Modern Mining April 2019

COVER STORY

the system merges industry-leading technol- ogy with ease of use. The product has been designed to handle complex blasting require- ments in an easy manner,” Ludick continues. “Our market research indicates that our sys- tem is the only electronic detonator solution that can perform encrypted wireless synchro- nisation and control of the equipment. The system incorporates built-in long range (3 km) transmitters/receivers so there is no need for additional external antennae. “All of these features combine to give the user ease of use, speed of connection and com- munication, extremely robust detonators and control equipment (IP57 rated) which leads to accurate, successful blasts, on time. “We are excited to take South African inno- vation to other regions so that their mining industries can benefit from our solutions,” concludes Ludick. 

with our products. Our new system utilises an Application specific Integrated Circuit (AsIC) electronic chip and not the average off-the-shelf microprocessor. The same technology is used in mission critical electronics such as aerospace and defence applications where a guaranteed outcome is required,” says Ludick. The memory of the Intellishot™ AsIC has been upgraded to have 15 times more storage capability, thereby allowing more functions and features not previously possible while the programming speed has been increased sevenfold. “Even the communication leads have been upgraded to be tougher with increased abra- sion resistance, increased ability to stretch and tensile properties that ensure the detonator remains functional in the most demanding of applications,” explains Ludick. “What makes Intellishot™ unique is that

AEL’s Blast Consult team of highly skilled engineers collaborates with customers to ensure that blasting is conducted efficiently and cost effectively.

April 2019  MODERN MINING  21