At The Electrical Mine 2026 convention final month in Lisbon, Portugal, IM Editorial Director Paul Moore had the chance to attach with the administration staff at Isle of Man-headquartered international mining expertise supplier MMD to speak in additional element about its landmark latest bulletins. These embrace buying the worldwide rights to clever materials dealing with system, TraxIQ, from Anglo American; partnering with Chinese language autonomous haulage chief CiDi to combine superior autonomous driving expertise inside the TraxIQ platform – and to supply these options to different shoppers outdoors of China; and eventually, a brand new settlement with current supplies dealing with answer accomplice, DHHI.
Simultaneous with these developments, MMD has launched the MMD Centre of Excellence (COE), marking the following steps within the firm’s journey. The COE is devoted to advancing the following technology of mining applied sciences. By bringing collectively a staff of engineering specialists, MMD says the COE will strengthen its place within the mining trade with a complete suite of fabric dealing with options and techniques to satisfy the various wants of current and new prospects. It should additionally present important help to its international gross sales workplaces, making certain that every answer is completely aligned with the precise necessities of each mission.
The next relies on a dialogue with Martin Vorster, Group Managing Director of MMD Group. Additionally current on the occasion have been Chris Pearson, MMD Group Enterprise Growth Director; Luke Smith, MMD Centre of Excellence Programme Director – Cell Gear who has been concerned with TraxIQ from the beginning – initially at Anglo American; and James Percy-Hughes, MMD’s new Head of Operations for TraxIQ, who was previously with Anglo American after which First Mode.
Whereas a lot of the element round TraxIQ specifically stays confidential, broadly it upends the fundamental operational assumptions of typical load and haul in mining by reframing key areas corresponding to weight distribution, symmetry and modularity. Particulars on subsequent steps, together with trials and pilots, of the primary techniques and items are anticipated to be launched sooner or later, however this serves to provide some perception into the idea and its potential.
Q You simply acquired the worldwide rights to TraxIQ – which is an modern cell and modular rubber-tyred haulage answer. Historically, MMD has targeted on massive in-pit semi cell, mounted and absolutely cell sizer stations and feeders – why have you ever taken this resolution now to diversify?
At MMD, we see this as a pure evolution of our innovation technique. We’re more and more seeing demand for system-level optimisation, not simply options based mostly on the efficiency of particular person tools items – and TraxIQ solutions that demand. Up to now, and at the moment, the mining trade has relied on massive payload inflexible mining vans loaded by equally massive rope shovels or hydraulic excavators – together with the very excessive working and vitality prices that include that strategy. TraxIQ challenges that mannequin. It gives a extra environment friendly, scalable, modular and low emission strategy to materials dealing with – one that also delivers the flexibleness of vans however round a brand new sort of mining fleet ecosystem. Based mostly on inside modelling of a particular case research mine – TraxIQ has the potential to supply roughly 50% quicker cycles, roughly 70% much less vitality use per tonne hauled, plus probably greater than 45% value reductions per tonne. It creates a major alternative to enhance materials circulate throughout a wider vary of mining functions and supply a bigger providing to prospects. Mid-Tier miners and main quarry operators for instance, will have the ability to entry the identical advantages from TraxIQ as Tier 1 miners – whereas previously each markets have been approached very in another way by tools suppliers, when actually the challenges associated to extra environment friendly and greener haulage of mined supplies stays the identical.
Q What was it about this specific answer that made it match?
Firstly, the answer aligns intently with how the trade is growing – there’s a basic realisation that the established order when it comes to full stack, truck OEM-led autonomy techniques and onerous to affect ultraclass mining vans is more and more being re-evaluated because the trade appears to be like to enhance emissions discount, flexibility and flexibility. TraxIQ provides a modular, scalable, and autonomous strategy to haulage and system optimisation. We noticed robust potential to combine autonomy, electrification and digital coordination right into a single environment friendly platform and create a steady materials motion system. It additionally enhances nicely established mining infrastructure in addition to our present product vary.
Q Some main miners have talked for a while about their willingness to take a look at smaller mining vans the place it is sensible, together with options just like the MMD Absolutely Cell Surge Loader – do you suppose at the moment’s miners are extra prepared to take a look at issues in another way?
