Tag Archives: Blasting

DynoNobel-Saudi

Dyno Nobel to partner with SCCL on Saudi Arabia technical ammonium nitrate plant

Explosives and blasting, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Incitec Pivot Limited’s Dyno Nobel says it will partner with Saudi Chemical Company Limited (SCCL) to investigate the development and operation of a technical ammonium nitrate plant in Saudi Arabia.

Under a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into between the parties last month, Dyno Nobel will provide a range of expertise to assist the development and operation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s first ever Technical Ammonium Nitrate (TAN) Plant.

Dyno Nobel says it brings to the partnership global expertise in developing and operating plants across three continents and world-class project management and manufacturing skills. It will support the project’s Front End Engineering Design and project services for the development of the 300,000 MTPA TAN plant in Ras Al-Khair, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

A key part of the MoU is the future establishment of a joint venture with SCCL and the investment company for construction and operation of the plant. The joint venture would supply TAN and nitric acid to Saudi regional mining and industrial users and enable Dyno Nobel to supply TAN to its international mining customer base, Incitec Pivot says.

Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific President, Greg Hayne, said: “We are very pleased to partner on developing this exciting project which provides significant potential for the development of the Middle East’s mining industry.

“Our team’s technical knowledge and TAN expertise is an excellent fit and a key advantage for the project.

“The project also aligns with our long-term strategy to grow our global footprint and further expand our manufacturing operations and sales in the broader Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.”

Incitec Pivot Limited Chief Technology Development Officer, Rob Rounsley, said: “This partnership aligns with our EMEA blasting technology strategy to support surface and underground mining, civil tunnelling, quarrying, and general construction across the Saudi and EMEA mining sectors.”

Omnia and Hypex Bio to showcase HPE-based explosive benefits at ISEE conference

Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

The potential of hydrogen peroxide emulsion (HPE) to reduce explosives emissions will come under the spotlight at the upcoming 50th Conference of the International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE) in USA.

In a paper to be presented jointly by Omnia group company BME and strategic partner Hypex Bio Explosives Technology (Hypex Bio), the authors will explain the benefits of HPE in reducing atmospheric and aqueous pollutants associated with blasting. Titled ‘Breaking the Nitrate-Based Explosives Greenhouse: The Dawn of Production-Scale HPE for Industrial Blasting’, the presentation is expected to generate considerable interest among blasting professionals meeting in Savannah, Georgia, USA from January 24-27.

“The past decade has seen renewed interest in HPE as a route to eliminating NOx fumes from blasting,” D Scott Scovira, BME’s Global Manager Blasting Science and Engineering, said. “As more companies have committed to the COP26 goals of Net Zero by 2050, there has been additional impetus to investigate hydrogen peroxide based explosives for industrial use.”

Scovira highlighted that HPE contains no nitrates and does not generate post-blast NOx. It also generates no aqueous nitrate or ammonia pollution, so also contributes to meeting increasingly regulated mine site water discharge limits.

Hypex Bio has recently developed the formulation, manufacture and end-use delivery of a hydrogen peroxide based emulsion on an industrial scale. According to Thomas Gustavsson, CEO of Hypex Bio, in Stockholm, Sweden, this emulsion is composed primarily of hydrogen peroxide, with a lesser amount of fuel and emulsifier phase. The performance of HPE has proved to be as good as nitrate-based emulsions, and is compatible with current priming and initiation systems, according to the company.

“We recently conducted a successful underground HPE evaluation with a major mining company in Sweden,” Gustavsson said. “HPE blast designs were the same as those done with nitrate-based emulsions, and we achieved equivalent rock breakage, advance, muck displacement and excavator performance.”

He added that the ventilation and re-entry times were reduced during this evaluation, due to the absence of hazardous fumes. The mining company has expressed further interest in assessing HPE as a transformative explosive technology. Gustavsson also highlighted that the production of HPE was energy efficient.

