In history, before miners had access to productive equipment and blasting agents, mining was hard and hazardous manual work. The idea of excavating large volumes of rock to access even the richest mineral zones was not feasible, and, as a result, ore veins were selectively followed, predominantly close to the surface, or inside mountains. During the past century, introduction of diesel power and electricity, combined with new methods of mineral dressing, paved the way for large scale open pit mining, and later for mechanized underground mining. Nevertheless, the largest quantities of ore are still excavated from surface deposits.
Atlas Copco, as an equipment supplier with a truly global presence, has been at the forefront of technical and innovative development. From pneumatic to hydraulic power, from railbound to trackless haulage, from handheld to rig mounted rock drills, and lately, from manual to computerized operation, Atlas Copco expertise is making mining safer and more efficient. <...>
