Dyno Nobel, the global supplier of commercial explosives, has partnered with its joint venture, DetNet, to bring another innovative solution to underground development blasting. The DriftShot electronic initiation system is the newest addition to the Dyno Nobel electronic initiation system suite. DriftShot provides the underground blaster with the advantage of electronic initiation while retaining the easy tie-in characteristics similar to the NONEL initiation system. DriftShot was designed specifically to provide an easy-to-use and reliable electronic initiation system. Dyno Nobel states: “Its electronic accuracy can help deliver such benefits as better advance rates and improved wall stability. DriftShot has flexible timing options that assist in providing more consistent fragmentation and reduced overbreak as part of optimising underground development blasting.”

Pat Nill, Global General Manager Electronics, says, “We’re excited to be introducing DriftShot to the Dyno Nobel family of electronic initiation systems. Mines around the world want the benefit of electronic timing accuracy in development blasting that is also easy to use. We worked with our joint venture partner, DetNet, to develop a solution that is just that. DriftShot detonators are pre-numbered, much like NONEL, so they are easy to deploy, reducing training time and also bringing electronic accuracy.”

The company adds: “Dyno Nobel has made a commitment to safety and strives for zero harm for everyone, everywhere. In line with this commitment the Blast Control Unit for DriftShot enables blast initiation from a remote and safe location though a coded signal and has the ability to work on multiple communication backbones.” It has a smart key, and a password is required to help assure safety and security. The DriftShot initiation system was designed with easy to use timing templates for the blaster, which can also be customised for specific applications. The Blast Control Unit allows for up to 200 detonators per channel to be fired. DriftShot also offers minimal components at the face—just the electronic DriftShot detonator in the borehole and a two-wire busline. The DriftShot Tagger is a handheld device that communicates with detonators and collects data. The Tagger identifies and tests each detonator contained in the blast. Furthermore, the Tagger has easy to use menus, is fast, and user friendly. “DriftShot is an excellent solution for precision blasting in underground mining development”, says the company.