In 2010, sales of Immersive Technologies’ Advanced Equipment Simulators were near the record level experienced in 2008, 25% of these being for the new generation PRO3 launched towards the end of 2010.

As mining companies recover from the impact of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), their focus has centred on  improving their operations. Immersive Technologies’ leading Advanced Equipment Simulators and supporting services are in high demand around the world as a proven means to substantially increase operator safety and mine site profitability.

Peter Salfinger, Chief Executive Officer for Immersive Technologies said, “We are very pleased to once again see such high demand for our products and services, in particular, for the new PRO3. Feedback from miners, who have trialled it, has been fantastic, with the advancements in visual realism and equipment accuracy being noted as important factors in increasing training effectiveness and retention.”

“The strong sales figures we have seen during 2010 continue to demonstrate the growing acceptance of simulator training across the mining industry and its ability to significantly increase site safety and profitability,” said Salfinger.

The PRO3 simulator builds upon the strong success of its predecessor, the AES Series 2B, which has become the global industry standard in mining simulator training over the past eleven years, with hundreds of units now located across 29 countries.

The PRO3 sets a new industry benchmark with its next-generation technology, the result of extensive R&D combined with wide-ranging customer and Original Equipment Manufacturer consultation and feedback.

Salfinger continued, “Interestingly, the majority of our first PRO3 simulators have been sold to existing long-term customers who see the new technology as a way of expanding upon the positive results they have already experienced to date.”

“We were pleased to recently commission the first PRO3 simulator in Queensland Australia for a major international mining company and look forward to commissioning our other recent PRO3 sales in Canada, Chile, Indonesia, Peru, United States of America and Zambia shortly.”

2010 also saw Immersive Technologies launch the UG360 simulator, specifically designed for training underground equipment operators; the technology includes a range of specialised features to support the unique operating conditions of subsurface mining.

Strong support for the UG360 has already been demonstrated with the most recent sale going to underground contractor Barminco Ltd.

In addition, two underground mining customers in Australia have previously acquired these simulators and have since incorporated them into their operator training programs. These include a leading copper miner in northern Queensland and large nickel producer in Western Australia.

Immersive Technologies’ exclusive alliances with leading OEMs including Caterpillar, Komatsu, Hitachi, Liebherr and P&H Mining Equipment, were noted by Barminco as key, sale selection criteria to ensure Immersive access to necessary OEM technical information not available through other public, or dealer channels.

Immersive Technologies is pleased with the results from 2010 and notes that the positive trend looks set to continue this year. Preliminary sales figures are positioning the company for further growth during 2011.