Orica delivers new enhancements to 2 electric blasting technologies

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eDev™ II provides remote firing capabilities, improved precision for blasting operations in civil tunnelling and underground mine development. Image supplied.

Mining and infrastructure solutions developer Orica has updated two electronic blasting systems to provide customers with more efficient and productive operations. 

In an ASX announcement, Orica said its eDev™ II and uni tronic™ 600 Electronic Blasting Systems have been integrated with the Blaster 3000 currently used with the i-kon™ III System. 

Blaster 3000 will serve as a common blast box platform to deliver an improved user experience and blastic capabilities for Orica customers using eDev™and uni tronic™ 600. 

Upgrades to eDev II include remote firing capability, enabling up to 800 detonators to be fired remotely. For underground development and civil tunnelling operations, eDev has improved firing precision to +/- 0.005 for greater precision and better blast outcomes. 

Meanwhile, the uni tronic 600 system, which is primarily intended for small surface mines, and quarry and construction blasting operations, will now allow larger blasts to be fired remotely with synchronised firing capability for up to 1,600 detonators and starter detonator functionality also enabled through the upgrade. 

Blaster 3000 is the blast box hardware for Orica’s flagship ikon™III Electronic Blasting System and is designed to bolster precision and reliability. 

The integration of the two blasting systems with Blaster 3000 platform will provide users with a range of additional benefits, such as storing and accessing up to 30 blast reports to better support regulatory reporting and post-blast analysis. 

“We are continually making blasting safer, easier and faster so that our customers can achieve more with less. The integration of our best technologies across our EBS product families demonstrates our commitment to delivering smarter solutions and adding value to our customers’ operations through technology and innovation,” said Rodney Williams, head of initiating systems at Orica.