Tucson, Arizona, USA (September 12, 2024) – Hexagon, the global leader in digital reality solutions, announced today the global release of its AI-powered 3D blast movement solution, Hexagon Blast Movement Intelligence (BMI).  

In partnership with Augment Technologies and through integration of an AI-driven blast movement engine, Hexagon BMI has been proven in real-world mining conditions. Boosting blasting efficiency and providing high visibility into ore dilution for informed ore and waste delineation post-blast, it safely produces an accurate block model of the muckpile and ultimately maximises yield. 

The ability to generate a Muckpile Block Model™—a post-blast representation of the grade control block model—is a distinguishing feature of BMI. Paired with Hexagon Blast Movement Monitors, the AI can be validated and improved as the engine helps to safely and rapidly produce the Muckpile Block Model™. Importantly, the model is produced without personnel having to walk on the muckpile to place or retrieve the monitors.  

What also makes BMI unique is its integration with Hexagon’s MinePlan Block Model Manager, a data-integrity solution built for collaboration and data sharing across different roles and mining phases, eliminating errors and undue complexity in the block modelling process. By centralising data and using server-based features like block model management, version control, and change notifications, Block Model Manager ensures the integrity and auditability of data. Its application programming interface improves the access, reuse and integration of that data with other systems to enhance mining operations. 

“Our Blast Movement Intelligence solution has proven profoundly useful for optimising downstream processes,” says James Dampney, Vice President Resource Optimisation and Material Movement at Hexagon. “It can quickly interpret complex data, learn from that data, and estimate movements based on that data, getting smarter with each blast so that the model is machine-precise, improving the thousands of decisions that cascade from resource modelling and ore delineation.” 

BMI not only enables mines to quickly, safely and confidently define with a high level of precision the routing of the revenue-producing material but also empowers them to conserve energy throughout the rest of comminution, ultimately improving ore recovery and yielding a better bottom line.  

Armed with the additional insights from MinePlan Block Model Manager, Hexagon’s BMI serves as a data-rich, high-fidelity blast movement solution that can positively impact every stage of the downstream mining process. Its global market availability marks a pivotal development in meshing safety and efficiency in the industry.