Top 10: Mining Optimisation Platforms
Mining companies are continuing to implement digitalised platforms to improve efficiency and profitability.
According to Gartner, the process mining software market grew by 39.5% to US$871.6 million in 2023.
There are multiple factors behind successful mineral extraction including specified routes for each mine, precise scheduling and strategic long term planning.
Technology companies can simplify these requirements through optimisation systems that offer real-time data into an integrated system.
Mining Digital has ranked 10 of the top mining optimisation platforms that are helping transform the industry.
10. Rocscience Suite
Founded: 1996
Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
Rocscience is a leading geotechnical software provider, offering advanced 3D numerical modelling and stope stability analysis.
Its Slide2 and Slide3 tools provide 2D and 3D equilibrium analysis to find critical failure surfaces.
Rocscience suite’s other tools include RocSlope2, RocSlope3, EX3, RS3 and DIPS.
Through these, mining companies can assess block stability and automatically calculate ideal bolt patterns.
Engineers can also simulate complex conditions to prevent wall failures and increase ore extraction in open pits.
9. Micromine
Founded: 1986
Headquarters: Perth, Australia
Micromine offers solutions that cover exploration, geological modelling, resource estimation and mine design.
Its MicroMine Advance tool is an underground mine planning solution that can help engineers create realistic and detailed schedules.
The software combines stope optimisation, scheduling, design, visualisation and reporting into a singular planning hub.
The company’s Micromine Beyond offering provides one integrated environment to streamline every aspect of open-pit optimisation, mine design and strategic scheduling.
According to MicroMine, its optimisation platform allows engineers to “work faster, plan smarter, and produce higher quality schedules without the handovers, delays, or compromises”.
8. Maptek Vulcan
Founded: 1981
Headquarters: Adelaide, Australia
Maptek Vulcan is an advanced 3D CAD and mine planning software that transforms raw data into models and operating plans.
The platform is used to manage large, intricate spatial datasets, providing detailed pit and underground layout planning.
Maptek says: “The Vulcan 3D visualisation environment helps better understand mining projects, with interpretations and results providing decision support for productive and profitable mining operations.”
The platform comes with several specialised add-ons that relate to a specific role, including open pit and underground design.
7. Datamine Studio
Founded: 1981
Headquarters: Brisbane, Australia
Through its modular software system, Datamine Studio provides essential optimisation tools in geology, open pit and underground mines.
Its Studio RM tool focuses on geological modelling, resource estimation, evaluation and geostatistical analysis.
Studio OP and UG are used for automated pit design, stope optimisation and scheduling, to deliver accurate results
The platform is integrated with Enhanced Production Scheduler, which uses advanced mathematical algorithms to increase the value of a mine during its life.
6. RPMGlobal
Founded: 1977
Headquarters: Brisbane, Australia
RPMGlobal is a leading mining optimisation provider, supporting enterprise planning, equipment simulation and asset maintenance.
It provides three tools, Product Optimiser, Enterprise Optimise, and Strategic Financial Optimiser.
Product Optimiser maximises the value of extracted material by selecting the most optimal way to process, blend and store products.
Enterprise Optimise integrates with the company’s EPF and suite solutions to support companies in capital and strategic decisions.
It can be used across a company’s entire mining portfolio to increase revenue and reduce overall costs.
The Strategic Financial Optimiser generates optimised schedules that maximises value from any source.
5. HxGN MinePlan
Founded: 2014
Headquarters: Arizona, US
One of the leading life of mine solutions within the mining industry is HxGN MinePlan.
According to the company, the optimisation platform is present in hundreds of surface and underground mines across the world.
It is a singular platform that improves visualisation, design, modelling and reserves calculation.
By connecting the process from start to finish through automated grade control and reserve evaluation, companies are able to decrease dilution and increase recovery rates.
HxGn MinePlan’s mining optimisation tools include:
- MinePlan Schedule Optimiser
- MinePlan Project Evaluator
- MinePlan Activity Schedule
- MinePlan Pit Expansion Tool.
4. Deswik Suite
Founded: 2008
Headquarters: Brisbane, Australia
Deswik is a global technology company that provides integrated software solutions and specialised consulting within the mining industry.
Its toolkit consists of multiple platforms that combine open pit and underground mine design with detailed scheduling, haulage pathway planning and land reconciliation.
The company has four optimisation tools, Nova, Go, Apex and Orb.
Nova combined open pit planning, blending and haulage into one streamlined workflow, while its Go to improve pit optimisation and rapid layout planning through industrial mathematics.
Apex establishes the underground mining sequence that will generate the most value and ORB models material movement to improve mine productivity.
3. NTWIST MineMax
Founded: 2016
Headquarters: Alberta, Canada
NTWIST’s MineMax platform is a specialised AI-drive optimisation system that reduces mine to mill bottlenecks.
The company’s mining optimisation platform consists of four core models, OreMax, DynaMax, PlanMax and MillMax.
OreMax tracks and quantifies ore from mine to plant, by evaluating the initial stockpile in real time to reduce misplacement,
DynaMax is used to replace run of mine pad averages with specific and precise block level data.
PlanMax anticipates how changing feed will affect recovery and cost.
MillMax aligns mine supply and extraction with real plant constraints to increase plant efficiency.
2. MiningMath
Founded: 2013
Headquarters: Minas Gerais, Brazil
MiningMath is a specialised software platform that helps mining companies replace multi-step mine planning with a singular optimisation platform.
Through its Math Optimisation models that integrate multiple sections of a business, MiningMath handles each parameter simultaneously to deliver strategic and tactical improvements.
Its Super Best Case platform can find higher net present value based on workflow within mining pits, as it considers each area of production at once.
The platform also evaluates waste routing across the entire mine life to increase overall value.
Planning teams are able to analyse global constraints like, slope angles, haulage limits and mine capacity within one integrated system.
1. GEOVIA Whittle
Founded: 1985
Headquarters: Vancouver. Canada
GEOVIA Whittle is Dassault Systèmes’ mining optimisation platform that offers strategic open pit mine planning.
It uses industry standard algorithms such as Lerchs-Grossmann and Pseudoflow to determine the financial viability and pit limits for mineral deposits.
The platform considers geological data, market conditions and constraints to select the most profitable mining strategy.
This allows companies to extract minerals efficiently and sustainably.
GEOVIA’s mining optimisation platform is made up of five tools, Pit Optimiser, Pushback Optimiser, Blend Optimiser, Multi-Mine Optimiser and Simultaneous Optimiser.
Pit Optimiser creates open pit shells efficiently though the either flow algorithm, while Pushback Optimiser designs the most optimal pushbacks for extraction value.
Blend Optimiser uses linear programming to manage blending and stockpile usage to meet the product’s specifications.
Multi-Mine Optimiser works across a collection of mines while maintaining specific work contracts for each location.
This produces a realistic schedule for each area, but keeps the data in one hub.
Simultaneous optimiser uses advanced optimisation algorithms to offer the best mining sequences, schedules and cut offs at once.
