Digital mining firm Hexagon acquires Blast Movement Technologies

Hexagon announced in January the acquisition of Blast Movement Technologies (BMT) from RCF Jolimont Mining Innovation (Jersey). 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 cut mining. This enables miners to recover more of the earth’s valuable resources, 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 is said to provide 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 2015 when it was acquired by RCF Jolimont where he is a partner, 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.

Blast Movement Technologies, established in Brisbane, Australia in 2005 is the global leader in blast movement monitoring technology. Their patented system is used by mining operations worldwide to accurately locate ore and waste zones after blasting, allowing accurate separation of ore from waste in the mining process. The end result for customers is more profit from each blast.

The company is a three-time winner of the Australian Export Award and was inducted into the Australian Export Awards Hall of Fame in 2018.

Tucson, AZ-based Hexagon is a global provider of sensor, software and autonomous solutions. Hexagon’s Mining division, with a location in Vancouver, solves surface and underground mine challenges with proven technologies for planning, operations and safety.

RCF Jolimont of Denver, CO, with offices around the world including Toronto, invests in high growth mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies, assisting these companies to be globally successful. RCF Jolimont is part of Resource Capital Funds, a private equity group established in 1998 with a mining sector specific investment mandate spanning all mineral commodities and geographic regions. Since inception, RCF has supported 187 mining companies, with projects located in 51 countries and across 32 commodities.