Drill and Blast Software: 9 Tools Compared

Drill and blast software does four separate jobs: it designs the blast, tracks the drilled holes, controls charging and firing, and measures what the blast produced. No single package is best at all four, which is why this guide compares nine tools from eight vendors by the job they do. The checks that matter most are whether the tool imports your drill and seismograph data, links every reading to a shot record, and exports the reports your regulator asks for. For US surface coal mines, 30 CFR 816.67 caps ground vibration at 1.25 in/s within 300 ft of a dwelling and airblast at 134 dB peak on a 0.1 Hz system (30 CFR 816.67, Cornell LII). Your software has to prove you stayed under limits like these.

Hexagon and Orica descriptions rest on 2018 to 2021 coverage, so confirm current features with the vendor. Product descriptions below come from each vendor’s own pages and trade press, with the date of the source. They show what a vendor says the tool does, not test results. The vendors do not publish price lists on the pages we reviewed, so ask each one for a quote.

How we chose these drill and blast tools

We included a product only if the vendor publishes a product page or manual that describes it, and if it covers at least one of the four jobs above. We then grouped the products by job rather than ranking them, because a design package and a vibration monitor are not substitutes. Two products from Orica appear because one designs blasts and the other measures fragmentation.

This is a selection, not a complete directory. Other vendors sell blast design, drill navigation and monitoring tools. A missing name does not mean a tool is weaker.

The four jobs in a blast cycle

Most mines run the same loop on every shot. The software you buy should cover the steps you do not already handle well on paper or in spreadsheets.

Infographic

A blast cycle in 4 steps

1. 1DesignPlace holes, set burden and spacing, choose charge and firing order.
2. 2Drill and surveyRecord where holes were drilled and compare with the design.
3. 3Charge and fireLoad each hole and sequence delays with permit checks.
4. 4Measure and reconcileLog vibration and airblast, measure rock size and compare with the plan.

1. Design. Place holes, set burden (distance from a hole to the open face) and spacing, choose the charge and plan the firing order.
2. Drill and survey. Record where holes were actually drilled, how deep, and whether they are wet or backfilled, then compare with the design.
3. Charge and fire. Load the right explosive in each hole and sequence the delays, with the safety checks your permit needs.
4. Measure and reconcile. Record vibration and airblast, measure rock size after the shot, and compare results with the plan.

Drill and blast software compared

The table shows the main job of each product and what the vendor says it is built for.

Orica SHOTPlus and BlastIQ

Best for: operations that want design, field data and explosives delivery in one connected system.

Orica’s 2018 launch coverage describes SHOTPlus as its 3D design and modelling software, developed over 30 years, and BlastIQ as the platform that carries designs to the field. At the 2018 launch of the next-generation BlastIQ, Orica said SHOTPlus designs reach field crews in near real-time, and that its BlastIQ Mobile device captures hole-condition data on the bench. Orica’s mobile manufacturing units, including the Bulkmaster 7, can receive updated designs wirelessly (International Mining, 1 October 2018).

Watch for: the tightest integration is with Orica’s own explosives and delivery trucks. If you buy explosives from another supplier, ask which parts still work and which need manual data entry.

Maptek BlastLogic

Best for: surface mines that already use Maptek Vulcan for mine planning and want drill, survey and charge data in one managed place.

Maptek described BlastLogic in an August 2011 blog as a drill and blast management system. It shows a drill pattern taken from a planning system such as Vulcan together with as-drilled data from drill navigation systems, flags holes outside the allowed tolerance, and produces dip, backfill and charge sheets (Maptek BlastLogic blog, August 2011). Version 2.1, announced in July 2017, added hole temperature logging and an OData service for custom reports against drill and blast KPIs (Maptek, BlastLogic 2.1 release note, 26 July 2017).

Watch for: it is a management and design tool. Vibration monitoring and fragmentation measurement come from other products.

