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MIRARCO
Adds New Dimension to |
Mine planning and scheduling of underground operations requires a high level of interdisciplinary interaction and communication between mining professionals. Ideally, the complex undertaking should be conducted using a team-based approach incorporating business, engineering and operating personnel. MIRARCO has developed an immersive collaborative environment ideally suited for mine plan audits. The virtual reality laboratory (VRL) is one of only a few immersive research theatres being built in Canada and the only one of its kind in the world that specializes in mining applications.
MIRARCO's Centre for Mining Technology (CMT) is developing a 5D Mining Exploratorium Program (5D-EX) within the VRL. The 5D program builds on Gocad, a powerful earth modelling software package, as a platform for transforming geological, geophysical, engineering and monitoring data into 3D visual images relevant for the multidisciplinary needs of the mining industry. The program will incorporate 3D spacial information with time and financial data, which together creates the 5D Experience.
CMT is developing
time tracking tools to create the fourth dimension in the 5D-EX. CMT,
in conjunction with AST Mining Inc., integrated a mine scheduling software
package called Mine2-4D, into the VRL. Adding time and financial data
to the spacial information allows mines to conduct grade reconciliation
exercises, monitor and compare actual and planned progress and examine
different mine planning alternatives with the associated technical risks.
An underground database is also being created to provide a link to external
software packages and to increase functionality by exploiting the powers
of Gocad. In addition, CMT is also investigating optimization techniques,
such as genetic algorithms and mixed integer programming, to produce
better mine plans and schedules. The utilization of other in-house software
applications, Drifts@Risk and Stopes@Risk, to incorporate geotechnical
considerations, makes MIRARCO's 5D Mining Exploratorium Program an ideal
tool for solving complex long-term mine-planning issues.
For more information please contact David Muldowney by email at dmuldowney@mirarco.org, or by phone at 675-1151 ext. 5093.