Underground mining is one in all engine main Volvo Penta’s key markets – and if you take particular person market segments under consideration, from energy era to materials dealing with, mining is likely one of the areas the place its market share is highest – over 30%, and that’s regardless of robust competitors from Deutz, Caterpillar/Perkins, Cummins, MTU and so on.
That is primarily in load and haul machines ie underground LHDs and vans, but in addition in utility autos; and it has occurred in a comparatively brief house of time by way of shut partnerships with a number of the main OEMs like Sandvik – working by way of challenges at actual mines to refine its options. This relationship with Sandvik culminated within the growth of its Stage V mining engines – for instance for its mining vans the TWD1683VE which is obtainable with the TH663i and TH551i or the TAD1385VE which is obtainable with the TH545i – constructing on the already lengthy confirmed efficiency of the Stage II/Tier 2 then Stage IV/Tier 4f engines for these machines with added DPF know-how. In utility machines underground, Normet and MacLean Engineering are examples of vital prospects.
At CONEXPO-CONAGG 2026 not too long ago in Las Vegas, IM Editorial Director Paul Moore sat down with David Hamilton, Head of Volvo Penta China, to debate its mining journey and strengths. Hamilton can be commercially accountable for the mining market globally for the corporate.
He stated that Volvo Penta has made a giant effort – and loads of related funding – to dig deeper and focus on the precise wants of the sub segments it’s working in, to turn into extra profitable with its engines in these areas and to get to know these particular mining finish prospects higher.
IM Editorial Director Paul Moore and David Hamilton, Head of Volvo Penta China at CONEXPO 2026
“We’re clearly a provider of engines to main underground OEMs that of their flip provide their mine operator and contractor finish prospects. For each us and the OEM companions to achieve success, we’ve opted to assist them as carefully as attainable to develop the precise merchandise for mining purposes.”
Hamilton relies in Shanghai – and a part of that has to do with the truth that a few of its latest underground mining OEM prospects at the moment are Chinese language teams. Previous to this position he was heading up Volvo Penta in northern Europe – the place mining was additionally a significant market.
So what are a number of the methods wherein Volvo Penta has customised or ‘proofed’ engines for underground mining with main prospects like Sandvik?
“It’s shut to fifteen years in the past now that we actually entered the underground mining market, which was across the similar time we invested rather a lot in our industrial engine vary. Earlier than then, we have been an unknown in that market. We have been sturdy within the marine sector and had a historical past of innovation however in mining you’ll be able to’t simply ship out industrial engines into these excessive environments with loads of humidity, air stress and temperature variations and anticipate them to carry out. It was a troublesome problem for us – as we had got down to maximise uptime and productiveness in mining however to try this needed to work arduous internally in tandem with listening to the likes of Sandvik on what’s vital to them when growing new machines from an engine efficiency standpoint plus tips on how to work with their current machines. Fairly than simply saying that is the bottom engine that we’ve, that is the product for mining, and making our personal modifications – we requested them what they needed first and why – then primarily based on our dialogue with them we made in depth adjustments then carried out testing throughout their quite a few use instances. such because the lengths of typical downhill and uphill hauls being trammed by an underground truck plus when and the way lengthy it’s loaded or unloaded. Then how are these cycles associated to how the engine turbo behaves and reacts.”
Hamilton described this as “hardcore tailor-making for particular use instances.” He provides: “I believe to start with, it was very a lot across the mining market certification similar to with CanmetMINING. Then we tackled issues just like the valve drain, gasoline traces and cable harnesses – guaranteeing every little thing was heavy responsibility sufficient for mining, and that’s a journey coming from an preliminary extra automotive or normal industrial sort of product that needed to be redeveloped to work in underground.”
Hamilton says it went hand in hand from the start with Sandvik and nonetheless does, “however that it was and is evident that the engines developed because of that aren’t solely for them – however they’ve introduced loads of advantages for them and us – it’s been a mutual success.” Within the vary of machines the place Volvo Penta engines have applicability, it’s the 100% provider to Sandvik Load & Haul. “Its been an especially invaluable and insightful journey along with them the place we each realized rather a lot – and naturally in mining it has helped us set up our model and a really excessive stage of credibility – we proved that we could possibly be a key participant in mining engines.”
Hamilton added: “With Sandvik we don’t have any communication limitations – our respective engineering groups – Sandvik in Turku and our workforce in Gothenburg – work carefully and immediately collectively and there are very often groups travelling backwards and forwards to each areas.”