Hexagon HxGN MineMeasure

Best for: large pits that want blast design, machine-guided drilling and post-blast measurement from one supplier.

Hexagon launched MineMeasure in September 2021 as a combination of blast design software, high-precision drilling, blast movement monitoring, fragmentation analysis and enterprise analytics. Designs use geological properties from the block model, and a movement-sensor system tracks how ore shifts in the blast to limit ore loss and dilution (BINDT repost of Hexagon announcement, September 2021). The 2021 announcement also lists a vibration monitoring system and slope stability analysis in the package.

Watch for: a bundle suits a mine that will use most of it. Ask which modules you can license on their own.

Datamine DataBlast Pro

Best for: open-pit teams that want one tool for each step from pattern to firing.

Datamine’s documentation for version 2.14 lists a design module (drill patterns from imported surfaces), a drill module (as-built versus as-designed holes), a measure module (dip and backfill), a charge module (hole-by-hole charge from measured conditions such as water), an initiation module that covers electronic and non-electric systems, a firing module showing scaled depth of burial and flyrock ranges, and utilities for fragmentation (Swebrec model) and explosives inventory (Datamine, DataBlast Pro 2.14 overview). The initiation module models vibration with modified scaled distances.

Watch for: the documentation describes open-pit work only, so underground teams should look at other tools.

Deswik OPDB and UGDB

Best for: engineering teams that design in Deswik already and want holes, charges and rig files linked to the same plan.

Deswik OPDB covers surface blast design with hole templates, charge standards, an explosives catalogue and tie-up tools (Deswik OPDB). UGDB does the same for underground rings and faces, and exports designs in the IREDES format so they can be loaded straight onto a drill rig (Deswik UGDB).

Watch for: these are design modules. Field data capture and fragmentation analysis are not what the product pages describe.

Dyno Nobel Nobel Fire

Best for: mines that buy Dyno Nobel products and want design, a mobile app and compliance reports on one platform.

Dyno Nobel’s brochure describes Nobel Fire as a platform from field data collection and design through reconciliation to compliance reporting. It lists fragmentation prediction (Fracture Density Model), vibration prediction, a mobile app that connects to delivery systems such as the EC200, EC300 and Universal Control System, and a comparison of designed against actual blasts. Patterns can be loaded by API or CSV upload (Dyno Nobel, Nobel Fire brochure).

Watch for: as with Orica, ask how far the integration goes when another supplier’s explosives or trucks are on site.

Rocscience BlastMetriX

Best for: quarries and small pits that need an accurate bench face before they place holes.

BlastMetriX builds 3D models of the bench from aerial or terrestrial photos, shows burden across the face, flags risk zones and calculates blast volumes. It imports rock-structure mapping from ShapeMetriX and compares design parameters with fragmentation measured in FragMetriX (Rocscience, BlastMetriX).

Watch for: it is a planning and analysis tool built on photogrammetry (3D models from overlapping photos). It does not control charging or firing.

Orica FRAGTrack

Best for: mines that want automatic, repeatable fragmentation numbers rather than occasional manual sampling.

FRAGTrack uses binocular cameras and a hybrid 2D/3D image processing method to measure rock size on face shovels and conveyors. Orica said at the June 2019 release that the hardware handles temperatures from below -30 C to above 45 C and removes manual sampling on the bench (World Coal, 4 June 2019). Other fragmentation tools exist, including Motion Metrics’ PortaMetrics, a portable tablet that estimates rock size without scaling objects and ties images to specific blasts by GPS (Mining Technology, PortaMetrics).

Watch for: camera systems measure the surface of the muckpile or the material on a belt, so check how each vendor corrects for fines hidden below the surface.

Instantel Micromate Plus and Vision II

Best for: proving compliance with vibration and airblast limits at the nearest homes or structures.

