EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
Olitek ’ s Trigger Assembly enables lower cost conventional detonators to be mechanically , safely and efficiently installed , the company says
Safer , smarter , faster
Olitek Mining Robotics ( OMR ) believes there is an alternative to the expensive and advanced wireless technologies being rolled out across the explosives and blasting space to improve safety and is developing a “ remote charge underground ” ( RCU ) system to prove so .
James Oliver , Managing Director of OMR , explained the challenge the Queensland-based company is looking to solve .
“ Explosives charge up is one of the most dangerous exercises for mine operational personnel to carry out ,” he told IM . “ It exposes operators to the riskiest elements of underground mining ; they are the first in line to approach a freshly blasted and dug face and they are situated in that environment for some time loading and tying-in explosives .”
The safety risks associated with this job are only increasing as mining operations get deeper , increasing potential rock stresses that cause rock bursts and fall of ground incidents .
OMR is working to remove operators from this high-risk zone by replicating the process they carry out with a fully mechanised system .
“ We want to remove operators from the high hazard zone , away from elevated work platforms , and ensure they remain safe and protected within the vehicle cabin while enabling them to still carry out the charge up tasks efficiently ,” Oliver said .
For many years , the mining industry has battled to safely and effectively mechanise the charge up process , particularly when it comes to the initiation systems , according to Oliver .
“ We have typically used initiation products with leads attached that are sensitive and require dexterity and skill to accurately place and safely tie-in ,” he said of the traditional process . “ Humans with fingers are very good at this , but machines are not renowned for their fine motor skills . You are essentially asking a robot to tie a shoelace !”
Avoiding this process entirely with wireless solutions is one option being proposed by the industry but a very expensive one when it comes to tunnel development , according to Oliver .
“ The cost of these wireless systems makes it inaccessible for many operators and the technology adoption in mining is still reasonably immature ,” he said .
Buoyed by its 25 years of experience solving mining challenges – including the development and deployment of automated Emulsion Charging Units – OMR is well progressed in the development of a mechanised charge-up solution that completely avoids the requirement for wireless detonator technology .
OMR ’ s design leverages “ conventional ” corded detonators reconfigured into the company ’ s intelligent Trigger Assembly . This enables lower cost conventional detonators to be mechanically , safely and efficiently installed , the company said . The OMR Trigger Assembly is then combined with the company ’ s existing mining robotic platforms to deliver a fully mechanised face prepping , priming , charging and tie-in system .
OMR is currently in the process of carrying out live firing tests on the trigger assembly and is preparing to then progress to underground mine site trials in the near future . While the majority of the development work is happening at OMR ’ s Brisbane base , the company is progressing with its global ambitions .
This is where the help of the Canada Mining Innovation Council ( CMIC ) comes in .
An organisation that leads innovative research and technology projects in exploration , mining , processing , sustainability , and other integrated projects , CMIC , throughout all its collaborative projects , has an aim of achieving better operational , environmental and financial performance for its members and the wider mining industry .
Now introduced into its ‘ Underground Mining : Safe Deep Development ’ project , OMR ’ s RCU Development Project is gaining widespread industry recognition , according to Oliver .
“ Our initial technology development partner , Newcrest , allowed us to progress the technology to a point where it demonstrated merit – we were able to prove viability of subsystems and the trigger assembly function ,” he said . “ To make it an industry-wide solution though , we needed more industry involvement . This is why we wanted to get CMIC involved .
“ We wanted to commercially engage multiple mining companies and to jointly deliver a successful product . CMIC is the perfect collaborator to bring all the mining companies together , organise the development agreements and connect us with the right people in these companies .”
The interest has been global since Olitek started collaborating with CMIC , with Oliver saying it has also led to further industry engagement in Australia .
“ That is the big difference I have seen with CMIC over working with other consortiums ,” Oliver said . “ They ’ re not just a think-tank , they have a clear objective to support the delivery of innovations into the global mining industry that solve the challenges their members are experiencing .
“ It is envisaged that , by the end of CMIC ’ s Underground Mining : Safe
Deep Development – RCU project , we will have a proven system sitting in front of the consortium members . Along the way we will be adopting their feedback to ensure the product achieves widespread industry appeal .”
This fully functioning prototype unit will move personnel at least 4-5 m away from the underground development face and provide faster manual charge-up options to reduce exposure time for existing operations , OMR and CMIC said .
In parallel , OMR is well progressed in the development and deployment of a fully mechanised open-pit mining system including hole sensing , geological sampling and charge-up activities . “ In both underground and surface mining we are striving to keep operators safe , comfortable and productive in all working environments , no matter how challenging ,” Oilver said .
As with all of OMR ’ s projects , its guiding design philosophy of “ safer , smarter , faster ” is the mantra that will be applied .
102 International Mining | AUGUST 2021