EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING

Optimal blasting

The key players are so much more than

bulk explosives suppliers but increasingly
offer miners state of the art blasting
optimisation, monitoring and planning,
reports Paul Moore

s the world’s largest provider of the value that digitally enabled blasting can The new Orica Bulkmaster™ 7 BlastIQ™

A commercial explosives and innovative

blasting systems, Orica told IM that it
“has a vision to transform how drill and blast is
deliver to the global mining industry. Building
on more than 140 years of experience and
innovation in blasting, we have enhanced our
enabled delivery system on site

Optimised blast designs are developed using

used to unlock mining value, utilising digital
and automated technologies to create safer, and
more productive blast outcomes for customers.”
At the core of this vision is the digital
transformation of the blasting process, where
rock recognition informs intelligent and dynamic
blasting to deliver predictable and consistent
outcomes. The downstream impact of variable
and poorly controlled blast outcomes today
impact as much as 80% of the Total Cost of
Operation of a mine. This presents an enormous
opportunity to deliver value to the industry with
intelligent, data driven blasting optimisation
technology.
Orica will soon release its next generation
BlastIQ™ Platform, the latest version of its
cloud-based platform designed specifically to
optimise blasting outcomes by integrating data
and insights from digitally connected
technologies at every stage of the drill and blast
process, driving continuous improvement for
customers.
Orica Chief Commercial Officer, Angus
Melbourne, describes how Orica believes that it
is leading the digital blasting transformation
with its next generation BlastIQ™ Platform,
saying: “Orica is uniquely positioned to unlock
ability to deliver value for customers by adding
world-class digital expertise and solutions to
our existing suite of market-leading products
and services.”
He adds: “The BlastIQ™ Platform will
enhance blast performance and outcomes for
customers by seamlessly connecting data
related to the entire drill and blast process
under a single platform, linking geoscientific,
blast modelling and design data with measured
field operations data, optimised blast delivery
and advanced learning for continuous
improvement.”
“A complete Blast Control solution, enabled
by BlastIQ™ delivers sustainable improvements
that reduces the overall cost of drill and blast
operations by eliminating rework, excess drilling
and explosives consumption, improves
productivity through autonomous and seamless
data transfer between blast engineers and field
crews, and facilitates regulatory compliance.
The information management component of the
platform allows blast engineers to collate data
from across the drill and blast process into a
secure, centralised online location to speed up
planning, analysis and auditing of blast data to
meet regulatory requirements.”
Orica’s market-leading SHOTPlus™ 3D design
software. SHOTPlus™, which has proven
capability to manage simple and complex blast
designs, integrates seamlessly with the
BlastIQ™ Platform, allowing blast loading
instructions and rules to be communicated to
the field “to ensure the right explosives are
used in the right place and initiated at the right
time, every time.”
Improved in-field blast quality control and
assurance is achieved using the new BlastIQ™
Mobile device, enabling the efficient capture of
auditable data direct from the bench. Blast hole
condition data is captured with the BlastIQ™
Mobile device in real-time, allowing data to be
shared between operations and engineering
personnel from anywhere on-site, empowering
rapid decision making and better operational
efficiencies.
“In a world-first for the industry, accuracy and
efficiency of explosives delivery is significantly
enhanced through the new BlastIQ™ enabled
delivery system, with loading and delivery to
design now fully integrated. Orica's Mobile
Manufacturing Unit (MMU™) delivery systems,
in particular the recently released Bulkmaster™
7 unit, can be integrated into BlastIQ to

