Hexagon acquires Blast Movement Technologies

Credit: Blast Movement Technologies

Hexagon has announced the acquisition of Blast Movement Technologies (BMT) from RCF Jolimont Mining Innovation. BMT supplies a unique blast movement measurement technology to the global mining industry. BMT's technology enables accurate delineation of ore boundaries after blasting in open pit mining. This enables miners to recover more ore, increasing efficiency and profitability.

"This is great news for Hexagon customers," said Nick Hare, Hexagon's Mining division COO. "The Blast Movement Technologies system is the only one of its type and generates significant profits for customers in every blast at over 120 open pit mines globally. The company is rapidly growing and is becoming standard best practice for open cut mining operations. It will be a highly valuable and complementary addition to our suite of pit-to-plant digital solutions."

The ability to accurately track blast movement is a huge benefit for mines striving to be smarter and more sustainable. Blasting is a highly variable process and movement of the ore during blasting can cost mines millions of dollars in lost revenue per year from ore loss. BMT's solution provides customers with accurate blast information that is used to recover all of a mine's resources, allowing the valuable ore to be sent to the mill, avoiding dilution and misclassification.

Lyle Bruce, chairman of Blast Movement Technologies since its 2015 acquisition by RCF Jolimont, said: "We are delighted the business is joining the Hexagon family. We ran a process to find the best fit and the best price and Hexagon came out on top on both fronts."

The business will continue to be run by Jacques Janse, CEO of Blast Movement Technologies.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)