Leveraging integrated solutions

Work at mines is becoming increasingly complex, involving ever more sophisticated systems and techniques aimed at improving capability and potential. However, working in disconnected systems, constantly transferring files or data and switching between various environments can distract engineers from doing the actual work of engineers, and productivity can suffer.

Maptek and PETRA have collaborated to offer solutions which leverage our unique strengths. New product integrations enable seamless, efficient and easy use of a number of value-adding techniques.

PETRA MAXTA solutions can now be operated from the Maptek Workbench, and also within Maptek Vulcan and Evolution planning and design applications. MAXTA provides mine value chain optimisation by predicting and simulating downstream process performance as a function of geology, geometallurgy and mine design decisions.

Performance of downstream activities such as load and haul, crusher and mill, and minerals processing and recovery can be accurately predicted based on orebody knowledge and planning decisions.

Orebody knowledge available at the point where mining decisions are made allows planning not only for tonnes and grade, but also for overall performance optimised throughout the mine value chain.

This solution integration has allowed fast, easy access to the MAXTA results within the Vulcan and Evolution planning environments. Engineers can update and apply MAXTA predictions without switching applications.

Results are incorporated within the block model for immediate use in the working environment – no need to save or copy files, or change windows – it is fast and easy.

Each block of ore represented in the block model can contain parameters created using MAXTA digital twin technology, describing the expected performance of that ore in downstream processes.

Combining these environments allows the valuable data generated by MAXTA to be used quickly, easily and efficiently by engineers. Users of Maptek and PETRA products can now access a truly integrated planning, prediction and optimisation environment that is supported, reliable and sustainable.

The PETRA FRAGx solution is now available as a standalone Maptek Workbench application or via integration with Maptek PointStudio. FRAGx allows fast and reliable fragmentation assessment using machine learning on point cloud data from any source.

It is not always feasible to supply the high quality 3D point clouds required by many other fragmentation analysis techniques, and FragX is especially suited to noisy or poor quality data.

Customers want to be able to use an increasing range of sensors to create 3D data, and there are inevitable trade-offs between practicality, speed, safety and data quality. FRAGx allows more measurement options to be considered, meaning greater flexibility and lower cost.

FRAGx allows users to report on a customised range of size bins within the fragmentation range and determine the proportion of material in each bin. Processing is very fast and can be automated for continuous or repetitive data feeds such as drawpoints, where identifying outsized fragments can be critical to production and safety.

FRAGx can become part of a workflow-enabled automated process to identify potential problems related to fragmentation.

PETRA and Maptek are also collaborating to enable MAXTA to integrate with Maptek resource tracking solutions – connecting more data from within the mine value chain and using that data to help improve understanding and performance of the entire mining process.