Technology developer Maptek is inviting African mining professionals to gather at Switch on Innovation, the company's technology conference, to learn how Maptek technology can fulfil their productivity and safety goals.

“African mines need solutions that help achieve their business goals,” says Maptek South Africa GM Nick Venter.

The conference will be held at the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 30 to September 1.

The programme includes product showcases, software workshops and practical demonstrations of hardware technology. Maptek has been a supporter of mining for 35 years and has had a toehold in Africa since 1992.

The company’s solutions exploit the rich technical data collected around mining tasks, with Maptek stating that it recognises challenges and the changing nature of the mining business.

“Maptek develops technology that is scalable, searchable, synchronised and fast. Our integrated solutions preserve the integrity of technical data. This mind-set, combined with a leading-edge 3D [three-dimensional] visualisation platform, adds value to hard-won geospatial data and supports confident mine planning,” adds Maptek technical services mining engineer Captain Mohlake.

The company acknowledges that people are mining’s most valuable resource and that reliable equipment, robust planning and an innovative approach to data collection all improve mine safety.

“[Maptek’s] I-Site laser scanning systems offer the most efficient field to finish setup. Surveyors can rely on the laser scanners for fast acquisition of accurate data for survey and monitoring applications. Geotechnical colleagues can apply intuitive software tools to analyse and model structures in an interactive 3D environment. Rapid feedback contributes to safe operational decisions and strategic mine planning,” notes Venter.

Miners need a responsive approach to mine planning and design that allows them to evaluate and re-evaluate projects quickly. I-Site’s solutions are practical, repeatable and auditable, states Maptek.

“Our software and hardware systems are easy to use and incorporate workflows that match operational needs. Professional reports support decisive forecasting,” notes Venter, adding that the geology and scheduling stream on the final day of the Maptek technology conference identifies the resource model as the dynamic source of data for modelling and scheduling activities.

“We encourage people to attend as many days as they can. We are excited about the location of our event.

The School of Mining Engineering at Wits boasts a mock tunnel. Participants will experience laser scanning underground, as well as surface demonstrations that closely match real-life scenarios.

Meanwhile, Maptek has announced it will offer Aegis underground drill and blast software as the newest addition to its mining solutions.

Aegis is a powerful, award-winning tool with a rich and intuitive 3D environment for underground drill and blast design and analytics. Maptek MD Peter Johnson explains that Aegis brings proven value to an underground operation’s drill and blast process, intelligently creating editable drill and blast patterns for an entire stope in seconds.

“State of the art blast analysis tools and a fully customisable reporting system allow engineers to design, refine and optimise their drill and blast process more effectively and reduce overall material handling costs;” he notes.

Users of Maptek’s Vulcan software at underground mines welcome the next-generation, intelligent rapid ring design functionality and advanced blast analysis tools available in Aegis that complement mine planning functionality in Vulcan.

The Maptek BlastLogic system also offers powerful analysis and quality management tools for open cut drill and blast.

“Maptek customers will benefit immediately from the Aegis partnership, and I am confident that we can collaborate on developing extra functionality that answers particular needs,” he says.

Johnson explains that Maptek has a history of partnering with other innovators to provide niche technologies that complement in-house development.

“While the partnership is in the early stages, we are already envisioning the development roadmap for integration to include data exchange routines, with the ultimate goal of full integration with the Maptek Workbench which was delivered alongside Vulcan 10 this year,” he notes.

iRing the developer of Aegis president Mark Sherry says that the company is very excited about the possibilities of the partnership with Maptek.

“Maptek brings an excellent global market presence and expertise as one of the leading software developers in the mining industry. Through this partnership we will increase sales of Aegis globally, which solidifies our niche as the top underground drill and blast program in the world,” he explains.

Aegis is already available in English, Spanish and Russian and strong interest is expected in all regions where Maptek operates.

With the addition of Aegis to its product line, Maptek becomes the only mining software supplier to offer a complete end-to-end solution for underground mining operations covering geology, mine planning, scheduling, stope optimisation, advanced underground drill and blast and analysis, and mine survey.

“Integration throughout the mine planning and production cycle provides better information that can be used to make better decisions. For instance, engineers can optimise their stope designs using Vulcan Stope Optimiser, design the blast using Aegis, rapidly model the cavity monitoring survey data using I-Site Studio and then feed that data back into Vulcan and Aegis for reconciliation and blast analysis,” explains Johnson.

Technologically advanced tools and dynamic modelling processes form the foundation of modern mining business practices.

iRing, founded in 2005, is a software company specialising in underground blasting applications, consulting, training and research, focusing on the underground mining sector. In 2014, iRing’s Aegis won the Northern Ontario Business Awards’ Innovation Award; with the Aegis partnership, Maptek hopes to continue its commitment to offering end-to-end solutions, which provide timely information to decision-makers, positively impacting the mine planning cycle.