Vari-Stem® Stemming plugs
Origin: USA
Blast energy can be divided into two components:
Applied energy – shock & heave energy used in material breakage;
Lost energy – manifests itself as air over-pressure, ground vibration & excess fines (over-blasted material).
Stemming is inert material used to confine energy in the blast hole at the top of the explosive charge. Insufficient or inefficient stemming allows the blast energy to prematurely vent at the collar, reducing the energy applied to breaking & moving the rock mass. Stemming ejection is a common cause of lost energy in the blast, especially when drill cuttings are used.
Oresome Products are proud to be the exclusive distributor for Vari-Stem® in Australia & the Oceania region. The Vari-Stem® plug is patented & proven technology deployed globally in mining & quarrying applications to maximise applied energy. Vari-Stem® reduces processing costs by achieving tangible increases in fragmentation in the stemming area. Independent studies show the Vari-Stem® plug can increase blast patterns with the same fragmentation for major savings in drilling and explosive costs, proving that Vari-Stem® plug is a cost-efficient means of reducing costs in blasting and processing. Case studies can be found at www.varistem.com.
Installation & use of Vari-Stem® stemming plug to increase blast energy confinement
FEATURES
- Sized for Ø32 to 251mm blast hole diameter (other hole sizes on application).
- Tough moulded PVC material.
- Tactile outer surface for superior grip onto blast hole wall
- ‘Gear-profile’ to protect down lines & cords and facilitates water displacement in wet holes
- Can be used in open pit and underground mining applications
BENEFITS
- Increases the effectiveness of drill cutting stemming material by increasing ejection resistance
- Stemming time to movement in the blast can be doubled
- Stemming ejection velocity in the blast can be halved
- Prevents explosive emulsion dilution by stemming material that can affect energy performance
- Increases rock fragmentation, especially in the cap rock area through improved confinement
- Improves total mining productivity (dig, haul & processing)
- Decrease total cost of mining through energy savings & productivity gains
- Reduces fly rock & air blast through improved confinement
- Simple installation requiring little operator training or skill
RANGE
| Oresome Part# | Description | ø Size (mm) | Plugs/box | Box weight (kg) | Box size (cm) |
| 3-9396 | BP-2 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 51-40 | 210 | 19.0 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-9394 | BP-2.5 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 64-52 | 144 | 17.2 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-9393 | BP-3 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 76-65 | 160 | 20.4 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-9395 | BP-3.5 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 89-77 | 96 | 14.5 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-9392 | BP-4 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 102-90 | 84 | 16.3 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-9402 | BP-4.5 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 114-100 | 81 | 17.2 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-9426 | BP-5 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 127-115 | 48 | 12.7 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-9427 | BP-5.5 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 140-128 | 48 | 13.2 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-9428 | BP-6 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 152-141 | 30 | 11.8 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-9418 | BP-6.5 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 165-153 | 21 | 10.0 | 61 x 51 x 18 |
| 3-9425 | BP-7 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 177-166 | 18 | 11.3 | 61 x 51 x 18 |
| 3-C6112-8 | BP-8 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 203-178 | 3 | 7.0 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-C6112-9 | BP-9 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 229 | 3 | 8.0 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
| 3-C6112-10 | BP-10 Vari-Stem blasting plug | 251 | 3 | 10.0 | 53 x 41 x 36 |
Loading Poles
Origin: Australia using USA components
The loading pole is Ø30mm x 1.8m straight grain Tasmanian Oak wooden pole used for placing stemming plugs and compacting back-fill to lock the plug in blast holes. The aluminium Ø5/8″ threaded connections (male & female) may be coupled together with matching threaded ends to extend your loading poles. The rubber plug is made of durable rubber and has Ø5/8″ male threaded connection. Available in custom lengths – please ask for details.
T-Stick lead retention device
Origin: Australia
The T Stick has been designed to make the process of tying in and final inspection faster and easier as all CD’s are facing up and the same way. T-Stick is simple to use with minimal training required for the blast crew.
Misfires in a mining operation can lead to lost productivity and loss of revenue. T Stick has been developed as a simple solution to minimise the risk of misfires that can be attributed to human error prevent leads lost due to holes slumping
When leads are wrapped around wooden pegs and pushed into the ground by hand or with a hammer, the crew are exposed to potential injury. T-Stick replaces wooden pegs and keeps the booster and lead assembly from dropping down the hole by shifting the center of gravity.
Excess lead is easily wrapped away reducing risk of entanglement and the likelihood of NONEL snap, slap shoot incident occurring. If the bomb “Slumps” the T Stick won’t allow the lead down to be dragged down the hole. The smooth edges of the T Stick reduces the chances of cut offs.
There is no need for blast crew to hold the lead during the stemming process, simply spot the machinery.
Hole Plugs (aka collar cones or hole savers)
Origin: Canada
Hole plugs (collar cones or hole savers as they can be known) are being recognised as important tool in drill & blast operations. Hole plugs prevent unintended back-filling of the drilled blast hole with drill cuttings and prevent ingress of other surface matter and fauna entering and contaminating the hole prior to charging. Heavy mud slime at the bottom of the hole can dilute and corrupt explosive products, causing low order detonation that can result in toe, fume, or even misfire. It can be shown that these prevention benefits far exceed the life-cycle cost of hole plugs.
Hole plugs can also maintain the integrity of the collar through erosion prevention, particularly in high rainfall areas.
Features & Benefits
Superior quality injection moulded construction, for strong, stable design.- Zero-percent recycled LDPE plastic resin for enhanced operating temperature capability
- Sizes align to standard drill bit diametres, ranging from Ø32mm to Ø325mm to cover virtually every mining & quarrying application
- Down-line clips integrated into the design of the rim, for greater security and loss mitigation
BOMB Condom™ LINER RANGE
Origin: Australia
We’re pleased to the BOMB Condom™ range of lining products, made in Australia for tough mining conditions anywhere. Our liners feature internal low slip & anti-static treatment and UV stability. BOMB Condom is a mono-film extrusion for high flexibility and strength.
FEATURES
- Sizes: 45mm, 51mm, 64mm, 76mm, 89mm, 102mm & 115mm (others on application).
- Tough, flexible and lightweight anti-static treated material.
- 250um thickness extruded mono-film, 250m roll length.
- Printed with hole size every 1 metre.
- Complies with AS 2187.2:2008.
BENEFITS
- Prevent explosive desensitisation by the presence of water, especially dynamic ground water.
- Contain the explosive product within the blast hole in fractured ground, ensuring complete decomposition during detonation.
- Provide physical separation between the explosive product & reactive soil types.
- Allows the use of ANFO when water resistant explosive is unavailable, uneconomic, or both.
Det-cord cutter & wire stripping shear
Origin: China
High-quality Fiskar brand with long-lasting stainless steel blade and high density plastic handle & anvil. Ergo-dynamic design & light weight make it perfect for all day use. Has thumb-lock for safety, and pointed handle that is perfect for perforating packaged explosive.
Available in single units or boxes of 10.