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Explosives manufacturer follows holistic approach

26th June 2015

By: Kimberley Smuts

Creamer Media Reporter

  

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Commercial explosives manufacturer and supplier AEL Mining Services continues to develop its portable charging units, having launched new units for shaft sinking at two sinking shafts in Africa in June to add to its suite of underground blasting solutions.

AEL identified the need to follow a holistic approach not only to devising a solution for the safe delivery of mine-critical products, such as explosives and services, but also to understanding the unique needs of mining environments and tailoring solutions in line with industry needs.

“As gold mines increasingly venture deeper underground, new challenges arise as to how to deliver explosives to operations safely, efficiently and cost effectively at the depths required,” says AEL underground bulk systems product manager Mark Cross.

He adds that all AEL’s solutions to date have been developed in South Africa, but as the company expands globally, future solutions will be based on the demands of global customers.

“AEL’s capability in this regard is unparalleled when one looks at the company’s patented vertical drop infrastructure system, a technology and system whereby emulsion and sensitiser is delivered to underground storage tanks adjacent to operations.”

AEL’s vertical drop infrastructure system replaces the conventional requirement of shaft-head explosives delivery and surface emulsion silos, creating a seamless inventory flow removed from the main arteries of the mine, enhancing safety.

“From a strategic point of view, AEL will continue to develop the vertical drop system to assist our customers with deeper depths going forward,” says Cross.

To-date depths remain shorter than 300 m, although these “drops” have the capacity to deliver emulsion to strategic points in the mine, offering a hybrid solution comprising of a vertical drop, portable and mobile charging units and bulk/bagged emulsion to the workface.

AEL plans to deliver the first vertical drop beyond 600 m in 2015.

The PCU010 portable pump was specifically developed for narrow-reef stoping and development, but is currently being used for tunnel development under various mining conditions.

Cross says the introduction of portable pumps for narrow-reef mining has been a success, with complete shafts being fully converted at the mines of leading mining groups in South Africa. AEL also plans to introduce the PCU011 as a lightweight alternative to the PCU010 during 2015, offering greater ease of use at the face.

“In conjunction with the portable pump innovation, AEL’s bagged UG100 product has been well accepted as the best means of delivering emulsion to the operations of deep-level mines. This expansion continues and is the new standard in underground charging,” he says.

From a product perspective, the UG100, cap-sensitive emulsion solution, is used in both conventional and trackless development and stoping, whereas the UG101S emulsion is “best-of-class” for up-hole applications and development.

The UG101S offers the mine a one-stop shop for all applications in the trackless massive mining environment, he says.

Cross states that AEL also provides the necessary mobile or portable charging units used in conjunction with UG101 and UG101S to deliver an explosive in the blast hole.

Three-hundred portable charging units are currently in operation, predominantly in the gold market, where the units’ pneumatic and hydropower pumps are setting new standards for underground blasting and the total replacement of packaged explosives and ammonium nitrate fuel oil, known as Anfo. An excess of 400 mobile charging units are operating globally.

Cross explains that AEL has developed a “cradle-to-grave” turnkey solution designed to deliver a total solution – from the manufacturing of explosives to delivery at depths never previously possible.

Further, key benefits of these solutions include minimising exposure to explosives during transportation from surface to underground, and eliminating the need for expensive surface storage (silos or magazines) as the product is now stored underground. The logistics of the supply of explosives is also greatly simplified. Capital expenditure requirements for charging units and their respective utility vehicles is also streamlined. Further, an additional benefit of the use of AEL’s solutions enables the continuous delivery of energy as and when the user needs.

Cross states that the challenges associated with the delivery of explosives to operations safely, efficiently and cost effectively, at the depths required, can be mitigated by the application of vertical drop.

AEL’s underground bulk offering continues to expand despite the shrinking market, as customers look for a sustainable replacement for packaged explosives and to reduce labour exposure in the inherently dangerous mining environment, as well as to reduce overall mining costs, Cross concludes.

Edited by Leandi Kolver
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

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