“The base HPE is produced in a low energy intensity modular plant using industry proven mixing techniques,” he explained. “In contrast, the production of ammonium nitrate (AN) emulsion is relatively energy-intensive and not carbon neutral.”

HPE offers a significant reduction in total carbon emission when compared with nitrate-based explosives, he continued. Based on the European Union average and for the oxidiser phase only, 1 kg of AN emulsion emits 2.3 kg of carbon dioxide; in comparison, the production of HPE results in just 0.23 kg of carbon dioxide – a 90% difference.

Omnia entered into its strategic partnership with Hypex Bio in October 2023, and holds a minority equity stake in the company.

AECI aims for top three integrated mining explosives and chemicals solutions provider status by 2030

Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , ,

Ahead of AECI’s 100th anniversary, the South Africa-based company has announced that it aims to double the profitability of its core mining and chemicals business by 2026 and to become a global top three integrated mining explosives and chemicals solutions provider by 2030.

These ambitions were laid out at a recent Capital Market Day, where AECI Chief Executive, Holger Riemensperger, announced the company’s revised strategy, which aims to extract value from its underlying operations.

Riemensperger said: “AECI is more than a business. It is a South African institution. At our core, we enable safe mining operations. While some synergies exist across our diversified industrial group, other business units within the portfolio have no synergies. Those underperforming units will be better served under different ownership. The changes we are making take into consideration several factors, including the external environment. They are aimed at ensuring that as AECI reaches its centennial anniversary in 2024, it is better positioned to navigate the changing environment and positioned for strong growth in the future.”

AECI’s strategic update follows a comprehensive review of the business’ operations in which the board and management identified the business units that are central to the sustainable and profitable growth of AECI, the company said. The strategy is premised on building on the group’s solid foundation and ensuring that it is structured in a manner that enables it to unlock value in the near term.

A core driving force of the strategy is to deliver operational and executional excellence through focusing on AECI’s core businesses and existing strengths while ensuring a disciplined approach to capital allocation and execution.

The AECI of the future, the company says, will see the group focus on its core mining and chemicals capability and divest out of non-core businesses.

AECI Mining will remain the group’s main growth focus. The business will look towards growth in Asia-Pacific, South America and North America as it drives its ambition to be top three on a global scale by 2030. AECI Chemicals will be re-organised and repositioned to enhance its cash generation capabilities through prioritising high-margin products and services and ultimately support the growth of AECI’s Mining division. The remaining businesses – Much Asphalt, Animal Health, Schrim, Sans Fibers and Beverage – which are not core to the identified growth levers will be exited out of in an orderly manner and over a period of time, the company said.

The group management structure has also been adjusted to reflect the changes in the business and to drive empowerment, accountability and quick decision making.

Riemensperger concluded: “At AECI, we stand together with a shared vision of a better world. We recognise that to secure our place for the next 100 years, we must embrace change, progress our strategy to seize new opportunities, and navigate market shifts with agility and profitability. I believe that the changes that we are making will be net positive for the business and the unwavering focus on operational and functional excellence will act as a catalyst for further innovation and profitable growth, and will unlock value for all of AECI’s stakeholders.”

Orica and Caterpillar set for mine to mill collaboration

Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mineral processing, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Orica’s Digital Solutions segment continues to make major inroads across the mining value chain, with its latest mine to mill initiative set to involve a collaboration with Caterpillar.

Speaking during the company’s FY23 financial results webcast, Sanjeev Gandhi, Orica Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said demand for software, sensors and data science continued to increase as orebodies become increasingly hard to find and extract against a backdrop of high commodity prices and increasing ESG obligations and commitments.

“Customers are continuing to seek operational efficiencies across the mining value chain and unlocking the value of digitisation and automated workflows is key to achieving these efficiencies,” he said.

Orica was reporting Digital Solutions’ first full year result, with Gandhi highlighting a doubling of earnings alongside a significant improvement in margins.

“This was driven by growth across all three sub-verticals, namely Orebody intelligence, Blast design and Execution solutions, GroundProbe,” he said.

