Byrnecut, one of the world’s leading underground mining contractors, has invested in a substantial new fleet of Sandvik equipment to support its expanding operations across four continents.
The order, booked in June 2026, includes 20 underground drills, loaders and trucks, along with five raise boring systems, and reflects the continued strength of the long-standing relationship between the two companies.
The new fleet will support Byrnecut’s operations in Australia, Canada, West Africa and Southern Africa, where the contractor works on both new and existing underground mining projects.
Equipment deliveries are already underway and will continue on a rolling basis through to June 2028.
The investment covers a broad range of underground equipment.
Byrnecut has ordered four Sandvik DD422i development drills, four Toro LH621i loaders fitted with Sandvik’s AutoMine automation system, and four Toro TH663i underground trucks.
The order also includes two Sandvik DL432i longhole drills and one Sandvik DL422i longhole drill, providing Byrnecut with additional drilling capacity across its sites.
On the raise boring side, Byrnecut has added four Rhino 100 mobile raise boring machines and one Rhino uphole module to its fleet.
Raise boring equipment is used to create vertical or inclined openings underground, a critical function in ventilation, ore passes and other mine infrastructure.
The inclusion of AutoMine-equipped loaders points to Byrnecut’s ongoing push toward greater automation in its underground operations, a trend that has become increasingly important across the mining sector as companies look to improve both safety and productivity in challenging underground environments.
Sandvik and Byrnecut have worked together for many years, and the companies describe their relationship as one built on collaboration and a shared focus on safe, productive underground mining solutions across multiple regions.
Pat Boniwell, Managing Director of Byrnecut Australia, pointed to the depth of that relationship in explaining the investment.
“Our relationship with Sandvik has been built over many years on trust, collaboration and consistent performance,” he said.
Boniwell noted that the scale of Byrnecut’s global growth requires equipment that can keep pace with rising expectations from its own customers.
The company sees this latest order as a way to reinforce its fleet with technology and support that can be relied on across its various operating regions, from established mines to newer projects still ramping up.
Patrick Murphy, President of Mining at Sandvik, echoed that sentiment, describing Byrnecut as one of the company’s most valued global underground mining partners.
According to Murphy, the investment is both a reflection of trust built over time and a signal of what lies ahead for the partnership.
“This investment demonstrates Byrnecut’s confidence in Sandvik’s underground equipment portfolio and our ability to support customers consistently across multiple continents,” he said.
Murphy added that the two companies share a common focus on pushing underground mining operations toward greater safety, productivity and automation as the industry continues to evolve.
Beyond the equipment itself, Byrnecut plans to draw on Sandvik’s global support network throughout the life of the fleet.
That support infrastructure is intended to help maximise equipment availability and keep operations running efficiently across Byrnecut’s dispersed international footprint.
With deliveries continuing over the next two years, the new fleet is expected to play a significant role in supporting Byrnecut’s underground projects as the company continues to grow its presence in Australia, Canada, West Africa and Southern Africa.
