EXPLOSIVES AND BLASTING
The approach culminated in a surfaceinitiated blast, supported by a complete digital EthReport audit trail.
James Winfield, Austin Powder Technical Representative, said the Immel mine blasts stopes several times per month, with blasts consuming several hundred detonators being frequent.
The milestone blast conducted this year, however, involved 1,350 E * STAR detonators( verified and successfully fired) for a plus- 72,600 t blast from Stope 25-77-W. Behind this sizeable blast came 722 drilled holes totalling 7,833 m.
Winfield said this blast, which boasted 100 % detonator verification rate prior to firing and zero personnel underground during blast initiation, was a good representation of what the E * STAR CUBE centralised blasting system can facilitate.
He added:“ We are working on installing additional infrastructure and training the blasters at Immel. I am working closely with the mine to make this transition as smooth as possible.”
Campbell Robertson, Global Manager, Electronic Initiation Systems at Austin Powder, said Immel is not alone in conducting surface-initiation blasts with its CUBE system, with customers in Mexico, Chile and Argentina using it, albeit not firing such large blasts.
Austin Powder’ s customers in Mexico have been using the CUBE system since
2018 / 2019, working as Austin innovation partners as it developed different security and user-centric features for the system.
From here, the CUBE system is set to go through a program of continuous innovation and expansion of its capabilities, such as communication types, robustness of the user interface, etc, Robertson said.
While there have not been any requests for blasting larger than the 1,600 detonators the CUBE system offers, he did say Austin Powder has the technology available to go beyond this threshold, with the creation of a synchronised blast with more than one blast box connected.
More broadly on automation, Austin Powder is actively looking at methods to make blasting safer, such as remote loading, autonomous loading and the removal of the human at the blast face, with large efforts going into the roboticisation and automation of various tasks in the blast process. This comes alongside plans to launch new and innovative blast machines with the latest in screen, speed, communication and battery technologies.
Data-empowered mining
BME said it recognises that AI, autonomy and automation will define the mine of the future, and it is intent on deliberately shaping how these technologies are embedded in the mining process.
XPLOSMART™, its AI-enabled blasting optimisation system, is key to this, according to Nishen Hariparsad, General Manager of Technology & Marketing at BME.
The system is a result of pairing BME’ s blasting expertise with technology leader Strayos’ advanced image processing and AI capabilities, delivering enhanced functionality, precision and next-generation software solutions to the mining industry.
Built on an‘ integrity-first’ foundation, XPLOSMART represents a mindset shift that places traceability, explainability and safety at its core, Hariparsad said, allowing engineers to remain firmly in control with AIgenerated recommendations traceable back to source data.
It integrates geospatial, time-series and visual datasets to enable seamless decision making, BME said.
Its modular architecture allows phased adoption, while BME’ s Global Blasting Technical Services team ensure that digital insights are translated into practical operational improvements on-site through direct and physical involvement, according to the company.
“ Through these efforts we have positioned ourselves as a‘ productive’ integration partner, working across multiple vendor ecosystems to ensure that blast performance drives measurable downstream value,” Hariparsad told IM in June.
He added that outcomes speak directly to
DIGITAL BLAST MANAGEMENT
ENHANCED SAFETY. CONTROLLED UNDERGROUND.
Find out more at: www. becker-mining. com / smartblast smartblast ® from Becker Mining Systems brings safe, reliable remote blasting to underground, surface and tunnelling operations. With secure two-way communication and full blast confirmation, operators gain complete control while staying out of harm‘ s way.
Remote precision. Total control. Safe by design.
International Mining | AUGUST 2026