The Digital Solutions business has been identified as one of Orica’s key growth verticals as it continues to build and invest in the next generation of digital technologies and solutions, beyond its blasting core.

This was witnessed during the company’s most recent financial year, when, among other developments, it acquired Axis Mining Technology, a leader in the design, development and manufacture of specialised geospatial tools and instruments for the mining industry; as well as released what it said was its most innovative fragmentation monitoring solution yet, FRAGTrack Gantry.

Gandhi said: “Innovation continues to be a focus, and this year we have released 15 new digital features, with a focus on artificial intelligence-based solutions to support our customers.”

And, as the industry and Orica’s customers look to solve their biggest challenges through partnership, Gandhi announced its new collaboration with Caterpillar, saying the two companies had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities to integrate key elements of their respective domains.

He explained: “The initial focus will be on the potential integration between Orica’s Rhino™, BlastIQ™ and FRAGTrack™ technologies with Cat® MineStar™ Terrain technologies.”

Rhino (graphic pictured above) is an autonomous drill string-mounted geophysical sensor that measures unconfined compressive strength while drilling. It enhances orebody knowledge in real-time, enabling miners to make better blast planning, improve fragmentation profiles and increase throughput, according to Orica. The technologies in the BlastIQ platform, meanwhile, are, Orica says, designed to deliver economic and operational value individually, with the benefits maximised when integrated in a systemised process. And finally, FRAGTrack is Orica’s state-of-the-art fragmentation measurement tool designed to provide rapid insights into the outcome of blasting processes.

Caterpillar says of MineStar Terrain: “Cat MineStar Terrain uses high-precision guidance technologies, material tracking and more to help your machines work according to plan – increasing efficiency, reducing variability and helping you get the most out of your drilling, digging, loading and grading operations…The solution helps you increase drill capacity, crusher throughput and material accuracy while driving consistency in payloads and bench heights.”

Gandhi said on this MoU: “The goal of this integrated workflow is to provide customers with high-fidelity rock property information enabling significant improvements to on-bench safety, drilling and blasting program accuracy and productivity, along with higher quality blast outcomes that generate enhanced mill performance.”

In the future, the two companies intend to extend their collaboration to optimisation of the entire value chain, from mine to mill, according to Gandhi, who said the approach aligned with both organisations’ ambitions to create sustainable solutions and services that will build the momentum for more intelligent and solution-driven mining ecosystem.

Omnia Holdings backs Hypex Bio non-nitrate explosive emulsions solution

Explosives and blasting, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , ,

Omnia Holdings has announced a strategic partnership with Sweden-based Hypex Bio Explosives Technology and the acquisition of a minority equity stake in the company.

Hypex is at the forefront of innovative and sustainable civil explosives solutions and has developed a ground-breaking emulsion using hydrogen peroxide (HP), offering substantially enhanced environmental benefits compared with conventional products, the company says.

This collaboration marks a significant milestone for both Omnia and Hypex as it will notably enhance the ongoing development and commercial rollout of Hypex’s HP emulsion technology in key markets. Additionally, it provides Omnia, the parent company of global blasting solutions provider BME, with access to state-of-the-art technology.

Omnia, in conjunction with BME, has established a reputation for its dedication to innovation and market-driven product solutions. Extending its services across Africa, Australasia, North America and Brazil, BME offers cutting-edge products and services at every stage in the mining explosives and blasting solutions supply chain, using technology to maximise safety and minimise environmental impact.

Seelan Gobalsamy, CEO of Omnia, said: “Hypex is a good strategic fit for BME and aligns with Omnia’s sustainability and high-growth objectives, including pollution and CO2 reduction. Hypex has developed the first non-nitrate explosive emulsions in the market and reduced the carbon content by 90% over traditional sources. This technology has the potential to completely change the explosives supply industry.”

Ralf Hennecke, Managing Director of BME, said: “As one of the largest explosives and blasting solutions suppliers on the African continent, BME is pursuing a globalisation strategy which is optimally aligned to the sustainable, nitrate-free emulsion technology offered by Hypex.”

