Choosing mining equipment means matching the machine to the deposit, the scale, and the processing throughput — not just buying the biggest available.
1. Surface vs underground
The first decision is surface or underground — they use completely different equipment.
- Surface mining — excavators, wheel loaders, articulated and rigid dump trucks, dozers, and drills. Open-pit operations.
- Underground mining — LHD loaders (scoop trams), underground mining trucks, continuous miners, longwall systems, roof bolters, and shuttle cars. Machines are sized to fit tunnels and ventilation limits.
2. Match scale to the deposit
- Small-scale or artisanal — compact excavators and loaders, jaw crushers, small ball mills.
- Mid-size operations — 20–35 ton excavators, articulated dump trucks, modular crushing and screening plants.
- Large-scale mines — 50+ ton excavators, rigid-frame mining trucks, high-throughput crushing plants, and full mineral processing circuits.
3. Throughput drives the plant
The crusher and mill must keep up with the mine. Size the crushing and screening plant to your daily tonnes, and the grinding circuit (ball mill or SAG mill) to your target grind size and throughput. A bottleneck at the crusher limits the whole mine.
4. Power and access
Remote mines need diesel generators and fuel logistics. Grid-connected sites can use electric drives for crushers, mills, and conveyors. Consider power availability before specifying electric vs diesel equipment.
5. Support and parts
Mining equipment runs hard. Specify machines with available wear parts, filters, and service support. Downtime at a mine is expensive.
Request a quote
Tell IGC your deposit type, scale, daily throughput, and whether the site is surface or underground, grid or off-grid. We recommend the right equipment fleet.