Aramac: new underground mining equipment firm

French mining equipment firm Aramine is targeting growth in Africa with the establishment of Aramac, a standalone company dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of underground mining equipment

The new company brings together an equipment business that has been developed over more than 20 years, while Aramine will continue to focus on its spare parts and components operations.

“Aramac combines the agility and ambition of a start-up with more than five decades of industrial expertise,” said Marc Melkonian, Aramac’s co-president.

“We are building the future of underground mining on solid foundations, driven by innovation, customer proximity and a clear vision for the years ahead.”

In a statement, Aramac stated that it aims to become a leading manufacturer for underground mining operations with cross-sections of up to 16 square metres.

Its story began in 2008 with the launch of the L130E loader, its first machine, designed for narrow-vein operations and built around pioneering cable-electric technology.

Since then, Aramac has delivered more than 500 machines in 34 countries, steadily expanding into a complete range of loaders and trucks recognised worldwide for reliability, robustness and innovation.

This pioneering spirit carried through to 2016, when Aramac became one of the industry’s first movers in battery-powered mining equipment with the launch of the L140B loader, its first battery-electric loader.

Today, the battery-electric range spans three loaders from 1.3 to 6.2 tonnes, with a battery-electric truck soon to be added, and Aramac also offers autonomous equipment already operating in production mines.

Complementing its own product range, it also distributes specialised underground mining equipment from leading manufacturers: these include Lorenzana, whose portfolio covers explosive charging systems and concrete spraying equipment, as well as, in West Africa, Atlas Copco air compressors and Astec crushing solutions.

The creation of the new entity is accompanied by a dedicated organisation bringing together engineering, manufacturing, sales, after-sales service, training and support functions under one unified identity.

“This new structure will accelerate the development of new products, strengthen customer proximity and support the company’s international growth,” the statement noted.

Aramac is also preparing to open a new headquarters in 2027, located close to its current production facility in Gardanne, south of France, on a former mining site.

The launch also brings with it a new visual identity that will be progressively rolled out, together with a soon-to-be-launched dedicated website.

“The creation of Aramac is a natural continuation of the vision that has guided Aramine for more than 50 years: supporting mining operations with increasingly efficient solutions tailored to the realities of the field,” the statement added.

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