Software Products

Block Caving

MassFlow revolutionizes block caving projects by offering unmatched insights into underground mining operations and ore body behavior. Whether you're developing block caving strategies, optimizing production, or ensuring worker safety in underground mining, MassFlow empowers mining engineers to refine their approaches, predict ore body behavior, and enhance operational efficiency with precision and reliability.

Panel Caving

MassFlow revolutionizes panel caving projects by providing unparalleled insights into underground mining operations and ore body behavior. Whether you're strategizing panel caving techniques, optimizing production, or ensuring worker safety in underground mining, MassFlow empowers mining engineers to refine their approaches, predict ore body behavior, and enhance operational efficiency with precision and reliability.

Sublevel Caving

MassFlow revolutionizes sublevel caving projects by offering unmatched insights into underground mining operations and ore body behavior. Whether you're planning sublevel caving operations, optimizing production, or ensuring worker safety in underground mining, MassFlow empowers mining engineers to refine their techniques, predict ore body behavior, and enhance operational efficiency with precision and reliability.

Analyses

• Solve for any time increment or for the entirety of the draw schedule
• Drawpoint layout design
• Caveability and caving rate
• Air gap formation
• Isolated movement zone (IMZ) and isolated extracted zone (IEZ) limits
• Movement of caved material within the IMZ
• Marker path tracing (displacement/day or extraction status)
• Marker velocity vectors
• Tonnage, ore recovery, and dilution entry
• Primary and secondary fragmentation
• Fines migration
• Breakthrough timing and surface subsidence
• Incorporate previously mined regions
• Abutment stresses and cave loads when coupled to FLAC3D or 3DEC

Ease Of Use

• Simply driven by four input data files:
  • Mine block model of rock
  • Drawpoint locations
  • Drawpoint descriptions (conical or rectangular draw bells or sublevel cave drawpoints)
  • Draw periods/schedule
• Use a Wizard to import the input CSV files, specify model settings, and automatically generate the simulation data file commands to run uncoupled flow models
• ITASCA's Version 9 user interface makes it easy to tile plots, data files, and tool panes to work with and explore your simulation
• Features an intuitive interface, offering easy navigation and seamless access to essential tools and features
• Provides users with flexible commands and scripting options, saving time and boosting productivity
• Data presented in a clear, understandable manner contributes to well-informed decision making
• Promotes collaboration among multidisciplinary teams, facilitating effective communication and cooperation

Powerful Capabilities

• Optimized flow marker search and sorting algorithms
• For efficient modeling, markers are only created once the rock mass becomes unbulked
• Multi-threaded FISH Lists and Operators to query or modify the model incredibly quickly, even while cycling
• Advanced plotting tools to understand your model results and for working with hundreds of plots on real projects
• FISH, ITASCA’s scripting language, provides unparalleled control and customization of the model
• Built-in Python 3.10 scripting includes SciPy for plotting, NumPy for computing, and Pyside for UI customization
• Most model changes (via mouse, commands, or scripting) are recorded for repeatability, learning, and re-use

Flexibility

• Highly customizable user interface (UI) and modeling
• All licenses permit two instances of MassFlow to be run simultaneously on the same computer
• Access and modify almost all variables (including customizable “EXTRA” variables) via FISH or Python
• Import and export any ASCII data format

Incremental Draw Modeling

• Advanced modeling of isolated movement zones (IMZ) and internal material movement during incremental draw
• Enables a detailed understanding of how material flows and evolves over time within the cave mine

Material Volume Tacking

• Precise tracking of IMZ volumes by considering material bulking at the periphery
• Controls bulking at the local level through initial and maximum porosity settings, ensuring accurate volume calculations
• The isolated extraction zone (IEZ) is defined based on the initial positions of those markers extracted

Marker-Based Tacking

• Utilizes markers to track material movements within IMZ
• Daily updates of marker positions and properties provides simulated time insights into material behavior

Air Gap Formation

• The development of air gaps is tracked through the addition of zero mass “air” markers at any location where an IMZ meets a fixed boundary to flow

Fragment Size Influence

• Considers the influence of fragment size on cave shape and width
• Provides valuable data on how rock characteristics impact movement patterns, aiding in decision making

Superposition of Draw

• Achieves uniform draw by superposition of velocity profiles when IMZs overlap
• Enhances mining by optimizing resource recovery

Coupling With Other Software

• MassFlow offers seamless integration with two of Itasca's other powerful software solutions: 3DEC and FLAC3D. This interoperability enables comprehensive geomechanical analysis by considering factors like stress distribution and rock yielding alongside material flow dynamics
• Mining engineers can harness the combined capabilities of MassFlow, 3DEC, and FLAC3D to perform geomechanical simulations that incorporate both material flow and stability assessments

Our commitment extends beyond excellent products. We offer comprehensive support for all your inquiries. Explore the links below to kick-start your journey:

> Documentation

> Training & Tutorials

> FAQs

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