Honeybee’s Smart Blast Cone Sampler (SBCS), developed in conjunction with a major international mining concern, is a mobile semi-autonomous platform for acquiring and analyzing ore samples. The SBCS takes selective samples from the piles of cuttings (“cones”) produced during blast hole drilling, performing preliminary sample analysis in-situ and containerizing representative subsamples for later laboratory analysis. The resulting data are invaluable for grade control and mine operations planning.
- Powerful, flexible system control. The SBCS is a sophisticated multi-axis system, with a three-DOF hydraulically-actuated robotic arm, various sample transport subsystems, an onboard riffle splitter and a LIBS analyzer. Honeybee’s modular, semi-autonomous control structure enables a single person to operate the SBCS from the cab through a user-friendly GUI.
- Safe, robust, field-friendly design. The SBCS is fully compliant with rigorous mine safety and maintenance standards and has been field tested in a production mining environment.