Impact of Raw Material Quality on Performance of Mixing and Charging Machines in Drilling and Blasting Operations
A study into the failure causes of mixing and charging equipment confirms that the main impact on the probability of accidents is the use of raw materials that do not meet the specifications and have unstable properties. The raw materials used for explosives preparation in mechanized charging of boreholes include such components as ammonium nitrate, emulsion phase, diesel fuel, emulsifier and others. The paper describes the application of various formulations with these components in specific types of mixing and charging machines manufactured by AZOTTECH LLC. The main properties that affect the quality of raw materials are summarised, and the incoming inspection of explosive components is described as part of the acceptance procedure at temporary storage sites at a hazardous production facility. The paper describes common types of equipment failures and maintenance procedures when using substandard raw materials. The conclusion highlights the key practices to improve the equipment uptime as well as recommendations for incoming inspection and the use of high-quality explosive components.