Archives: Explosives and blasting

“We are showing what technology can do today.” These were the words Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, during the Capital Markets Day in Tampere, Finland, last week when describing the launch of Sandvik’s latest battery-electric concept surface drill rig. This rig is representative of more than just technological advances in the[…]

The safety and environmental advantages of dual salt emulsions are gaining more attention from the mining sector as companies pursue more ambitious environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, according to BME Global Product Manager, Dr Rakhi Pathak. Pathak says dual salt emulsions have proven themselves as less harmful in terms of potential nitrate contamination and[…]

Normet has introduced its latest innovation in improving operator safety underground – Charmec Revo – which it describes as a revolution in underground explosives charging. The system involves a remote-controlled robotic arm which places the initiating system into the borehole and, in conjunction with the emulsion kit, dispenses emulsion, allowing the operator to remain in[…]

Earlier this month, the Las Bambas copper mine, operated by MMG, initiated the pre-commissioning stage of its new integrated remote operations centre (IROC) in Lima, to remotely manage its mine operations located in Apurimac. This was a big step for the operation and for mining in Peru, as the facility is the first of its kind in[…]

Olitek Mining Robotics says it has reached an important milestone in its Remote Charge-up Unit (RCU) project with the dispatch of a RCU to Newmont’s Cadia operation in New South Wales, Australia. The RCU uses robust mining robotics and a modified Volvo Construction Equipment wheeled excavator platform to enable full face charge-up from the safety[…]

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Orica have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore potential opportunities for collaboration on emission-reduction initiatives, aligned with Orica and MHI’s shared decarbonisation ambitions. The collaboration will leverage MHI’s reputation for manufacturing excellence and innovation, as well as Orica’s existing presence and emerging opportunities in the global renewable hydrogen[…]

MACA says the first of six Sandvik DR410i rotary blasthole drill rigs has arrived at the Gruyere gold mine as part of a complete replacement of an ageing mixed fleet at the open-pit operation. This compact yet imposing rig boasts a single pass depth of 14 m and capacity for holes some 32.3 m deep,[…]

The latest addition to Orica Digital Solution’s range of fragmentation analysis technology, FRAGTrack™ GeoSpatial it says is an industry-first innovation “that unlocks unprecedented insights by automatically georeferencing samples, correlating blast design and orebody information to blasting performance.” A key metric for drill and blast performance is the fragmentation particle size distribution (PSD) at the muckpile.[…]

Orica has announced that its lead-free detonator Exel™ Neo is ready for delivery, with the first orders shipped from its production facility in Sweden on November 21. Orica announced the launch of Exel™ Neo non-electric detonator range in September 2023, to address the market need for environmentally friendly initiation systems. The Neo range of Exel™ non-electric[…]

IMDEX is looking to upend the standard drill and blast process with IMDEX BOLT™, a production hole survey tool for underground applications measuring blast hole deviation using a north seeking gyro. IMDEX Commercial Manager – Underground Survey Applications, Mike Ayris, has been promoting the importance of surveying blast holes since he founded Downhole Surveys (DHS)[…]