A century of digging deep

Show ID (00:03):
Welcome to Power Onward, the podcast that pulls back the current on the technologies, people, and partnerships shaping the future of power.

Kim (00:13):
From the copper and our electronics to the materials powering AI, EVs, and more, mining sits at the foundation of nearly everything we rely on. Most people will never step foot on a mine site, yet every day massive machines work around the clock moving hundreds of tons of materials in some of the world's most demanding environments. Cummins has powered the mining industry for over a hundred years, and in many ways, mining helps shape us too, pushing us to innovate, solve tough problems, and show up for our customers wherever they operate. Because in mining, reliability is a difference between productivity and costly downtime. Today, we're exploring how mining is evolving, what customers are asking for, and what it will take to power the next era of the industry.

(00:56):
I'm Kim, global brand manager here at Cummins.

Gbile (00:59):
And I'm Gbile Adewunmi, Vice President, Power Systems Industrial Markets.

Kim (01:03):
As someone who's spent so much time working in this industry, what does this milestone mean to you personally?

Gbile (01:08):
It's really amazing to think that in 1926, a four cylinder 210 horsepower Cummins Model F engine was powering a Northwest engineering excavator. And today we have equipment that's at 4,400 horsepower in the biggest mine truck in the world in Latin America. And as I think through all the dependable innovation that Cummins has created, everything from high horsepower, turbocharging, fuel systems, remote diagnostics, NOX reduction, creating innovation that enables all these machines to work in the harshest environments in the most remote places around the world, filtration, dirt protection, all of these technologies is really, really cool that that's part of the Cummins legacy. The other important part for me though is also celebrating our partners. I mean, it's one thing to have the right technology, but it's also the strong partnerships that we have developed with so many of the miners, global, regional, local, as well as our equipment manufacturers, our OEMs, in whom's equipment we put our engines.

(02:17):
And that's really what makes me proud. And so as a leader in Cummins mining business today, I am humbled by our legacy. I'm excited by the position we're in today. I'm truly energized by the difference we believe we'll continue to make in the mining business for our customers going forward.

Kim (02:33):
Bilay, it's so crazy. You just said a power shovel excavator. Now, when Gbile Adewunmi was on here talking about mining before, he was telling us about these 12-foot tall tires, but you're all saying that our humble beginning was with a power shovel.

Gbile (02:47):
Yes, it was. Small beginnings, but now as mining has evolved, so as Cummins, which is what's been great about our legacy as well as what will be great about our future.

Kim (02:58):
Truly unbelievable. But it seems like one thing has been consistent throughout all of this. It's that mining has always been the ultimate proving ground. I've heard some setback stories from our earlier days now, humble beginnings, but how did those challenges help shape the problem-solving mindset that Cummins is known for today?

Gbile (03:14):
I say that in mining, you can't hide. Our customers require us to use the equipment on a day-to-day basis in very demanding situations. Many of our customers, the price of their output of their commodity is fixed. They don't get to decide that. The market gets to decide that. So for them, reliability and cost are constant no matter what. And so for Cummins, as we've been innovating with our customers, we've had the opportunity to demonstrate that with innovation, with partnership, we can provide the best technology to supporting the most demanding environments. So for us, it's been a fun journey, many highs, some lows. And when we have lows, what differentiates us, I think, is owning up to our messes and being there with our customers through the hard times. So our legacy of dependability is not just because of our innovation, it's really our partners. We call our customers partners.

(04:13):
I use that term a lot. Our partners know that when things go wrong and in mining, they will, from time to time, we're there to support them as well.

Kim (04:21):
I think that speaks volume. They're not just customers. We're not just selling them equipment and saying, "Good luck." We're partners because from the moment they make the decision to partner with us, we are going to be their trusted advisors even with all the equipment they have.

Gbile (04:34):
And if you think about a mine is around for a decade, and so that mine is going to evolve from when you start the mine, there's a very different mine topology and the equipment that you need from when you're mining 20 years, 30 years, 40 years later. So it's important that we're not only there at the beginning, but we're evolving the mine. And then once the mine is done, in some cases, they've got to restore the mine to some level law. And so we're there as well to support them all throughout that journey.

