Modern Mining

Orica launches underground blast design software

ASX-listed Orica, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial explosives and innovative blasting systems, has announced the release of its new blast design and modelling software for under- ground mining applications, SHOTPlus Underground. Since its original launch, SHOTPlus™ has grown to be the mining industry’s leading drill and blast software solution around the world, says Orica. Following successful tri- als by Orica’s technical services teams, the new SHOTPlus Underground blast design and modelling software is designed spe- cifically for advanced underground blast design and complex blasting scenarios. “The latest SHOTPlus Underground has been fully re-written and is now the premier blast design package for the underground mining sector,” says Orica Global Digital Products Senior Manager Angelo Labriola. “Designing, analysing and visualising in 3D has never been easier; ring to ring and hole to hole interactions and overall blast dynamics are at your fingertips, allowing

ner, existing plants and structures can be recorded and digitalised. At DEHN Africa, we are able to offer this service not only for lightning protection systems but for any building, structure or plant that needs pre- cise drawings of the complete layout.” 3D scanning produces millions of measurement points called coordinates. Together the points create the raw data in the form of ‘point clouds’. The individual point clouds and pictures produced in the scan are processed and consolidated using appropriate software, with the result being a detailed 3D model. “The intricate detail of these points means users to optimise and maximise output, benefit and results.” Underground production blasting typi- cally requires geometrically complex ring patterns. Optimising the explosives loading and initiation design and producing clear instructions to blasting crews requires a specialised software solution. SHOTPlus Underground is designed to meet the needs of underground min- ing applications, delivering an improved interactive 3D environment and enhanced visualisation as well as Quality Assurance/ Quality Control (QA/QC) tools to allow engineers to identify the most efficient blast design to ensure the required out- come. The new set of features and tools also allows for easy adjustment of blast designs and rapid comparison of different scenarios. “The ability to seamlessly adjust, visu- alise and optimise underground blast loading designs and timing allows users to efficiently design blasts, irrespective of complexity. It also enables the necessary

that a person can get an exact measurement anywhere in the point cloud,” Oelofse says. “DEHN Africa is able to use laser scanning to put together a lightning protection design for an existing building or plant. The process of creating your lightning protection design also gives you a 3D model of your plant itself, which can then be used for other types of SHOTPlus Underground interface – timing simulation tools. analysis to optimise the performance of blast designs with Orica’s electronic ini- tiation systems, dramatically cutting down the time required to produce loading and timing instructions for blast crews,” says Labriola. Orica, website: www.orica.com

Laser scanning services from DEHN Africa DEHN Africa provides 3D laser scanning services for designing lightning protection measures and recording and digitalising existing structures. 3D laser scanning, which can be used to capture real world informa- tion, delivers many benefits for industrial and engineering projects, providing precise and reliable data which allows for improved planning and scheduling.

planning and processing as well.” DEHN AFRICA, website: www.dehn-africa.com

Says Hano Oelofse, MD at earthing and lightning protection company DEHN Africa: “3D laser scanning makes it possible to quickly and easily take the exact measure- ments of complex objects and building structures. With the help of a laser scan-

February 2020  MODERN MINING  41