Sandvik ran a Quarry Academy earlier this year in Russia, focussing on drilling and blasting techniques
Boosting quarrying efficiency by improving drilling and blasting operations
Drilling and blasting operations are crucial for quarry efficiency and325 Sandvik recently held a Russian Quarry seminar focussing on this in a bid to boost effectiveness for a number of key clients. Sandvik Construction Russia worked with official distributor Quarry-Service to run the Quarry Seminar, this year located in Yekaterinburg. The event concentrated on drilling and blasting and featured the expertise and knowledge of Arne Lislerud, one of the ley figures within Sandvik’s Quarry Academy. The event was attended by eight representatives, each from six of the leading regional quarry companies.
During the latest Russian Quarry Seminar participants were able to discuss the cornerstones of blast hole drilling. This included safety issues, as well as examining the experiences of successful companies in Norway and Canada. Other topics included the reduction of fines and oversize rock levels in blasting.
The second day of the programme included a visit to the Nadezhdinskoye quarry in the Privolzhsky region. Quarry Seminar participants were able to see new blasting initiatives being implemented, and draw on these experiences to develop successful strategies for increasing the quality of final products. After seeing blasting and analysing the deposits, Lislerud discussed measures to improve blasting efficiency. These included how to achieve the best possible results with respect to the geological make-up of a quarry, and how a few relevant parameters could be changed in such areas as blast direction, hole diameter, drill plan and delay intervals.
Efficient blasting is vitally important for a quarrying operation as it has a direct influence on the profitability of an operation. Good blasting techniques deliver blasted material that fits within the size range required by the crushing and screening system on site, boosting throughput and reducing waste.
Maximising drillhole straightness and continuity is important for an effective blast, while the blast design and charging systems used are also vital. Unsuitable drilling methods or equipment can quickly impact on efficiency, resulting in a heavy financial toll for an operation overall.
Poor blasting provides a series of problems that chip away at an operation’s cost-effectiveness. The most obvious effect of inefficient blasting is to deliver product that is oversized, requiring secondary breaking, while there may also be a high percentage of fines that have to go to waste. Poor blasting can also result in an uneven quarry floor, increasing wear and tear on loading and hauling equipment while lowering productivity. And poor blasting can have safety and environmental issues too, with a risk of flyrock as well as increased noise and vibration to the surroundings.
Drilling and blasting operations are crucial for quarry efficiency and
During the latest Russian Quarry Seminar participants were able to discuss the cornerstones of blast hole drilling. This included safety issues, as well as examining the experiences of successful companies in Norway and Canada. Other topics included the reduction of fines and oversize rock levels in blasting.
The second day of the programme included a visit to the Nadezhdinskoye quarry in the Privolzhsky region. Quarry Seminar participants were able to see new blasting initiatives being implemented, and draw on these experiences to develop successful strategies for increasing the quality of final products. After seeing blasting and analysing the deposits, Lislerud discussed measures to improve blasting efficiency. These included how to achieve the best possible results with respect to the geological make-up of a quarry, and how a few relevant parameters could be changed in such areas as blast direction, hole diameter, drill plan and delay intervals.
Efficient blasting is vitally important for a quarrying operation as it has a direct influence on the profitability of an operation. Good blasting techniques deliver blasted material that fits within the size range required by the crushing and screening system on site, boosting throughput and reducing waste.
Maximising drillhole straightness and continuity is important for an effective blast, while the blast design and charging systems used are also vital. Unsuitable drilling methods or equipment can quickly impact on efficiency, resulting in a heavy financial toll for an operation overall.
Poor blasting provides a series of problems that chip away at an operation’s cost-effectiveness. The most obvious effect of inefficient blasting is to deliver product that is oversized, requiring secondary breaking, while there may also be a high percentage of fines that have to go to waste. Poor blasting can also result in an uneven quarry floor, increasing wear and tear on loading and hauling equipment while lowering productivity. And poor blasting can have safety and environmental issues too, with a risk of flyrock as well as increased noise and vibration to the surroundings.
