Page 29 - EngineerIT December 2021

MINING

“Everything is built into the logger, Rollout
which can now do the programming, The commercialisation of AXXIS Titanium™
scanning and testing,” said du Preez. “The follows extensive laboratory and field testing
market appreciates the speed at which in South Africa, leading to the recent award
you can now fire a blast and after the of an inspection authority certificate by the
detonators have been programmed, you Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.
can start up the controller from the view Enthusiastic uptake of AXXIS Titanium™ has
site and blast within two minutes.” already begun in BME’s southern African market,
The speed of the ASIC chip on the and the system will soon be rolled out across
system’s board cuts the programming time BME’s extensive Africa footprint.
by half, he noted. Further afield, Australia is also an important
market for this AXXIS™ upgrade, especially due to
Blasting for sustainability the complexity of their coal seams and methods
The accuracy of the detonation delays – such as through-seam blasting, said Du Preez. Hennie Du Preez
has been further fine-tuned, reaching a “With multiple seams requiring the loading
0,02% firing accuracy for consistent and of detonators to prevent contamination of coal
quality blasting that results in better rock with waste, longer firing delays are an important
fragmentation and consistency. Du Preez benefit,” he said.
highlighted the positive impact this has on The system is already certified in Australia,
the efficiency of key mine measurables like Asia-Pacific and the United States, and the
loading rates and crusher throughput. This necessary regulatory processes are underway to
in turn helps mines improve their carbon certify AXXIS Titanium™ in Canada and the rest of
footprints as they pursue increasingly vital the company’s global territories.
sustainability targets. In this way, BME’s
technology innovation is closely aligned Training
with the Omnia Group’s ongoing focus on Providing the necessary training for customers to
sustainability, which prioritises zero harm use the new system remains an important part of
and positive impact to build a better future. BME’s contribution, according to Tom Dermody, Ralf Hennecke
Accurate blast design and initiation technical services manager at BME Australia-Asia.
also allows mines to ensure they are Dermody noted that the training has evolved
operating within regulatory limits over the years as mines have become more
regarding vibration control. familiar with electronic detonation technology,
“Commands from the operator are and more recently as the Covid-19 pandemic has
written into the detonator’s non-volatile restricted access to mine sites.
memory, so that it cannot be over-written “We now split the training between virtual
or deleted,” he said. “This is very useful sessions online and practical sessions on the
for post-blast analysis if required, as even bench,” he said. “As electronic initiation systems
the blast command is recorded by the are used more widely, the training tends to focus
memory chip.” more on BME’s specific offering. Mines’ blasting
teams can now do most of the introductory
Integration training online, which we then augment with a
He highlights the value of technological more hands-on training element on-site which Tinus Brits
integration of AXXIS™ with BME’s other focuses on practicalities.”
innovative solutions such as its BLASTMAP™
blast planning software, XPLOLOG™ AXXIS Silver
platform and cloud-based storage for post- For customers in smaller mining operations,
blast analysis. The system also integrates quarries, construction and demolition, there is
with third-party blasting software. also a slimmed-down version of this system in
“The AXXIS Titanium™ system the form of AXXIS Silver™ – for applications that
supports BME’s data integration vision for do not require such large blast capability. Du
customers,” he said. “This aims at giving Preez emphasised, however, that AXXIS Silver™
customers better control of the entire has the same microchip, safety features and
blasting process, as well as customised ease of use as AXXIS Titanium™. It will shortly
reports and data solutions to optimise complete the required testing protocols to
efficiency and cost.” achieve the necessary certification. n Tom Dermody

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