Orica and Epiroc have developed a semi-automatic explosives delivery system for underground mining, labeled Avatel. According to the developers, the system eliminates charge crew exposure at the face.
Avatel provides safe access for an operator in the cab to execute the development cycle while reducing the reliance on costly, time-consuming, and at-times ineffective controls put in place to manage the risks to personnel working in one of the highest risk areas of an underground mine.
Built on the foundation of Epiroc’s Boomer M2 carrier and integrated with Orica’s explosives technology, Avatel is a twin boom, semi-autonomous, and fully mechanized development charging solution that allows a single operator to complete the entire charging cycle from the safety of an enclosed ROPS and FOPS certified cabin.
“The mining industry is moving rapidly toward a digitally integrated and automated future, and Avatel will fulfill our shared vision of developing safer and more productive blasting solutions,” said Angus Melbourne, chief commercial and technology officer for Orica, in a prepared statement. “Achieving this significant development milestone, despite Covid-19 disruptions, shows the strength of our collaboration with Epiroc and our collective ability to deliver the future of mining.”
Said Epiroc president Sami Niiranen, in a statement:
“With this partnership, we continue to raise the safety bar by combining world leading technologies that will make a difference in underground mines. The Avatel prototype represents the first step towards autonomous charging—a vital step in the journey toward safer and more productive blasting operations underground.”
Avatel is equipped with Epiroc’s Rig Control System and integrated with Orica’s LOADplus.
A key enabling technology of Avatel is WebGen, a fully wireless initiation system. When combined with the LOADPlus smart control system, specifically designed onboard storage, assembly, digital encoding capability, and Subtek Control bulk emulsion, the system provides customers with complete and repeatable control over blast energy from design through to execution, according to the companies.
The convergence of these technologies ultimately ensures that the right explosives will be safely delivered into the right holes and given the right timing to achieve optimal efficiencies and the desired outcomes.
The system will undergo extensive trials throughout 2021.
Source: Epiroc
