Tag Archives: BLAST ALLIANCE

BME enhances blasting control and monitoring with next-generation Xplolog release

Mining solutions specialist BME has released a new version of its Xplolog system for capturing and analysing data on blast holes and decks.

BME – part of Omnia’s mining segment – developed Xplolog as a powerful tool for mines to monitor their block progress in real time, providing the necessary data to track trends and continuously improve the quality of blasts, it says.

The focus in developing this next-generation Xplolog has been the detailed guidance by users, according to Christiaan Liebenberg, BME Product Manager Software Solutions. This has led to making the system more user friendly, scalable and streamlined with other BME digital solutions – while also benefiting from improved data security, the company says.

“We engaged our Xplolog users in a highly systematic way to inform us at every step of our upgrade process,” Liebenberg said. “After our first structured interviews with users, for instance, we developed mock-ups and wireframes that we could take back to the user group for further testing. This approach was even taken into the design and prototype stages, ensuring that the system was in many ways actually built by the users.”

With the design and application code built from the ground up, and with a new and upgraded database using Google’s Cloud Services, the performance of Xplolog has been enhanced. The capacity of the system can also be rapidly increased, allowing better scalability; customers can have a site set up within a matter of hours, according to BME.

Christiaan Liebenberg – BME Product Manager Software Solutions

“Security has been improved through a more robust login and registration process,” Liebenberg said. “There are different user access levels in the new version, giving customers more control over who can access information related to their role in the organisation.

“Users will appreciate how everything is centralised in this version of Xplolog, and how we have improved the workflow for third party blast design uploads in the system.”

The look and feel of Xplolog has been revised in line with the progressive standardising of design across BME’s Blast Alliance digital solutions. This makes users feel familiar with the BME offering, through increased brand identification and continuity of the customer experience with Blast Alliance, Liebenberg said.

“Another important aspect of our upgrade is that users can easily customise their dashboards, creating a personalised view of block information important to the user,” he said.

Customised reports can be created and saved, allowing users to return to that recurring daily, weekly or monthly report each week or month as required. A summary view of block data is visible to track progress at a quick glance for the user.

“We have also given users the ability to better visually track block progress, with the creative use of colours and iconography,” Liebenberg said.

The process of inputting data has been optimised by rationalising the number of steps or actions wherever possible. Importantly, Liebenberg pointed out that Xplolog’s integration with BME’s mobile manufacturing units (MMUs) has taken account of different regional preferences and conditions around the globe.

“The system also provides mines with a digital audit trail, so that they can track operator performance during the drilling and charging phases, as well as provide hole loading information per truck,” he said.

Xplolog is integrated with other BME offerings like its blast planning software Blastmap, and to third-party blast software.

Integrated with BME’s MMUs, Xplolog, BME says, allows the MMU operator to charge and top-up holes accurately from the source application, which will have the latest blast design updates loaded. The actual charged and top-up values from the MMU’s digital panel will automatically be sent back to Xplolog, which will make the data available on the cloud platform for review and analysis.

“Our new version of Xplolog continues to raise the bar in leveraging digital technology,” Liebenberg said. “Our software engineering team continues to add new features and implement continuous improvements as we receive feedback from users of the system in the field – to help mines operate more efficiently, cost-effectively and safely.”

These updates are released to all existing customers of Xplolog every quarter at no additional cost, according to BME.

BME Mining Canada readies advanced emulsion, blasting tech for Canada’s UG mining sector

BME Mining Canada Inc, a 50:50 joint venture between South Africa-based BME and Canada-based Consbec, is to use the upcoming Canadian Mining Expo to further highlight its blasting technology and other services to the Canadian mining industry.

Being held in Timmins, one of Canada’s important mining hubs, the event, running from June 8-9, provides BME Mining Canada with a valuable opportunity to reach particularly the underground mining sector.

According to Neil Alberts, BME’s International Underground Business Manager, Ontario presents exciting opportunities for the business.

“We look forward to engaging with small, medium and large mining companies at the expo,” Alberts said. “Our advanced emulsions and blasting technologies is well suited to this market, which is embracing high-tech mining and blasting operations.”

