Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/632397
OPERATIONS ILLUSTRATED OUR EXPERTS Blasting: Optimizing for Production February 2016 For more than 18 years, Billy Zimmerman has been a senior Bblasting techni- cian for Luck Stone, based in Richmond, Va., where he is responsible for blasting and also training of blasting personnel for the company at 16 different plants. Prior to joining the company, he also worked for blasting, explosives and engineer- ing contractors as a blast designer, blaster, sales rep, and tech rep. Zimmerman began his career in 1978 working for the Virginia Division of Mined Land Rec- lamation. Andrew Heinemann, manager of geology and mine engineering at Folsom, Calif.-based Benchmark Re- sources, is a California-reg- istered geologist and mining engineer with more than 20 years of experience in mine planning; engineering; and plant management, oper- ations, and maintenance. Heinemann earned a bach- elor of science degree in geology from the California State University, Sacramen- to, in 1995 and a master of engineering degree in min- ing engineering from Mis- souri University of Science and Technology in 2010. Matthew Boatman, pres- ident of General Drilling Inc., graduated from Purdue University in 1997 with a degree in geological engi- neering. Boatman has been active in the industry his whole life and has been a presenter at NSSGA's drill- ing and blasting workshops and AGG 1 since 2004. He has previously served on the NSSGA Young Leaders Steering Committee and the NSSGA M&S Board of Direc- tors. He has also presented on various safety topics for MSHA at both the local and national level. Experienced, trained personnel are critical to creating the safest and best blast for production. This includes the drill operator. The drilling process is too important to the overall success of the quarry to allow inexpe- rienced employees to operate the drill. The best drill operators are the ones who enjoy what they do, and who will improve their skills over time. A log of each drill and blast is important to improving the process, and it should include input not only from the designer, driller, and blaster, but also from the plant superintendent or manager and feedback from the haul truck, loader, and processing plant operators. The latter personnel can provide valuable information about how a shot has affected the fi nal product, for future fi ne-tuning. Typically the goal is to drill and blast in a way that results in optimal fragmentation size. The drill and blast design can affect cost by achieving the optimal drill- hole diameter, drill-hole spacing, type of blasting agent and initiation, subdrilling, stemming, burden width, and timing. These are the variables in a drill and blast design that can be controlled. The size of the blasted rock affects crushing and screen- ing processes. If the rock is too big, it cannot be loaded effi ciently into the hauling and loading equipment, and it cannot be loaded into the crushing equipment. Oversize rock that cannot be loaded must be broken down using either a hydraulic hammer or secondary, small-scale blasting — ultimately increasing production rates and costs. Goals of the shot Better production rates Communicate 2 5 3 6