Instantel announced the Micromate Plus on 31 October 2025. The unit records vibration, noise and air overpressure at the same time, has built-in cellular and Wi-Fi modems and GPS, and sends data to the Vision II software with a live data feed (Instantel press release, 31 October 2025).

Watch for: a seismograph records events. It does not design the blast, so you still need software that links each reading to a shot record.

Which drill and blast tool fits which site

• Quarry with one or two benches: a photo-based planning tool such as BlastMetriX plus a portable seismograph covers the main risks at a modest scale.
• Large open pit with a planning system already in place: choose the blast package from your planning vendor first (Maptek, Hexagon, Datamine or Deswik) so holes and surfaces do not have to be re-imported.
• Site tied to one explosives supplier: the supplier’s platform (Orica or Dyno Nobel) gives the tightest link between design and loading.
• Underground mine: check ring and face design first, and whether designs can be exported to your drill rigs (Deswik UGDB lists IREDES export).
• Neighbours close by: add vibration and airblast monitoring regardless of what else you buy.

Blast monitoring: what gets measured and the limits that apply

Blast monitoring usually means recording ground vibration and airblast (air overpressure) with seismographs at the nearest homes or structures, then keeping a record for each shot. Monitoring software pulls those readings together with the blast design, so a reading can be traced back to charge weights and delays.

Chart

Airblast limit by measuring-system response

Maximum level in dB peak at a dwelling, US surface coal mines

Chart

Maximum ground vibration at a dwelling, by distance from the blast

Peak particle velocity limit in inches per second, US surface coal mines

In the United States, the federal rule for surface coal mines, 30 CFR 816.67, sets numbers many operators design to. States and other mining sectors set their own limits, so check the rule that covers your permit.

Ground vibration: peak particle velocity (PPV, the speed at which the ground moves) at a dwelling may not exceed 1.25 in/s within 300 ft of the blast, 1.00 in/s from 301 to 5,000 ft and 0.75 in/s beyond 5,000 ft. Velocity is recorded in three perpendicular directions, and a seismographic record is required for each blast.

Airblast: the limit is 134 dB peak for a system measuring down to 0.1 Hz, 133 dB at 2 Hz, 129 dB at 6 Hz, or 105 dBC with C-weighted slow response where the regulator approves it.

Flyrock: it may not travel more than half the distance to the nearest dwelling, or beyond the permit boundary. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) calls flyrock the most dangerous side effect of a surface coal blast, and says the blaster is responsible for controlling flyrock, vibration, airblast and fumes (OSMRE, Blasting). It also notes that people can feel vibration at about 2% of the legal limit, so a legal blast can still draw complaints.

Without monitoring: operators may instead limit the charge fired in any 8-millisecond period using the scaled-distance equation W = (D/Ds)², where W is pounds of explosive, D is the distance in feet to the nearest protected structure and Ds is a factor the regulator approves, starting at 50, 55 or 65 depending on distance. The calculator below applies that equation.

Check the allowable charge per delay

Enter the distance to the nearest protected structure, the scaled-distance factor and the charge you plan to fire in one 8 ms window. The result shows the allowable charge under the formula and how much of it you use. It is a check on arithmetic only. Your blasting plan and the regulator’s approved values decide what applies.

Chart

Allowable charge per 8 ms delay without seismic monitoring

Pounds of explosive, scaled-distance factor 50 to 300 ft and 55 from 301 ft

What to ask a vendor before you buy

1. Which drill navigation systems and seismograph file formats does it import today, and which need a custom connector?
2. Can it export a shot record that shows each reading, the charge per delay and the design version, in the format your regulator accepts?
3. Does it work offline in the pit and sync later?
4. Who owns the data, and can you export it in an open format such as CSV if you leave?
5. Which modules can you license on their own, and what do training and support cost per site?
6. Can the vendor name a mine of similar size and explosives supplier that uses it, and will it let you speak to that mine?

Ask for a trial on one of your own recent shots. A product that imports your real drill file and reproduces a shot you already fired will tell you more than a demo.

