MINING SOFTWARE
Hexagon Mining ’ s Rob Daw says the recent integration of IDS GeoRadar ’ s slope stability monitoring solution with the company ’ s collision avoidance system means mines can now receive real-time equipment visualisation with timely alerts about hazardous areas for people and machinery
mining industry today for viewing images and matching it to geological data .”
MICROMINE ’ s Brew says it is critical the company provides a means for data to move through the various software offerings as seamlessly as possible .
“ I believe it is safe to say that the ability to integrate is no longer a ‘ nice to have ’, but rather something that is essential to any operation and definitely something which we are measured against with any new or existing customers ,” Brew said . “ MICROMINE ’ s data management solution , Geobank , captures and validates core sample data whilst being supported by customisable workflows and forms , creating the fundamental understanding of the resource ,” he explained . “ From here our customers will model , design and schedule the mining of this resource either using our Micromine software or indeed a competitor software .”
Rob Daw , Chief Technology Officer of Hexagon ’ s
Mining division , says the company ’ s goal of autonomously connecting ecosystems means it must integrate between “ portfolios ” to allow customers to connect people and processes for “ better decisions and quicker access to data ”.
“ A good example is the recent integration of IDS GeoRadar ’ s slope stability monitoring solution with our collision avoidance system ,” he said . “ It means mines can now receive real-time equipment visualisation with timely alerts about hazardous areas for people and machinery . Workers and equipment are protected from injury-threatening events by being forewarned of no-go-zones .”
Daw also has an example from the company ’ s planning portfolio , related to short interval control and the continued integration between activity scheduling and operations .
“ Mines must make decisions quicker , more proactively and with the insight afforded by a full holistic picture of the mine ,” he said . “ Short interval control helps bridge those gaps between a strategic plan , a tactical plan and execution of tasks in moving material . Greater control at a sub-shift level delivers even greater insights and aligns company strategy with execution .
“ Our customers are seeing great benefits in this area from the integration of our scheduling solution and our fleet management solution . The data produced by that connection can pay huge dividends when it comes to productivity .”
Mark Palmer , General Manager of Product Management and Marketing for MST Global , says the software and hardware company ’ s roadmap focused on ‘ mining solutions ’ rather than a ‘ component ’ approach , with integration to other platforms a major consideration .
“ In terms of the whole value chain for the mine , in addition to tracking , our digital infrastructure AXON will be the data enabler for automation and autonomous operations for the mine , connecting systems as needed ,” he told IM . “ Our software platform , HELIX , brings the application side of the solution to life , allowing us to provide the mine with the solution that best meets their needs , wherever in the mine ’ s lifecycle they sit .
“ Our visualisation package , HELIX 3D , provides the base . Using the actual coordinate system of the mine , this geospatial software solution allows the mine to ‘ see ’ the underground space in as much detail as the user needs – existing , past , or future workings , relationships with surface , infrastructure , etc . Using our tracking engine , people and equipment can be located in real time .”
The company ’ s other HELIX solution modules are added to this base as required to enhance safety or productivity for the mine , he says .
“ For instance , where the data we collect or generate needs to be shared with other systems then we have the protocols available to us to communicate with them – on a two-way basis as required ,” he said . “ This approach allows data to flow as needed .”
While breaking down functional silos is vital , Modular ’ s Du Plessis says the company approaches software integration on a more expansive scale .
“ In addition to connecting the dots from one department to the next , we look to correlate data among all mining processes , machines , systems and technologies ; and leverage synergies to achieve wider interoperability , automation , optimisation and value ,” he said .
The company can point to recently released Public APIs that , Modular says , enable “ bi-directional data
FEBRUARY 2021 | International Mining