SURFACE DRILLING
Hexagon ’ s Mining division has signed an exclusive partnership agreement with Phoenix Drill Control
protecting machine life , ensuring high-quality blast holes and reducing overall drill costs , the company said . Consolidating the necessary technology into one connected platform is how Hexagon is helping to empower its customers ’ autonomous future .
Ryan Hawes , COO , Hexagon ’ s Mining division , said : “ Partnership with Phoenix Drill Control will further enhance Hexagon ’ s autonomous capabilities . Phoenix Drill Control ’ s simplified , scalable automation platform is commercially available immediately . It will bring profound benefits to customers , including faster decisions with greater accuracy , improved health and safety , greater efficiency by eliminating errors and a smaller environmental footprint . “ Like Hexagon , Phoenix Drill Control creates technology that is scalable and platform-agnostic . This ensures data is accurate , without operator induced noise , and does its best work , arming customers with a feedback loop that points the way to a safer , more productive and sustainable future .”
Mark Baker , President of Phoenix Drill Control , added : “ We ’ re excited to partner with Hexagon and believe our collaboration will benefit customers . The combination of Phoenix ’ s AI technology with Hexagon will propel autonomous drilling to the forefront of the industry . After all , drilling is at the beginning of the mining process , and when done right , the entire value chain benefits .”
The biggest launch from Hexagon in recent
Boart Longyear plant in Poland completes largest ever order
Boart Longyear Group Ltd recently announced that its manufacturing plant in Wroclaw , Poland , had completed the facility ’ s largest order ever for 12 LF™160 drill rigs and FREEDOM Loaders to be delivered to Mitchell Services Ltd , an Australian customer . The achievement included the coordination of teams in Poland , Australia , Germany , and the US .
Pat Nill , Boart Longyear ’ s Vice President of Global Products , said : “ We are very proud of what our Polish manufacturing team and local Australian teams have achieved , which required strong global coordination between the production , engineering , and R & D teams to meet our customer ’ s specifications . The multiple teams truly embodied our corporate value of teamwork .”
Focusing on the customer ’ s needs , Boart Longyear ’ s Adelaide-based sales team partnered with the Company ’ s R & D teams in the US , Germany , and Poland and Polish manufacturing team to offer a highly customised version of the LF™160 . The LF™160 is a CE-certified surface coring drill rig . The FREEDOM™ Loader is a hands-free rod loader increasing safety for drilling crews . When paired with the FREEDOM™ Loader , it says the LF™160 combination is ideal for contractors who want to target sophisticated surface drilling exploration contracts that stipulate some of the highest safety standards , without compromising on productivity .
years has been its new HxGN MineMeasure portfolio is bringing together the best of what Hexagon already has in-house and leveraging that in one , all-encompassing offering for the benefit of the customer . For the first time , mines will be able to calculate and analyse the efficiency of each drill and blast step via a tailored feedback loop to ensure continuous improvement through accuracy and precision . MineMeasure ensures a well-designed blast pattern is effectively executed using highprecision drills and infield QAQC technology ; while proven fragmentation analysis and blast monitoring minimises loss and dilution while delivering data for the next blast pattern design . VP MineMeasure James Dampney told IM : “ Our starting position is to partner with open pit mining operations , noting its applications to any commodities whether metals , coal , or industrial minerals . The platform is drill OEM-agnostic but also explosives provider-agnostic and independent of any other suppliers entrenched in drill and blast operations . In terms of its functionality , MineMeasure starts with drill & blast design – which is part of Hexagon ’ s mine planning capability – then pushes those plans through to high-precision drilling and implementing the pattern directly from the planning data . Next comes the blast execution – blast design is now seamlessly executed in the field .”
Portfolio Manager Jeff Loeb adds : “ That includes everything from where the precise hole locations are to be drilled to the target depths for each . MineMeasure will show where the drills are in real-time using Hexagon ’ s OP Pro , a thorough QAQC on the go using infield applications – and answers questions such as : if the holes were actually drilled to the correct depth ? Is the hole in the correct location ? Is there water in the hole ? And so on . For the blast itself , the end user will be able to design the charge for tie-in for that specific geology or other various constraints and define the safety exclusion zone . Customers will also benefit from a seamless interface for measuring the blast outcomes . Blast movement monitoring allows users to measure and account for ore movement during the blast to maximise ore yield . Next , MineMeasure enables material fragmentation measurement using HxGN Split cameras while digging . This technology can be integrated with Hexagon ’ s HP Shovel allowing for a live view within the platform giving the drill & blast engineer immediate access to the outcome of their design . Through IDS GeoRadar technology , customers will also have the ability to measure the blast vibration and wall stability . Finally , the material fragmentation can also be tracked downstream at the primary crusher using HxGN Split TruckCam , and post crusher there is particle size analysis on a conveyor to keep track of the material size going to the mill .”
IM
22 International Mining | APRIL 2022