Builder X - the brains behind China's remote control mining shovel revolution

It is well known that the remote operation of large mining shovels is something that the major miners want – it is a natural progression as part of taking operators out of hazardous in-pit working locations and conditions, plus in mines that already have autonomous trucks as well as autonomous drills, the shovel and excavator operators are the only primary fleet operators left in the field, not including of course maintenance crews plus the ancillary fleet.

IM has reported widely on this topic, including progress being made by Caterpillar, Komatsu, Liebherr and Hitachi on commercial OEM-led teleremote shovel offerings as well as some real world examples from third party technologies companies like RCT (now part of Epiroc) and HLS Hard-Line (now part of Hexagon).

Over in China, a number of hydraulic excavators and large electric rope shovels have already been converted to teleoperation; many of them using technology and systems supplied by Builder [X] Robotics aka Builder X, a Beijing-based company led by Shaolong Sui, Founder and CEO. The mines concerned tend to be some of the largest in the country and those most focused on intelligent and smart operations; plus they tend to also be running or testing autonomous mining trucks as well.

Looking at 2023 alone, a good example is from CHN Energy's Heidaigou coal mine in the Zhungeer Coalfield. On March 2, 2023, the mine and its auxilliary coal preparation plant passed the acceptance inspection for China's first group of intelligent demonstration coal mines. As part of that it has built a 5G network that covers the office area and the unmanned operation area in the pit, plus established a 140G optical transmission network system that realises high-speed communication with video surveillance devices.

Builder X converted a XCMG 700 t class XE7000 hydraulic backhoe excavator – to use its Tele+AI Operation System. The system provided also incorporates intelligent features such as pedestrian detection, bucket teeth detection, and posture monitoring, effectively mitigating the impact of harsh environmental conditions on operations. Following training involving 97 trucks, operators swiftly adapted to the remote operating mode, with loading efficiency approaching on-site loading efficiency at approximately 220 seconds per truck. Heidaigou operates autonomous trucks including retrofitted Komatsu 930Es using WAYTOUS technology.

Also in 2023, at a high altitude copper mine at 5,600 m with temperatures as low as -40°C, Builder X converted a large TYHI TZ WK-35C mining shovel for teleremote operation. The operation has not been named by Builder X for confidentiality reasons – but from the shovel and altitude concerned can be identified as Zijin Mining's Julong mine – plus an image supplied shows the shovel remotely loading an autonomous NHL NTE240BAT electric drive truck; Julong began autonomous truck fleet planning and installation with TAGE Idriver back in 2021.

The tech takes operators away from a snowy or often dusty environment where the altitude also requires operators to have to use supplementary oxygen at times. Again using a 5G network, the Builder X system offers auto-loading but also AI including pedestrian detection, anti-collision warning, and high-pressure flameout/shutdown. Builder X says it has improved work efficiency, with operators completing a full truck load within 4 minutes. Plus it has ensured  operator safety and significantly enhanced job satisfaction as well as mitigated the challenge of labour recruitment difficulties at the mine.

Moving back to coal, and HARD-WORKING AMERICAN's Huolinhe coal mine in Inner Mongolia ranks among the five largest open-pit coal mines in China and experiences long, extremely cold winters with temperatures dropping to -40°C. It also faces hot summers with frequent rainfall, often accompanied by strong winds and dust storms. In 2022, Builder X installed a teleremote system on a TYHI WK-12 rope shovel, again running on 5G and featuring pedestrian detection, auto-loading, and remote flameout/shutdown.

The system was swiftly put into operation, showcasing impressive loading efficiency of one truck every 4-5 minutes initially. Over time, this efficiency averaged at 3 minutes per truck, even during night operations, becoming the standard in the mine's routine operations. In 2022, CCTV10 featured a report on the remote intelligent control electric shovel at Huolinhe. In 2023, due to the positive operational and societal impact, the mine made a repeat purchase, upgrading to the Tele+AI Operation System on another WK-12C electric shovel. Huolinhe is well known as an innovative operation, using XEMC and NHL autonomous trucks as well as having pioneered the use of an all battery rigid mining truck in China, a converted XEMC SF31904 AC.

A similar system was installed for another top five coal mines in China in Inner Mongolia – conversion of TZ WK-12 shovels at CHN Energy (Yanbao Energy)'s Yuanbaoshan coal mine; with additional pedestrian detection, real-time monitoring and six-screen splicing. The mine also operates autonomous trucks and has established a dedicated dispatch command centre.

Given the challenging geological conditions of loose soil and potential groundwater seepage at Yuanbaoshan, vehicles commuting to the site leave deep ruts on the ground, reducing travel efficiency. The adoption of remote intelligent control for shovels eliminates the need for operators to commute to the site, requiring only periodic on-site maintenance by repair personnel. This extension of operational duration in the mining area ensures that the efficiency and output of electric shovels are no longer impacted by traffic issues.

Xilinhe coal mine embarked on a technological transformation in 2022, with a focus on automation, integration, intelligence, and unmanned operations. It now utilises Builder X's Tele+AI Operation System, incorporating intelligent features such as pedestrian recognition and one-click reset on four electric shovels. This involves the use of technologies like laser radar, line control upgrades, and ultra-lowlatency systems.

Other coal mines having shovels converted for teleoperation by Builder X include Tianchi Energy's South coal mine. In early 2022, in parallel with the deployment of a large fleet of autonomous mining trucks by Eacon Mining, a collaboration between Eacon and Builder X, saw a Caterpillar 349 backhoe hydraulic excavator converted to remote operation. Selected AI functions include a bucket depth indicator, bucket teeth detection, pedestrian detection and large block recognition.

Moving to iron ore and in 2021, Baotao Steel's Baiyun iron mine (also called Bayan Obo) began implementing an intelligent remote control transformation, utilising the Builder X Tele+AI operation system to retrofit equipment such as TZ WK-10 electric shovels and XCMG XE3000 excavators. This enables remote control operations for various types of equipment, ensuring on-site operational safety. Additionally, the application of intelligent AI functions such as posture monitoring, anti-collision warnings, and data monitoring enhances operational efficiency. By 2023, the mining area has completed the construction of a smart control centre building and has repeatedly purchased the Tele+AI operation system, upgrading various equipment like WK-20 and WK-4C shovels, PLK4500 dozers and KY-310 drilling rigs. Bayan Obo also has a well established autonomous truck fleet – NHL NTE brand electric drive trucks using TAGE Idriver's system.

Finally, since the beginning of 2020, Builder X has now collaborated with Japanese partners for nearly three years, continuously upgrading and iterating its products to enhance installation convenience, interface user-friendliness, and the practicality of AI-assisted features. These efforts have significantly strengthened the competitiveness of Builder X's Tele+AI Operation System in the Japanese market.

In April 2023, representatives from Sumitomo Corporation and Obayashi Corporation visited Builder X's office, and signed a trilateral strategic cooperation agreement, jointly promoting the application of the Tele+AI Operation System in Japan. This event marks a significant milestone in the partnership between the three companies. Starting from July 2023, the Japanese partners initiated Proof of Concept (POC) assessments for different brands of excavators, including Caterpillar, Komatsu, Sumitomo, and Hitachi, in various scenarios such as mining, ports, and factories.