Engineering & Mining Journal

DEC 2015

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DECEMBER 2015 • E&MJ; 85 www.e-mj.com S U P P L I E R S R E P O R T Immersive Offers Customized Learning Programs Immersive Technologies is launching a dedicated Learning Systems business unit that will provide customized learning technologies and solutions aimed at improving safety, profitability and effi- ciency for its customers. The solutions, according to the company, blend virtual reality, visualization, e-learning and desk- top simulation. "We've developed a range of ad- vanced learning systems that have emerged from our core simulation busi- ness over the last three or four years," said David Anderson, executive vice pres- ident of sales and support at Immersive Technologies. "These technologies have often been used independently of our simulators and have driven measurable improvements for our customers. As we developed more and more of these learn- ing solutions for our 300-plus global cus- tomers, it became clear that these capa- bilities should stand on their own two feet. We, therefore, launched this busi- ness unit to better promote these solu- tions to the resources industry and solve a broader range of customer problems." The new business unit will focus on the development and delivery of: • Pre-start Inspection—using the latest touchscreen-based technologies, train- ees can inspect machine or plant components and instrumentation in realistic detail and can be assessed on understanding and accuracy. • WorksiteVR (Virtual Reality Training)— immerses learners' senses, providing them with nearly first-hand experiences without the associated risks and costs to employers, such as when assessing individuals for role suitability. • Virtual Classroom—trains individuals or teams to follow complex procedures using desktop simulation, check for understanding, assess performance against multiple variables, such as pro- cedures and interactions with automat- ed or autonomous equipment. • E-Learning—interactive, self-directed and customized e-learning solutions, which are blended with other learning mediums to drive results and confirm employee comprehension. • Instructor-led Training—highly cus- tomized classroom-based training and curricula. • SPOT—replicates process control oper- ator interfaces and systems, allowing personnel to interact with a plant envi- ronment without compromising safety or affecting productivity. • Worksite Walk-around—a realistic 360° high-definition, customized envi- ronment providing site familiarization, emergency and evacuation training, progressing into detailed mine opera- tions training. Immersive Technologies said it applies its overall philosophy to this new business unit; i.e., solutions must be designed from the ground up to achieve quantifiable returns on customer in- vestment. This approach, said the com- pany, has enabled it to achieve a track record of facilitating breakthrough per- formance improvements for major re- source companies. BME Highlights its Blasting Emulsions' Advantages Explosives supplier BME recently noted that bulk emulsion explosives have come a long way since the company intro- duced double-salt [ammonium nitrate/ calcium nitrate (AN/CN)] cold emulsion products into South Africa more than 30 years ago. "Factors like safety, stability and per- formance are still vital for the mining sectors that rely on emulsions for their blasting activities, but the technology is constantly being developed to meet and exceed customers' expectations," said BME General Manager–South Africa and Namibia Albie Visser. "Ongoing research and development has put us in a position where we are now able to customize the emulsion to suit the needs of each quar- ry or mine." Emulsions have made blasting safer because they are not classified as an explosive until sensitized in the blast- hole; up to that point, their status as a 5.1 oxidizer makes them safe to transport and handle, and simplifies logistics by not requiring the special licensing, per- missions and facilities required by tradi- tional explosives. BME said the long shelf-life of the emulsions makes them easier to store, allowing mines to reduce supply chain risk where distances and accessibility make transportation difficult; and they do not require dedicated magazine facil- ities, saving on cost and administration. BME also pointed out that with dou- ble-salt formulation, the emulsion has a lower "fudge" point than single-salt emulsions, which means that the tem- perature required in the manufacturing process can be lower without crystals forming. Fudging results from the forma- tion of unwanted nitrate crystals in the solution phase that thicken and harden the emulsion, making gassing and pumping impossible and the explosives non-detonable. Many customers have applications in which the emulsion needs to be pumped a number of times before it is fed into blastholes. "This doesn't pose a challenge for us, as the double-salt for- mulation allows us to successfully re- pump our emulsion multiple times, with no degrading impact on the product," said Visser. Emulsions also have a higher velocity of detonation than ammonium nitrate/ fuel oil (ANFO), which improves frag- mentation for hard rock mines. In under- ground applications, it reduces damage to side walls and hanging walls as there is less gas energy and more shock energy in the product. "With our experience of developing, manufacturing and testing emulsions in the field, our emulsions have evolved to offer value-adding benefits," said Visser. "In fact, we can now engineer a site-spe- cific emulsion for a customer's particular conditions and blast outcomes." BME has also made progress in help- ing customers address the challenges created by reactive ground, by develop- BME says it can supply emulsion explosives in cus- tomized formulations to suit individual customer needs.

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