While 2023 had its fair share of volatility in the mining sector, mining trends into 2024 continue to be shaped by a dynamic landscape of technological change, customer support models and global shifts with critical minerals.

With traditional financial indicators in disarray, it’s hard to get a good read on when the backlog of shelved projects will be released and how construction will unfold in 2024. SMS Equipment experts Blair Addison, Regional Sales Manager, Northern Alberta and Matt Chatters, Regional Sales Manager, Edmonton, explain how contractors are doubling down on the basics to ensure they are ready to execute when the next wave of major projects becomes a reality.

Designed to lessen the skills gap between new and experienced operators and help improve the bottom line for contractors, Komatsu’s largest intelligent Machine Control (IMC) 2.0 excavator, the PC490LCi-11, offers sophisticated productivity-enhancing automation.

As new mines transition into the critical production phase, graders often play an essential role, constructing and maintaining ramps and haul roads, and creating graded work areas for maximum safety and efficiency.