IMDEX will reveal the latest advances in its market-leading production mining tools and software at the MINExpo international conference in Las Vegas.

IMDEX CTO John Hickey said the tools and software assist mining and exploration companies to safely find, define, and mine ore bodies with precision and speed. "Location, geochemistry, mineralogy, and structure define the rock. Our tools capture and analyse the data on each element," Hickey explained.

"Structure becomes even more important with deeper exploration and lower-grade orebodies. We have been focused on developing market-leading tools to enable the collection of structural data for more than 20 years."

IMDEX tools and software break down information silos and gather critical data to deliver the best results from drill, survey or geological evaluations.

Specific to the MINExpo event, IMDEX will promote:

·       BLASTDOG – A semi-autonomous system for multi-parameter measurement of blast holes, which allows automated spatial domaining of material characteristics and fracturing in ore and waste.

·       OMNIx and BOLT (underground) – Production-hole survey tools for underground applications measuring blast-hole deviation using a north-seeking gyro. 

·       IMDEXHUB-IQ – Provides secure access to validated field data, which is seamlessly transmitted from a range of sub-surface instrumentation, analytical instruments and mobile form data inputs.

·       Bore Hole Stabiliser (BHS) – A multifunctional product formulated specifically for air-drilling applications, particularly drill and blast applications. It is said to help prevent a wide range of downhole problems including poor collaring, hole decay or sidewall instability; provides a degree of lubrication to the hole; and will improve the lifting capacity of the air stream for cuttings transportation.

"BLASTDOG is a game changer," Hickey said. "Its unique, eight-arm calliper is able to ‘feel' the side of the blast hole, giving the drill and blast engineers information about the diameter of the hole along the entire hole length. It can detect voids and other structures to assist in modelling.

BLASTDOG is a game changer

"Downhole survey tools such as the OMNIx deliver an accurate trace of the hole path and because the data is captured in IMDEXHUB-IQ, it is connected to the structural data and readings are uploaded almost immediately.

"This remains a breakthrough, by eliminating spreadsheets and data imports from files. IMDEXHUB-IQ manages the acquisition and collation of these different datasets with full chain of custody protocols."