Tom Palangio believes his unique mining software will change the way many in the industry will operate.
The president of WipWare based here in North Bay, has developed an application for an iPad that can measure, size and weigh rock piles with a simple click of a button.
“We’ve got a really unique product now, we’ve been in this for quite a while, we kind of lead the industry in image analysis, but we’ve come out with an application for an iPad now that allows people to quantify or measure the size or shape of rock in a really simple and easy way,” said Palangio.
“Before this if you wanted to quantify rock or aggregate or any type of granulate material you virtually have to get a sample and maybe send it to a material lab and go through all kinds of contortions and screen it and weigh it and do all kinds of stuff. Imagine if all you have to do now is put this application on your iPad and point it at the rock pile and it instantly gives you results.”
The new application had a soft launch in February in North America, but had its international release at a giant trade show called Hillhead 2016 which took place at an abandoned quarry in the United Kingdom earlier in July where the product received great reviews.
"The new iPad interface looks great, and the auto-scaling feature will allow users to get real-time, accurate data at the blast pile." said Mike McLoughlin, whose Rockmate blast optimization software will work hand-in-hand with WipWare's newest product.
Palangio is optimistic that the software will be a "game changer" in the industry and hopefully help put North Bay on the map in the process.
“We provide jobs in the community, the industry right now particularly in Northern Ontario, mining, aggregate, forestry, a lot of these industries are kind of on the ropes and we think by kind of introducing a technology like this locally that a lot of people can benefit from it,” he said.
“During hard times industry start looking for better ways of doing things and we think that our technology could be key in allowing people to kind of streamline their operations and reduce some overhead costs, things like that.”