Completely, the mining trade is changing into extra open to different haulage fashions due to the challenges it would face going ahead. Operators are underneath stress to enhance effectivity, vitality use and working prices – and to deal with the difficulty of attracting staff prepared to tackle roles at distant websites. We’ve additionally seen over the previous few months how risky each gasoline and steel costs could be. The trade desires solutions now, not in 5 years’ time. Mindsets are altering and there’s rising recognition that greater just isn’t all the time probably the most environment friendly reply. Electrification and autonomy have modified this image – and what’s occurring in China, the place 1000’s of smaller battery electrical and hybrid vans are already working autonomously – is more and more attracting curiosity from different mining areas. Smaller payloads imply much less vitality per tonne and extra items imply extra steady circulate. Narrower roads cut back mine improvement prices and complexity; and the swarm mannequin will increase flexibility and scalability. You talked about the MMD Absolutely Cell Surge Loader (FMSL) – with our iFMSL platform – combining the surge loader idea with sensor-based ore evaluation, we will provide a lot larger orebody management, the place the FMSL has successfully turn out to be an ore analysing platform, in addition to a step change in in-pit materials circulate. Together with TraxIQ the potential we imagine is much reaching – and we imagine it’s the proper providing to answer the elevated curiosity in versatile, system-based approaches that optimise the complete mining cycle.
Q Is there nonetheless room for a full IPCC-based mine with no truck haulage in sure conditions?
Completely there’s, as each operation has completely different necessities, constraints and economics. TraxIQ simply expands the vary of options accessible. At MMD, our focus – because it all the time has been – shall be on offering the very best system for every software. That’s what has pushed success at MMD to this point, and also will proceed to be the case. In some circumstances, a real IPCC providing should ship the suitable answer relying on many elements – pit geometry, mine planning, vitality prices, comminution technique and so forth. However more and more, operators are seeing some form of mixture between the very best of IPCC with a brand new paradigm when it comes to the truck fleet, as the way in which ahead.
Q You have got additionally partnered with CiDi, a number one OEM agnostic autonomy firm, for automation of the TraxIQ platform – what was it that impressed you at MMD about their capabilities and strategy when it comes to what you noticed in China?
We have been primarily impressed by the tempo of improvement and sensible deployment of autonomy options. Their expertise is operational in all kinds of functions throughout China, and it was extremely spectacular to witness first-hand. CiDi demonstrated to us robust technical functionality and a versatile strategy to integration. Not solely that however CiDi is a really well-established autonomy supplier with greater than 1,500 vans deployed, protecting over 16 million kilometres of absolutely autonomous Stage 4 driving, supported by a sophisticated AI-driven MetaMine fleet administration system. Considerably, MMD is now the popular supplier of their autonomy answer outdoors of China, utilising our 20+ areas for after help and upkeep of their techniques. So CiDi’s AHS won’t solely be deployed on TraxIQ but additionally retrofitted to different options too. That is vital, on condition that many current mines want to completely different choices past the established order of truck OEM-led full stack AHS – choices which can be extra versatile and adaptable, and confirmed with new vitality haulage choices as that market develops.
Q MMD additionally simply signed a brand new cooperation settlement with DHHI in China – DHHI is known globally for its supplies dealing with capabilities together with in mining and shiploading – are you able to summarise how their options complement MMD’s core experience in sizers, feeders and different applied sciences?
MMD and DHHI have extremely complementary capabilities throughout materials dealing with techniques. With virtually 50 years of delivering modern options, MMD brings experience in sizing, feeding and materials processing. DHHI brings large-scale conveying and bulk supplies dealing with functionality. Collectively, this strengthens our capacity as companions and collaborators to ship built-in mining options throughout the complete materials circulate chain – probably along with TraxIQ as nicely. DHHI additionally gives downstream stacker and reclaimer options that complement MMD’s experience in offering turnkey packages. Our relationship has already enabled MMD in collaboration with DHHI to put in full techniques on the Simandou iron ore operations in Guinea, in addition to additional initiatives in Pakistan and Morocco. So, there’s monitor report of collaboration – now we have labored collectively on a lot of initiatives globally which have proven how nicely we align in engineering functionality and supply strategy. They’ve highlighted the worth of mixing complementary applied sciences and experience. Our new settlement creates a stronger framework for future collaboration and built-in options improvement.