00 International Mining | AUGUST 2018

 EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
wirelessly receive blast designs updated with
near real-time blast hole quality data, while on
bench. Using this data, Orica’s delivery systems
load the correct explosive type and quantity
according to the original design, adjusted based
on blast hole condition measurement and the
automated application of a defined set of rules
managed by the drill and blast engineer. This
unique, direct integration with the delivery
control system automates process control,
thereby eliminating interpretation and product
selection errors, and reduces overall loading
times.”
Where a BlastIQ™ enabled delivery system is
not available, a BlastIQ™ Mobile device can be
used to capture and record as-loaded data
during the delivery process, with the system still
updating instruction to the delivery system
operator based on updated processing of design
The Orica BlastIQ™ mobile interface on bench
and in-field hole condition measurement that
precedes loading.
Rounding out the Blast Control solution is the
powerful insights and analytics engine
incorporated into the BlastIQ™ platform. Data
is presented visually to the various users,
delivering insights and analytics to help the drill
and blast team seamlessly measure and
manage key blasting KPIs, thereby providing
them the tool to improving blasting outcomes.
In addition to the new functionality and
enhanced user experience in the next
generation BlastIQ™ Platform, a comprehensive
training, support and Customer Success
Program is being introduced. The program aims
to tailor each BlastIQ™ implementation specific
to a customer’s needs, increasing the speed of
implementation and importantly, maximising
customer’s productivity, cost reduction and
regulatory compliance.
Following sustained use at a selection of key
pilot sites around the world, the next generation
BlastIQ™ Platform will be officially released to
the market in the third quarter of 2018.
Multilingual support will be added by the end of
the year, as well as the addition of enhanced
functionality to support vibration control and
optimal fragmentation, by integrating third
party drilling and fragmentation data as well as
predictive modelling to deliver even greater
blast control.
Dyno centralises underground
blasting with BlastWeb
An underground mine was employing
conventional methods for the initiation of
multiple blasts but found the end of shift firing
requirements to be time consuming and
inefficient. There were also concerns about
00 International Mining | AUGUST 2018
employee safety when blasts had to be fired
from underground. To address these issues, the
mine was seeking a reliable, remote initiation
system that would ensure the safety of its
workforce by having the underground workings
clear of personnel prior to firing.
After speaking with Dyno Nobel, the mine
decided to implement BlastWeb, a centralised
blasting system that is specifically designed for
use in underground mining operations.
“BlastWeb allows reliable remote initiation of
development and production blasting from a
safe and controlled location underground or on
the surface. The blast areas can be completely
evacuated as no-one is required to be
underground for the blasting.”
This networking system can communicate on
multiple platforms such as WiFi, Ethernet,
copper, fibre and leaky feeder, easily adjusting
Dyno Nobel’s BlastWeb allows reliable remote initiation of development and production blasting from
a safe and controlled location underground or on the surface
to the mine’s needs. The heart of the system is
the Blast Control Unit (BCU), which can be
permanently installed in the mine a safe
distance from the blast. This control unit
communicates with surface blast controller that
sends the blast signal and the terminator, which
communicate firing readiness of the detonators
and protects the BCU during the blast. This
system can initiate both electronic detonators
and NONEL® detonators (using DriftShot
Starter) so the mine could use the detonators it
already had on hand.
In addition to the obvious safety benefits and
its communication capabilities, the other main
benefit of the system is a reduction in the blast
misfire rates. The mine is developing multiple
ore bodies over a vast area and across multiple
levels. Blasts are initiated at the end of shift
with multiple development headings and
