TECHNOLOGY •
The transition to electronic detonation systems – especially over the past decade or more – has transformed the quality and reliability of blasting .
One of the keys for mineral producers will be flexibility , as the demand for different commodities has become volatile as fledgling battery technologies vie for dominance . Electronic initiation systems like AXXIS allow mines to plan and implement larger blasts when conditions require , ensuring that there are no bottlenecks to production from the blasting phase .
With AXXIS Titanium , up to 20 blasting boxes can be linked and synchronised , making it possible to initiate up to 20 000 electronic detonators in a single blast . The ultra-low energy micro-chip is also less susceptible to leakage and cable resistance , extending the firing time to a maximum of 35 seconds . This capability allows BME to regularly break records by initiating ever-larger blasts – around Africa and even as far as Australia .
Zero harm As positive as the sector ’ s blasting innovations and advantages are , they all have to be delivered at the highest level of safety . Aligned to Omnia ’ s commitment to innovation , BME has raised the safety bar once again with its latest version of AXXIS . A unique innovation is our use of dual capacitors and dual voltage ; this allows low voltage logging to avoid any chance of detonation .
Hypex has developed the first non-nitrate explosive emulsions in the market and reduced the carbon content by 90 % over traditional sources .
Through ongoing research and development , BME has achieved emulsions that can endure lengthy transportation and storage periods .
www . africanmining . co . za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • January 2024 • 45