The mining industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the need for greater productivity as well as safety and growing importance of technologies such as automation, 3D mapping and geomodelling, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT). In the last three years alone, there have been over 3,000 patents filed and granted in the mining industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in mining: tunneling and anchoring machine. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
45+ innovations will shape the mining industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the mining industry using innovation intensity models built on over 81,000 patents, there are 45+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, tunnel ventilation systems, remote tunnel monitoring, and mine drainage systems are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Lithium recovery, battery metal recycling and tunneling, and anchoring machine are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are hydrometallurgical extraction and hybrid industrial vehicles, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the mining industry
Tunneling and anchoring machine is a key innovation area in mining
Tunneling and anchoring machines are essential equipment used in the mining industry for various underground construction and support tasks. These machines play a crucial role in creating tunnels, shafts, and other underground structures, while ensuring the safety and stability of the excavated areas and preserving workers’ safety.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 260+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established mining companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of tunneling and anchoring machine.
Key players in tunneling and anchoring machine – a disruptive innovation in the mining industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to tunneling and anchoring machine
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Komatsu | 372 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Caterpillar | 127 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Tian Di Science & Technology | 119 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sanyhe International | 113 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sandvik | 98 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Energy Investment | 69 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Anglo American | 67 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanxi Tiandi Coal Mining Machinery | 64 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhengzhou Siwei Electromechanical Equipment Manufacturing | 52 | Unlock Company Profile |
| RAG-Stiftung | 48 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Yankuang Group | 47 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group | 46 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Jinneng Holding Group | 37 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Family Trust Investor FTI | 30 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Shipbuilding Industry | 27 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Deere | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Huainan Mining Group | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| marco Systemanalyse und Entwicklung | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Beijing Tiandi Marco Electro Hydraulic Control System | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway Group | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sichuan Huayingshan Guangneng (Group) | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhou Bin | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shandong Mining Machinery Group | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Linzhou Heavy Machinery Group | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sany Heavy Equipment Investments | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Guizhou Panjiang Refined Coal | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanxi Donghua Machinery | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway Tunnel Equipment Manufacturing | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shan Xi Hua Yang Group New Energy | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Communications Construction Group | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Tiandi Shanghai Mining Equipment Technology | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Wanbei Coal Electricity Group | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Uni-President Enterprises | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shandong Energy Group | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Bucyrus Europe | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Anhui Mining Electromechanical Equipment | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China National Coal Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Henan Energy and Chemical Industry Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| XCMG Construction Machinery | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hyosung | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhengzhou Siwei Mining Machinery | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanxi Gaohe Energy | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Huaibei Mining | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shenhua Ningxia Coal Industry Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Pingdingshan Antaihua Mining Safety Equipment Manufacturing | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Coal Technology | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Famur Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Industry Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Grenevia | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Komastu and Sandvik are among the leading patent filers in tunneling and anchoring machines. Komatsu, a Japanese machinery manufacturer, and Codelco, agreed to conduct trial on a new excavation method using a new mining tunnel boring machine (TBM) developed by the former, in July 2022. In October 2023, Komatsu added 3D machine guidance and payload capabilities to crawler and wheeled excavators to improve safety, productivity, and efficiency while lowering carbon emissions in construction operations.
Another example of innovation in TBMs tunneling machines is Robbin’s MDM5000, which is the first boring machine to cut rectangular tunnels. Unlike other machines that have been developed for cutting soft material, the MDM5000 is the first to be successful in rectangular hard-rock tunnelling. Furthermore, driving a tunnel with a circular full-face TBM necessitates secondary operations to create a flat roadway, which takes time and money.
Some other key patent filers in this space include Tian Di Science & Technology, Caterpillar,and Sanyhe International.
In terms of application diversity, China Shipbuilding Industry leads the pack, while China Railway Tunnel Equipment Manufacturing and Deere stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Linzhou Heavy Machinery Group held the top position, followed by Deere and Tian Di Science & Technology.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the mining industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Mining.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
