EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING wall damage ,” he said .
Catron said Enaex has developed a lower energy and lower density product called Densiex ® that is now being tested at client sites . “ It is an emulsion that stands out for its reduced vibration and VoD , hence it reduces the effect induced by the blast , compared to traditional emulsions ,” he explained . “ We have already seen a lot of good results and are just adjusting and fine tuning the calibration of the MMUs .”
At the other end of the emulsion scale with high energy products , Enaex is looking to make a positive impact in mine to mill projects , and at expanding the blasting pattern .
Enaex already has its standard bulk emulsion products , Vertex ® and Pirex ® . Pirex is a blasting agent that increases safety in mines with more reactive rock with a high pyrite content . Vertex is a versatile blasting agent , designed to optimise energy and expand grids , with the new higher energy products being Vertex S and Pirex S .
Catron said both products are enhanced using proprietary additives , including physical sensitisers , allowing them to offer high energy and improved power .
Innovation also extends to the MMUs themselves . Enaex has supplied some of the largest MMUs in the industry , with its Milodon units able to load 30 t of explosives . The company continues to work on those in terms of increasing volume and capacity further .
Work also continues on projects to automate the MMUs and related equipment , and also to power them with diesel alternatives .
The autonomy work is being carried out by the Enaex Robotics division . Catron explained : “ We are working on three new products . First is a semi-autonomous surface Milodon MMU which is already working at an operation near Santiago – it is still trammed manually to the working area but then switches into remote control mode to load the holes with the operator sitting at a control station elsewhere . The semi-autonomous MMU has given us a lot of information and feedback about autonomous operations that we are pouring into the design and software updates of our fully autonomous MMU : Mine-iTruck ® .
“ Then there is RoboPrimer ® , our solution for robotic and autonomous priming , which improves the safety and productivity of the overall process .”
RoboPrimer has been extensively tested at the company ’ s testing grounds near Santiago but is not yet being used commercially at client sites .
Thirdly , Enaex has its UG-iTruck ® for underground autonomous loading , which is already running at an underground operation in the north of Chile .
There is also innovation in electronic initiation systems – where Enaex has two relatively new solutions – to talk about .
First is the latest version of its established DaveyTronic programmable electronic detonators called DaveyTronic 5 ® . Catron explained : “ It has a new ASIC meaning increased memory for enhanced data capabilities . It stores blast ID , length , traceability and GPS coordinates .”
Then there is DaveyTronic Edge , which sees Enaex removing the surface wires for a significant reduction of the operations on the bench ( connecting , troubleshooting ), while keeping two-way communication . This , Catron says , is paving the way to teleoperated / automated priming operations .
DaveyTronic Edge has completed testing and is now in a market scaling phase . This has seen productivity rates increase significantly due to the much faster programming and checking of the detonators , according to Catron .
In the area of digitalised blasting , Enaex Bright , a digital platform designed for blasting optimisation and digital integration with mining clients , is also finding favour . This has four main modules : Bright Scan , a quality assessment module to control drilling , loading and blasting execution ; Bright Blast to optimise fragmentation and digging ; Bright Fleet to ensure on-time operations and deliveries ; and Bright Care to take care of nearby communities and infrastructures .
Going beyond drill and blast , ore control
Drill and blast operations have vast impacts on the mine ’ s productivity and profitability , with James Dampney , Vice President , Resource Optimisation at Hexagon ’ s Mining division , arguing that more holistic , data-driven control and visibility solutions need to be put in the hands of miners to achieve and exceed resource extraction goals .
This is where companies need to leverage greater control and data-driven capabilities within the context of block models , drilling and blast movement , he says .
Dampney told IM : “ While the block model is typically governed more upstream of the drill and blast process , it is still a primary trusted source of the critical information required on when and how to undertake drill and blast . It informs the design of the blast layout , including the placement of drill holes and the sequencing of blasts , which directly impacts the efficiency of the mining operation .”
The management , iteration and data enrichment of block models across the various mining roles and phases of mining can result in unwieldy , multi-variant , error-prone models , according to Dampney . This then feeds into a mine ’ s ability to achieve those resource extraction targets .
Hexagon ’ s MinePlan Block Model Manager
solves this problem by providing a server-based block model management solution that enables highly efficient data management with version control and change notifications , the company says . It ensures the integrity of block model data , enables collaboration across mining technical services teams and facilitates auditability of the model-creation process .
Additionally , MinePlan Block Model Manager streamlines data access , reuse and interoperability by providing a modern API for advanced query options and seamless integration with other systems .
Moving further downstream from blasting , blast movement is a critical measure for mines where orebodies are delineated into various downstream destinations within a single blast . This is where understanding blast movement has a dramatic impact on a mine ’ s profitability , directly contributing to the management of ore loss , dilution and misclassification .
“ However , in data terms , blast movement is simply a transitionary phase of the block model ,” Dampney explains . “ The block model has moved from in-situ , with all the associated attributes ( such as grade estimates , lithology , extraction costs and many other data points ), to broken rock in a muckpile .”
The challenge is how a miner controls optimal resource extraction by carrying the thousands of data points collected upstream through a blast , ensuring material reaches its correct downstream location .
Hexagon has partnered with AI company Augment Technologies to bring to market Hexagon Blast Movement Intelligence . Fundamental to this solution is the Muckpile Block Model™ that , post-blast , retains all the tonnage , metal and associated data points within the pre-blast grade control model , enabling the customer to determine optimal digging locations to minimise ore loss , dilution and misclassification .
“ Hexagon Blast Movement Intelligence is fully integrated into industry-accepted geological modelling software , so modelling and the management of inputs do not have to be treated separately ,” Dampney explained . “ Equally important , the solution eliminates the need for miners to walk on the muckpile , a notoriously hazardous area of the mining environment .”
The AI-driven Muckpile Block Model uses a range of data inputs to generate a high-fidelity 1 m x 1 m x 1 m model that , Hexagon says , can be interrogated and is fully auditable back upstream to the resource model . This ensures integrity and appropriate data controls that empower miners to control ore loss and dilution , the company added .
“ Moving downstream from blasting , Hexagon Blast Movement Intelligence includes Hexagon
AUGUST 2024 | International Mining 69