equipped with AutoMine® by Sandvik.
Three automated Toro TH663i trucks joined operations in 2024, following the successful implementation of an automated loader fleet with the AutoMine system a little over four years ago.
The automated loaders and trucks are now successfully used around the clock on separate levels of the mine, with major benefits for safety and efficiency, according to Sandvik.
George Fisher Mine Production Superintendent, Manfred Drutschmann, said: “Safety is paramount to us. With Sandvik AutoMine, we not only remove people from high-risk underground environments but also unlock new levels of efficiency and consistency in our operations.
“The automated trucks allow us to haul more material faster, without shift change delays, helping us optimise our overall production. That’s a major win.”
Glencore Automation Specialist, Raukawa ‘Sonic’ Danklof, says productivity has also seen major benefits. “Our operations were already efficient but following the automation of the Sandvik trucks we have further enhanced productivity and operational efficiency. I would say automation and the increased uptime that it provides are a big part of the reason for that achievement.”
Located 20 km north of Mount Isa, GFM is one of the largest zinc, lead and silver mines in the world. Part of Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines complex, the mine produces some 3 Mt/y of ore and undertakes up to 12 km of underground development.
The mine’s operators have long been interested in increasing safety by removing humans from the underground environment. Following an agreement with Sandvik, the AutoMine Multi-Lite system was introduced for use with five Toro LH517i loaders in July 2020. At the time, the loaders were capable of tramming and dumping independently, with human operators on the surface only required to take charge during loading.
In recent times, the mine has trialled and implemented Sandvik’s AutoLoad 2.0 feature, with the loaders now successfully running complete cycles without the need for human intervention. As part of its Gold-Level automation subscription for AutoMine, GFM is also able to access traffic control features which allow multiple loaders to operate in close proximity on the same level at the same time. A total of 10 automated Toro loaders are in operation as of 2025.
Sandvik Technical Support Manager for Automation, Tommi Rautio, says the success GFM is enjoying with AutoMine is triggering widespread interest in automation technologies across the wider industry.
“This is the first time a Sandvik automated trucking solution has been implemented in a mine in Australia, and other mining operations have been watching closely,” he says. “Now that they are seeing what automation can do, I expect a surge in interest.”
Rautio says there also remains plenty of scope for Sandvik and GFM to explore new opportunities. Sandvik’s Fleet licence, for example, could empower the operation to operate automated trucks and loaders in proximity on the same level, thanks to advanced traffic management.
The roll-out of the autonomous underground trucking solution supports Sandvik’s wider supply of drills, loaders and trucks for Glencore’s metalliferous mines in Mount Isa.
