Sandvik, Rio Tinto team up on open‑pit autonomous drilling

Sandvik has partnered with Rio Tinto to add an autonomous drilling system (ADS) to its surface drill rigs. The partnership combines Rio Tinto’s previous work in ADS and remote operations with Sandvik’s AutoMine automation technology.

Under the agreement, the companies will co-develop interoperability and autonomous capabilities required for remote, multi-rig and multi-site autonomous operations. Project development will begin at Sandvik’s facilities in Finland, before moving to Rio Tinto’s operation centre in Perth, Australia for field trials and testing.

“This joint development reflects Sandvik’s commitment to improving safety and productivity through open, interoperable automation,” said Petri Virrankoski, president of surface drilling at Sandvik.

The program builds on Rio Tinto’s recent autonomous deployments, including remote systems actively in use at the company’s iron ore sites. Additionally, the news follows several initiatives on Sandvik’s part to expand and improve its AutoMine capabilities. 

The companies said the work aims to support future autonomous drill‑fleet operations, allowing different drill models to run on common autonomous platforms in a push for safer, more flexible open‑pit operations.