At the event, BME Mining Canada will display one of its Emulsion Charging Units for underground applications. This will be part of showcasing its emulsion loading technology, which has been proven in a variety of mining applications globally, the company said.

It also expects considerable interest in its dual salt emulsion products, its AXXIS Titanium™ electronic detonation system and its Blast Alliance suite of blasting technology tools. The company has recently established manufacturing and processing facilities at Nairn Centre – just west of Sudbury, Ontario.

“Among our strategic targets will be those large, remote mines who are on the look-out for economical and reliable ammonium nitrate supply lines,” Alberts said. “We are positioned to serve customers across Canada from our network of approved bulk explosive facilities from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, and up to Labrador in the north.”

BME continues to make blasting strides in Indonesia

Having pursued a global expansion in recent decades, South Africa-based blasting leader BME says it is making good on an exciting new phase for its Indonesia operations.

With mainly a trading presence in Indonesia for 10 years already, the Omnia Group company has been active in full-service contracting for the past two – and is already receiving high-level recognition, it says. In September 2021, BME Indonesia was honoured with a good mining practice award in the blasting services category by the Indonesian Government.

According to Brad Bulow, General Manager of BME Australia Asia, this bodes particularly well for the company in a country with such a bright future in mineral production.

“Indonesia’s mining sector is well positioned for growth, and coal is the fastest growing source of energy production there,” Bulow said. “Coal is mainly used in Indonesia’s power generation, and the country’s supply is dominated by coal-fired power plants at this stage.”

Forecasts indicate that coal will remain a dominant energy source in Indonesia and the South East Asian region until about 2050, supporting power generation and other industry sectors, according to BME.

“Nickel is also an exciting commodity for Indonesia, which is estimated to have the largest reserves of nickel in the world – more even than Australia,” said Bulow. “As an indispensable raw material for producing electric car batteries, nickel is one of the country’s fastest growing mineral commodities.”

Investors are looking at building smelters in-country to process nickel into raw material for batteries, while nickel ore itself has been banned for export by the government since January 2020.

Commenting on the recent good practice award, BME’s Business Manager Indonesia, Agusman, noted that such recognition meant a great deal – and would help cement BME’s reputation as an innovator with world-class standards of operation. BME Indonesia has been supplying explosive products and accessories into Indonesia for over a decade. Holding company BME is a leading player in blasting services and products in Africa, with a global presence including Australia, Canada and the US.

The company has also developed specific products for the region, including a single-salt emulsion. Widely known for its superior dual-salt emulsion technology, BME was able to respond to customer requests in 2019 for a single-salt option. This was put into use in early 2020 and has since been producing excellent blasting results, according to the company. The product has even been trialled with used oil as the fuel agent, which has become an environmentally friendly and sustainable hallmark of BME’s emulsion products.

While BME Indonesia supplied mainly ammonium nitrate, packaged explosives, boosters, and electric and non-electric detonators before 2019, its large blasting services contract in south Kalimantan has opened the door for significant expansion.

“In this project, BME Indonesia has put to work four Mobile Manufacturing Units (MMUs) – our bulk explosives delivery trucks – and an on-site emulsion manufacturing plant,” Bulow said. “In addition to emulsion and down-the-hole services, we are also supplying our AXXIS™ electronic detonators to help customers achieve timing accuracy and control their blasting vibration.”

Another important aspect of BME’s technological contribution is the move by customers toward big data analytics, according to Bulow.

“Big data allows larger mines and their contractors to generate meaningful insights into their operations – paving the way to greater efficiency,” he said. “BME Indonesia is introducing our BLAST ALLIANCE™ portfolio of digital innovations, which includes our BLASTMAP™ planning software, BME Blasting guide app and XPLOLOG™ cloud data platform. Solutions such as AXXIS integration, custom development and training also fall under this brand.”

In the medium term, Bulow said the company looks forward to winning more projects and penetrating further into surface metals and underground mining – and the funding, innovation and advanced technology is in place to achieve this goal.

“Looking further ahead, BME Indonesia expects to continue growing its contribution to Indonesia in general – and local communities in particular,” he said. “This includes our transfer of knowledge and technology, the utilisation of local resources and ongoing community development.”