ABB has completed testing of an industry-first automated robot charging technology for underground mines in partnership with mine operators Boliden and LKAB.
The technology automates the charging of blasting holes with explosives, one of the few manual processes left in mining.
“This is a significant technology development for ABB and the wider industry where safety is part of overall environmental, social and governance commitments,” ABB business line mining head of technology Vedrana Spudic said.
“The robot locates the drilled holes on the rock face using a vision system, and these recent tests show all can be reached and charged with the cycle fully automated.
“This removes the need for human operators in a small, unsupported area right at the face.”
Blasting schedules in underground mines can take place up to 15 times a day in larger mines as miners expand the chambers to extract mineral and metal ores.
The ABB Robot Charger automatically detects boreholes and fills them with charges without the presence of humans, removing the need for people to be near the unsupported rock face during blasting sequences.
The program was implemented at Boliden Garpenberg, located 180 kilometers northwest of Stockholm.
ABB developed the robot charger technology with vision systems and automation solutions to communicate with the truck, crane and ABB industrial robotic arm. The solution can be retrofitted to any truck.
ABB said the completed testing phase confirms the effectiveness of integrating the robot charger with a carrier vehicle, communication with bulk emulsion and vision systems, and incorporation of a second robot arm to assemble prime and detonator.
It also confirms full reach to all borehole levels and areas of the rock face and the ability to be remote controlled by operators.
ABB said it is now embarking on the final stage of development that aims to execute the full blasting sequence in the underground mine with full control of the robot handed over to the customer.
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