The origins of “Explosives Today” Claude Cunningham
Then... The 1960’s was a time of rapid evolution for blasting technology in South Africa. The sole explosives supplier, African Explosives and Chemical Industries Limited (AE&CI), operated the world’s two biggest explosives factories (at Modderfontein and Somerset West) and thrived chiefly on delivering dynamite and capped fuse systems to the nation’s huge underground gold, platinum and coal mines. Working methods were mature, but there was burgeoning pressure to increase productivity, whether by harnessing the ability to drill large diameter holes or by increasing the yield per blast from limited face length. Explosives technologies were also developing and offered great promise for moving toward these goals. The marketing group of the Explosives Division, under the General Manager Peter Lambooy, ran a team of explosives service engineers, mainly drawn from the mining industry, which worked with the company and its customers to implement efficient and safe blasting both in the country and in Africa. The demand for help in applying the new technologies and implementing safe and efficient blasting was more than the service engineers could handle; the result was “Explosives Today”, a technical bulletin written by these engineers, which would become a globally recognized source of useful blasting information. The first issue, “ANBA and Inclined Drilling”, was published in August 1965. Series Two started in September 1976 with “Selection of Explosives for Narrow Reef Blasting”, and finished with “Safety in Surface Blasting” in 1988. The first issue of the third series, launched in September 1988, was “The Historical Development of Commercial Explosives”, and the series ended with the tenth issue, “Destruction of Explosives Accessories” in December 1990.
The series was such an acclaimed resource for blasting information because it was entirely written by the engineers engaged in real blasting activities, subjected to intense peer review, with the meticulous attention of senior engineers. For most of this time, AECI Explosives (which changed its name progressively) was either the only explosives supplier, or by far the majority supplier, and had not yet encountered the disciplines and pressures of working in a highly competitive market. Long after the series was discontinued, old copies have been treasured and used as vital reference by personnel concerned with safe and efficient blasting around the world. And now... In line with our value proposition of Thought Leadership and a move to revive the publication, AEL’s Mining Optimisation Team has replaced these treasured copies with a new series. The first two issues were produced in the first quarter. This technically driven customer publication authored and tailored by our Mining Optimisation team is now available to customers in the form of an A4 folder equipped with a CD and flash stick containing all issues of the publication.
For more information and to order your copy, contact the Mining Optimisation Team c/o Simon Tose, Tel: +27 11 606 3960 Email: simon.tose@aelms.com