Thanks to our unique technologies and team of experts, we can be involved from the design and planning of the blasting, to its execution and the measurement of results, always ensuring that we exceed the expectations of each customer. Our solutions can improve the safety of operations and the environmental impact, as well as ensuring the supply.
Open pit
The exploitation of an open-pit mine is an exercise in safety, efficiency and productivity. We operate open pit mines worldwide, providing high quality solutions and contributing to its optimization and efficiency
Delivering value: metal
At MAXAM we are experts in the extraction of metals such as iron, gold or copper, among others, in mines around the world. Achieving optimal fragmentation and dilution control is essential for the extraction to be as efficient as possible, minimizing the mixing of the useful mineral with the sterile one:
- Real-time rock characterization
- Improve safety and environmental impact
- Assure security of supply
- Optimize rock fragmentation
- Reduction of fumes
- Dilution control in gold mines
- Increase production
- Control wall stability
Products & services
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Wide range of explosives
Heave control, accurate presplitting, muckpile shape and differential energy are key outcomes delivered by our wide range of explosives.
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Flexible initiating systems
Our initiation systems provide with full MIC control and accurate timing in metal Open Pit operations.
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Digital technologies
Optimum blast design and modelling through our own software RIOBLAST.
Our experience
We executed a project in an iron ore mine where standard blast designs were 15-inch boreholes in 8 m x 8 m square patterns with 13,7 m of bench height and a subdrill of 1,5 m. The main concern for the operation was the low productivity and high variability in the shovel dig rates, and fumes. MAXAM partnered with the mine to improve the D&B performance by adapting blast designs to improve the shovel’s productivity at the minimum cost while monitoring the main KPI.
Results:
- Instantaneous Dig Rates of the shovels were increased by 18% and their variability was reduced
- Drill patterns were expanded by 16%
- The fulfillment of target IDR values was increased by 54%
- Reduction of the drill-and-blast cost per ton by 16%
- Reduction of fumes by 90%
Delivering value
The combination of our drilling and blasting technologies allow us to cover the largest possible volume and achieve the maximum displacement of sterile material, reducing the costs of excavation and transportation:
- Improve safety and environmental impact
- Assure security of supply
- Optimize rock fragmentation
- Real time rock characterization
- Maximum dispalcement of waste (cast blasting)
- Reduce risk off fly-rock
- Increase production
- Control wall stability
Products & services
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Adaptative energy explosives
With low density and inhibited explosives we are able to develop selective soft blasts for multilayer coal seams.
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Flexible initiation systems
Accurate and customized timings to ensure maximum productivity and safety in our operations through our wide range of initiating systems.
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Digital technologies
Optimum blast design and modelling through our own software RIOBLAST.
Our experience
Our customer was constantly driving cost reductions and as part of a project focusing on drill and blast cost, so they decided to explore benefits of MAXAM’s RIOFLEX as an alternative to standard bulk emulsion explosives.
RIOFLEX improved fragmentation to the extent that the burden and spacing pattern could be increased by up to 11% .
Also, the displacement of the muck pile was higher than when emulsion explosives were used.