In its just released HY2020 results presentation, Orica says it is progressing with its underground automation program. The global explosives and blasting leader reports that it has already conducted successful trials of a fully mechanised and semi-automated (teleremote) drawpoint hang-up blasting solution which was described as a customer-led technology collaboration.
The trial saw an advanced MacLean Blockholer, BH3, attached with MacLean’s latest Ore Flow Innovation, Auto Explosive Loader (AEL) for loading wireless charge, and equipped with teleremote control successfully load Orica WebGen™ wireless initiating systems and explosives at Newcrest’s Cadia East underground panel cave gold mine in New South Wales. The solution eliminates exposure risk to employees by removing them completely while also improving production rates. Newcrest stated: “With the WebGen wireless technology, the teleremote unit is able to clear drawpoint hang ups in a single pass without placing people in high risk situations.”
Orica CEO and MD Alberto Calderon stated in the investor presentation call: “A customer-led collaboration between Newcrest, Orica and Maclean Engineering successfully applied the WebGen wireless technology to develop a tele-remote solution to safely remove human exposure and bring down block drawpoints and block cave mines. That is a reality. Hang-up blasting is a major challenge for block and sublevel cave minings, where up to 30% of all draw points can be unavailable due to oversize material and explosives, employees and equipment during removal. The size of this problem we are solving for here in block and sublevel caving mines is significant. In one particular mine, I can think of, they have approximately 6,000 blocked draw points each year, 4,000 of which require blasting to open up. In a positive step forward, trials were successfully completed in March this year with the first fully mechanised draw point hang-up blasting solutions at Newcrest Cadia mine in New South Wales, Australia, demonstrating the capability of drilling and charging up to 8 holes remotely using WebGen wireless technology.”
He adds: “For Newcrest, this has improved safety dramatically with no need to tie in detonators and eliminating exposure risk to employees. It has also improved production rates and enable full automation through remote management of ore hang-ups and oversized rocks.”
