Sandvik has announced the launch of xCell Banshee and xCell Hydra, two new digital ground support solutions engineered to deliver detailed insight into rock bolt performance and ground behaviour. The company introduced both products at the ACG Caving Conference 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, reinforcing its expanding portfolio of digital ground support technologies aimed at helping mining operations strengthen safety, productivity and decision-making underground.
As mines push deeper and geotechnical conditions grow more complex, the need for reliable ground support monitoring data has become increasingly pressing. Both xCell Banshee and xCell Hydra are integrated into Sandvik’s Digital Ground Support Platform, a cloud-based system that enables mine operators to collect, analyse and act on real-time information about ground conditions, rock bolt status and asset integrity.
Osvaldo Vallati, Product Manager Digital Products, Ground Support at Sandvik, said: “Digitalisation is transforming the way mines manage ground support. With xCell Banshee and xCell Hydra, customers gain access to valuable data that enables proactive decision-making, improved workforce utilisation, and a deeper understanding of underground conditions. These solutions help make mining operations safer while optimising the performance and lifecycle of ground support systems.”
Sandvik Introduces Two Digital Ground Support Solutions
The two products each address different aspects of ground support monitoring. Sandvik xCell Banshee focuses on periodic in-service testing and condition assessment of installed bolts, while Sandvik xCell Hydra delivers continuous measurement of consumed capacity in embedded rock bolts. Together, they represent a significant expansion of the digital ground support tools available to geotechnical teams working in underground environments.
Both solutions feed data into the Digital Ground Support Platform, which consolidates essential data, analytics and documentation from multiple digital ground support solutions into a single cloud-based environment. The platform provides mining companies with a comprehensive view of ground support performance, supporting data-driven decisions intended to improve safety, increase operational efficiency and contribute to more sustainable mining operations, according to Sandvik.
The launches at the ACG Caving Conference underscore Sandvik’s stated strategy to digitalise ground support and enhance underground mining safety. By transforming rock bolts into intelligent sources of geotechnical information, Sandvik says these solutions help mining companies move from reactive ground support management to predictive, data-driven decision-making. This approach to mining digitalisation reflects a broader industry shift towards leveraging technology for better geotechnical outcomes.
xCell Banshee Monitors Rock Bolt Capacity
Sandvik xCell Banshee provides digital monitoring of consumed capacity for Sandvik MD and MDX Bolts. The solution enables in-service testing and condition assessment of installed bolts, delivering insights into bolt performance and ground support effectiveness throughout the life of an excavation.
At the core of the solution is a measurable version of the MD and MDX Bolt, which features a unique identification system. This system ensures secure allocation of measurement results within the Digital Ground Support Platform. Sandvik has emphasised that the measurable design requires no changes to the standard bolt installation process, making adoption straightforward for mine operators. The company has stated that this measurable design is planned to become the standard production version of MD and MDX Bolts over time, without additional hardware costs.
By providing visibility into consumed bolt capacity and long-term ground behaviour, xCell Banshee is designed to enable more informed rehabilitation planning, optimised support designs and enhanced mine-wide integrity monitoring, according to Sandvik. The company says geotechnical teams can spend less time collecting data and more time interpreting it, which in turn is intended to improve operational efficiency while reducing rehabilitation costs.
xCell Hydra Enables Continuous Ground Support Monitoring
Sandvik xCell Hydra extends digital monitoring capabilities further through continuous measurement of consumed capacity in embedded rock bolts. The solution combines instrumented bolts with an intelligent battery-powered data logger, enabling reliable real-time data collection and wireless transmission of critical ground support information.
Multiple configurable measurement points along each bolt provide a detailed deformation profile and visibility into bolt performance over time. The system supports connecting up to nine bolts to a single data logger and uses the same installation process as a standard bolt, which Sandvik says simplifies deployment in underground environments.
Working alongside xCell Professor drive-by data collection technology, xCell Hydra enables efficient collection of ground support monitoring data at speeds of up to 30 km/h, allowing mines to obtain continuous insights while minimising operational disruption. The resulting data supports ground support optimisation, validation of installation tensioning, improved understanding of seismic and ground movement behaviour, and more effective rehabilitation planning, according to Sandvik.
The combination of both xCell Banshee and xCell Hydra within the Digital Ground Support Platform gives mining operations a layered approach to digital ground support, blending periodic assessment with continuous monitoring to build a more complete picture of underground ground conditions over time.