Optimised fragmentation can save a mine significant costs while improving drill-and-blast processes.

Split Engineering's image-processing technology delivers high-quality information that enables customers to manage their processes from drill to mill and improve mine profits, Hexagon explained.

The company was originally founded in 1997 by staff from the University of Arizona's Department of Mining and Geological Engineering.

Employing specialists in mining, metallurgical, geological, geophysical, optical and electrical engineering, as well as mathematics and business, the company has improved its software while opening offices in Chile, Peru, South Africa and Australia to service its worldwide customer base.

Today's acquisition is good news for Hexagon customers, said Josh Weiss, Mining division president.

"Split Engineering's fragmentation analysis capabilities expand our life-of-mine vision from pit to plant," he noted.

"It closes the loop on drill-and-blast design by allowing sites to quantify the effectiveness of their blast, bridging the gap between planning and operations."

Split Engineering co-founder Tom BoBo said: "Mining is all about efficient size reduction to liberate the mineral. Split Engineering's technology measures that process of size reduction from mine to mill, pit to plant.

"Split Engineering is a great fit to Hexagon's digital mine with our automated digital image analysis systems - Split-ShovelCam, Split-TruckCam and Split-Crusher - taking Hexagon from the mine into the processing plant, to help measure, manage and improve mining operations."