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Mining & ExplosivesAutonomous Mines and Critical Minerals
Twenty flashcards on self-driving haul trucks and loaders already working in mines, and the minerals the U.S. lists as critical.
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20 cards
- What milestone did Komatsu reach on April 21, 2026?
- It commissioned its 1,000th autonomous ultra-class haul truck with the FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System.
- When did Komatsu bring the first commercial autonomous mining solution to market?
- In 2008.
- What was Komatsu's 1,000th autonomous truck, and where does it work?
- A 930E-5AT electric drive truck with a 290-metric-ton payload, at Barrick's Nevada Gold Mines in the United States.
- Which Komatsu truck is the most widely deployed autonomous model?
- The 930E, with more than 500 autonomous trucks at customer sites.
- How much material have FrontRunner customers moved?
- Over 11.5 billion metric tons since its commercial introduction.
- On which continents do FrontRunner trucks work?
- North America, South America, Australia and Europe.
- Besides haul trucks, what else does Komatsu automate at mine sites?
- Autonomous water trucks, to improve safety, cut manual equipment interactions and support road maintenance.
- What safety record does Komatsu report for FrontRunner as of October 2025?
- 0 systems-related injuries, with more than 17 years in operation.
- How does autonomous operation affect tires, brakes and maintenance?
- An average 40% improvement in tire and brake life and a 13% reduction in overall maintenance.
- What had Sandvik's automated underground loaders and trucks achieved by 2018?
- Over 20 years in real mines and more than 2 million operating hours, with zero accidents involving people.
- How do Sandvik's self-driving loaders find their way underground without GPS?
- Lasers map and record the route on the first trip; algorithms, sensors and gyroscopes then guide the machine.
- How are people kept safe around Sandvik's automated loaders?
- The machines work in a zone isolated from people, safety sensors brake if anything is in the path, and operators supervise from a control room.
- When was the final 2025 U.S. List of Critical Minerals published, and how many minerals does it have?
- On November 6, 2025, with 60 minerals.
- Name some of the 10 minerals newly added to the 2025 list.
- Boron, copper, lead, metallurgical coal, phosphate, potash, rhenium, silicon, silver and uranium.
- What makes a mineral "critical" under the Energy Act of 2020?
- It is essential to U.S. economic or national security, its supply chain is vulnerable, and products depend on it.
- How much of its rare earth elements did the U.S. import in 2024?
- 80% of the rare earth elements it used.
- What are lithium and cobalt used for?
- Lithium in rechargeable batteries; cobalt in batteries and in metal alloys for extreme temperatures.
- Which two critical minerals keep GPS atomic clocks ticking?
- Cesium and rubidium.
- What are silicon and silver used for?
- Silicon in the wafers at the heart of semiconductors; silver in electrical circuits, batteries and solar cells.
- How does USGS decide which minerals are critical?
- It weighs the economic impact of supply disruptions, analyzing over 400 industries and more than 1,200 disruption scenarios.
Official sources
Komatsu
Komatsu becomes first OEM to commission 1,000 ultra-class autonomous haul trucks (April 21, 2026)
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Interior Department releases final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
What is a critical mineral?
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
About the 2025 List of Critical Minerals
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