IT notebook: Visualisation Sciences, Codan, CAE
Staff reporter, 25 January 2012
VSG's Avizo Fire 7 ... enhanced tools for analysing and characterising rock samples.
VISUALISATION Sciences Group (VSG) has described the latest version of its 3D visualisation and analysis software for digital rock physics and core analysis as a “major step forward … in functionality and usability”.
Avizo Fire 7 brought “enhanced tools and improved workflows for analysing, modelling and characterising rock samples, from pore-scale to core-scale”. VSG said it was also introducing an absolute permeability calculation tool, XLab Hydro.
“Version 7 of Avizo Fire introduces several automated workflows to help users perform complex analysis processes in a few clicks,” the company said.
“Automatic threshold calculation and display of value histogram in sliders help quickly view the relevant information. Image-based data import wizards, which are based on reusable templates, make it easier to create scripts for automated workflows.”
Tools had been reorganised, renamed and simplified, and many “tooltips” helped find the right tool among hundreds of possibilities.
“The learning curve is thus improved and productivity is significantly increased,” VSG said.
Image processing capabilities had also been expanded with a set of state-of-the-art features, while “significant performance enhancements” had been achieved, especially for the segmentation of complex data sets, and some of the most time-consuming image processing tasks such as filtering had been implemented using GPU computing.
XLab Hydro computes absolute permeability from image-based data. VSG said it could perform a full simulation of a permeability experiment, and calculate the intrinsic permeability tensor of a rock sample.
“The numerical simulation allows accurate computation of absolute permeability even on very small samples at micro-/nanoscopic scale, without complex physical experiments,” the software company said.
“Furthermore XLab Hydro is a direct image-to-simulation tool, which avoids full 3D mesh reconstruction and the use of external solvers.”
ASSET tracking and collision avoidance technology, and associated software, developed by Western Australian-based Minetec will now be taken to international markets by Codan after the latter’s $A10 million acquisition of Minetec.
ASX-listed Codan, which generates about $A160 million of annual revenue and has a current market capitalisation of some $A200 million, describes Minetec as its entry point into the “fast growing mining technology services industry”, though it supplies remote-area communications products and also metal detectors to artisanal gold prospectors and others.
The company’s chairman is former senior Rio Tinto executive, and geologist, Dr David Klingner.
Minetec is forecast to deliver earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of about $A1 million from $9 million of revenue in the six months to June 30, 2012.
“While Minetec’s revenue is predominantly Australian-based, it is developing relationships with a number of large global miners, and under Codan’s ownership will be well placed to develop the business internationally,” Codan said in a press statement. The company’s managing director Donald McGurk said Codan had been actively looking for the right acquisition in the mining technology space.
“The mining sector offers significant opportunities for future growth, and Australia is considered to be one of the world’s most innovative mining technology communities,” he said.
CANADIAN simulation training technology leader CAE has won new military and civil aviation simulator deals worth more than $C165 million.
The company said the military contracts included a new one from Canada’s Department of National Defence to perform major upgrades to CC-130H and CH-146 simulators, a contract from Professional Way in Malaysia to provide long-term support services for an AW139 full-flight simulator, a contract to develop two Tornado maintenance trainers for the German Air Force and Royal Air Force, and two contracts from undisclosed customers to provide a CAE 3000 Series helicopter simulator and related training services.
In a separate announcement CAE said it had sold five Level D full-flight simulators to customers in Asia, including an Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 to Air China, a Boeing 737 to Shandong Airlines of China, an A320 to the new Cebu Pacific-CAE joint venture aviation training centre in the Philippines, and an A320 for Alpha Aviation Group’s flight training academy in the Philippines.
The company said its full-flight simulator sales now stood at 30 for the year to date.
“CAE's global presence, our comprehensive portfolio of both simulation products and services, and a significant installed base continues to give us a solid pipeline of opportunities,” Martin Gagne, CAE’s group president, military products, training and services, said.
CAE has a global network of 34 civil aviation, military and helicopter training centres at which it claims to train more than 80,000 crew members a year.
“CAE is now leveraging its simulation capabilities in new markets such as healthcare and mining,” the company said.