production blasts fired across various levels and
areas of the mine. With a multitude of personnel
working over this vast area, blast clearances can
be difficult and time consuming. To combat this,
a radio based remote blasting system was
introduced some years ago to eliminate risks
involved with initiating blasts from an
underground firing location. The change
ensured the mine was able to only initiate
blasts once the tag board was completely
cleared and no personnel were left inside the
blast zones.
The old system was reliable, but without two-
way communication, positive confirmation of
initiation was impossible, particularly if multiple
headings were initiated simultaneously. Poor
radio frequency (RF) communication led to
numerous misfired headings that consequently
resulted in costly production delays. There were
also areas without radio based remote blasting
 EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
system RF reception that still had to be fired from
underground using conventional methods,
leaving personnel exposed to blasting activities.
There were two main project goals:
n The ability to fire all blasts from a central
location with the whole underground complex
cleared of personnel
n Minimise the rate of misfired blasts
“The basis of the BlastWeb system is to
enable firing of all underground blasts from a
safe, central location, nominally on the surface.
The system supports easy initiation of NONEL
detonators to fire development headings, as well
as initiating electronic detonators that are used
in more complex production blasts. To guarantee
robust communication, Ethernet was chosen as
the primary communication medium, rather than
conventional modems or RF Leaky Feeder. To
ensure a robust installation, the blast equipment
was permanently installed, powered directly from
mains with battery backup capability. This
utilization of permanently installed equipment
eliminated blast delays as the nature of portable
equipment makes them more susceptible to
damage during transport or failures due to
poorly maintained batteries. Primary fire lines
were specified to withstand normal abuse in
underground mining environment.”
After the initial infrastructure planning phase;
installation, commissioning and training was
completed within a month. Each Blast Control
Unit (BCU) has six channels that were terminated
in different locations allowing close access to
firing line connection points in nearby working
areas. Each channel has the ability to initiate 50
headings using electronic detonators.
Centralised blasting operations were to be
conducted from Mine Surface Control via PC-
based software.
The installation of BlastWeb allows the
reliable remote initiation of development and
production blasting from a safe and controlled
location. The communication platform allowed
for the mine to know the detonators were
connected and could be detonated once the blast
command was provided, avoiding any misfires.
The system is easy to use with a shallow learning
curve, which in turn supports blast crew
acceptance. Within weeks, the blast crews were
capable of operating the system without any
supervision.
As BlastWeb continuously scans the
installation, this allows operators in Mine
Surface Control to progressively identify which
areas are available for blasting end of shift. This
transparency of when headings are connected
assisted Mine Surface Control is assessing
blasting schedules in real time.
In the six months prior to the implementation
of BlastWeb, an analysis of the blasting data
showed that out of 961 blasts, 52 headings
00 International Mining | AUGUST 2018
misfired, a 5.4% misfire rate. In the six months
following the implementation of BlastWeb, out of
212 blasts fired with the system, there were no
misfires. These headings were all fired as
planned and on time from Mine Surface Control.
The results speak for themselves.
“Using centralised blasting equipment capable
of reliably initiating both NONEL and electronic
detonators has opened the door for continued
blast optimisation work to further improve
blasting practices and potentially improve mine
production.” In addition to using BlastWeb for
underground mining, Dyno Nobel has worked
with other mines to offer benefits such as
reducing overbreak and improving cycle
efficiencies with the use of its other underground
mining equipment and products: DYNOMINER
and TITAN 7000 RU with the application of Dyno
