Leopard® DI650i DTH drill rig wins the Wilhelm Haglund Medal 2024

An interesting combination of technologies and systems from different drill rigs resulted in Leopard® DI650i, a Down-The-Hole drill rig that has opened a new market for Sandvik. It also led to the award of the “Wilhelm Haglund Medal to the Product Developer of the Year”.

The team behind the development has worked closely with key customers to develop a drill rig that is fully autonomous and incorporated with AutoMine® surface drilling autocycle. This means that the operator can monitor the process remotely and one single operator can simultaneously operate three machines. With a robust design to withstand the challenges posed by surface mining environments, the drill rig has become the customers’ preferred choice in an important market segment.

The winners of the “Wilhelm Haglund Medal to the Product Developer of the Year” 2024 were announced at the Annual General Meeting of Sandvik April 29.

Read an article and watch a video about the awarded drill rig

The winners of the “Wilhelm Haglund Medal to the Product Developer of the Year”: Petri Suomi, Jarkko Uotila, Juha Ketomäki and Pertti Parkkinen from business area Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. They were presented with the award by Stefan Widing, President and CEO, at the Annual General Meeting April 29. The fifth winner, Mika J. Nieminen, could not attend the ceremony.

The Wilhelm Haglund Medal

The “Wilhelm Haglund Medal to the Product Developer of the Year” has been awarded since 1986 and is named after the Managing Director Wilhelm Haglund, who laid the foundations for Sandvik’s successes in the cemented-carbide area. The award is presented to recognize and reward important efforts that create substantial customer benefits and commercial value for the Group.

The award includes a medal made from 18 karat gold, a study trip and a diploma. The jury includes the Group CEO and representatives of the Sandvik Scientific Council and trade union organizations. All employees in the Group can receive the award and they can also suggest candidates.