Predictika · underground loaders and trucks: drift fit, fleet size, battery duty, ventilation and service
An AI sales agent prepares an underground loader and truck fleet quote for a fictional mine. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika’s validator, which checks the machines against the drift, the production target, the ventilation and the service terms, compares the quote total the agent states with the one it computes, and returns a verdict with every reason.
This validator models underground loader and truck fleet quotes in the style of Sandvik’s public product literature. It handles any quote made of these machines and options, not just the scenarios shown below.
It does not cover other machine ranges, real list prices, engineering sign-off on a mine design, or tax and multi-currency quoting.
7 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch
Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.
Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)
Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run
What this means
Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ or Revenue Cloud) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.
| What the validator catches | Typical rules-based CPQ | Predictika |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet size from cycle time | Only with workarounds Required units come from a cycle time built from haul distance, speed and load and dump time, rounded up against the target, so the formula has to be repeated for every machine and checked by hand. | The cycle, production per unit and units needed are computed from catalog rows, then compared with the units quoted. |
| Drift envelope and ramp grade | Easy Clearances against machine width and height and a grade limit are simple comparisons. | The same comparisons read the limits from each catalog row. |
| Battery duty | Only with care Haul limit, swap interval and chargers depend on each other and on the machine, so several rules have to stay in step. | Haul, swap interval and charging stations are derived and checked together. |
| Diesel ventilation | Only with care Air needed grows with units and diesel power, and the rule has to avoid battery machines. | Fresh air needed is computed from the fleet and compared with what the mine supplies. |
| AutoMine prerequisites | Only with care The option depends on both the machine model and a site network flag, and adds lead time and price. | Model readiness and the network are checked, and the option adds its price and six weeks. |
| Service contract rules | Only with care Term limits, the MARC requirement for battery machines and the severe-duty hours level interact with the machine type. | Each service rule reads the machine and the contract choices, with an approval level for severe duty. |
| Discount tiers by fleet size | Only with care The authority limit changes with the number of units, so the approval rule needs a second condition. | The limit is computed from the fleet size and compared with the discount asked. |
| The total the agent states | Only with workarounds Comparing a stated total with a computed one means a separate rule per quote layout, and price rules rarely run on stated figures. | The stated total is a field in the request and is checked against the computed total. |
| Every problem returned in one answer | Only with workarounds Rules tend to fire as the quote is saved, so a rep often fixes one error and meets the next. | All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in. |
Every rule is checked on every call, in whatever order the choices arrive, and one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.
| Rule | Effect | What it checks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | block | Drift width must exceed the machine width by 1,200 mm |
| 2 | block | Drift height must exceed the machine height by 500 mm |
| 3 | block | Ramp grade must not exceed the machine's loaded grade rating |
| 4 | block | Fleet size must meet the production target, from payload, cycle time (load and dump time plus tram time) and 80 percent availability |
| 5 | block | Battery-electric haul must not exceed the machine's one-way limit |
| 6 | block | Battery-electric fleets need a charging and swap station for every 2 units |
| 7 | needs approval | A battery swap interval below 120 minutes at the haul needs a battery logistics review |
| 8 | block | AutoMine is only quoted on AutoMine-ready models |
| 9 | block | AutoMine requires an underground WiFi or LTE network |
| 10 | block | Fresh air must cover 0.06 m3/s for every kW of diesel in the fleet |
| 11 | block | EU sites need Stage V engines; Tier 3 is for other regions only |
| 12 | block | Battery-electric machines are sold only with a MARC maintenance and repair contract |
| 13 | block | Service term must be 1 to 7 years, and at least 3 years for MARC |
| 14 | needs approval | More than 6,000 engine hours per unit per year is severe duty and needs approval |
| 15 | approval, then block | Discount authority: a sales rep up to 3 percent, approval up to 8 percent (12 percent for fleets of 5 or more), a block beyond |
| 16 | block | Lead time (machine plus 6 weeks for AutoMine) must fit the delivery date needed |
| 17 | computed | Price roll-up from machines, engine option, AutoMine, charging stations, discount and the service contract |
| 18 | block | The quote total the agent states must match the validator total within EUR 1 |
The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.
The agent's request. Four Sandvik LH517i Stage V loaders on a five-year MARC contract for an EU mine, 4,500 by 3,500 mm drift, 60 m3/s of fresh air available. Quote total EUR 9,600,600. Ready to send.
Verdict: Blocked.
The agent's request. Four Sandvik LH517i Stage V loaders on a five-year MARC contract for an EU mine, 4,500 by 3,500 mm drift, 75 m3/s of fresh air available. Quote total EUR 9,600,600. Ready to send.
Verdict: Allowed.
The agent's request. Three Sandvik LH621i loaders for an EU mine in a 4,200 by 3,000 mm drift, 300 m tram, 70 m3/s of fresh air available. Quote total EUR 5,385,000. Ready to send.
Verdict: Blocked.
The agent's request. Three Sandvik LH621i loaders for an EU mine in a 4,600 by 3,500 mm drift, 300 m tram, 70 m3/s of fresh air available. Quote total EUR 5,385,000. Ready to send.
Verdict: Allowed.
The agent's request. Two Sandvik LH518B battery loaders with AutoMine for an EU mine, 150 m tram, one charging station, five-year MARC contract. Quote total EUR 6,627,295. Ready to send.
Verdict: Blocked.
The agent's request. Two Sandvik LH518B battery loaders with AutoMine for an EU mine, 150 m tram, one charging station, five-year MARC contract. Quote total EUR 6,976,100. Ready to send.
Verdict: Allowed.
The agent's request. Two Sandvik LH518B battery loaders for an EU mine, 300 m tram, one charging station, three-year MARC contract. Quote total EUR 5,520,000. Ready to send.
Verdict: Needs approval.
The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.