Photo: Minalyzer CS integrated into the core logging workflow at the George Fisher mine in Mount Isa, Queensland.
Minalyze is one of the finalists in the Swedish Mining Innovation Award 2020 for their unique scanner for digitizing large volumes of drilling samples which, together with a cloud-based software, improves the workflow in the mining industry. We have a few words with Annelie Lundström who is the founder and CEO of Minalyze.
Congratulations Annelie, Minalyze is a finalist in the Swedish Mining Innovation Award 2020! How does it feel?
– It feels very good! Partly that someone has nominated Minalyze and of course extra good to become a finalist. The Minalyze team deserves to be noticed for their hard and determined work. With the right attitude and drive, you can go a long way with small resources.
Tell us a little about your technology for scanning drill samples.
– The innovation is a platform with several sensors for data collection and a software for visualization, which lays the foundation for data analytics that opens up endless possibilities.
The platform, Minalyzer CS is a scanner for data collection and digitization of large volumes of drill cores and other drill samples. In just a few minutes, we produce a 3D representation of the sample, high-resolution photography, geochemistry, density and crack frequency.
The software, minalogger.com is a cloud-based software for visualizing the results and with tools in the software, additional datasets, such as structures, can be generated.
What makes your solution so unique?
– When Minalyze CS was launched to the market in 2014, Minalyze created a completely new product category. When we discussed the product concept with potential customers back in 2009, they said: “Wow! Such a solution would revolutionize the entire mining industry, but it is impossible to develop ”. Those words gave me and my colleague Mikael Arthurson extra drive and we used our engineering skills to find a solution and revolutionize the mining industry. Our approach was that, if you can follow welds with high precision, you should be able to follow drill cores with the same accuracy. Our solution for scanning drill samples in this way is that we use a Lidar for 3D visualization and imaging of drill samples that guides other sensors. The invention is patented by Minalyze and is the main innovation in the solution and forms the basis for additional patents in the portfolio.
Why is it an important innovation?
– The invention lays the foundation for digitizing the mining industry. Our instruments generate high-resolution and consistent data from large volumes of drilling samples – through this we improve the entire workflow for logging drilling samples and create conditions for assisted or automated logging.
The invention means that customers receive early and comprehensive information about what drilling samples contain, which means that they can become more efficient and resource-efficient. In turn, this leads to increased durability.
During the ongoing pandemic, our innovation has created even more value through the digitization of drilling samples. With digital access to the drill samples and the data, projects can be driven forward even though people cannot fly to and from sites in the same way as before. This also means that the industry can attract more people to apply for jobs in the mining industry as you do not have to be away from friends and family to the same extent.
You are a finalist together with Orexplore who also has a solution for looking at drilling tests. How do you look at it?
– The innovations are aimed at the same target group and both companies generate data without destroying the samples, but that’s where the similarities end. That we are both nominated here, I hope helps industry and others to understand how we differ. We generate very different datasets which create different benefits for customers. Minalyze instruments were launched to the market in 2014 so we have had global commercial success and verified our data and benefits together with customers.
What else is happening at Minalyze right now?
– Lots! We have a very large order intake and we have strong growth. This week we signed an important contract with the geological survey in Queensland where we will carry out a significant scanning project of historical core. We are also proud to be an important technology in the Australian National Drilling Program, NDI, through the extensive MinexCRC research project. Together with our customer SGS, we are now mobilizing instruments for Darwin for this exciting project.
During the last six months, we have also shifted up and expanded both teams and operations. In addition, we handle our ongoing long-term contracts that we have with significant customers such as LKAB, Fortescue and Glencore.
And finally, how do you see the future?
– Our Swedish-owned innovation is just in time. The technology and the business have been verified through extensive assignments around the world for several years, now that the mining industry is switching to digitization, we are in the right phase to scale. We already have commercial success in Sweden, Australia and Canada, now we and the industry are ready to shift this up several levels.
We also have an enormous drive in technology and method development, which will be seen through a number of new additions to our offer to the customer.
Congratulations again Annelie and Minalyze! Now all three finalists are presented, and we look forward to choosing the winner at Svemin’s autumn meeting on 17 November.
Hear Annelie about Minalyze’s innovation
Read more about Swedish Mining Innovation Award 2020
These are finalists in the Swedish Mining Innovation Award 2020
Widefind – interview and finalist film
Orexplore – interview and finalist film
Swedish Mining Innovation Award 2020
