BME celebrates 25 years and introduces new electronic initiation era
BME's cold emulsion was a revolution in its day, removing safety hazards and unreliability by a stable formulation, enabling road delivery as far as Zambia and Tanzania.
More recently, a highly efficient rotor clip machine made up to 300 Megamite emulsion cartridges per minute, still unsurpassed in any other explosives manufacturing process in South Africa. Miner's Choice visited Losberg in August to see the Megamite plant still in full swing. "BME became the first company to use recycled oil in explosive products, and still does so, adding economic and environmental advantages to a product range that soon transformed into a service range", explained Tony Rorke, BME Blasting Technology director. Blastinfo had developed BlastMap, design software still regarded as the industry standard. The software "moved blast planning from a high-tech, complicated process, to a procedure more easily accomplished, down to predicting vibrations and rock face damage", said Rorke.
Simplicity remains a hallmark of BME's manufacturing processes, plants, safety and environmental measures.
FRENCH-SA TECHNOLOGY
Introduction of Deltadet electronic initiation technology from France to South Africa in 2003 set off a steep learning curve as BME continued to developed and improve electronic initiation systems, said BME MD, Francois Hay. "Using BME's blasting technology expertise, we were able to improve control of vibration, fragmentation, and high wall stability." The new technology was born in the struggle to transfer and apply a pioneering French development to southern Africa, where conditions are different and blasts are much larger.
Axis electronic detonation is a technical evolution of Deltadet, with major improvements in reliability and simplicity of use. "Our aim remains significantly increased profitability to clients with high tech blast support," said Hay.
Electronic initiation systems manufactured in Rustenburg since 2003 would soon be moved to an automated manufacturing plant in Losberg.
SUPPLY SECURITY
BME now supplies 33% of explosives used in Africa, from eight emulsion plants, by 80 trucks. They serve clients in Botswana, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, South Africa, Senegal, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone.
With African mining prospects rising, notably in southern Africa and west Africa, clients are asking for supply security. Omnia, of which BME is a division, is doubling its ammonium nitrate capacity at Sasolburg by building a new nitric acid plant adjacent to its stalwart and highly optimised plant, converting ammonia into ammonium nitrate for fertiliser as well as explosives materials.
Some components of shocktube detonator assemblies and Megamite emulsion cartridge explosives are imported from factories selected for consistent quality.
Raw materials and logistics is part and parcel of supply, as much as consulting, training and software are. A Richards Bay terminal is being improved to secure extra ammonia imports.
BME celebrates 25 years and introduces new electronic initiation era
BME's cold emulsion was a revolution in its day, removing safety hazards and unreliability by a stable formulation, enabling road delivery as far as Zambia and Tanzania.
More recently, a highly efficient rotor clip machine made up to 300 Megamite emulsion cartridges per minute, still unsurpassed in any other explosives manufacturing process in South Africa. Miner's Choice visited Losberg in August to see the Megamite plant still in full swing. "BME became the first company to use recycled oil in explosive products, and still does so, adding economic and environmental advantages to a product range that soon transformed into a service range", explained Tony Rorke, BME Blasting Technology director.
Blastinfo had developed BlastMap, design software still regarded as the industry standard. The software "moved blast planning from a high-tech, complicated process, to a procedure more easily accomplished, down to predicting vibrations and rock face damage", said Rorke.
Simplicity remains a hallmark of BME's manufacturing processes, plants, safety and environmental measures.
FRENCH-SA TECHNOLOGY
Introduction of Deltadet electronic initiation technology from France to South Africa in 2003 set off a steep learning curve as BME continued to developed and improve electronic initiation systems, said BME MD, Francois Hay. "Using BME's blasting technology expertise, we were able to improve control of vibration, fragmentation, and high wall stability." The new technology was born in the struggle to transfer and apply a pioneering French development to southern Africa, where conditions are different and blasts are much larger.
Axis electronic detonation is a technical evolution of Deltadet, with major improvements in reliability and simplicity of use. "Our aim remains significantly increased profitability to clients with high tech blast support," said Hay.
Electronic initiation systems manufactured in Rustenburg since 2003 would soon be moved to an automated manufacturing plant in Losberg.
SUPPLY SECURITY
BME now supplies 33% of explosives used in Africa, from eight emulsion plants, by 80 trucks. They serve clients in Botswana, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, South Africa, Senegal, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone.
With African mining prospects rising, notably in southern Africa and west Africa, clients are asking for supply security. Omnia, of which BME is a division, is doubling its ammonium nitrate capacity at Sasolburg by building a new nitric acid plant adjacent to its stalwart and highly optimised plant, converting ammonia into ammonium nitrate for fertiliser as well as explosives materials.
Some components of shocktube detonator assemblies and Megamite emulsion cartridge explosives are imported from factories selected for consistent quality.
Raw materials and logistics is part and parcel of supply, as much as consulting, training and software are. A Richards Bay terminal is being improved to secure extra ammonia imports.
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