Hypex’s experience in rapid yet safe development cycles, combined with the company’s proven track record in commercialisation activities, will use the proceeds from this transaction to further strengthen the organisation and invest in accelerated growth.

Thomas Gustavsson, CEO of Hypex, said: “We are thrilled to announce the partnership with Omnia, and I am very happy to have not only an ideal investor on board but also a company whose culture is well aligned with ours. I foresee significant synergies and accelerated accomplishments as a direct result. The team and I are grateful for the hard work done by both sides to accomplish this deal.”

This partnership agreement aligns seamlessly with Omnia’s capital allocation framework of adding new revenue streams in future high-growth international markets while maintaining a diversified and cash-generative business, improving the group’s competitive advantage and resilience given anticipated market changes, and aligning with its sustainability journey, it says.

Gobalsamy concluded: “As a responsible industry leader, we are committed to sustainable innovation and the responsible use of chemicals for the health, safety and well-being of our planet and its people. Our partnership with Hypex strengthens our ability to develop and distribute eco-friendly products and technologies and is testament to our purpose of creating a greener and safer future for all.”

BME upgrades VIPERDET MS Series non-electric detonator range

Explosives and blasting, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , ,

BME, an Omnia Group company, has introduced an improved version of its non-electric detonator product range, the VIPERDET™ MS Series, into the quarrying and small-scale open-pit mining sector.

The VIPERDET MS Series boasts quality and reliability leveraged from automated production lines and a certified supply chain, it says.

“We have over the years invested considerably in our production technology, giving us automated processes that enhance safety, sustainability and efficiency to reliably deliver a world-class product,” Nishen Hariparsad, General Manager (Technology and Innovation) at BME, says. “Our systems harness robotics and artificial intelligence to ensure that we meet and exceed customer expectations with our non-electric detonators.”

Hariparsad highlighted that this high level of automation was a significant differentiator for the company, as most competitors relied on manual production lines. The result was that Omnia’s mining division was able to achieve consistency in detonator quality, enhanced production flexibility, less waste and reduced environmental impact. The company’s production facilities at Losberg and Dryden were also powered by renewable energy to prioritise sustainability and operational continuity.

“BME always strives to be at the forefront of technology and brings innovative and cutting-edge mining solutions that deliver best blasting and fragmentation outcomes,” Hariparsad said. “This has underpinned the launch of the VIPERDET MS Series – which includes downhole, trunkline and dual detonators. With its timing accuracy, flexibility and user-friendly design, we believe this range will offer great customer experience and deliver optimal blasting results.”

Dr Rakhi Pathak, BME’s Global Product Manager, noted that the design included a triple-layered shock tube designed to provide high tensile strength and prevent any damage during normal operating conditions.

“Made with high-strength material that is temperature resistant, the connectors are easy to use and quick to apply,” Dr Pathak said. “The connectors are also colour coded for ease of identification.”

She added that safety remains the utmost priority and so quality and manufacturing processes ensure that the product meets the highest industry safety standard.

Hariparsad explained that Omnia mining segment’s certified supply chain was crucial to achieving the standards for which it is known in the mining sector, including the quarrying sector where the VIPERDET MS Series is expected to find an important market.

“We have selected high quality raw materials and the latest manufacturing processes to guarantee exceptional quality in our VIPERDET MS Series detonators,” he said. “Each component goes through a series of rigorous tests to ensure it meets stringent industry standards.”

He noted that in-house manufacturing allows the company to closely manage its product quality, delivering reliability with high accuracy of delay timing.

Orica releases ‘world first’ lead-free non-electric detonator range

Explosives and blasting, Mining safety, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

Orica says it is taking another step towards its purpose to sustainably mobilise the earth’s resources by announcing the commercial release of what it claims is the world’s first lead-free non-electric detonator range, Exel™ Neo.