Extra not too long ago, the connection has additionally developed with Sandvik’s new 63 t class diesel-electric vans. “We’ve been a part of that journey with them, together with specializing in the engine behaviour, the load cycles, and the software program growth in order that the engine efficiency matches with the remainder of the machine and the electrical wheel motors.”
Does Hamilton see a larger market push for diesel-electric and hybrid mining tools? “Sure. I believe the anticipated increase for totally electrical machines has slowed down in numerous segments together with mining as prospects wish to take extra of a staged or transitional method. For now the transfer to diesel-electric or hybrid brings some quick productiveness advantages.”
What concerning the floor mining market? “This isn’t a big marketplace for us as we speak in the identical approach that underground mining is – that stated it’s nonetheless a spotlight and we’re slowly making extra entry there similar to with DTH, high hammer and bigger rotary drill rigs. In China we’ve labored with XCMG plus in Europe our 8 litre engine is utilized in Sandvik’s Ranger DXi increase drill, for instance.” Within the mine infrastructure growth and quarrying market, Volvo Penta is current in plenty of cell crushers and screens from main manufacturers like Sandvik, Keestrack, McCloskey, Metso, Lippman and Pilot Crushtec. And its engines are additionally utilized in some quarry class excavators from Sunward, Gradall and others.
Hamilton added: “We’ve loads of rivals – each Western and in different markets like China – that produce excessive efficiency engines as effectively. However one other space the place I believe we stand out is the way in which wherein we assist our prospects all through the entire journey. I imply, ranging from if you look into the engine design and tips on how to profit from out there house within the machine, then tips on how to set up and configure the merchandise – all over to the mining buyer and the way we assist them. Our service mannequin could be very a lot tailor made along with the OEM. In the event that they wish to go down the self service route, then we assist them with that – but when they need us to maintain every little thing, then we will do this too. So, I believe that’s fairly distinctive.”
Wanting again at underground mining and the Chinese language OEMs, the place is Volvo Penta seeing success? “The Chinese language engine marketplace for underground is aggressive as effectively – each for the machines getting used inside China and for export. However the efficiency of our engines, plus the shut approach wherein we work with prospects and our service method has helped us turn into a significant participant there.”
In October 2025, Fambition unveiled its excessive efficiency FL105+ LHD that includes highly effective dynamics, strong construction, clever management, and operator-centred consolation – all powered by a Volvo Penta engine
Qingdao-based Fambition, for instance, is likely one of the largest underground load and haul OEMs in China and one of the vital profitable in export markets together with to Chile, Peru, Mexico, Serbia and elsewhere – and all of their massive fashions as we speak utilise Volvo Penta engines. This consists of the all new FL105+ in addition to the 18 t class F18 LHD with the Tier 3 TAD1352VE engine, the 14 t class F14 LHD with Tier 3 TAD1351VE plus smaller Volvo Penta engines within the FL10 and FL07. Its engines are additionally used throughout Fambition’s underground truck lineup, similar to within the 45 t payload FT45 and 30 t payload FT30.
Hamilton: “Fambition is admittedly a powerful firm relating to Chinese language underground tools OEMs – they’ve doubled their gross sales in just a few years and are actually targeted on each the home and export markets – and approaching it with a really worldwide technique.”
In actual fact, Hamilton stated in the event you consolidate the entire prospects it has in Chinese language underground mining OEMs – it’s near turning into its largest single market in underground mining globally for Volvo Penta gross sales. And it isn’t restricted to Fambition – it consists of different quick rising prospects like Yantai Xingye, Jiangxi Siton, LGMRT and plenty of others. “The OEM market in China has matured rather a lot. And the underground mines there – throughout iron ore, copper, phosphate and plenty of different commodities have big scale and really massive mining fleets.”
Right this moment the entire Volvo Penta engines for Chinese language OEMs are made in Europe; this exhibits the extent to which these prospects wish to maximise their tools efficiency. Trying to the long run, Volvo Penta can be growing its personal full electrical driveline options for underground mining, which shall be aimed on the international market, together with China. It has already rolled out e-drivelines for EVs in different segments like marine and a few off-highway areas, so mining is an apparent subsequent step. And given the main place of China in areas like battery know-how and electrical motors – Hamilton stated these drivelines are more likely to be produced there primarily based by itself growth but in addition by way of partnerships with its personal element suppliers.
Concluding, Hamilton commented: “Mining is a core marketplace for us and a rising one. If you can also make an engine work underground, it may possibly roughly work anyplace – it provides it a stamp of efficiency and sturdiness to deal with robust situations. So for us in some methods it’s the final take a look at and assurance of the standard of our merchandise.”
