Maptek in the quarry at Hillhead

The Hillhead Quarry Exhibition in June is unique in that it takes place within the actual Hillhead Quarry in Buxton in Derbyshire in the UK.

The largely outdoor venue makes it possible for visitors to see equipment demonstrations in a realistic environment, visit supplier booths, and enjoy an interactive and high-energy atmosphere.

Maptek showcased the latest Vulcan and I-Site technology at a booth inside the pavilion, which allowed us to catch up with customers face-to-face and promote our consulting services in the industry.

This gives us a better understanding of the crucial issues quarry operators and managers are facing, and they can learn about our latest tools. The I-Site 8800 and 8400 laser scanners drew everyone’s attention.The I-SIte 8400, our newest scanner, excels at routine topographic and pit survey as well as survey volumes. Operations wanting geotechnical highwall mapping tend to favour the I-Site 8800, which has an inbuilt digital camera for high resolution face mapping.

We also took the opportunity at Hillhead to outline the benefits of I-Site Studio software for modelling and analysing 3D survey data. For example, the change detection tools are extremely useful for showing small changes in quarry faces and for identifying key structures and faults.

With site occupational health and safety a high priority, quarry managers and operators are looking for solutions which can monitor these issues as their projects evolve. Knowing which areas of their active working faces are more likely to experience rock falls means they can take measures to ensure the safest working environment.

We welcomed the chance to talk to customers from the UK, Africa and Europe at Hillhead, which broadened our perspective and strengthened our relationship with the industry. Armed with key information, Maptek can then focus on developing products and services that directly target concerns of the aggregate industry.