Orica, the sole manufacturer of non-electric detonators in the Nordics, has upgraded its premium Exel product range to a safer and more sustainable product by removing lead while maintaining the same consistent and reliable product performance, it says.

Neo is Orica’s new brand for environmentally friendly, sustainable initiation systems products. The Neo range of Exel non-electric detonators is produced using a lead-free formulation in Gyttorp, Sweden, with no lead or lead compounds used in the manufacturing process of the pyrotechnic delay compositions.

In the industry, the Exel non-electric blasting technology range encompasses safety, innovation and excellence and is built based on the Non Primary Explosives Detonator (NPED) technology, successfully used by Orica for the last 30 years. The same as the original Exel range, the newly launched Exel Neo range is designed for use in civil infrastructure as well as surface and underground mining operations.

Orica Chief Technology Officer, Angus Melbourne, said: “Orica’s strategy is to deliver solutions and technology that drive productivity for our customers across the globe. With nearly 150 years of innovation and expertise, we continue to solve the industry’s challenges and are proud to offer a lead-free solution today, while maintaining the same trusted performance, storage and handling benefits. With our Neo range, we are offering a product that is free of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).”

Before being placed on the market in Europe, the Neo product range was successfully assessed and approved by the Explosive Notified Body as part of CE-marking certification in the European Union. The new fully lead-free products do not contain any SVHC according to the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, Orica says.

Among some of the key benefits, the new product range is manufactured close to Orica’s customer base in Europe and includes distinct safety and environmental benefits, with lead or lead compounds removed from the production process and thus eliminated from release into environment.

Celebrating this milestone, Orica Group Executive and EMEA President, James Bonnor, added: “Orica is taking decisive steps to enable our industry’s transition towards a more sustainable future. We have invested in the state-of-the-art equipment in Sweden, including assembly machines and control systems, to ensure high quality of our products. The Exel Neo range is based on our NPED technology that’s been in the European market for 30 years.

“With the Neo addition, we have successfully developed, independently tested and trialled a lead-free alternative that can burn with the same accuracy as our current lead-based delay compositions. Importantly for our customers, independent external tests on timing accuracy and scatter patterns confirm that this new technology performs with the same reliability.

“The full Exel Neo range of non-electric detonators is available for order in Europe today.”

Orica brings ORBS centralised blasting system to underground mining sector

Automation, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , ,

Orica’s next generation centralised blasting system, ORBS™, has made a leap into the digital world, with underground mining operations set to feel the benefits.

ORBS (Omni Remote Blasting System) is now available to i-kon™ and eDev™ customers. It is designed to provide operations with the ability to safely initiate multiple development headings and production blasts concurrently from a remote, central location.

Building on Orica’s flagship Blaster 3000 architecture, ORBS enables greater productivity by initiating up to 30 Remote Blaster 3000s, or up to 90,000 detonators, in one blast sequence, Orica says. Its browser-based interface provides users with full visual oversight of all connected hardware and detonators and has enabled a host of valuable new features, according to the company.

Orica’s Head of Initiating Systems, Dr Rodney Williams, said: “We’re focused on providing the latest innovations and technology advancements to our customers. Upgrading our electronic blasting systems is as much about strengthening the capability as it is about enhancing our customers’ experience. We were conscious about developing a secure, simple-to-use and powerful system, and we’ve achieved this with ORBS.”

A key feature of ORBS is that it’s a ‘plug and play’ system that doesn’t require customers to invest in additional infrastructure, according to Orica. It connects to a mine’s communication network over LAN, Wi-Fi or LTE and users operate the system from a similarly connected electronic device such as a PC, tablet or iPhone.

With improved firing capacity and compatibility with Orica’s range of electronic detonators (i-kon III and eDev II), ORBS provides customers with greater versatility, Orica added.

Mining3’s Alternative Explosives Project finding the right formula

Environmental, Explosives and blasting, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , ,

Later this year, Mining3 is to demonstrate to funding supporters and commercialisation partners a significant ACARP-funded project milestone of a number of blasts in rock with hydrogen peroxide-based emulsion explosive at an increasing scale of production.

