06 Dec 2024 DOK-ING Mining Presents the New Era of Underground Mining
DOK-ING ESTABLISHES DOK-ING MINING: A NEW ERA OF MINING – TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED, ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE, AND SAFE FOR MINERS
Zagreb, Croatia, December 4, 2024 – DOK-ING, a high-tech company and innovation hub specializing in robotics systems, announced the establishment of its new subsidiary, DOK-ING Mining. The focus of this new company will be the development and commercialization of high-tech solutions in the underground mining sector.
To celebrate the feast of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners, DOK-ING Mining introduced innovative solutions aligned with its founding company’s vision, DOK-ING’s vision: “Don’t send a man to do a machine’s job.” These advancements significantly enhance miner safety and boost productivity in mining operations.
„Welcome to the presentation of DOK-ING Mining, the new subsidiary in the DOK-ING group. I greet you on behalf of DOK-ING, and I also greet you on behalf of the Technical Museum Nikola Tesla, our host, and our partner, the Faculty of Mining, Geology, and Petroleum Engineering in Zagreb“ – Luka Petro, CEO of DOK-ING Mining, greeted the audience and continued: „Today is Saint Barbara’s Day, the patron saint of miners, and I am therefore pleased to present to you our new step forward in the mining sector. Guided by the company’s vision – Don’t send a man to do a machine’s job – the vision of mining at DOK-ING was born. Our vision for mining is to enhance the safety of miners through innovative and high-tech robotic systems, while reducing the need for miners in the most critical parts of the mine. Our machines increase productivity, reduce the environmental impact of mining, and make mining not only a necessary but also a sustainable economic sector.“
The founding of DOK-ING Mining marks the realization of the company’s vision for 21st-century mining – safe, sustainable, and appealing to future generations.
A Technological Revolution
DOK-ING Mining leads the way in making mining more efficient and sustainable. Its solutions not only modernize production processes but also redefine the role of miners by reducing their exposure to hazardous conditions and creating new tech-focused job opportunities.
„We envision 21st-century mining as synonymous with safety, innovation, and sustainability. This is the beginning of a new era in mining that balances economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. With our solutions, we aim to set new standards and demonstrate that mining can be both eco-friendly and technologically advanced,” said Luka Petro, CEO of DOK-ING Mining.
Revolutionary Technology: Narrow Reef Equipment (NRE)
At the core of DOK-ING Mining’s development is the Narrow Reef Equipment (NRE) fleet – a groundbreaking system of remotely operated electric mining equipment designed for underground spaces ranging from 90 to 170 cm in height. This fleet enables mechanized rock excavation in extremely narrow mining areas, where only humans could previously operate.
The NRE fleet also excels in mining on inclines of up to 25°, making it revolutionary for mines like those in South Africa, where narrow veins of chromite and platinum group metals are extracted. The use of robotics not only increases ore concentration but also significantly reduces energy costs and the environmental impact of mining.
It is crucial to highlight the key element of young talents in the shaping the future of mining industry. To attract new generations of professionals to this sector, DOK-ING and its partners are actively promoting the mining industry as an appealing and high-tech industry.
Support from EIT RawMaterials and Strategic Partners
This project’s innovation has been recognized by EIT RawMaterials, Europe’s leading knowledge and innovation community in raw materials. EIT RawMaterials has not only co-funded the NRE Electra project but also acquired a minority stake in the newly established DOK-ING Mining.
As a key player in Europe’s transition to a sustainable economy, EIT RawMaterials aligns perfectly with DOK-ING Mining’s vision by strengthening the raw materials sector through innovation, education, and entrepreneurship and further underscores the strategic importance of this project.
Through the NRE Electra project, DOK-ING collaborates with the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Mining, Geology, and Petroleum Engineering (the project coordinator) and partners from Croatia and Slovenia. In addition to financial support, EIT RawMaterials contributes to the global promotion of DOK-ING Mining’s portfolio and opens doors for strategic partnerships.
Interactive Exhibition at the Technical Museum of Nikola Tesla
To commemorate the founding of DOK-ING Mining, the company has launched an interactive exhibition that is a part of the permanent display at the Technical Museum Nikola Tesla in Zagreb, Croatia. The event, attended by students from the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Mining, Geology, and Petroleum Engineering (members of the “Sretno” Association) and numerous experts, coincided with the celebration of Saint Barbara’s Day.
On this occasion, professor Sibila Borojević Šoštarić from the Faculty of Mining, Geology, and Petroleum Engineering addressed the audience:
„What our partners and the company DOK-ING are presenting here is truly the future of mining. Mining, as it is often perceived in the media, is dirty, dark, and pollutes the environment. However, everything around us – your cameras, your photo equipment, the devices you are using, the mobile phones with which you are recording – all contain mineral raw materials that we have extracted from the Earth’s crust. Platinum, palladium, rhodium, copper, nickel, and gold are raw materials that will be exploited with this fleet. These are high-value raw materials, materials that are incorporated into catalysts, into our cars. These are materials that go into our factories, into our solar panels. These are materials that will enable the green transition. I am very proud and happy that I was able to participate in this fantastic success of DOK-ING, that we were a small part of it with our knowledge and experience in implementing EIT RawMaterials projects, and that we contributed to the realization of this project.“
ABOUT TECHNICAL MUSEUM NIKOLA TESLA
The Technical Museum Nikola Tesla in Zagreb was founded in 1954 and opened to the public in 1963. The museum’s founder, Professor Božo Težak, envisioned it as a combination of a scientific center and an educational space. The museum is located on the site of the former tram depot from 1891, and the buildings were designed in 1949. The permanent exhibition includes thematic areas such as energy transformation, transportation, and astronautics, with special attractions like the underground mining model and Nikola Tesla’s demonstration cabinet. The museum is dedicated to the popularization of science and technology, and organizes thematic exhibitions and educational programs.
ABOUT FACULTY OF MINING, GEOLOGY AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERING
Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering is a higher educational institution within the University of Zagreb. The Faculty organizes and conducts academic studies while engaging in the scientific work in the domain of engineering sciences- including the scientific fields of mining, petroleum and geological engineering, making it the only Faculty in Croatia to do so- as well as in the domain of natural sciences- including the scientific fields of geology, making it one of the two faculties within Croatia that do so.
DON’T SEND A MAN TO DO A MACHINE’S JOB!
DOK-ING is an engineering powerhouse of heavy-duty robotics & autonomous systems. The company is an international market leader and has more than 80% of the market share in more than 40 countries globally. The headquarter is in the Croatian capital Zagreb, and, besides the European office, DOK-ING is incorporated on the following continents: North America, Africa & Asia. In more than 30 years of being in the business, the company has been recognized for changing the industrial landscape with its innovative approach and won many international “doing business and industrial” awards in innovations and technologies.
In a few words, by integrating its own innovations and new technologies, develops and manufactures robotic and autonomous systems to protect human lives & property in dull, dirty and dangerous environments, known to responders, primarily in Military Engineering, CBRNe, Counter Terrorism, Emergency Response & Underground Mining.
