It Enablement In Drilling And Blasting

Drilling and Blasting are two important unit operations in the production cycle of a mine and a strong link exists between these two and other unit operations/subsystems like loading, transportation, and crushing. Under the present concept of ? Mine to Mill?, it is important to optimize the drilling and blasting operations by applying scientific approach to drilling and blasting using sophisticated instruments and new technologies, which depends heavily on Information technology (IT) to meet this imperative. Development of innovative models and software has lead to blast optimization process. Till date, the blast results are evaluated in terms of available empirical approaches like powder factor, which are too simple to exclude some key parameters or lack in providing reliability because of non-availability of user friendly IT enabled techniques. Although with the help of developed approaches, formulation of user-friendly software to assist the site engineers in effective post blast assessment has started but there is a dearth of holistic approach to design an optimum blast considering the techno-economic feasibility of the subsystems and the geo-mining conditions to achieve blast optimization. The science of IT enablement in drilling and blasting is capable to build innovative models for achieving blast performances which will be doped with productivity, economy and safety with due regard to environment. The present paper discusses the use of existing IT enablement in various mines of India citing the Indian scenario and the future requirements for achieving the techno-economics in overall mining operations.