Drill and blast is where value extraction begins in most mining operations. The quality of fragmentation achieved through blasting affects everything downstream – loading productivity, crushing energy, processing recovery. Technology is enabling more precise blast design and execution that improves these outcomes.

The Fragmentation Impact

Fragmentation quality cascades through the mining value chain.

Loading productivity depends on material handleability. Well-fragmented material loads efficiently; oversize and undersize create problems.

Haulage efficiency relates to payload achievement. Consistent fragmentation enables consistent truck loading.

Crushing performance responds to feed size distribution. Primary crushers handle well-fragmented material more efficiently than poorly fragmented rock.

Processing recovery connects to liberation. Material broken along grain boundaries liberates valuable minerals; material broken through grains may not.

Secondary breakage requirements increase when blasting produces oversize. Rock breakers and secondary drilling consume time and resources.

The economic impact of fragmentation quality can be measured in dollars per tonne across the entire operation. Small improvements multiply across large material volumes.

Blast Design Technology

Technology improves how blasts are designed.

3D geological models inform design decisions. Understanding rock strength, structure, and variability enables design customisation.

Blast modeling software predicts outcomes from proposed designs. Fragmentation models, energy distribution analysis, and movement prediction support design optimisation.

Machine learning applied to historical data identifies patterns linking design parameters to outcomes. These insights may reveal relationships that physics-based models miss.

Pattern optimisation adjusts hole spacing and burden to achieve desired results with minimum explosive consumption. Precise optimisation requires accurate rock characterisation.

Bench-specific designs replace standard patterns. Variations in geology and required outcomes justify design customisation rather than one-size-fits-all approaches.

Drilling Technology Advances

Drilling execution affects blast outcomes significantly.

GPS-guided drilling ensures holes are drilled in planned locations. Accurate collar positions enable designs to execute as intended.

Measurement while drilling (MWD) records drill performance parameters. Penetration rate, rotation pressure, and other data indicate rock conditions.

Automated drill systems execute drilling patterns with consistency human operators struggle to maintain. Automated systems reduce variability between holes.

Real-time monitoring enables quality control during drilling. Identifying holes that deviate from plan enables correction before blasting.

Hole survey technology measures actual hole trajectories. Understanding where holes actually go, not just where they’re collared, improves design accuracy.

MWD Analytics

Measurement while drilling data is increasingly used for more than drilling optimisation.

Rock strength estimation from drilling parameters provides geo-metallurgical information. Harder rock that drills slower may also process differently.

Geological boundary detection identifies where rock type changes occur. This information supplements geological models with direct measurement.

Blast design adjustment uses MWD data to modify charging as drilling reveals actual conditions. Harder zones may warrant heavier charges; weaker zones may need less explosive.

Grade inference research explores whether drilling parameters correlate with ore characteristics. If drilling data can predict grade, it becomes a real-time sampling method.

The value of MWD data extends beyond drilling into blast design and potentially into grade control.

Charging and Initiation

Explosive placement and timing affect outcomes.

Electronic detonators provide precise timing control that pyrotechnic systems cannot match. Millisecond accuracy enables sophisticated firing sequences.

Timing optimisation designs sequences that promote rock movement and fragmentation while controlling vibration and flyrock. Electronic initiation enables designs not possible with other systems.

Bulk explosive systems deliver measured quantities of emulsion or ANFO. Automated loading reduces variability in charge weights.

Deck charging places multiple charges in single holes, separated by inert material. This distributes energy vertically within holes.

Specialised products address specific requirements. Different explosive types suit different rock conditions and blast objectives.

Post-Blast Assessment

Understanding what blasting achieved enables improvement.

Fragmentation measurement quantifies the size distribution achieved. Photographic analysis at muck piles or on conveyors provides data.

Movement monitoring tracks where material goes during blasting. GPS markers and other techniques show blast heave and throw.

Vibration monitoring measures ground vibration and air overpressure. Compliance monitoring and community management require this data.

Damage assessment examines walls and floors for unintended fracturing. Excessive damage affects stability and dilution.

Reconciliation compares predicted and actual outcomes. Understanding where predictions fail enables model improvement.

Integration and Workflow

Blast optimisation requires integrated workflows.

Data flow from geology, drilling, charging, and assessment must connect. Siloed data limits optimisation potential.

Design iteration uses outcome data to improve subsequent designs. Each blast provides learning opportunity.

Cross-functional collaboration connects drill and blast personnel with geologists, mining engineers, and processing staff. Fragmentation affects multiple groups who should input to design.

Continuous improvement systems formalise learning cycles. Structured approaches capture and apply insights systematically.

Economic Analysis

Understanding blast economics guides optimisation focus.

Total cost consideration looks beyond blast cost to downstream impacts. Spending more on blasting may reduce total cost by improving downstream performance.

Value tracking connects blast quality to measurable outcomes. Establishing these links requires data collection across the mining chain.

Investment justification for blast technology requires quantifying benefits. Business cases should reflect full system impacts.

Benchmarking against peer operations identifies improvement opportunities. Understanding what others achieve with similar rock provides targets.

Environmental and Social Factors

Blasting creates impacts requiring management.

Vibration limits protect structures and communities from blast effects. Compliance requires both design control and monitoring.

Air overpressure affects amenity and can damage sensitive structures. Timing and confinement control airblast levels.

Flyrock control prevents material leaving blast areas. Exclusion zones and blast design manage this risk.

Dust generation from blasting affects air quality. Blast timing relative to wind conditions may be necessary.

Balancing production objectives with impact limits requires sophisticated design capability.

The Optimisation Opportunity

Most operations have significant opportunity to improve blast outcomes.

Technology enables better designs, more precise execution, and systematic learning from results. The investments required are modest compared to the value at stake.

Operations that treat drill and blast as precision engineering rather than routine activity capture competitive advantages that compound through their entire value chains.

Fragmentation is foundation. Everything downstream builds on what blasting achieves. Investing appropriately in drill and blast technology and capability pays returns across mining operations.