Companies in the blasting and explosives sector seized opportunities presented by the Covid-19 pandemic to modernise and enhance their technologies. In this article, Omnia group company BME – with decades of investment in this space – shares news and insights gained from the recent International Society of Explosives Engineers event, held in Savannah, Georgia.
Pioneering Innovation Amidst Challenges
Neil Alberts, Head of Business Development at BME Mining Canada, praised the industry for its resilience and innovation in facing pandemic-related challenges.
“The industry has made the most of addressing the challenges presented by the pandemic – raising its game in terms of technology solutions. These advances are important in strengthening the mining supply chain globally, while continuing to promote productivity, efficiency and sustainability.
Neil Alberts, BME Mining Canada’s Head of Business Development
Playing a pivotal role as a sponsor, exhibitor, and speaker at this year’s event, BME witnessed increased confidence in market offerings. Alberts highlighted the positive trend, particularly among smaller vendors from South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, and European countries, showcasing open platforms for seamless integration with other solutions.
Digital Tools Shaping the Future
Christiaan Liebenberg, BME’s Product Manager Software, showcased BME’s digital tools. BlastMap blast design software, Xplolog data capturing system, and advancements in digitising emulsion trucks took centre stage, emphasising BME’s commitment to innovation across the entire blast preparation value chain.
Strategic Collaboration for Industry Growth
Liebenberg highlighted the industry’s growing preference for strategic collaboration within the digital space. BME’s engagement in sharing insights and learning from leading-edge developments positions the company as a key player, fostering technological alliances for enhanced customer products and solutions.
This is demonstrated by the enthusiastic adoption of BME’s BlastMap software over the last few years, which Liebenberg attributes to the usability, interoperability and beneficial features of the software.
“In addition to sharing our insights, the ISEE continues to be an important forum for BME to learn more about leading-edge developments and to identify potential partners in our technology journey.”
Christiaan Liebenberg, BME’s Product Manager Software
Alberts explained that BME uses customer mapping to define their specific technology needs. This allows them to strategically partner with other companies to fulfil the most promising opportunities identified for success.
Insightful Presentation on Transformative Technology
D Scott Scovira, BME’s Global Manager Blasting Science, presented a paper titled “Breaking the Nitrate-Based Explosives Greenhouse: The Dawn of Production-Scale Hydrogen Peroxide Emulsion (HPE) for Industrial Blasting,” shed light on a transformative technology with the potential to significantly impact the industry.
This marked a noteworthy shift in focus at the ISEE conference. Whereas previous conferences primarily featured papers with an application or product-centric approach, this year saw a significant inclusion of presentations by leading researchers and consultants delving into research within the field. This fostered a dialogue that balanced innovation with the exploration of core scientific principles, ultimately leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the blasting process.
Scovira emphasised that the “focused and concentrated nature” of the event attracts a targeted audience of blasting professionals and offers an invaluable platform for BME leadership to engage directly with stakeholders and gain a deeper understanding of their evolving needs. By actively participating in such events, BME ensures its continued dedication to developing innovative solutions that address the changing landscape of the blasting industry.
Neil Alberts shared positive sentiments around the strategic partnership formed between Omnia, BME, and Hypex Bio, marking another milestone in BME’s history of successful innovations.
Alberts emphasised that BME’s 40-year legacy is built upon innovation. He cited the example of BME introducing cold emulsion technology in South Africa in 1984, which eventually became widely accepted and valuable within the market.
North American Expansion
Visitors to BME’s booth at the ISEE conference learned about the company’s progress in North America. Alberts highlighted progress on a service contract with a Canadian gold mine, with an on-site emulsion plant already commissioned.
He elaborated on BME’s infrastructure development, the BME Centre of Excellence near Nairn Centre. Both the AXXIS and Viperdet modular production lines are now operational, and production is set to begin soon. Additionally, the construction of an emulsion plant has been completed, with a second one being relocated from Sudbury. Plans are also in place for a future hydrogen peroxide emulsion plant.
“With our staff count now at almost 50, we are leveraging our assets and the industry relationships of our strategic partner in building our networks. This year is going to be game changing for us, as we step up our capability in the underground space.”
Neil Alberts, BME Mining Canada’s Head of Business Development
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