Nobel’s electronic detonators.
A series of development optimisation trials
were conducted at an underground silver, lead
and zinc mine. The mine evaluated various
elements of drilling and blast patterns in order to
establish standards to optimise the development
cycle. This included perimeter charging, drill and
charge designs utilising bulk emulsion and the
use of precision timing in both perimeter only
and full face development headings.
The trials were conducted in a controlled
environment with each introduction element
measured and validated against captured
benchmark practices, the resulting benefits were:
n 12% savings in direct development costs
n 13% reduction in the development cycle time
n Increased productivity to the development
schedule
n Improved standard in drilling practices
The optimal charge designs were achieved in
practice using DYNOMINER, underground bulk
delivery system, and TITAN 700 RU bulk
emulsion. String loading capabilities were
utilised to improve perimeter control, adjusting
the density to suit ground conditions. The use of
bulk emulsion also eliminated traditional manual
handling issues associated with the use of
specialised perimeter products.
“The application of electronic detonators
contributed to the success of the development
optimisation process. The precision timing
mitigated delay scatter while combining timing
flexibility and accuracy resulting in consistent
blasting outcomes. In the end the mine was able
to improve safety by eliminating manual handling
issues associated with cartridge products and
allowing for blasts to be initiated from a safe
location. Overbreak was reduced from 25% to 5%
creating a smooth profile and reducing radial
crack damage outside the perimeter. Reduced
explosive usage per face by 30%, a decrease in
cycle time of 13% increasing development
productivity help with the result of a 12% savings
in direct development costs.”
“The ability to remain sustainable in the face
of adversity and reap the benefits of improved
margins in favourable markets is dependent on
reducing the cost per meter of development.
Establishing standards and optimising the
various elements of drill and blast development
mining will assist to ensure best practices and
optimal cost positioning.”
Fortescue options for new contract
Dyno Nobel business has also recently been
awarded an explosives products and services
supply contract with Fortescue Metals Group
subsidiaries Chichester Metals Pty Ltd and FMG
Solomon Pty Ltd from July 2018 until December
2023. Differential Energy/Delta E and the
DigiShot Plus.4G electronic initiation system will
be among the innovative services provided to
Fortescue by Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific. “Delta E
ensures customers deliver the right amount of
energy to different layers of rock within a blast,
producing better fragmentation and reducing
overall mining cost for the customer. Dyno
Nobel’s customers in America using Delta E have
benefited from increased safety, significantly
reduced mining costs, and a reduced
environmental impact.”
The first of the new Delta E Mobile Processing
Units is currently in the final stages of
commissioning and will soon be transported to
Western Australia for use in the hard rock
market, with a further two units scheduled for
commissioning before the end of this calendar
year.
Digishot Plus 4.G is the next generation in
electronic initiation systems, which play an
integral part in reducing mine operation
downtime to the benefit of customers.
Cullinan goes centralised with BME
AXXIS
Petra Diamonds’ Cullinan mine is planning to
gain further improvements in safety, mining
efficiencies and productivity while reducing
mining costs, through the recent implementation
of BME’s AXXIS centralised blasting system
(CBS) across the underground operation.
The Centenary Cut project is rapidly ramping
up production and close to steady state full
production. The C-Cut supplemented by primarily
the CC1 East block will deliver the run-of-mine
(ROM) production and is expected to reach ±4
Mt/y from the 2019 financial year.
Johan Du Plooy, Drill and Blast Engineer at
Cullinan states: “Following a period of significant
investment by the Petra Diamonds Group with
expansion projects reaching end state and the
group now embarking on steady state
operations, a key strategic objective of Petra
Diamonds is to optimise value from its

