The underground hard rock mining industry has had little change since the mobile equipment era began in the 1970s. Equipment has become larger and faster but has not kept pace with the following challenges: Improvements in Safe Production, Increasing demand for metals, Environmental improvements, Decreasing grades, Increasing depth of mining, More metal from underground vs. surface mining, and Energy and green house gas awareness. We are on the cusp of a new mining era and must rethink how underground hard rock mining must change in order to meet these challenges. This paper will show historical changes and propose a set of guiding principles for the next era of mining.