Also in the January 25 - 31, 2012 edition
- AFRICA
- A walk on the wild side
- Africa rule change will backfire, says Turner
- ASIA DESK
- A fraudulent opening
- Next up for Atlantic … bauxite in Vietnam
- AUSTMINE
- MST on global recruitment drive
- Supply sector consolidation continues
- BREAKING NEWS
- Altius on path to production
- Anglo global production
- Anglo platinum rise
- Anvil action dismissed
- Astro hires ex-Iluka geo
- Banro awards contract
- Barberton green light
- Bathurst signs port lease
- Beacon Hill expands Moatize reserve
- Beadell lift
- Beating a path to court
- BHBP approves extra port funding
- BHPB titanium exit
- Bima in limbo
- Birimian aims at three targets
- Bold Endeavour
- Boseto on track
- Bullabulling add-on
- Bullabulling encouragement
- Cashed-up Legacy
- China ports closed
- Citigold's solid quarter
- Condoto buys into Colombia
- Cooma positive for Ironbark
- Copper smelter shut
- Cortona breakthrough
- Cosmo pivotal
- De Grey raises funds
- DiamondCorp amends Lace plans
- Discovery drops AIM
- Doornkop stop
- Dorado Discovery launch
- Evander deal set
- Excelsior boosts options
- Ezulwini falls short
- Fekola looking good
- Ferrochrome hike
- Finnish start
- FNR drilling to start
- Frontier approvals
- GME looks to mine Devon
- Gold One looks to HKSE
- Goldcorp raises stakes
- Harmony suspension
- Hold the Forte
- IronClad deal
- Jiangsu expansion study
- Kansanshi advance
- Kolomela's early dividend
- Kuusamo boost for Dragon
- La Negra promise
- Less than optimum
- Liberia iron promise
- Lithium expansion
- London milestones
- Lonmin ire
- Luiri hopes lift
- Lycopodium for Dutwa study
- Lynas gets licence
- Maiden JORC for Peak
- Maiden resource for Kinney coal
- Manganese interest grows
- Mba approval given
- McArthur output to double
- Merger talks denied
- Merlin looking good
- Miranda trading again
- Modikwa deaths
- More Coober Pedy magnetite
- More drilling for Red Rabbit
- More Mowana funding secured
- More tests for Dutwa
- Namibian eyes Hambok
- Namiquipa numbers impress
- Navarre starts Tomorrow
- New CAT record
- New resource coming for Bau Central
- Noble upgrade on cards
- PanTerra tables offer
- Petra's Finsch boost
- Picketed Finning
- Platinum output down
- PNG stake lifted
- Quebec rated highly
- Radio pilot success
- Richards Bay allocation
- Rio sales mooted
- Rio suspends work
- Rubianna extends Bloodstone
- Rustenburg strike spreads
- Sable secures Mount Nimba
- Salamanca moves forward
- Sese sampling
- Shanta signs good in Tanzania
- Silver tail
- Sinking index
- Sphere heads to frozen Red Lake
- Stander returns to Bushveld
- Stuart Shelf drilling starts
- Sudbury stoppage
- Talisman's next move
- Tampakan resource lift
- Thor raises funds
- TNG to start DFS
- Tobin Hill find
- Tonkolili funding in place
- Tusker up-rated
- Vale says China ports will be open
- Vale to expand N5
- Viper earns stake
- Vista BFS to provide spur
- Volta board change
- Xceed moves forward
- Xstrata capex plan
- Xstrata's copper shift
- COAL
- Killara narrows search
- CONSULTING
- Snowden eyes new growth phase
- CONTRACTING
- Karara contract close
- EXPLORATION
- Rex looms as key local copper play
- Year of the rig
- FINANCE
- Canada beckons for Crusader
- FORUM
- HighGrade, Mining Business Media join forces
- Mine closure volume fills a void
- FROM THE CAPITAL
- December quarter stars and dogs
- GOLD
- Good news and bad for Phillips River holders
- HEAVY METAL
- Cat plows into Chinese coal market
- Heavy Metal briefs: ABB, Soil Machine Dynamics, FLSmidth, Keech, Caterpillar
- Joy, Fletcher bolt together
- Long haul to diamond mine
- INSIGHT
- The case for an AusCodes framework (JORC/VALMIN)
- MINING INTELLIGENCE
- Rational planning rationale would be radical
- PEOPLE
- Mining people on the move: IronClad, International Goldfields, Australasian, Scotgold, Lodestar, OGL Resources, VDM Group, Forge Group, Bass Metals, Exco Resources, Western Areas
- South America catches the eye of art-loving geologist
- RUSSO'S RULES
- Beards, bellies and budgets
- SOUTH AMERICA
- Lost in translation
- TECHNOLOGY
- Australian mines embrace auto-guidance
- Crocodiles speed drive to diverless
- VIEW FROM THE WEST END
- Mixed signals
