Tag Archives: IREDES

3GSM tackles drill comms, pattern analysis in latest BlastMetriX UAV blasting software update

26th January 2022Communications in mining, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining software3GSM, Blasting, BlastMetriX UAV, Drill and blast, IREDES, mining software, Robert McClureDaniel Gleeson

3GSM GmbH, a developer of software to optimise blasting and reduce inherent environmental issues, has announced several updates to its flagship BlastMetriX UAV software that, the company says, improves communication with smart drills, offers face profiling enhancements and delivers more sophisticated drill pattern analysis.

Robert McClure, President of Robert A McClure (RAM) Inc of Powell, Ohio, an international blast and engineering consulting firm that provides service, support and training for BlastMetriX UAV, said: “3GSM works closely with its blasting customers to adapt to new challenges faced in the field and improve blast optimisation. Customers with an active update licence automatically receive these new features inside the BlastMetriX software, or they can be ordered separately.”

The enhanced drill pattern analysis tool provides heat mapping of drilled borehole deviations for simple visualisation of differences between “as planned” and “as drilled” patterns, while semi-automatic mapping of linear rock mass features is imported into the blast plan. By providing enhanced burden and spacing information, the software allows users to adjust explosive amounts in each borehole to account for irregularities, according to the company. “This is a great tool for a company’s key performance indicator program,” McClure said. “The software captures information from each blast and allows users to go back and review historical data to correct issues in the field.”

Updates to the IREDES (International Rock Excavation Data Exchange Standard) interface improves two-way data communication between BlastMetriX UAV and smart drills. It now allows for import of measure for drilling data like drill penetration rate and air pressure to map the subsurface geology of the borehole. At a quick glance, the software shows the geology and burdens from borehole top to bottom out to the free face. The program is compatible with all major drilling equipment manufacturers, according to the company.

Incorporating the ShapeMetriX system for generating and assessing 3D images, new geological mapping integration allows users to better visualise dips, strikes, seams and voids throughout the drilling pattern. The software can characterise irregularities in the face, which are projected back through the borehole. This allows for more precise loading of the borehole and improves blast safety.

In another update, the underground volumetric measurements tool inside ShapeMetriX now provides the determination of precise volumes in a “generalised” manner, based off captured subsequent tunnel faces and perimeters.

With the aid of aerial targets or standard BlastMetriX targets as reference points, the software imports images from a calibrated DSLR camera or unmanned aerial vehicles to quickly, safely and accurately capture 3D face profiles for enhanced visualisation of the blast area. Multiple data-rich overlapping images generate hundreds of thousands of data points for accurately characterising typography of the surveyed area and creating a 3D face profile.

BlastMetriX UAV gives technicians the confidence the blast will perform as designed to mitigate fly-rock issues, high air overpressures, excessive vibration, poor fragmentation, sub-par cast, loss of grade control and wall damage, the company says.

“Through blast design optimisation using BlastMetriX UAV, operations can realise significant benefits including improved fragmentation, higher crusher throughput and lower drilling man power requirements,” 3GSM said. “The scalable BlastMetriX UAV software allows companies to integrate as much or as little technology as required.”

IREDES and VDMA Mining team up to offer another interoperability avenue

24th April 2019Automation, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining softwareinteroperability, IREDES, OPC, UA, VDMA, VDMA MiningDaniel Gleeson

The International Rock Excavation Data Exchange Standard (IREDES) and VDMA Mining, part of the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), have agreed to work together to address the industry’s growing interoperability needs.

The cooperation agreement will provide a second way to exchange IREDES standardised data across mining operations, according to IREDES.

IREDES is an established way of exchanging equipment-related operational information in mining, for example, allowing drill plans to be sent to rigs, or transferring performance information from LHDs and trucks to production departments.

IREDES said: “IREDES defines the mining- and equipment-related content contained in different profiles. These profiles are exchanged in widely used and fully open XML technology, which makes them compatible with a number of other XML-related standards used in digital transformation.”

VDMA Mining, meanwhile, represents well-known, mainly medium-sized companies in the fields of surface and underground mining, processing technology as well as consulting, research and development. On top of that, the VDMA cooperates with the OPC (Open Platform Communication) Foundation to develop “companion specifications” for its various branches, according to IREDES.

“In mines, supervisory control systems are using OPC/UA (Unified Architecture) to acquire process information. In order to enable a smooth integration of information from mobile underground equipment into the overall process coordination, IREDES has joined up with VDMA to integrate the IREDES content into an OPC/UA companion specification for mining,” IREDES said.

“OPC/UA, thereby, will become a second way of exchanging the IREDES standardised content.”

Through this cooperation, IREDES profiles, beside their availability as XML data sets, will be accessible as OPC/UA profiles for integration into the traditional automation world.

IREDES members include global mining companies as well as major global equipment manufacturers, system integrators and software providers.

Micromine on board with IREDES standard

11th December 2018Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining services, Mining softwareinteroperability, IREDES, Ivan Zelina, Micromine, Pitram, XMLDaniel Gleeson

Micromine has become the newest mining software and machinery provider to offer technology solutions integrated with the International Rock Excavation Data Exchange Standard (IREDES).

The global mining software provider, headquartered in Western Australia, is among nine companies globally to integrate its products with IREDES, which was developed by industry, for industry, to streamline data exchange between machinery and office IT systems, Micromine says.

Micromine has integrated its latest fleet management and mine control solution, Pitram, and its latest 3D mine design and exploration solution, Micromine, with IREDES.

MICROMINE Chief Technology Officer Ivan Zelina said Micromine prioritised the IREDES integration to provide customers with easier, more streamlined mine digitalisation processes.

“By utilising IREDES we have removed the e-language barriers that often exist between machinery products and office-based software systems,” Zelina said.

“IREDES provides a standardised information exchange interface, which allows different machinery databases, simulation tools and other enterprise level software to exchange data and information.

“This avoids the need to develop and install individual and expensive software workarounds and development projects, and also streamlines and enhances data sharing and reporting.”

Zelina said this conversion is a straightforward process. In the company’s Micromine product, for example, a ring design can be converted to an IREDES file format “so that it can be accessed using other software and systems”.

Zelina concluded: “In an industry where digitalisation is growing exponentially, the integration of IREDES into Micromine’s software solutions reduces the time and cost of interface development during installation and maintenance of systems and products.

“Instead, customers can concentrate their resources on the intelligent use of information to enhance their business processes and outcomes.”

IREDES uses the eXtensible Markup Language (XML), which is a widely used format by commercial standard software and database systems. It builds on this language though XML schemas – the building blocks of the XML file – which describe hierarchy and data exchange parameters. The information is then transferred using XML data sets, which can be readily accessed by users and transferred between programmes.