EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
The whole purpose of the ‘ Connected Bench ’ is to get much better blasting design and much better execution of that design to create reproducible blasted ground outcomes that give you better downstream mining efficiencies , Incitec Pivot ’ s Robert Rounsley says
niche application in that it is focused on underground mining and , within that , particular types of underground mining ,” Rounsley said .
The two most notable benefits are the ability to allow operators to work in a safer environment during the blast loading process and the capacity to conduct shorter blast cycles , providing the potential to increase the number of tonnes mined . The latter benefit can provide significant value for customers , according to Dyno Nobel ’ s case studies , with millions of dollars in productivity improvements observed .
In addition to the trial at Big Bell , the CyberDet I system has also been tested out in South Africa and Dyno Nobel has trial plans underway in North America .
“ The drawback with that technology is that it only offers one-way communication ,” Rounsley said . “ You have got to have a big energy source to transmit your signal and you cannot have that on a consumable unit that sits inside your blast hole . You can put one on your control equipment to send a message , but you cannot get one back .”
This has led the company to develop a third wireless technology , this time for the open-pit mining space .
CyberDet II ® is what the company describes as “ wireless-from-the-collar ” technology that provides both high speed data transfer and no surface “ tie-in that you have to deal with other than an antenna that comes out of the top of a blast hole ”, Rounsley explained .
“ We see that as a solution for automation in openpit mining .”
With an operational CyberDet II prototype already developed , the company hopes to be in the field testing the product towards the end of 2021 before a larger-scale rollout in 2022 , Rounsley said .
All these wireless options are underwritten by the DigiShot Plus . 4G detonator , which the company sees as being the “ digital detonator standard ”.
In the underground setting using a centralised control system , BlastWeb , miners can choose between wireless electronics , wired , electronics , traditional non-electric systems or hybrid blasting techniques without any additional infrastructure .
“ Whether I am using DigiShot Plus . 4G , EZShot ® , a standard LP ( long period ) Nonel ® unit , CyberDet I , CyberDet II , or a DriftShot ® unit , I can run it all from that one control system ,” Rounsley said .
This allows customers to choose what is the most economic or best matched – technically – blasting option for them in the specific application they are confronted with .
Dyno Nobel ’ s offering flexibility goes beyond this , with a range of blasting consumables that can help miners achieve their production , sustainability and safety aims .
Use of its DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY ® ( ΔE ) technology , a proprietary method for controlling the explosive energy profile in blast holes , in conjunction with the DigiShot Plus . 4G detonators , is providing miners with enormous flexibility in blasting design , according to Rounsley .
The company has seen some notable improvements in fragmentation and productivity in Chile , for instance , where hard-rock miners are applying the two technologies .
“ We gave blast designers a tool in terms of DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY and 4G detonation that allows them to change their design to solve particular problems ,” Rounsley said .
An example of this could be the need for a tighter fragmentation specification where the flexibility of the ΔE chemically-gassed emulsion product could be combined with the timing , accuracy and design flexibility the DigiShot Plus . 4G detonator offers .
“ You can use our ΔE bulk product to place energy very accurately in the blast hole , putting high energy explosives only where needed ( eg in hard-rock bands ) and lower energy explosives elsewhere ( in softer-rock areas ),” Rounsley said . “ Velocity of detonation can also be dialled up to match rock types and strata , so there is an outcome that is much tighter in terms of the overall fragmentation .”
DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY emulsion also comes with a lower average density than the industry standard emulsion , meaning less product can be
The first ever underground wireless detonator blast in Western Australia was recently conducted using Dyno Nobel ’ s CyberDet I
94 International Mining | AUGUST 2021