Intelligent mining jumbos won the Wilhelm Haglund award

The development of a new Intelligent product family for mining jumbos led to the award of the “Wilhelm Haglund Medal to the Product Developer of the Year” in 2019 to Tero Yli-Hannuksela, Jarno Kuittinen and Johannes Välivaara from Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, Underground drilling. The medal was presented in conjunction with Sandvik’s 2019 Annual General Meeting.

Award winners Tero Yli-Hannuksela, Jarno Kuittinen and Johannes Välivaara together with Björn Rosengren, President and CEO, Sandvik AB.

“We are very honored and excited about this medal as there were lots of other good candidates in the final list. In essence, this highly valued recognition is an appreciation to the whole project team in Tampere as it well embraces the hard work and innovation spirit that numerous people has contributed with during the development phase of these two great products,” says Johannes Välivaara.

Sandvik DD422i and Sandvik DD422iE intelligent mining jumbos has both been received very well in the existing markets and especially Sandvik DD422iE opens opportunities to penetrate new markets with customers focusing on green energy fleet. Using the onboard battery, Sandvik DD422iE produces zero emissions while tramming.

Being able to increase the drilling productivity while reducing costs is a pre-requisite within the industry today. Also, there are long term needs to reduce the operator exposure to the drilling face while controlling the emissions generated by the diesel combustion engines, embracing focus on safety and care for the environment, Johannes Välivaara explains.

“This recognition highlights the importance of the role of OEM’s, such as Sandvik, on bringing real solutions to these known problems,” he says.

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.