Kim (04:58):
I think that's the part we frequently forget about. Restore it in the mine.

Gbile (05:01):
Restore in the mine, yes.

Kim (05:03):
When you look back at key inflection points, let's think about turbocharging, electronics, emissions. What's one thing that changed the game the most?

Gbile (05:12):
One thing is hard, Kim, in a hundred years. I got to give you more than one. So I'm going to give you a few things. All right. So if you think about the '30s, it was really all about just getting our engines in the mining application, tailoring it for the environment, understanding how it worked there. In the '50s, a major step change for us was in fuel systems, and that's where we released a pressure time or PT fuel systems, which is legendary for many folks in the mining space. In the '70s and '80s, it was about the new generation of mechanical controlled engines, our K series engines, many of which are being used in some mines. As we got to the '90s and the early 2000s or even into the late 2000s, it then became around about releasing electronic controlled engines. That's where our QSK series.

(06:01):
And so many of the engines, many people will be familiar in mining of the QSK19, the QSK38, the QSK60. Those products are definitely the core of our mining business. Today we're released then. And it was also a place where we made step changes in emissions compliance by releasing a tier four compliant engines. So in 2022, we launched the most powerful engine in the mining business, the QSK 95 4400 horsepowered 1800 RPM, which is operated in copper mines in Latin America today. We're excited about what it's doing there.

Kim (06:34):
It is a breathtaking, beautiful engine. I have seen it in person. It is very large compared to my five-foot stature, but I can see why it needs to with the fleet open bit mudners.

Gbile (06:44):
Yes. And then in 2025, we bought First Mode, which is really helping us accelerate our diesel hybrid technology, setting us up very well for innovation into the next century.

Kim (06:55):
I love the timeline of technologies, but I do feel like there's more to the story now. What has driven Cummins Ford in this industry?

Gbile (07:02):
Yeah, so we touched on innovation. So that timeline that I laid out and the work that we're doing to set us up for the future is important. In addition to that, there are two other things I'd like to touch on. I briefly touched on our global service and support network. That is critical in mining. As Cummins, we're proud, not just for the mining business, but for all our businesses that we are in 190 countries with some sort of presence. Everywhere critical mining is done, Cummins is present. And we're there whether as a company-owned, a joint venture, independent distributors to support our customers, and that makes a difference. And then finally, it's the spirit of partnership. We're an independent engine maker. We work with multiple equipment makers. We work across multiple mines, and I feel like that's one of our superpowers. Our ability to work with customers to find win-win solutions.

(07:54):
And doing that over a period of times through multiple highs and some lows has helped us to build the legacy that we have today, and it's setting us up well for the future.

Kim (08:05):
I like that you brought up superpower because I know that partnerships aren't just built off of words. They're built and earned through trust. What's our superpower that takes us from being the point of contact to that trusted partner?

Gbile (08:18):
First of all, we do what we say we will do. So we are very cautious of our word means something. And regardless of when Cummins gives their word, regardless of what leader is in front of you at the most remote mine in Mongolia or the head office in Australia or somewhere in Canada, we're going to say we'll do what we say we will do. Now, once in a while, we fall short of expectations and we own up to our messes. I think our customers and our partners really appreciate the fact that when we don't live up to what we said we're going to do and something goes wrong, we're very quick to admit that, and we work with them to find solutions. Ultimately, I feel like our partners don't have unrealistic expectations. They have tough expectations, which we want and expect, but they're not unrealistic.

(09:04):
And as long as we do what we say we'll do, and when we don't, we own up, it really helps build trust. And so some of the biggest leaps in partnerships and relationships has happened when we've had some lows, and our job is to minimize the lows, make sure it's mostly highs. And when we have the lows, we ensure that we're there. It's mining. We're operating in one of the harshest conditions in really remote areas, very difficult terrain. Something will go wrong. And when it does, the beauty about Cummins is that we're there. We're there with our partners, sport. We own up to our messes. We take accountability and responsibility, and we work very hard to fix them quickly.