While rock-breakage displays in Queensland quarries with alternative explosives formulations were completed back in 2016, those formulations were proof-of-principle tests for a hydrogen peroxide-based explosive. The project has moved on significantly since then.

“Last year we completed a complete suite of United Nations (UN) authorisation tests to confirm that the new emulsion formulation has a feasible classification as a commercially viable product,” Mining3 said. “Our prior hydrogel-based formulations, whilst demonstrating rock-breakage potential, did not pass UN classification and have been abandoned.”

Last year, Mining3 and western New South Wales-based independent explosives testing partner, Rurex, comprehensively tested the novel emulsion formulation. The outcome of UN testing is a portfolio of results that, Mining3 says, will assist explosives delivery companies to apply for authorisation within their regulatory jurisdictions for the new emulsion formulation. Three series of tests were conducted to ensure that the new formula was safe to use regarding fire, impact, friction and heating.

Mining3 said: “We reported UN classification for a Class 1.1D UN0241 explosive as a significant achievement last year. But what the data doesn’t show is the countless failed trials and white knuckles that the researchers had when conducting the authorisation tests. Any single failure can scuttle the formulation from advancing to commercial application, and represented in some formulas, such as all the failed hydrogel formula, hundreds of hours of research. Whilst it is relatively easy to make a hydrogen peroxide-based explosive, the heightened energetics of the oxidiser was a challenge to make a safe explosive that is acceptable to industry.”

With the confidence of a supportive suite of UN test results, Mining3 says it is assured of commercialisation with the new emulsion formulation.

Following on from the UN test results, Sydney-based mining equipment manufacture, Elquip, has developed a prototype 500 kg duo-batch-mixer to produce the volumes of explosive material for mine site bulk trials. It has been an equally challenging path to a safe and effective mixer for a model of on-site, on-demand emulsion explosives manufacture.

An image from the Elquip prototype hydrogen peroxide-based Emulsion Mixer commissioning trials at Rurex, in western NSW, in July 2022. “We always take a safety-first approach in our research, so, in the pictured trial and initial commissioning tests, we used full body hazchem suites,” Dr Andrew Kettle says (photo courtesy of Ryan Esam, Rurex)

Scaling from the laboratory bench to the mine bench explosive formula manufacture is a journey requiring all the caution imaginable, and some unimagined. “Elquip has embraced the adventure and positioned themselves as the preferred equipment supplier aligned to the near-horizon commercialisation pathway,” Mining3 says. The specificity of hydrogen peroxide material compatibility, equipment design and safety for a hydrogen peroxide-based explosive has been captured by Elquip, ensuring its equipment and support of the Mining3 research projects is successful. Commissioning of the first prototype batch mixer was conducted at Rurex last year and is now being shipped to the blast trial sites, Mining3 says.

Senior Research Leader, Dr Andrew Kettle, said: “Rurex certainly challenged Elquip during equipment testing. Sub-zero temperatures during the winter months, last year, proved the ambient temperature manufacture claims for the emulsion formula. Importantly, the emulsion, made from two liquids, one obviously being hydrogen peroxide-based oxidiser phase, can be made at ambient temperature. From an Australian perspective, that reality is below 2°C to above 40°C. So, we have tested manufacture in these ambient environmental temperatures at Rurex.”

The alternative explosives research to date has been supported by ACARP and collaborating companies, such as Elquip and Rurex. Going forward, Mining3 has launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) to companies to build a commercialisation roadmap and deliver the technology to the mining market.

“The interest in our EOI for Mining3 alternative explosives technology has been very successful,” Dr Kettle says. “We have built on the industry awareness of our research and are looking at viable pathways to market. We have had numerous discussions covering the broad application of the formula in open-cut, underground and civil applications, and ancillary product applications of the formula with a large variety of industry interests. We’ll continue to work with the myriad of companies to ensure a safe and effective transition for this technology.”

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

Automation, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , ,

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.