Kathu summit highlights BME’s blasting ecosystem. Safe, sustainable and quality blasting came under the spotlight in Kathu, Northern Cape, on 10 July 2024, as BME invited customers for a deep dive into the productivity potential within its blasting ecosystem.
According to Nishen Hariparsad, BME’s General Manager for Technology and Marketing, the technical summit allowed BME to share its blasting ecosystem with customers, developed over 40 years of innovation.
“In our partnership with customers, we bring a suite of offerings including products, infrastructure, equipment, people, advanced technical services, software and hardware,” said Hariparsad. He pointed to the company’s INNOVEX emulsion system, its AXXIS initiating system, the wide range of technical services, and the Blast Alliance suite of blasting software. Safety aspects were a key aspect of the day’s discussion, with BME highlighting the commitment that goes into achieving a zero recordable case rate (RCR) since its 2023 financial year.
Tech innovation
“Importantly, the technical summit included expert input on best practice in blasting, and beyond,” he said. “This took delegates through a detailed road map of the key aspects to consider in achieving their desired blast outcomes.”
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This included looking at new technologies being employed to optimise blasting, such as string loading, virtual reality, ‘green’ emulsion systems, electronic initiation practices, continuous fragmentation measurement, differential energy loading, and wireless technologies.
Delegates at the summit were also brought up to speed with the latest legislation relevant to blasting and explosives, including the importance of controlling the transport, storage and usage of explosives though a stringent and accurate chain of custody.
“We were also able to talk more about the latest generation of our locally developed AXXIS electronic detonation system, AXXIS Titanium, which represents a quantum leap in technology,” he said. “Over the years, AXXIS has broken records for the number of electronic detonators initiated in a single blast – and its accuracy, safety and functionality keep on improving.”
Hariparsad said the successful technical summit was the first of many in the Northern Cape, a region with mature challenges and increased mining complexities. With its integrated blasting solutions –increasingly leveraged by artificial intelligence, telematics and other digital technologies – BME will be supporting its mining customers in continuously improving blasting practice and results. BME, as a division of Omnia Group, is committed to Omnia’s purpose of innovating to enhance life, together creating a greener future.
