MINING SOFTWARE
With fragmentation analysis and drill patterns , Hexagon ’ s Mining division can review the results from the last several benches that came out a certain way using a similar geology and , if needed , change the timing or pattern spacing to get a measurable improvement in , for example , ANFO usage and energy consumption , according to Dave Goddard . This then trickles down to using less energy at the crusher and less energy during the comminution process , ensuring the value flows throughout the mining process
it is also struggling to access new universityeducated recruits due to a shortage of institutions offering such tertiary education and competition for talent from other industries .
Those who are coming through the industry ’ s wide-open door are , because of the skills shortage , accelerating up the hierarchy at previously unimaginable speeds .
“ This means the new recruits are getting less opportunities for mentorship and coaching , resulting in having people broadly educated in mining , but lacking the practical skills that engineers , geologists and other personnel had in the past ,” Goddard said .
This places even more onus on software providers like Hexagon , which Goddard says the company is prepared for .
“ One of the challenges we are confronting is the need to embed within our algorithms and software those learnings , common sense and rules of thumb the industry has relied on for the past hundred years or more ,” he said . “ We can do that with our portfolio of sensors – that provide the data fidelity one needs to have comfort in the readings – and software – which is broader than anything else out there in the industry .”
This is where the company ’ s two areas of focus – optimising the NPV of the asset in the ground and optimising the activities associated with extraction – are bearing fruit .
“ With fragmentation analysis and drill patterns , we can review the results from the last several benches that came out a certain way using a similar geology and , if needed , change the timing or pattern spacing to get a measurable improvement in , for example , ANFO usage and energy consumption ,” Goddard offers up . “ This then trickles down to using less energy at the crusher and less energy during the comminution process , ensuring the value flows throughout the mining process .” There are more examples of this . Tying together learnings from Hexagon FMS and CAS solutions can , for instance , correlate incident hot spots with fatigue events and traffic
analysis to leverage back in the mine planning module , potentially leading to the re-design of traffic intersections .
“ You can then start to optimise safety and production flow simultaneously ,” Goddard said . Should Goddard and his team be able to leverage the historical records Hexagon has at its disposal , the concept of a “ single digital twin ” to showcase such optimisation is achievable , he says .
“ This will then act as a way to display these interactions across the site , and how optimising one area of the extraction process can lead to optimising the entire project NPV .”
Beyond that , Hexagon ’ s Mining division is actively developing battery-electric haulage vehicle support in its next software release , with enhanced functionality enabling clients to model production rates , state of charge rates , battery swap / charge options , trolley infrastructure placement , etc slated for subsequent releases .
“ More broadly , we are showcasing fuel optimisation opportunities across our software portfolio , which , again , is helping companies optimise on their way to achieving net zero ,” he said .
Goddard , excited by what lays ahead for the company and the opportunities Hexagon can present mine operations , says the ability to integrate sensors and operational software with the mine planning and modelling platforms will drive the continuous optimisation loop that mines require to achieve their net-zero goals .
“ This will , in the future , be automated , with clients taking the full technology stack benefitting from a continuous improvement loop that lowers costs , increases productivity , improves metal recoveries , lowers energy and water consumption , and more .”
Software for the mining value chain
Micromine continues to branch out of its geology-focused origins with a software offering that goes all the way to the run-of-mine ( ROM ) pad .
At the same time , it retains its founding intentions of creating solutions for specific roles in the mining value chain .
“ What that means is that , instead of saying we have one tool to do everything – which has historically been the basis for many new innovations across industries – we are now providing specialist software solutions ,” Jeremy Hanrahan , Product Strategy Manager – Micromine Mining , told IM .
“ This is the governing philosophy of how we provide solutions ,” Hanrahan says – a philosophy which , he adds , aligns closely with the industry ’ s own needs .
“ One of those key needs – reflective of the journey the mining sector is on – is that there is a
32 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2024