EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
rates, greater machine availability and reliable downhole data, it says.
“ AI technology monitors all input signals and takes dynamic corrective action, reducing reliance on operator input,” Taylor said.“ By retaining the existing OEM technology platform, the tool helps mines to innovate without having to invest in new machine controls.”
As for blasting specifically, the same inputs monitored to increase drill penetration rates can be used to determine explosive loading factors along the depth of the hole.“ Known in the industry as differential loading, automating these charge designs will optimise the blasting process, making sure the right amount of explosives is in the right area,” Taylor said.“ This can have major impacts on a mine’ s costs, mill throughput rates and sustainability targets.”
Then, in terms of blasting safety, Hexagon is doing its bit to reduce the occurrence of flyrock, which can occur if soft ground or voids are loaded with explosives.“ Flyrock incidents can be reduced if these areas can be identified with the automated drilling and loading design practices mentioned previously,” Taylor said.
The other piece of that puzzle is making sure no one is within the blast clearance zone. The clearing process can add significant operational delays for an open-pit mine, but if every piece of equipment can be tracked via GPS or other method, clearance times can be reduced, and sites can be increasingly confident everyone is outside of the clearance zone, according to Taylor.
“ Hexagon is well suited to dive into some of these opportunities – we have many of the pieces of the puzzle,” she said.“ It’ s up to our teams to put them together as valuable products for our customers.”
Differentiated explosive product delivery
Dyno Nobel’ s Technical Manager of Latin America, Felipe Pontanilla, spoke along similar lines in the introduction to his‘ The first mine-ready electric MPU for explosives delivery’ presentation at The Electric Mine 2025, in Santiago, Chile, in May.
“ Drilling, in conjunction with blasting, is the first stage of comminution / fragmentation of the rock, and this has a major impact on downstream processes,” he said.
It is this mindset that is behind the company’ s‘ Drill to Mill’ philosophy – a process to deliver unmatched value by improving impacts across the entire mining operation, including drilling, blasting, loading, hauling, crushing and milling. By recognising the processes as interconnected rather than standalone steps, even small adjustments can compound to enhance efficiency and create immense value, according to Dyno Nobel.
Drill to Mill projects start with a baseline evaluation of current operations and then move into analysis of the data gathered. These steps provide a deep understanding of the site’ s geology, business priorities, challenges, and opportunities for improvement, according to the company.
From there, the multi-disciplinary team of drill and blast experts optimises and refines the processes to enhance outcomes. Realtime monitoring and evaluation ensures benefits are realised and sustained for longterm value creation.
The DYNOBULK Electric MPU, like Dyno Nobel’ s other MPUs, is engineered to deliver the explosive product directly to the blasthole but offers a sustainable alternative to conventional diesel-powered vehicles used in the mining and resources sectors
Explosive products that can be adapted to match operations’ geologies are one way to improve blast outcomes. Dyno Nobel’ s DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY and Delta E2( ΔE 2) technologies allow for precise energy placement by varying the density of TITAN bulk emulsion throughout the borehole. The ΔE 2 Preload software uses data from drills and other sources that characterise rock properties to target the ideal placement of energy, and loading plans can be sent directly to loading equipment to ensure they align with the design, the company explains.
For precise initiation of the blast, electronic detonators offer millisecond timing accuracy and flexibility. This allows for improved control of airblast, vibration and fragmentation. In addition to timing accuracy, Dyno Nobel’ s DigiShot XR series of electronic detonators also offer extreme shock and EMP resistance for peak performance in even the most challenging conditions, the company says.
By combining precise energy placement with the enhanced accuracy of electronic detonators, Dyno Nobel’ s team of experts can optimise blasting processes to create more value throughout the entire mining and processing stream.
Two projects successfully implemented by Dyno Nobel showcase the Drill to Mill philosophy.
A large gold mine in Australia had traditionally used an ammonium nitrate and emulsion blend and experienced issues with fragmentation, oversize, poor productivity from shovels, limited blast sizes and some nitrogen oxide( NOx) fumes. Dyno Nobel conducted a trial using TITAN bulk emulsion and DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY. By placing explosive energy precisely where it was
Drill to Mill projects start with a baseline evaluation of current operations and then moves into analysis of the data gathered. These steps provide a deep understanding of the site’ s geology, business priorities, challenges, and opportunities for improvement, according to Dyno Nobel
needed in the blast hole, fragmentation and productivity improved, diggability increased and truck fill factors improved by 13 %. Emissions decreased by 7 % and NOx fumes were eliminated for the duration of the trial, the company says.
A large copper mine in the western United States wanted to improve its
44 International Mining | AUGUST 2025