Kim (09:42):
I love that because our word is what we have. Our word is what we give them, and we make sure we can stand on business and defend that so that everyone's happy at the end of the day. Now, if you walked on a mine site 20 years ago and then you visited once a day, what would surprise you the most, do you think?

Gbile (09:58):
A couple of things I would say. One is the amount of focus on safety that miners have had. It's really impressive to see just how dedicated every mine you go to around the world is to keep in workers safe. This is a dangerous business. There's a lot of big equipment that's moving around. There's a lot of, they're blowing up stuff to expand the wine and detonating a mine regularly. I'm always impressed by how much miners are thinking about improving and driving safety, and we've come a long way. And the great thing about that is from a commons, that's a value we share, making sure that everybody goes home the way they came. And it's fun to go to mines and do safety shares and ensure that we're learning from each other. That's been good. The second thing is the amount of automation and productivity that's going on.

(10:51):
It is amazing to see. So we talked about mines being in remote areas and lots of equipment working. There are many mines now where it's fully automated. There are no drivers for these big trucks that you talked about that are two stories tall, that tires are two stories tall. It is really fun to just see being controlled from a command center thousands of kilometers or miles away from where the mines are actually operating. And so the focus on not just the equipment, but just overall productivity has been high and miners just continue to push the envelope, which makes it a fun place to be. And the third thing is the diversity of the workforce. I think miners have been very intentional about bringing in local communities and the local community into the mines. And so now when I visit mines versus when I started maybe early in my career in certain places, I'm seeing a lot more local leadership, female leadership, which is fantastic in the mines and just overall diverse work.

(11:45):
So instead of expats that were maybe all the leaders used to be expats, and now many of the leaders and many of the industry associations in a particular place tend to be led by locals. So those are three things that come to mind.

Kim (11:57):
You blew my mind with a lot of things. I did already have that inclination that you were going to say the workforce diversity because Gui may have clued me in on that. I heard about one of the haul trucks that were built completely by women. That's why I've had a ceiling, but blowing my mind with automation and also safety. I think so many times people think of mining and they think of something you see in a Disney movie and it's in a cave and it's dark. I don't think they think open pit mining. And I don't think they think about safety because I think when people think outdoors, they tend to think free play. But safety is one of our number one priorities, if not the number one priority.

Gbile (12:30):
That is that everything shuts down. So as important as commodities are and dig in, and we know that if a mine stops, it costs the mine a lot of money. When it comes to safety, there's no mine that I have been to, and I've been to many that compromises safety. They start with safety, you take it very seriously, and it's good to see.

Kim (12:48):
We've talked a lot about what Cummins has delivered over the last century, but what are miners asking for today that they weren't asking for 10 years ago?

Gbile (12:56):
It's interesting. The current dynamic in mining, I said, is pretty dynamic business, but what's going on now is many miners are in the race for copper assets. So data centers and AI, it's taken all of the rest of the world, including mining. And miners are really trying to shift their portfolio around to ensure that they're not just heavy on coal and I'm an ore, but they also have enough copper assets because that's what's going to generate revenue for the foreseeable future. So as a result, the things they cared about 20 years ago or 50 years ago, they still care about today, which is cost and reliability. And so what I'll say is different is miners, like many of us in the rest of our lives, have a tremendous amount of data. I touched up on automation and productivity before. Miners have lots of sensors and lots of ways to track because they're trying to ensure they're driving productivity.

(13:48):
And so for partners like Cummins, we're expected to use data to be able to help get insights and to solve problems proactively. So we've recently revamped our PreventTech tool. This is a tool that enables us to connect data or collect data from engines that operating in mines all over the world, bring that to central places, get insights from that, and turn that around to help our miners both proactively prevent problems as well as if we need to react to something, to be able to do so a lot quicker.

Kim (14:19):
I love that. I think that's a common theme in all of these episodes is prevention is better than treatment. And if we can get you on an existing scheduled maintenance and not cause any downtime, I think that's the huge win for both parties.

