Delegates were able to see firsthand the ways that BlastLogic can monitor drill access, explosives loading around coal and timing for each bench in through-seam blasts. Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) across all drill and blast activities streamlines quality assurance and quality control.
Snapshots of historical blasts guide selection of optimum powder factor and dictate drill burden and spacing that take into account waste and coal margins. Explosives loading rules dictate how much stemming should be loaded through coal and at the surface, and the type of explosives for wet and dry conditions.
“BlastLogic links blast designs directly with the geology model,” said Steve Putt, blasé management specialist for Maptek. “This helps ensure placement of detonators and explosives columns with centimeter-level accuracy to prevent unwanted dilution. Every hole can be tracked in detail across a bench and a project.
“If drills do not have access to where holes are needed, the blast is off to a bad start,” Putt said. “Through-seam explosives loading is unique for every hole and specific loading instructions are based on where the coal is in each hole.”
“Obviously good design is just one part of the coal recovery equation,” Putt said. “Any variation from the designed load plan can cause dilution and ultimately reduce revenue. BlastLogic tracks execution progress to ensure that learnings can be passed along for future blasts.”
Direct interface to site drill navigation systems automatically retrieves as-drilled data. With live information, engineers can review any changes to the explosives loading plan immediately the holes are drilled.
Drilling mistakes can be corrected by adjusting explosives loading. Loading mistakes can be mitigated by adjusting the blast timing.
“It may take several attempts to optimize the blast,” Putt said. “Keeping good records guides long-term improvement. A robust, easy-to-use tracking system such as BlastLogic is critical to productivity. Substantial time is saved on data formatting and entry in various systems, allowing engineers to focus on drill-and-blast planning and compliance.”
