Las Vegas, NV

March 3-7, 2026

Open Menu
Close Menu

Laying the Foundation for Better Machines in Mining

Share:

11/27/2018

From surface drills to hydraulic excavators, machinery for mining continues to advance, offering new opportunities for construction companies. Two examples demonstrate how new equipment is laying the foundation for better mining construction practices.

Smaller Drills for Surface Mining

Komatsu recently expanded its product line to include articulating boom track drills, which are being tested at the company’s Arizona Proving Grounds. The 44XT is capable of drilling four inch to eight inch diameter holes using down-the-hole percussive hammers.

These types of machines are ideal for use in surface mines and quarries and are suited for pre-split drilling applications. They can also be used for production drilling in smaller mines and large quarries.

Hydraulic Excavators Advance

As another example of new equipment for mining construction, XCMG recently rolled a new piece of equipment off its assembly line—a 700-ton hydraulic excavator.

This piece of equipment is powered by two 1,700-horsepower motors that can generate stronger force than two Type 99 tanks. It can also achieve a maximum thrusting force of 243 tons and a digging force of up to 230 tons, while its bucket can dig up 50 tons of coal with each scoop.

The hydraulic excavator is unique in that the XCMG obtained 52 patents and independent intellectual property claims when designing and building the equipment’s drive wheel, guide wheel, support wheel, riding wheel, and crawler, as well as an innovative soft start dual-motor control strategy.

These machines demonstrate how equipment is changing in mining construction, offering new options to workers on the jobsite.

Join over 32,000 industry peers who receive construction industry news and trends each week. Subscribe to CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365.

Subscribe to the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365 weekly newsletter to receive more great stories like this.