Gbile (14:31):
That's the key. And it's one thing to get all this information and data. The challenge now is how do you build that into the day-to-day mine operation without disrupting them? So it's fun for us to be able to get the information, but sending the miner the information at the wrong time or in a way that's not helpful and every mine is slightly different is the challenge for us.

Kim (14:50):
And that's why we have the regional teams that are locals that can help with that message.

Gbile (14:54):
Then you got it. That is the criticality of having not just global presence, regional presence, but frankly, folks who are at the mines every day connecting and helping support those operations.

Kim (15:06):
So aside from providing our customers with ample data, how else are we enabling them now and in the future?

Gbile (15:11):
One other thing customers are asking about is lower carbon solutions. So the industry has been in an interesting decarbonization journey for the last, I would say, five years. And a couple of things that we've learned. One, there's not one home run solution that's going to get us to a zero carbon outcome for mining, especially for large equipment. We've learned that it's just too difficult right now. The technology is not mature enough. The infrastructure is not pervasive enough. And finally, the cost is not at the desired point to match the whole cost and reliability conversation that we had earlier. And so from a miner perspective, they've stepped away not because they don't care about the environment and sustainability, we just don't have solutions that work for the big mining equipment at this point. It doesn't mean they don't want us to continue to innovate. They do, but that's kind of where we're at.

Kim (16:06):
So what would you like the miners to know about what we're working on and what we're doing to help them in the future?

Gbile (16:11):
I think there's broad agreement in the industry that diesel is going to be around for longer than anyone thought five years ago. So we are continuing to invest in our current products, upgrading our current portfolio, and excited about a new engine that we're going to be saying more about in a couple of months. And so this is an engine that's targeted to the 90 to 120-ton haul truck or 150 to 220-ton excavator space. In addition, we've identified two decarbonization pathways. The first one is lower carbon fuels, which is in terms of getting to a zero carbon fuel, you got to get to lower carbon. And right now we're testing a dual fuel ethanol diesel solution with some partners in Latin America, and that's showing some early promising results, so more to come there. And finally, the electrification pathway. So if you think about fully electric in mining, we're on that path.

(17:06):
And our first step in there is a diesel battery hybrid. So I touched on First Mode, who we acquired about a year, 18 months ago now, and we have two pilots running again in Latin America, in Chile, and we're excited about the results we're seeing from that too.

Kim (17:23):
More to come. I'm excited. You seem very excited, so I'm going to have to dig in on this a little bit later. All right, Bilay, before I let you go, there's one thing I still wanted to ask you. Earlier we mentioned some of the bigger global trends, AI, infrastructure, electrification. How does that change the role of mining in the world over the next few years?

Gbile (17:41):
I'm not sure it changes, Kim. I think the mining will remain, the world is a dynamic place, and almost everything that we use in the world is mine. And so as the world continues to evolve, mining will need to and have to evolve. I think miners are up for it. I also think we're going to remain behind the scenes. Mining happens in very remote areas in the harshest of conditions.

Kim (18:03):
Well, Bilay, thank you so much for joining us today and showing us how a century of innovation continues to move mining forward.

Gbile (18:08):
Thank you. It's been awesome.

Kim (18:09):
All right, so what's the big idea for this episode? Continuing innovation, it's not new for Cummins. It's a 100-year pattern for us. And today we learned that mining isn't just keeping up with the future, it's helping to build it. And whether it's data, automation, cleaner tech, one thing remains the same, and it's that success still comes down to trust. Trust in equipment, trust in the data, and trust in the people and partnerships behind it all. Because for the future, really nothing should happen in theory. Just like mining, it has to perform in the real world.

Show ID (18:40):
Thank you for listening to Power Onward. Your support means the world to us. If you enjoyed this episode, please don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast platform. If you want to dig deeper on what we covered today, check out the show notes for additional links or go to Cummins.com/podcast. Until next time, Power Onward.

(19:07):
We're from Cummins, the company that's been innovating toward the future for more than a hundred years. We're no strangers to rapid change, global shifts, and economic uncertainty. We want to be your constant during the energy transition. Whenever, wherever, forever. Power Onward.