| | 14 Nov 2014 14:26 ET |  |
ACCESSWIRE CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / November 14, 2014 / The explosives industry in North America continues to grow year over year, with construction and mining firms utilizing new and innovative methods to reduce blasting costs and minimize the environmental impact of their operations. Nordex Explosives is a Canadian based leader in manufacturing and providing blasting products and expertise for a number of customers throughout Canada, while continuing to develop and implement new practises to increase efficiencies for clients. Nordex is the exclusive North American supplier of the JOHNEX line of products, which includes the signature Econotrim Buttbuster product. Management is identifying and pursuing new strategic locations whereby Nordex products can be used, further increasing the footprint for the Company's operations. Nordex trades on the TSX Venture under the symbol NXX. Beginning in 1966 as a distributor of dynamite and blasting accessories, JOHNEX Explosives has become recognized as Australia's leading innovator in safe and effective high-tech explosives technology. The company's signature product, Econotrim Buttbuster(R) is world renowned for perimeter control in underground mining. The product reduces overbreak, creates smooth walls and a safer environment for portals, shafts and tunnels. "Normal explosives blasting is an economical method of breaking rock, but can result in damage to the perimeter of the opening," explains JOHNEX Project Engineer David Tait. "The damage can be controlled by a more precisely measured explosive and a bit more science." JOHNEX Econotrim Buttbuster explosives accomplish this with a one-piece, custom-length, semi-rigid, coiled yellow tube that is 1 in. (25.4 mm) in diameter and contains a precisely measured quantity of specially formulated explosive. JOHNEX manufactures the explosive using a custom designed 30 ft (10 m) high carousel in which 12 tubes are filled with one of two grades of Buttbuster explosive. Delivering each grade of powder from a ribbon blender to two dosing bowls at the top of revolving carousel. Buttbuster also manufactured by Nordex in Canada JOHNEX licensed its Buttbuster technology to Nordex Explosives of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, located in the heart of Canada's gold and silver mining territory. From its new manufacturing facility, Nordex supplies Buttbuster explosives to gold and silver mines in northern Quebec and Ontario and is initiating trials in a number of other locations. The Nordex plant produces the same two grades of explosive powder with the same carousel system as the JOHNEX plant in Australia. Both grades are proprietary formulations, and the raw materials for the Nordex plant are sourced through JOHNEX. In an enclosed room, the raw materials are precisely weighed, poured into a ribbon blender, and mixed to a homogeneous blend that has a bulk density of approximately 59 lb/ft3 (950 kg/m3) and a particle size distribution of 0.039-0.236 in. (1-6 mm) in diameter. The blender discharges the material into one of two 3.85 ft3 (110 liter) capacity floor hoppers, each connected to a flexible screw conveyor that transfers one of the explosive powder grades. The outlet of each hopper is connected through a charging adapter to the inlet of the flexible screw conveyor. The conveyors pass through openings in the wall to the adjacent area where they rise to the top of the carousel. Each conveyor consists of a heavy-duty round wire spiral rotating inside a 4.5 in (114 mm) diameter polymer tube. As the screw propels the material through the tube, it self-centers, providing sufficient clearance between the screw and tube wall to assure gentle, safe handling of particles. The spiral is driven by an explosion proof electric motor located above the conveyor's discharge, thus avoiding any contact with the sensitive powder being conveyed. The material exits each conveyor through a discharge transition adapter and 3 ft (0.9 m) long down spouting into one of the dosing bowls. Each bowl, under PLC control, releases a predetermined amount of powder into the Buttbuster tubes rotating and indexing under it. At the bottom of the carousel, the tubes oscillate up and down to properly fill and compact the powder. "The filled tubes are then hand removed from the carousel, capped, coiled and placed into boxes for shipping," says Tait. From the time ingredients are added into the blender until the filled tubes are removed from the carousel and capped (both done manually) the entire process is automated by a PLC. The flexible screw conveyors start and stop on reaching a pre-set bowl height detected by a level sensor and transmitted to the PLC. "The carousel can produce a 16.4 ft (5m) length of explosive in 7 seconds," says Tait. Nordex system modified to Canadian standards Although the Nordex production line meets the same safety standards as the JOHNEX system in Australia, it needed to be engineered to Canadian Standards. "Walkways and access platforms, for example, needed to be reconfigured," says Tait. "Also, while Australian electrical systems are designed for 50Hz, 415V operations, Canadian systems operate at 60Hz, 600V." For both Australia and Canada, the Buttbuster production system has the highest rating of protection from dust and accidental contact for electric motors, level sensors, gate switches, and enclosures according to the International Protection Marking, IEC standard. JOHNEX and Nordex plan to manufacture and supply Buttbuster explosives in other countries by forming partnerships similar to the one existing in Canada. About Nordex Explosives Nordex Explosives Ltd. is a Canadian based manufacturer and distributor of explosives for the mining, quarry and construction industries since 1970. Its manufacturing operations and distribution centre is strategically located in one of the world's largest mining regions near Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Nordex is the exclusive supplier of the "Buttbuster" perimeter control explosive products in Canada. Additional information can be found at www.nordexexplosives.com For further information please contact Dean Stuart T: 403 517 2270 E: dean@boardmarker.net https://www.boardmarker.net/media1 SOURCE: Nordex Explosives Ltd. https://www.accesswire.com/img.ashx?id=422977 Copyright 2014 ACCESSWIRE |