Diptek’s DipStick field device integrates modern sensors such as lidar, GPS, rotary encoding, and imaging sensors to collect drilling hole data for future analysis. Time and location stamping data is essential for post-blast analysis and continuous improvement, improving safety systems and incident management, including identifying cultural and heritage significance.

Over the past 20 years, digital sensors within the mining industry have collected billions of data points across trucking, conveyor systems and within the crushing and milling instalments. If this data is trusted it can be trended and acted upon to make value-based decisions to enhance profitability. In striving to obtain the lowest unit cost overall, mining companies appear to believe they monitor the whole mining process in such a manner. However, there remains a noted absence of quality, organised blast hole data which, importantly is the key materials handling input to every downstream process monitored so intensely. There is no trust, accountability, or accuracy at the very start of the miner’s ‘data journey’. This is the fundamental front-end loading gap in thinking and resourcing that Western Australia’s Diptek is targeting.

Currently, Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) of blast-holes in open-pit mining, tend to involve a tape measure reel with an operator manually lowering the tape down each hole and visually observing the approximate depth. Depths are then recorded on paper maps or entered into electronic field tablets. To those more familiar with executing this actual task there is an important human variable. This human variable encompasses the choice to exert physical effort to collect real data versus the effort for complete or partial data fabrication. All current legacy processes, procedures and tools leave the end data users questioning whether a blast-hole was really, truly ever measured. In the event it was, can the measurement accuracy then, truly be trusted?

Diptek's purpose is to change the industry mindset on conducting blast hole QAQC, from an unavoidable evil into a necessity that results in a direct and measured optimisation of downstream profitability, performance, and sustainability.

The company’s vision is to advance the sensor collection hardware enabling field data to be easily fed through a robust QAQC system to output a trusted data set. Such a data set can then be relied upon to make changes to target for example the enhancement of crusher throughput while simultaneously reducing blockages and bridging. The patented field technology integrates modern sensors, such as lidar, GPS, rotary encoding, and imaging modules, to collect the essence of the hole (not just depth) for future analysis. Highly accurate GPS means that the data collected can be time- and location-stamped, making the data produced from the device priceless for post-blast analysis and continuous improvement across operations. Potentially in the future new areas of value may be extrapolated across sitewide data sets in similar geology such as that of multiple iron ore miners in Western Australia’s Pilbara.

The 'DipStick' field hardware device will function as the catalyst for change by establishing value and sustaining QAQC for individual mines. This system provides a real snapshot of QAQC gaps that compromise the trust in this data feedback loop at the mine.

The Dipstick has been field-proven through the collection of blast holes and the system being integrated into active mines effectively addressing the 5 key shortcomings of legacy QAQC systems:

• Usability (Collection and data presentation)

• Speed of field collection and feedback loop for action (such as redrills)

• Auditability (guarantee blast hole was measured)

• Accuracy (at the time blast hole was measured)

• Data richness (capture the hole's essence)

Once there is the assurance of data integrity there is further critical value beyond pure profitability. Mine operators need to guarantee precise blast hole measurements to enforce conformance to vibration limits near areas of habitation and cultural heritage significance. Diptek’s systems set the improved standard as data cannot be fabricated or tampered with. Effectively turning QAQC into an engineering control superseding the legacy system which could only amount to a weak administrative control. We welcome today’s best practice surrounding data accountability being tomorrow's legal minimum to collect, store and audit blast hole data.

Despite the shared belief of miners that there may only be incremental improvements left in cost and efficiencies, they all have unaddressed value in the use and distribution of chemical energy in the form of bulk explosive placement. Diptek’s technology, system and QAQC as a Service confirms the extent of the unaddressed value in existing QAQC efforts. Our mission is to place this technology and system in the right hands to obtain quality data sets, thereby unlocking the significant value that remains hidden within the mining cycle.