Modern Mining December 2021

EXPLOSIVES AND BLASTING

Blast innovator keeps its eyes on the mining efficiency prize As the quality of blasting improves with evolving digital and emulsion technology, Omnia Group company, BME, notes that mines become more efficient, competitive and sustainable.

R alf Hennecke, MD of BME, says that as a key early step in the mining value chain, better blasting means better mining and processing. Hennecke highlights how electronic detona- tors have transformed the blasting process – paving the way for digital technologies that have brought blasting into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The digital journey has included a revolution in blast planning and execution, where sophisticated soft- ware can now create complex blasts which optimise both volume and control. “These blast plans leverage the power of elec- tronic detonators, which can be precisely detonated to within milliseconds of each other for optimal impact,” he says. “Such plans can take into account each ore body’s detailed geology as well as the mine’s preferred blast outcomes.” These might include catering for the social environment beyond the mine, and even nearby

infrastructure, as controlled blasting is able to reduce impacts such as vibration, dust and fly-rock. To enhance safety and reliability, the software also allows blasts to be simulated before they are applied on the bench. Various checks and improvements can be applied to fine-tune the design and achieve a perfect blast. The application of digital tools also means that more data related to each blast can be gathered, stored, and analysed. Ongoing improvement “The ability to analyse blast data opens the door to more effective continuous improvement – as we can review results in detail and assess how well the blast plan met our expectations in practice,” he says. “This principle applies to various on-mine processes; as a result, the impact of good blasting practice on mineral processing, for instance, can also be anal- ysed more readily through detailed data from both processes.” Through the precision, reliability and flexibility of blast timing ushered in by electronic detonators and initiation systems, each blast can be optimised. By achieving good fragmentation and clearly separat- ing ore from waste, mines can make their loading, comminution and extraction functions more efficient. “Mines consume a high portion of their energy needs in loading, hauling, crushing and milling,” he says. “Better fragmentation leads to lower energy consumption in these phases – which reduces the consumption of electricity and diesel, while also reducing the mine’s carbon emissions.” Modern electronic accessories and digital tools also create the opportunity to use more detonators in a single blast, and to energise larger volumes of explosive. These large blasts –where BME regularly breaks world records – are themselves an efficiency booster, says Hennecke. The fewer blast cycles a mine can achieve, the less downtime it must endure; overall productivity can be raised, with positive bot- tom-line impacts. Real-time data “Digital technologies have also improved our ability to measure our performance in real time – such as exactly how much emulsion is being pumped into blast holes,” he says. “Data from our smart mobile manufacturing units, for example, can be gathered

Ralf Hennecke, MD of BME.

Electronic detonators provide precision, reliability and flexibility of blast timing.

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26  MODERN MINING  December 2021