Petra Diamonds’ Cullinan mine has deployed
BME’s AXXIS centralised blasting system (CBS)
across the underground operation
operations. By unlocking value during shift
changes and doing so safely and in a systematic,
controlled and consistent way assists in realising
this strategy.”
According to Neil Alberts, BME’s Product
Manager for Technology and Innovation,
engagement with Cullinan began as early as 2016
– when BME was finalising the development of
its AXXIS CBS – with the system’s first blast at
Cullinan being initiated in March 2018. “Based on
our market-leading AXXIS GII electronic
detonator, our CBS allows underground mining
operations to initiate blasts from a safe and
convenient place on surface,” says Alberts. “It
also features real-time local monitoring with
remote access monitoring capabilities with cloud
based data storage, greatly improving the pre-
blasting and post-blasting decision-making
process.”
A programme of trials was arranged between
Cullinan diamond mine and BME, to install the
CBS underground and run a series of field tests
in terms of the South African National Standard
SANS1717 for the design of detonator initiation
systems for mining and civil blasting
applications. A trial certificate from the
Inspection Authority was also secured, and
issued by the Department of Mineral Resources.
“When designing a centralised blasting system
solution, we studied not only South African
mining regulations but the requirements and
standards for other key mining markets – as the
system would need to be globally compliant,
offering a complete blasting solution,” asserts
Alberts.
The implementation of the CBS at the mine,
which began in December 2017, included
extensive engagement with internal and external
stakeholders. With safety as a key consideration,
the system offered improved control over
seismicity (where relevant) and reduced risks of
EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
underground employees coming into contact
with potentially harmful gases and fumes
emitted by explosives.
“In terms of the blasting itself, the CBS offered
a number of safety features,” he says. “Each
centralised control box is equipped with a unique
security key to prevent unauthorised access, and
the unit will not fire should a cable fault be
detected. Each unit is enclosed in a safe, quality
housing that complies with IP65 ingress
protection standards, and the system will not fire
if there is no uplink between the system
components.”
Says Du Plooy: “Similar to more conventional
mines that mine multiple narrow reefs on
different elevations simultaneously, Cullinan
Diamond Mine also exploit different mining
blocks within the sub-vertical kimberlite pipe
intrusion on different horizons across the pipe.
Mining blocks are remote and demands effort
and time to travel between them making any
localised blast system complex to manage, time
consuming and more prone to blast failures and
safety breaches.”
The use of AXXIS electronic detonators in
underground bulk mining – particularly where
the ring blasting method is employed – has a
number of benefits from a production
perspective.
“Electronic detonation improves the reliability
and the precision of the blast,” says Alberts.
“Blast reliability reduces the risk of ‘hang-ups’ in
the draw bell, as the system can check each
detonator remotely before the blast is initiated.
The precision of electronic detonators also
results in less damage to the hanging wall and
sidewalls, so the risk of unexpected
dislodgement from the rock mass after the blast
is significantly reduced.”
“Better rock fragmentation is another
important benefit, as this facilitates easier
loading and a smoother flow of ROM into the
crushing and milling circuit. The computerised
system also allows for post-blast evaluations and
pinpointing of possible problematic areas
underground. With the ability to thoroughly test
the complete blast circuit up to each detonator in
each blast area prior to the blast, it is expected
that blast events will consistently deliver the
expected results safely, every time, on time and
within a smaller window, allowing for shorter
shift changes and optimised value.”
Alberts highlighted the high level of
collaboration between the Cullinan Diamond
Mine and BME teams, who had to review a range
of obligations such as risk assessments, blasting
procedures, training material, change
management and legal compliance.
BME has also taken another important step in
internationalising its footprint by supplying its
market leading AXXIS electronic detonators to
customers in the United States. According to
BME Managing Director Joe Keenan, the company
is already active with shipments of AXXIS
detonators to customers in Atlanta and Texas,
and the introduction of a number of BME’s other
products and services is soon to follow.
“Our range of highly stable emulsion
formulations has also been approved by the
necessary authorities, and these will soon be
available to the US market,” said Keenan. “We
expect considerable interest from users and
distributors alike as we unveil our offerings to
this market.”
He highlighted that much of the anticipated
initial demand is likely to come from large
existing customers who have good experience of
working with BME in Africa and Australia – and
who also have operations in the US which could
benefit from BME’s offerings. Providing a base for
BME’s US presence is its recently opened offices
in Denver, Colorado.
“We expect that the powerful features of the
AXXIS system and its user-friendly interface are
going to prove as attractive to this new market as
they are in our existing markets,” he said. “Our
immediate plans for the US market are to
establish and develop our distribution network
for the AXXIS system and emulsion explosives –
to develop customer relationships in mining,
quarrying and construction.”
BME’s emulsion products – which have been
developed over the past three decades and have
proved highly successful – will be toll
manufactured in the US to BME’s specifications.
The company’s emulsion technology, production
capacity and customer service culture has made
it one of the largest explosives supplier to
