HIGH PROFILE
As anyone in mining technology circles will tell you, it is impossible to automate processes at mine sites without those same processes being digitised if not digitalised.
In this regard, Orica has been building surface mining automation building blocks for around a decade.
Orica’ s digital and sensing technologies help connect the drill and blast workflow from orebody understanding through to design, execution, measurement and monitoring.
Orebody intelligence tools, including technologies such as Axis Mining Technology Gyros, RHINO™ and WIREBmr™, help build a deeper understanding of geology and ground conditions, supporting more informed planning and design decisions.
Orica is building an integrated automation ecosystem that combines explosives expertise, autonomy, digital intelligence and operational workflows into a single platform
Digital platforms such as BlastIQ™, SHOTPlus™ and LOADPlus™ then help translate that intelligence into practical blast design, control and execution workflows, while technologies such as 4D™ and WebGen™ support more flexible, precise and controlled implementation in the field.
And Orica’ s touchpoints extend beyond the blast itself.
Measurement technologies such as FRAGTrack™ and ORETrack™ support automated ore and fragmentation data capture and reporting, helping operations understand whether blast performance is translating into downstream outcomes. Monitoring technologies across geotechnical, geospatial and structural applications add another layer of visibility, helping protect people and assets while supporting operational uptime.
“ Together, these capabilities create a more complete feedback loop – connecting what is known about the orebody, how blasts are designed and executed and how outcomes are measured and improved over time,” Angus Melbourne, Chief Technology Officer of Orica, told IM.
Orica leveraging digital foundations for next automation advances
Transforming drill and blast
Orica is now looking to leverage these building blocks under its Surface Automation program, helping transform drill and blast operations through further digital integration and automation of those digitally connected processes.
Melbourne says this aim represents a continuation of a strategy already in motion.
BlastIQ, SHOTPlus and LOADPlus, for instance, provide increased levels of data transparency that can be leveraged in future autonomous platforms. WebGen removes wires from blast initiations, which has always been a hindrance to potential automation of the process; 4D uses energy-based design to tailor energy to geology and desired outcomes, optimising explosives loading before automation of the process can take place.
“ At its core, Surface Automation is exciting new technology built on strong foundations,” Melbourne explains.“ It brings together Orica’ s proven capabilities in blasting systems, digital platforms and the on-bench delivery of premium explosives, then takes them further through automation.
“ By connecting these capabilities, Orica is moving from digitally enabled drill and blast to safer, more efficient and increasingly autonomous operations on the bench – focused on practical applications that can create real value for customers today.”
A modular roadmap
Just what processes to automate has always been dictated by safety and productivity, according to Melbourne, with Orica now integrating digital design, field execution, data capture and operational intelligence into more continuous workflows as part of this new program.
Melbourne hinted at some of the first potential applications:“ Through technologies such as autonomous dipping and remote and tele-operated loading, we are reducing manual intervention, improving operational continuity and enabling more consistent execution.
“ A modular automation roadmap supports scalable deployment aligned to customer needs and operating conditions.”
The“ value proposition” here is removing personnel from hazardous zones, which has the knock-on benefit of increasing productivity and quality through more continuous and reliable operations, Melbourne argues. It also supports improved recovery of minerals / metals and cost efficiency through optimised workflows.“ By connecting planning, charging and blasting processes, it enables more consistent performance, reduced variability and improved alignment between mine plans and outcomes,” he added.
The future of mining
Orica will look to put action behind these assertions in tandem with its customers as its automation plans accelerate, with Melbourne insisting that anything it produces must integrate into real operating conditions and deliver practical value.
“ Planned customer trials will play a critical role in building confidence and demonstrating performance, particularly in priority regions such as Australia Pacific and Latin America, with broader expansion planned across global markets,” Melbourne says.
These regions – not only major mining hubs – are also where many of the company’ s most digitally advanced clients are located, making them the obvious place to start bedding in these new autonomation technologies.
He added:“ We are working alongside customers to test, refine and scale automation in live environments, beginning with priority use cases such as autonomous dipping and teleremote Mobile Manufacturing Unit capabilities.”
The modular pathway already has broader loading, priming and stemming automation on the roadmap, with Orica committed to reaching a point where all value-based automation applications are covered on surface.
Beyond immediate operational gains, surface automation supports a broader shift across the mining value chain, according to Melbourne.
“ By enabling more precise execution and real-time data integration, it contributes to improved resource utilisation, lower operational variability and more responsible mining practices, supporting customer expectations around sustainability and longterm value creation,” he said.
“ The industry is moving beyond isolated improvements toward integrated systems that deliver safer, more predictable and more efficient outcomes. Surface Automation represents the next stage of this progression.”
28 International Mining | AUGUST 2026