Founded in 1962 in Graz, Austria, MCI Mining Construction International GmbH (MCI) began as the in-house maintenance and operations partner for the country’s largest open-pit coal mine. Over time, it became a trusted specialist in the relocation and refurbishment of continuous mining equipment — acquiring entire systems, overhauling them to OEM standards, and recommissioning them at new mine sites around the world.
This legacy of hands-on technical service forms the foundation of what MCI is today: an independent, family-owned company with full engineering and project execution capabilities across mining and bulk material handling. Its teams combine decades of practical field expertise with in- house engineering for mechanical, structural, electrical, and instrumentation disciplines.
As the industry reshaped in recent years and two major players stepped out of the market, MCI expanded its offering beyond service and refurbishment — bringing in a large team of senior OEM experts and building large scale new systems from pit to port. Today, its portfolio spans feasibility studies, custom equipment development, hybrid solutions combining new and used commissioning. Its capabilities span:
• Full-scope engineering: conceptual, basic, and detail design, including mechanical, structural, electrical and instrumentation (E&I), as well as flow and load analysis
• Execution & delivery: fabrication, procurement, quality assurance, and logistics — realized through certified partner workshops, with MCI engineers supervising quality on site
• Customized system design: all equipment is tailored to project- specific requirements, not based on pre-defined catalogues
• Turnkey readiness: MCI manages every phase up to on-site commissioning, ensuring full integration across disciplines and interfaces
MCI’s engineering expertise is rooted in over 60 years of field experience — initially in servicing and refurbishing large-scale continuous mining equipment. This foundation continues to shape its technical approach today: every system it designs is informed by deep operational understanding.
MCI’s offering includes:
unloading systems
B. Integrated services
MCI provides a full suite of services across the equipment lifecycle:
• Feasibility, mine planning and equipment strategy studies: integrating geological, logistical and operational parameters into system concepts
• On-site execution: supervision of erection, commissioning, and operator training
• Aftermarket support: supply of spare and wear parts, inspections, audits, system upgrades, and fully staffed O&M services
• Refurbishment & relocation: complete overhaul and recommissioning of used equipment, enabling redeployment under OEM-level engineering control
MCI’s engineering and execution teams work hand-in-hand from day one, ensuring consistency across design, production, and site implementation. By maintaining direct control over technical interfaces and quality standards, it delivers reliable results without dependency on rigid corporate structures. assets, and turnkey installations.
MCI still works with the same operator mindset that defined its origins: long-lasting, maintenance-friendly designs, delivered with accountability and technical depth.
Equipment and service portfolio
A. New-build equipment
MCI offers end-to-end delivery of continuous mining and bulk material handling systems — from concept to
• Continuous mining equipment: for overburden and coal extraction, including excavators, conveyors, and spreader systems
• Large-scale conveying systems: such as in-pit crushing & conveying (IPCC) stations and modular belt conveyors linking pit, plant, and port
• Bulk-handling machines: stackers and reclaimers (drum, boom, or bridge type), as well as shiploading and
3. Customer base and current projects
Client confidentiality precludes naming individual owners, yet MCI’s systems are active in coal and overburden lines across Central Asia, Indonesia, and several African jurisdictions.
As the engineering and technology partner, MCI is currently leading the life- extension of two high-capacity coal reclaimers in close collaboration with the operator.
Its scope includes a targeted mechanical and structural revamp designed to restore the machine to full operational performance. This involves the engineering, manufacturing, and installation of key components, following a complete reassessment of the structural integrity using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) analysis. Based on these calculations, MCI is reinforcing critical areas to meet today’s operational and safety standards. Additionally, it is overhauling essential functional groups of the machine — carrying out repairs, adjustments, and performance optimization.
Final commissioning, including fine-tuning of the machine performance, will be executed by MCI’s on-site team. With its engineering expertise and proven execution capabilities, MCI is ensuring a reliable, long-term solution that maximizes asset performance and lifecycle value.
Also, MCI is currently engineering and executing a complex project for stacker system at a major coal handling facility — designed to integrate seamlessly into the client’s existing operational infrastructure.
With a deep understanding of the system environment and operational dynamics on site, MCI assumes full responsibility for both design and implementation. Its solution is tailored not only to technical specifications, but to the practical realities of day-to-day operation — ensuring long-term performance, reliability, and maintainability.
This project reflects MCI’s continued role as a trusted partner in high-stakes industrial environments — where precision, adaptability, and system-level thinking make the difference.
MCI provides ongoing support for bucket wheel excavators in overburden removal at coal mining operation in Thailand.
With its own specialists on site, MCI ensures continuous technical support. Its team works closely with local operations to proactively address wear, system stress, and performance optimization.
3. Staying Competitive
MCI’s cost and quality advantage is built on three key pillars. First, lean ownership: as a family-controlled company, it makes fast, unbureaucratic decisions — without the inertia of a large corporate structure. Second, strict project costing: customers are only charged for milestone-linked work directly related to their project. There are no cross-subsidized overheads or bundled corporate fees. Third, flexible manufacturing: MCI outsources fabrication to certified partners, while its engineers are present on site to supervise and ensure quality. The result is a combination rarely found in the industry — OEM engineering depth with the speed and focus of a mid- sized operation.
4. Technological developments
LEOPOLD® compact bucket-wheel excavator — engineered in response to growing demand for continuous, non- blasting overburden removal in harder geological formations. Fully electric, with a capacity of up to 6,500m³/h and equipped with proprietary Dual-Teeth™ technology.
LEOPOLD® marks a step change in compact bucket-wheel mining:
Dual-Teeth™ allows tool configuration to match specific material types — from soft soils to competent overburden— ensuring optimal cutting performance.
The all-electric design minimizes CO2 emissions, dust, and noise, addressing modern environmental and regulatory standards.
Built with a 25–35 year life cycle in mind, the machine’s modular structure supports redeployment across different sites, enabling long-term operational flexibility and lower total cost of ownership.
The same modular and serviceable design principles now guide MCI’s IPCC system developments and reclaimer revamps, offering customers a way to upgrade existing assets without full system replacement.
5. Outlook
Global coal and overburden handling faces two parallel demands: tight cost control and tangible environmental improvement. MCI addresses both with electric heavy machinery, hybrid ‘used-plus-new’” concepts, and a service package proven to cut downtime.
Media Contact
Company Name: MCI Mining Construction International
Contact Person: Media Manager
Country: Australia
Website: https://www.mci-austria.com