Africa’s opencast mining sector.
BME’s AXXIS system – which has built a strong
customer base in the mining sectors of Africa and
Australia especially – has been behind the
world’s largest surface blasts, measured by the
number of electronic detonators fired in a single
blast. At Zambia’s Kansanshi mine – the largest
copper mine in Africa – 6,690 electronic delay
AUGUST 2018 | International Mining 00
 EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
detonators were successfully initiated in one
blast last year using AXXIS. Electronic detonation
has become increasing popular due to its
reliability, accuracy and flexibility, making
blasting practice more predictable and allowing
for larger and more cost-effective blasts.
AEL DigiDet™ ST bridges the
detonator divide
The new DigiDet™ ST from AEL Mining Services
the company says is “unprecedented in the
detonator market” and exemplifies AEL’s
Intelligent Blasting engineering and design
excellence through its achievement of precision
initiation. “In line with AEL’s spirit of innovation,
the DigiDet™ ST detonator sets the benchmark
for a game changing breakthrough in the initiator
industry.”
“AEL prides itself on pushing the frontiers of
explosive technology and has subsequently
ensured its resilience into the next decade with
an offering that bridges the detonator divide.
Equipped with industry knowledge and
capability, AEL identified a gap in the segment
between Shock Tube and electronic detonator
offerings. It is to this end that DigiDet™ ST has
been developed to address the market need and
as such, elevates initiation systems to new
technological levels.”
The DigiDet™ ST is a hybrid detonator
designed to be half electronic and half
pyrotechnic. The electronic half which is
contained in-hole, delivers a firing accuracy that
is not possible with existing Shock Tube
technology. The DigiDet™ ST transforms the
Shock Tube from an in-hole pyrotechnic delay
element to an electronic module, with a
significantly improved timing accuracy removing
the threat of out-of-sequence firing. The
DigiDet™ ST is functionally similar to a standard
Shock Tube, however, its energy source is
contained within the detonator itself. “As an
industry first, DigiDet™ ST is the first detonator
to be developed with a pin cell battery which
provides a standalone energy source.”
The advent of DigiDet™ ST is as a result of
pursuing a means to eliminate the inherent
scatter found in conventional Shock Tube. Scatter
causes the out-of-sequence firing of charged
blast holes which results in adverse blast
outcomes such as poor fragmentation, incorrect
muckpile profile or more serious repercussions
such as fly rock and excessive blast vibrations. It
is expected that the DigiDet™ ST will service
both surface and underground markets where
users are price sensitive and resource
constrained but are committed to safer, more
optimal blast outcomes.
The DigiDet™ ST is predicated upon safety
being one of its fundamental pillars; the
countdown mode is only engaged once a number
00 International Mining | AUGUST 2018
AEL identified a gap in training requirements. This new technology
the market between
Shock Tube and bridges tried and tested application with more
electronic detonator robust, safer and accurate technology to achieve
offerings that is filled better blasting outcomes both on surface and
by DigiDet™ ST
underground.”
of events are
triggered within the Enaex grows presence in Peru
specified time frame. Enaex recently acquired 70% of the Cachimayo
Failing which, the plant, the only ammonium nitrate plant in Peru.
energy source will The plant belongs to the Gloria Group, one of the
drain and the largest conglomerates in the country. “This
detonator will be purchase will help to form a strategic alliance
unable to fire. with the Peruvian holding –which will continue to
“The existing be part of this company, in order to develop a
Shock Tube user will roadmap, make investments and direct the
not physically see growth of Industrias Cachimayo, while offering
any difference in the our international experience here at Enaex.”
application of the Juan Eduardo Errázuriz, Chairman of the Board
product, but rather stated: “Our purchase of Cachimayo is an
realise a significant important milestone for Enaex, as it reflects the
difference in the company’s ongoing interest in providing its
blast outcome which clients with added value and consolidating itself
facilitates the in the international markets. We believe it is
downstream extremely important to continue to position
activities of load and ourselves in the Peruvian market, which has
haul, comminution experienced significant growth during the last
and beneficiation. This is critical, as few years, and what better decision than to do so
fragmentation, environmental concerns, at the hand of the Gloria Group, one of the
increased quality in hanging wall conditions, largest conglomerates in Peru.”
improved advance rates and reduced support The alliance between Enaex and the Gloria
costs are all influential in the operational Group “is part of our strategy to position
efficiency of a mine.” ourselves as one of the greatest ammonium
AEL told IM: “This advance couldn’t have come nitrate producers in the world. Under the
at a more opportune time as our customers are direction of Enaex Peru, this agreement seeks to
exploring and seeking to adopt new technologies develop three pillars. The company’s people: the
that enable safer, more environmentally and objective here is to foster the talent and market
economically sustainable mining practices. With knowledge of the Cachimayo workers, as well as
AEL’s innovation of DigiDet™ ST, users will now to create new positions. Infrastructure: we expect
realize cost savings without the need for to make significant investments in order to
significant change management, procurement of expand production capacity. Safety and
expensive control equipment or added onerous Environment: To guarantee the best working
An exclusive first look at the Enaex Mine-iTruck, a mobile manufacturing unit using teleoperation and
autonomous features that operate the vehicle autonomously inside an open pit mine