Where blast software sits among mining software

Searches for mining software cover several unrelated categories: geological modelling and mine planning, fleet management, maintenance and tool tracking, and drill and blast. Blast software normally reads its surfaces and block model from the planning system. Maptek Vulcan, for example, is sold for 3D mine planning and geological modelling (Maptek Vulcan), and Dassault Systemes sells GEOVIA Surpac for the same job (GEOVIA Surpac). That is why major planning vendors such as Maptek, Hexagon, Datamine and Deswik all appear in this comparison.

Before you pick any blast package, list what it must connect to: the planning system, the drill rig navigation, the explosives supplier’s systems and the seismograph. Gaps between those systems are where hand copying creates errors. For the wider safety side of a mine, see our guide to mining safety systems.

▶ A short Farmonaut video on why mine teams keep maps, samples and targets in one place. · 3:21

Where satellite data fits before the drill

Blast software starts after drilling is planned. Deciding where to drill in the first place is an exploration question. Farmonaut does not design or monitor blasts. It screens licence areas from satellite data to rank exploration targets, ahead of a resource estimate and before ground work; see satellite-based mineral detection. For the cost side of the drill program that follows, our guide to diamond drilling companies, permits and costs covers contractor choice. To discuss a licence area, use the mining quote form or contact us.

▶ How satellite layers rank where to drill first on a licence area. · 1:46

Frequently asked questions

What is the best drill and blast software?

There is no single best product. Pick by job: design (SHOTPlus, BlastLogic, DataBlast Pro, Deswik OPDB or UGDB), field data and reporting (BlastIQ, Nobel Fire), photo-based planning (BlastMetriX), fragmentation (FRAGTrack, PortaMetrics) and monitoring (Instantel). Start with the tool that connects to your planning system and explosives supplier.

What does drill and blast software do?

It lays out holes, records what was actually drilled, calculates charges and delay timing, and compares the result with the plan. Many packages also produce the dip, backfill and charge sheets crews use on the bench and the shot records regulators ask for.

Is blast monitoring software the same as a seismograph?

No. A seismograph such as the Micromate Plus records vibration, noise and airblast at a location. Software then ties each reading to the blast design, the charge per delay and the permit limit.

What are the vibration limits for blasting?

For US surface coal mining, 30 CFR 816.67 sets PPV limits of 1.25, 1.00 and 0.75 in/s by distance band, and airblast limits from 129 to 134 dB peak depending on the measuring system. Other sectors and states have different limits, so check your permit.

Can fragmentation be measured automatically?

Yes. Camera systems such as FRAGTrack and PortaMetrics estimate rock size distribution from images, and FragMetriX does it from photogrammetric 3D models. Results depend on image quality and on how the system handles fine material, so compare against a screening test on your own rock.

How is allowable charge per delay calculated?

Under the scaled-distance method in 30 CFR 816.67, W = (D/Ds)², with W in pounds per 8 ms period and D in feet. At 1,000 ft with a factor of 55, that gives about 331 lb. The regulator must approve the factor.

Do small quarries need dedicated blast software?

Not always. A quarry with a few benches can run on a photo-based planning tool and a seismograph. Dedicated management platforms pay off when several crews, rigs and shots a week create a data-handling problem.

Which drill and blast software works underground?

Of the pages reviewed here, Deswik UGDB is the one that describes underground ring and face design. DataBlast Pro’s documentation covers open-pit work. Ask any other vendor to show an underground design before you buy.

Does drill and blast software include a mine safety function?

Partly. Firing modules can show flyrock ranges and scaled depth of burial, and digital records support permit-to-blast checks. Exclusion zones, evacuation and misfire procedures still depend on site procedures and the regulator.

How much does drill and blast software cost?

Vendors in this comparison do not publish price lists on the pages we reviewed. Expect licence, training and support to be quoted per site, and ask for a written quote for the modules you need.