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Software solution targets opencast and underground mines

25th October 2013

By: Jonathan Rodin

  

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Australian software, hardware and services for the mining industry provider Maptek reports that its laser scanner and processing software is being used successfully across opencast and underground mines in Southern Africa.

The product is developed and manufac- tured in Australia and is distributed throughout South Africa and its neighbouring countries from its offices in Johannesburg.

The Maptek I-Site system consists of hardware and software components. The product has been on the market for over ten years, but its new 8810 series scanner, the third generation of the surface scanner hardware, is now in its second year of production. It is designed primarily for scanning openpit environments.

The I-Site laser scanner is used with the I-Site Studio processing software to complete the I-Site system. Studio is used to process the large point cloud data collected to gene- rate accurate surfaces. Using these calculations, comparisons can be made. Maptek GM Duncan Lee explains that the core benefit of the product is the speed at which it acquires accurate data and simple workflow.

“Multiple departments use the data to assist in their understanding of the production environment,” he adds, noting that “the role of the scanner rests primarily with the surface department for updating the pit profile, however, geology, geotechnical and mine planning departments have also applied the scan data to their daily production tasks”.

With a range of 2 km and being accurate to 10 mm, the 8810 can complete a scan in about ten minutes, taking almost 9 000 points a second, while simultaneously taking a photograph using an in-built 75 megapixel camera. Lee adds that it works in temperatures ranging from –25 ºC to 40 ºC and weighs only 12 kg, making the I-Site system durable in extreme working conditions.

He notes that, although the industry is currently facing tough market conditions, the future prospects of and the market response to the software have been good.

“As the product is used more, additional applications have been realised. The scanner can be used to map geotechnical features, which provides a safety element for the mine,” says Lee. Geologists can also take advantage of the scan data by mapping lithologies in the pit face and updating their geological model.

He notes that the product is unique in comparison to other laser scanners, as it is built for and focused on the mining industry. It is also compatible with Vulcan, the company’s mine planning package, giving mining companies an option for a full solution if needed.

Vulcan enables its users to validate and transform raw mining data into dynamic three-dimensional models, and accurate mine designs and operating plans, explains Lee.

The company’s medium- to long-term goal is to address niche markets in the mining sector by combining I-Site and Vulcan to create an all-in-one software solution.

Despite the recent downturn in the mining industry, Lee notes that the company has been pleased at the level of interest and investment companies have made in I-Site this year, owing to the quick return on investment and its ability to provide quick accurate results.

Twenty scanners are being used in Southern Africa, including South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Tanzania and Zambia.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

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