DRILL & BLAST
techniques, the hardness down the hole can be determined and the data used to vary the explosive product in the hole, or pack areas in the hole that do not need to be blasted. T e down-the-hole profi ling data can also be used to detect coal seams to adjust the mine model, or to perform through-seam blasting. T e system can also identify hard bands to change the loading design. Once the blast design and relevant simulation activities are completed, load sheets for the blast holes can be created. T ese load sheets show the blast crew what material and how much material is to be added to the hole. T e blast crew use a mobile manufacturing unit (MMU), ANFO or explosives truck to load the holes. T is is performed to the design specifi ed in the load sheets, which can also be displayed on board the machine virtually.
Consumable tracking Blast consumables, such as explosive and stemming, are placed into the hole and the amount used can be recorded
for that hole. T is is called as-charged data. T is can then be used later to reconcile the planned versus actual. For example, the number of detonators that are taken from the magazine for a blast can be reconciled against the number actually put into the pattern before fi ring a blast. Other benefi ts of these types of systems are the ability to track the drilling consumables. Drilling with a worn out bit will slow down operations and replacing consumables too early will result in lost time and additional replacement costs. Leica J2drill tracks the use of drill consumables on the machine so the mine can optimise the life of each component. Utilising systems that monitor the health of a mine’s equipment are paramount to adhere to budgets. T ere are many opportunities to
improve the effi ciency of the drill and blast process using technology. By using high-precision guidance systems, drill and blast engineers are able to carry out tasks to plan, the fi rst time. ●
Brendon Lilly is manager of Product Management-Operations at Hexagon Mining.
www.hexagonmining.com
Leica J2drill shows the hardness bands displayed to the operator
www.engineerlive.com 11
High-precision drilling operations compared to low-precision drilling with a surveyor marking out the pattern
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