conditions and meet the highest environmental
standards, with the goal of achieving sustainable
growth that is in sync with the communities.”
Industrias Cachimayo has a production
capacity of 35,000 t/y of ammonium nitrate. The
company, which is located in Cuzco, began its
operations in 1962 and currently operates with
one of the main mining companies in the region.
In line with its international growth plans, late
last year Enaex also completed the construction
of a bulk emulsion plant in Salt Lake City, Utah. A
team of Chilean and American professionals
finished the construction in record time thanks to
the team’s effort and commitment. “This is a
major step in the company’s expansion into one
of the world’s most competitive markets,
enhancing its global presence and its capacity to
provide innovative solutions using cutting-edge
technologies.”
Finally, Enaex is also working on a new blast
performance suite that will help achieve the best
blasting performance and will be capable of
“talking” to all relevant equipment in the Enaex
group, adding value in every blast for mining
clients. In this way the RoboMiner® and Mine-
iTruck® and Davey Bickford Evolution plus Davey
Bickford Wireless Electronic Detonators, will
together secure the safest and best possible
blasting solution.
And on innovation…
Miguel Ángel Peña, Vice-President of Innovation
and Start-Ups of Enaex was part of the team
responsible for the RoboMiner® and Mine-iTruck®
and was interviewed internally for a Q&A article
recently. He had this to say: “RoboMiner® and
Mine-iTruck® form part of an integrated system;
therefore, what is most relevant is that they can
converse between each other. They have to
speak together to be able to properly position all
the elements of fragmentation…the same as a
truck driver or a floor assistant would do in a
traditional case. They have to look at each other
and have a dialogue. RoboMiner® and Mine-
iTruck® are going to have this dialogue, with
information that they each give to each other,
with positioning, and that is a tremendous
asset.”
The integration between the equipment is key.
“A piece of equipment that does not know how to
interact…is no use, no matter how good it is”.
This is because the projection towards the future
is that Enaex equipment is going to perform in an
ecosystem of telecommanded equipment that
will integrate functions of all types, including
drilling, blasting and rock fragmentation,
amongst others. “What we are doing today is to
visualise that complex process, in a way to be
able to make equipment that is compatible with
that type of operation,” adds Marco Ruiz.
“Today’s challenge is to be capable of having
EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
various vehicles working together in a manner to
complete a specific task and being managed
from an administration office located in another
place. That is what we are trying to achieve with
Mine-iTruck®,” complements Cory Rowe, Product
Manager of ASI Robots, strategic partners in the
development of Mine-iTruck®. “The manual
dexterity and fine movements is one of the
technological challenges that are seen
everywhere. Now we invest a lot of time in
pouring the know-how of our operators into the
robot development equipment, so that we can
understand the movement mechanics in
manipulating the elements”, says Ruiz. “To make
packets of functions and automate them is one of
the things that we are achieving with this
equipment.”
The Mine-iTruck is a form of mobile
manufacturing unit, using teleoperation and
autonomous features that operate the vehicle
autonomously inside an open pit mine. This
development is part of an ecosystem of
teleoperation and autonomous units that will
allow Enaex to improve workers’ safety by using
technology to perform tasks on risky mine
environments from a safe location.
“What is really fascinating and very unique
about the RoboMiner® system is that it is
capable of making a manipulation with great
dexterity in a telecommanded form”,
complements Zak Weiler, Business
Development Manager of SRI International.
“The operation of taking a cable to prepare a
blast requires much skill, and it is even difficult
for a human; then to have a robotic system that
is capable of doing that has been a challenge
with regard to which we have significantly
advanced and we are very proud of what we
have achieved together.”
MAXAM sees mines as a circuit
In April this year, at a special conference event
for customers in Madrid, MAXAM presented its
vision of mining operations as a circuit in which
MAXAM recently presented its vision of mining operations as a circuit in which around 80% of costs
are linked to energy consumption
around 80% of costs are linked to energy
consumption. “From this perspective, intelligent
design and application of energy material during
blasting can generate savings of up to 30% in the
rest of the operation, from the loading of blasted
material through to its transport, comminution or
processing.”
“Our knowledge of the different possibilities in
terms of applying the energy material and the
impact that a well-designed blast can have on
the rest of the operation let us work even more
closely with our customers, analyse their specific
goals and develop tailor-made solutions to
achieve them. MAXAM hopes to use the event to
explain the value of technical knowledge and the
options it opens up in reducing the total cost of
operation", explained Vicente Huélamo, Director
of the Technical Applications Department.
One of the most innovative solutions
developed by the company is its RIOSENSOR.
This is a device designed by the company's
technicians to identify and measure deviations in
blastholes before proceeding with the blast. It
means corrections can be carried out or the
effects of deviations on the final result can be
anticipated, therefore improving operational
productivity.
MAXAM also used the event to present its
work alongside one of the world's most
technically demanding clients on a copper
project in Asia. This work has involved the two
companies collaborating in implementing a new
way to carry out development blasts, ie those
which are used to reach the ore by constructing
infrastructure such as tunnels. Thanks to loading
product with two different densities for the
contour and the advance, MAXAM obtained
faster progress with greater control. This resulted
in cost savings by reducing the damage caused
to the edges of the galleries by 50%, along with
significant improvements in safety. In total,
nearly 500 km of tunnels have been built in this
emblematic project.
Other solutions include the X-COPTER, a drone
AUGUST 2018 | International Mining 00
 EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING

designed especially for mining and quarrying.

Equipped with cameras and gas sensors, the X-
COPTER allows users to check the safety of the
site before and after blasting and measure
aspects such as the level of fragmentation of the
terrain and the volume of material generated.
MAXAM also showcased RIOFLEX, its high
energy, robust and flexible density bulk product
“that achieves excellent performance in all types
of rocks and multiple applications, minimising
the total cost of ownership due to the savings in
the drilling and blasting application and the
whole value chain of the mine as a result of a
better fragmentation. RIOFLEX technology has
been tested in more than 140 sites in 25
countries, becoming a benchmark for customers
looking to improve the productivity of their
mines, quarries and infrastructure projects.”

EPC brought blast to life at Hillhead partnership with Datum Monitoring Services, EPC-UK showcased its innovative EPC-Metrics
EPC-UK, part of EPC Groupe and a market leader aims to facilitate the immediate access of event service at the Hillhead quarrying and mining
show
in the manufacture, storage and distribution of data, via state-of-the-art fixed monitoring
commercial explosives, was “bringing the blast stations, removing the need to travel to and from
to life” at this year’s Hillhead, thanks to the a monitoring location, and the time-consuming
latest Augmented Reality technology. A manual download of results in the field. The
combination of Virtual Reality and the real world, advanced monitoring stations incorporate a GSM
Augmented Reality (AR) takes the form of live modem for wireless data transmission, together
video imagery, which is enhanced with computer with the option for solar power, enabling the
generated graphics, immersing the user in a service to be used even in the most remote of
specific environment – for example in a quarry locations.
whilst a blast is being conducted. The state-of- “We have been successfully providing
the-art technology also adds labels, captions and traditional blast monitoring services for a while,
other helpful overlays to the user’s view, making but EPC-Metrics takes this offering to another
it an ideal teaching tool. level,” continues Williams. “A fixed monitoring
Ben Williams, Managing Director of EPC-UK: location provides a consistent point of reference
“It has a number of practical applications, the for reliable results, whilst the real-time
most important of which is training. Within our transmission of data saves our customers both
industry it is extremely difficult to realistically time and resources as they no longer have to
recreate certain scenarios, from both an produce this information on site. The service
economical and safety standpoint. However, AR offers users a more efficient way of monitoring
is changing this. It is enabling us to take learning blast vibration and air over-pressure, aiding the
out of the classroom and into the quarry – tracking of compliance and providing a greater
virtually. There are limitations, but AR will allow understanding of site characteristics.” IM
students to learn at their own pace, giving them
the ability to rewind training videos to help aid
the retention of information. Students and
operatives-in-training have the opportunity to
learn so much and become better prepared for
working safely in a real quarry environment once
theoretical training is at an appropriate level.” He
added: “Back onsite, we have found it to be an
invaluable technological addition, that’s given us
a true advantage when it comes to keeping
operatives safe and enhancing our industry
expertise. It is showing itself to be a tremendous
developmental aid, with the capacity to
demonstrate safer working practice to countless
operatives.”
Alongside the AR demonstrations, EPC-UK
showcased its innovative EPC-Metrics service.
Launched last year, the service, developed in

00 International Mining | AUGUST 2018