Archives: Explosives and blasting

Leading Caterpillar dealer WesTrac has joined long-term customer and leading global mining contractor Thiess in celebrating an autonomous drilling record set at BHP’s Mt Arthur South coal operation in New South Wales where Thiess supplies a full range of mining services. The milestone of one million metres drilled autonomously was reached last month using a[…]

Ausdrill is bringing One Touch drilling to its Rock Commander blasthole fleet, in the process creating a future where drilling can be optimised for efficiency and precision with minimal manual intervention. The company, part of Perenti, said the innovative technology is set to transform the way it drills, and the way its operators work. With[…]

Epiroc says its SmartROC C50 will now be available with a choice of two feeds, the standard feed or a long feed, allowing the drill rig to deliver even more metres per shift. This rig combines high penetration rates with superior hole quality – even in the most challenging conditions, the company claims. The long[…]

The development of tunnels is one of the main challenges in underground operations. In unstable ground conditions, most fortification methods are applied post-advancement. These traditional methods, such as anchors and mesh, can be limited when the ground is severely altered, and progress cannot be made. The risks of gallery over-excavation and rock bursts are too[…]

Having actively built its foundation in the Australian mining market over the past decade, global blasting and explosives specialist BME says it is ramping up its footprint and capability with facilities in the west of the country. These expansions represent a key aspect of the company’s strategic direction, according to BME Managing Director, Ralf Hennecke.[…]

Boliden says it has become the first mining operator to sign an agreement for the production and delivery of a newly developed explosive from Hypex Bio with significantly improved environmental and climate performance. In the process, the company’s need for nitrogen treatment of water is being reduced and its climate performance is improving by around[…]

Jevons Robotics can now deliver explosives or stemming via its ARTEV6000 product using RCT’s remote control set either via line-of-sight or teleremote control, RCT reports. Implementing this technology has eliminated the need for personnel to conduct quality assurance or load the blast holes manually, removing exposure hours associated with highwalls, cavities and fatigue. The company[…]

As the mining world prepares to meet next week in Toronto for the annual PDAC convention, MacLean Engineering has announced the expansion of its global service and support platform, through the signing of three new in-country dealer agreements that will extend and enhance the company’s market reach in Brazil, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo[…]

At the SME MINEXCHANGE conference and expo this week in Phoenix, Arizona, IM caught up with Curtis Stacy, Senior Product Manager – Autonomous Drills at Hexagon Mining. He gave a much anticipated presentation updating attendees on Hexagon Drill Assist. While many drill automation solutions have been developed over the last 20 years, including a variety of[…]

Following its attendance at the recent International Society of Explosives Engineers event in the USA city of Savannah, Georgia, last month, Neil Alberts, Head of Business Development at BME Mining Canada, has highlighted the high level of creative innovation in blasting on show. “The industry has definitely made the most of addressing the challenges presented[…]