QuantumTX Program - IMDEX site visit 2022
One of the best outcomes from the Quantum TX national accelerator program, supported by METS Ignited, is the chance to track the progress of local METS companies as they grow and scale and for those companies to share that experience with new accelerator participants.
Western Australian based IMDEX Limited (IMDEX) is one such success story. IMDEX received collaborative project funding from METS Ignited Australia Ltd, matched by industry, to work with Orica and now Universal Field Robots on blasthole sensing and physical measurement technology.
At a recent event, part of the QuantumTX Fast Forward national accelerator program for SMEs and scale-ups focusing on space and resources technology, IMDEX Chief Geoscientist and Chief Technologist Dave Lawie shared key learnings from their BLAST DOGTM experience with the latest cohort.
IMDEX BLAST DOGTM is a commodity agnostic blast hole sensing and physical measurement technology that will provide near real-time blast hole physicals and orebody knowledge.
The company achieved the first commercial contract with BLAST DOGTM in August this year, at FMG’s Iron Bridge site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The agreement provides for the staged utilisation of BLAST DOGTM units together with associated products, software, data analysis, reporting and support. Several commercial prototype trials are also planned for FY23 under the first phase of BLAST DOGTM commercial release.
The BLAST DOGTM technology will continue to evolve, with new products, novel and democratised modelling and visual outputs being developed and will expand its application to other commodities and geographies, and eventually to underground applications.
METS Ignited General Manager Kylah Morrison said IMDEX are actively interested in supporting and investing in the Australian METS sector.
“It’s such a great opportunity for emerging METS companies to learn from the lessons and successes of others’,” Kylah said. “This is real collaboration and capability building in action.”
You can read more about IMDEX’s technology here – www.IMDEXlimited.com
METS Ignited is the Industry Growth Centre (IGC) for the Mining Equipment, Technology and Services sector. In operation for six years, METS Ignited successfully supported the commercialisation of technology addressing the needs of the resources sector:
$16 million investment into 35 projects.
76 Industry participants, bringing more that 20 new Australian innovations to market.
Creating over 1000 local jobs with a combined revenue estimate of $900 million by 2025.
METS Ignited supported the establishment of CRC’s including the Future Battery Industries (FBI-CRC), the formation of the Electric Mine Consortium (EMC) and the newly formed enviroMETS (Qld) Limited; established to find sustainable ways to make mining impacted land valuable to its future custodians.
METS Ignited is translating Australia’s research and innovations into products and services, to serve global markets across multiple industries, delivered by Australian technology companies, from within our national economy.