EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
Boot-less blasting
Manual , tele-remote or autonomous ? Wired or wireless ? Explosives and blasting innovators are answering the big questions , Dan Gleeson reports
Due to the risks associated with exposing personnel at the face ( underground ) and on the bench ( open pit ), the theme of automation and remote operations has always come up when discussing the mining value chain , especially related to explosives and blasting practices .
All the major mining companies have automation on their roadmaps as a result . Technology and innovation companies like Enaex has demonstrated significant robotic milestones in real mining conditions , through its Enaex Robotics division , in the recent past .
Back in 2019 , its Mine iTruck ® robotic loading equipment , together with its Stemming-iTruck ® and RoboMiner ® , were used for the first full remote blast in an open-pit environment in history and , in 2021 , were deployed at the Anglo American-owned Los Bronces mine , in Chile .
This saw the RoboMiner , a humanoid unit mounted on four wheels , moor and prime the blast holes ; the Mine-iTruck transport raw materials , manufacture explosives on-site and load them ; and the Stemming-iTruck plug the blast holes with gravel .
Then , during April 2022 , a world-first 100 % remote , robotic and autonomous loading operation was carried out for development operations in underground mining with the UGiTruck at Enaex ’ s test mine in Chile .
This equipment is designed to remotely load explosives in development tunnels , with the ability to measure the profile of each drill hole and clean them , if necessary , then assemble boosters and detonators robotically , load emulsion , tram and detonate without the need for tie-up since Davey Tronic Edge ®, a wireless electronic detonator , is used .
UG-iTruck has a mechanised priming system and can manufacture Ugex Full Face ®, an emulsion with a variable density that allows precision blasting and high performance , according to the company . The entire process is monitored from a remote control station or a centralised operations station .
Enaex has moved on from these milestones and continues to “ set and push ” the bar , according to Marco Ruiz , Enaex Robotics Director .
“ In a matter of years , we have moved on from testing our underground mine development automation process in our test laboratory , in our test mine and , now , at Codelco ’ s El Teniente mine ,” he told IM .
The company ’ s UG- iTruck arrived at the mine – which is the world ’ s biggest block cave mine – earlier this year , set for trials in a new underground environment .
The new project portfolio at El Teniente includes the Andes Norte , Diamante and Andesita projects , making up an initiative that will allow Codelco to add productive sectors to the existing El Teniente deposits that are in the process of depletion , while extending their productive life by 50 years and maintaining production levels at around 460,000 t / y of fine copper .
Yet , developing underground mines with more than 2,400 km of tunnels come with issues , hence the reason one of the world ’ s biggest underground copper miners is looking to remove personnel from the face wherever possible .
This automated loading testing is taking place on the “ new levels ” at El Teniente , according to Ruiz , with operators overseeing the automated operations from a control station positioned
Dyno Consult ’ s Mike Kotraba is convinced the sector will move towards more readily utilising real-time data in its decision-making practices on the bench , instead of focusing on key performance indicators measured and reviewed after the fact
outside of the “ red zone ”. “ We are in a ramp-up process where we started with more isolated parts of the mine in more ‘ controlled conditions ’, but the final goal is automated explosive loading activities to the main tunnels ,” Ruiz said .
At the same time as the company plans to move its operators and UG-iTruck to mine developments areas , it also has plans to relocate the automation controllers to remote operation centres on surface .
This may not occur during trials at El Teniente , but it is part of Enaex ’ s technology roadmap , which also includes the delivery of more prototype UG-iTruck units .
“ If we demonstrate the capability in a live mine development scenario , solving the industry challenge , the wider industry adoption for this solution will be inevitable in my opinion ,” Ruiz said . “ This is where the design criteria has to not only consider Chile , but also think about potential applications in regions like North America or Australia .
“ Fortunately , and unfortunately at the same time , the problem we are looking to solve at El Teniente is present at many underground mines all over the world . In this regard , we think we have a universal solution .”
Above ground , the company is also looking to refine its robotic offering , moving to higher levels of automation .
The company has perfected its tele-remote
50 International Mining | AUGUST 2023