Sandvik has announced that it will be reintroducing its Toro range of underground hard rock loaders and trucks, model by model, starting later this year. The first Toro unit was originally introduced to the market in the early 1970s.
Although it has not been used for fifteen years, the Toro name has traditionally symbolized the strength of Sandvik’s underground hardrock loaders and trucks.
Sandvik will first relaunch the Toro LH517i and Toro LH621i large intelligent loaders.
The fifth model to acquire the Toro name is the world’s largest payload capacity underground loader, the Toro LH625iE
“Being strong and powerful is at the very heart of the old Toro. To be robust, reliable and productive in the most demanding of conditions is part of our heritage, and we will keep that with us going forward,” Wayne Scrivens, VP of product line, load and haul with Sandvik, said in a release.
“Being smart involves seamless integration with Sandvik’s AutoMine and OptiMine offering, but it is also about innovation and smart design… Developing intelligence on all frontiers is, and will be, one of the key elements of the Toro going forward.”
The Toro LH517i and Toro LH621i intelligent loaders now come with design upgrades to boost productivity, reduce the cost of ownership and improve the operator’s experience. Both loaders can be equipped with a Stage V state-of-the-art engine, meeting the strictest emissions regulations.
As matching pairs for these large loaders, the company’s 51- and 63- tonne trucks will also hold the Toro family name. Recent design upgrades for both trucks include a new transmission, AutoMine for Trucks with on-surface navigation options and an ongoing Stage V engine trial.
“Customer feedback on the i-series trucks indicates that overall maintenance costs have decreased compared to their predecessors, the Sandvik TH551 and Sandvik TH663: we have also received the same customer feedback on LH517i and LH621i loaders,” Scrivens added.
The fifth model to acquire the Toro name is the world’s largest payload capacity underground loader, the Toro LH625iE. The unit features a 25,000 kg payload capacity and is electrically powered by a trailing cable. The Toro LH625iE also features i-series intelligence for connectivity and digital solutions.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)