Mining laboratories operate in high-volume environments where accuracy, traceability, and quality control are critical. OnLIMS helps laboratories manage the complexities of modern industrial mining.
Operational Capabilities
- Sample Tracking Full chain of custody from field collection to analytical results.
- High-Throughput Workflows Optimized for thousands of samples per batch with minimal administrative overhead.
- Geochemical Specialization Support for complex assay and geochemical analytical methods.
- Instrument Integration Real-time serial (RS232) and file-based parsers (CSV/TXT/XML) for automated data capture from AAS, ICP-OES/MS, XRF, LECO and balances.
- Multi-site Operations Centralized management with local-first availability for remote mine sites.
The system provides complete visibility into laboratory operations, helping laboratories improve efficiency while maintaining strict QA/QC standards. OnLIMS transforms raw analytical data into trusted operational intelligence.
Two job models for exploration and production
A mining laboratory rarely runs one kind of work. Exploration campaigns arrive as large, finite sets of drill-core samples; plant and production monitoring arrives as a steady cadence of routine points. OnLIMS models both explicitly, so registration, scheduling and reporting fit the work rather than forcing it into a single template.
- Batch jobs A fixed count of samples, each with a unique ID per drill-core sample — built for geological exploration and high-volume assay campaigns.
- Routine jobs Fixed sampling points scheduled by date and time — built for plant and production monitoring where the same points are sampled on a cycle.
- Fire assay & multi-element Captures fire assay results alongside multi-element packages from AAS, ICP-OES/MS, XRF, LECO C/S and Hg, titrators and balances — 150+ instruments via serial (RS232) and file-based (CSV/TXT/XML) parsers.
- Controlled lifecycle Every sample moves through Pending → Ready → Approved → Published, locking on publish under supervisor control, with a full field-level audit trail (old value, new value, user, timestamp).
- QA/QC in the run OnQC interprets CRMs, blanks, duplicates and controls using Shewhart, X-Control, CUSUM and Thompson-Howarth charts, with duplicate range and precision plots; an out-of-limit result requires a justification note before it can be accepted.
From the mine site to the Certificate of Analysis
Remote mine-site laboratories often work far from reliable connectivity. Because OnLIMS is zero-install and delivered through Citrix or RDS against cloud-hosted Microsoft SQL Server, a thin-client session is all a remote site needs — analysts work the same screens as the central lab without moving large datasets over the link. Active Directory single sign-on and role-based access (Administrator, Manager, Supervisor, Technician, Client) apply consistently across every site, and multi-database selection at login keeps separate operations cleanly partitioned.
Chain of custody is preserved end to end. From field registration through the controlled lifecycle, each result is traceable to its sample, instrument and analyst. On publish, OnLIMS generates the Certificate of Analysis automatically and exposes read-only results to clients through the LabData portal. Data leaves the laboratory cleanly: crosstab views, exports to CSV/TXT/XLSX/XML, and ERP and historian integration via file or ODBC export (SAP, Oracle, PI), with work-unit cost tracking for the accounting side of the operation.
Frequently asked questions
How does OnLIMS handle drill-core exploration samples versus plant production samples?
OnLIMS uses two job models. Batch jobs handle a fixed count of samples with unique IDs per drill-core sample, suited to geological exploration campaigns. Routine jobs handle fixed sampling points scheduled by date and time, suited to plant and production monitoring.
Can OnLIMS operate at remote mine sites with limited bandwidth?
Yes. OnLIMS is zero-install and runs through Citrix or RDS against cloud-hosted Microsoft SQL Server, so remote and low-bandwidth mine sites work over a thin-client session rather than transferring large datasets. Active Directory single sign-on and role-based access apply across sites.
How does OnLIMS maintain chain of custody through to the Certificate of Analysis?
Samples follow a controlled lifecycle from Pending to Ready, Approved and Published. Results lock on publish under supervisor control, with a full field-level audit trail recording old and new values, user and timestamp. Certificates of Analysis are generated automatically from the published data.
Related: QA/QC for mining labs · Assay management