Tag Archives: Michelle Fedder

BME set to take next step in international growth journey with new Canada facility

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

In what it says will be a significant step in its international growth journey, BME Mining Canada Inc is to officially launch its greenfield production and service facilities in Nairn Centre, Ontario, later this year.

Developed in conjunction with its joint venture partner, Consbec, the facility underpins BME Mining Canada Inc’s evolution as a serious player in the North American market, according to Aaron Austin, BME’s General Manager Americas.

“The production plants on our site – which we will launch towards the second half of 2023 – will produce BME’s leading brand AXXIS electronic detonators, emulsion explosives and ANFO,” he said. “The facilities will also provide maintenance, servicing and cleaning of the company’s trucks and underground equipment – as well as give support for AXXIS blast initiation equipment.”

The facility will include laboratories for quality control and product development. The Nairn Centre development has been pursued alongside BME Mining Canada Inc’s success in breaking into the local market, he explained. Among the recent breakthroughs has been a five-year full-service contract with a surface gold mine in Ontario.

“Our growing in-country infrastructure builds the market’s confidence in us, and allows us to deliver our solutions and expertise to the same high quality world-wide,” he said.

BME Mining Canada is part of South Africa-based blasting specialist BME, a member of the JSE-listed Omnia Group.

As part of its ongoing expansion strategy, BME will have a presence at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention in Toronto from March 5-8, 2023. BME’s focus at PDAC this year will be on launching its local joint venture in the form of BME Mining Canada Inc to the local market, as well as showcasing the latest generation electronic initiation systems – AXXIS Titanium™ and AXXIS Silver™ – which are key innovations that will be used in the region.

At the BME exhibit at PDAC will be BME’s AXXIS Support Manager, Hennie du Preez, who will showcase the system. BME General Manager, Michael Klaasen, will be there to touch base with international clients who will attend PDAC. Michelle Fedder, BME’s Brand and Marketing Manager, will also attend.

Fedder said: “The market has been excited by the ways that AXXIS Titanium, along with BME’s range of digital innovations, is helping mines to further improve safety and reduce their energy costs and achieve ESG targets in terms of more sustainable practices. Blast performance has also been enhanced through the increased blast duration per detonator, more units per blasting box and precise firing accuracy.”

Among the range of field testing that the new AXXIS systems have undergone is to conduct blasts in cold climates and freezing weather, according to Du Preez.

“We have had AXXIS successfully tested in the US for operating in temperatures below -40 °C,” he said. “This was done in anticipation of our growing business opportunities in the US and Canada.”

BME recently also employed AXXIS Silver to blast in sub-zero conditions for a diamond mining customer in the mountains of Lesotho.

Du Preez pointed out the benefit of thin, copper-cladded downline wire, which de-coils easily for use in small diameter holes – even when they are waterlogged. Due to their robust quality, BME’s electronic detonators were able to remain in the holes for two days before blasting, in temperatures below zero where the hole collars froze solid, he said.

BME to showcase AXXIS Titanium electronic initiation system at Mining Indaba

Explosives and blasting, Mining events, Mining safety, , , ,

Omnia Group company, BME is set to showcase its breakthrough electronic initiation system, AXXIS Titanium, at next week’s Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa.

Globally launched in November last year, AXXIS Titanium is one of the world’s most advanced electronic blast detonation systems, the company says.

BME Marketing Manager, Michelle Fedder, says the wide international audience at the Indaba will be inspired by the advanced features of this electronic detonator system.

“Buoyed by strong commodity demand, mines in Africa nonetheless face a range of compliance demands in terms of sustainability – and are constantly in search of efficiency solutions,” she said. “AXXIS Titanium, in concert with BME’s ongoing innovations across its offerings, is helping mines drive down their energy costs and carbon footprint.”

She said AXXIS Titanium boasts improved safety levels enhancing communication with the detonator during manufacturing to avoid defects. Performance is raised through the increased blast duration per detonator, more units per blasting box and precise firing accuracy.

Safety remains BME’s priority, with the incorporation of a Swiss-designed application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip in BME detonators, delivering several added benefits. The ASIC gives the system more internal safety gates against stray current and lightning, enhancing safety levels and allowing for inherently safe logging and testing, according to the company.

“With our sustainability-aligned offerings, we are feeling very enthusiastic about the mining industry and its prospects – especially as it forges the commodity path to a lower-carbon future,” Fedder said.

International Mining is a media sponsor of the Investing in African Mining Indaba, which is running from May 9-12.

BME launches Blast Alliance brand to encourage blasting technology collaboration

Environmental, Explosives and blasting, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , ,

Blasting technology is moving mining towards a more sustainable future, with BME and its recent launch of the ‘Blast Alliance’ brand looking to add impetus to this evolution.

The Omnia Group company has announced that Blast Alliance will encompass its portfolio of digital innovations including its 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.

“Our new Blast Alliance brand represents the company’s journey of digital innovation and the collaborative approach we take in this exciting process,” BME Managing Director, Joe Keenan, said. “We believe this collaboration must be holistic, so we partner in three arenas: internally to optimise our solutions; through direct engagement with our customers; and working with third-parties where the need is identified – to enhance outputs for customers.”

Keenan said by giving BME’s software and solutions portfolio its own brand and identity, it will assert a unique market position underpinned by the company’s spirit of enterprise and the highest levels of integrity.

Michelle Fedder, BME Manager: Marketing and Brand, emphasised that the step was part of enhancing BME’s reputation as a technology and innovation-orientated partner.

“Blast Alliance provides our software portfolio with its own values, character, essence and value proposition,” Fedder said. “From a marketing perspective, the brand assures our customers of collaborative, innovative and integrated digital and automated mining and blasting solutions – further enhancing their value chains.”

The portfolio will adapt and evolve with key solutions as needs are identified, applying BME’s growing depth of digital and technological expertise, according to BME Software Product Manager, Christiaan Liebenberg.

“We are delivering flexibility, fluidity and future-facing solutions to our customers,” Liebenberg said. “A key focus here is the integration of our technology with mine-wide platforms, as part of the drive to support mining’s ongoing productivity efforts. Our initiatives also leverage digital technology to allow greater availability of real-time data.”

Keenan said that the Blast Alliance brand underscored the company’s core objectives in its offering to customers. These include optimising productivity, efficiency and safety while minimising risk through predictability – as well as reducing costs, promoting data-driven and real-time decision making, and enhancing process optimisation.

“As the mining sector embraces more technology, it is likely to be increasingly viewed as a forward-looking contributor in the transition to a more sustainable economy,” he said. “Implementing digital communication infrastructure at mine level can also have positive spin-offs for local communities – potentially improving connectivity in remote areas as part of mining’s environmental, social and governance commitment.”