Can you give us a brief introduction to Dyno Nobel and the role you play in the US mining industry?

We provide a wide range of blasting outcomes to our customers. We say outcomes because traditionally, companies have produced a standard range of explosives. Our ability to partner with our clients to deliver results that optimize their operations excites us at Dyno Nobel. We do this by leveraging our expertise, products, and distribution networks.

Could you share some details of Dyno Nobel's latest innovations in blasting technology?

We have a full suite of products in the market dating back to original products with exceptionally long-life cycles like dynamite. As technology advances, we have developed some unique products. One of these is ΔE (DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY™), a proprietary bulk explosive. We are also applying ΔE2 (Delta E Squared) technology, which utilizes data from drills or other sources that characterize rock properties to allow targeted placement of energy in the blast hole. It enables mine blasting load plans to be sent directly to our state-of-the-art bulk emulsion trucks to help ensure boreholes are loaded as designed using our DynoLogix™ software. We have seen great results with these technologies. As we progress, we will use these materials combined with our latest generation electronic detonating systems, our DigiShot® Plus 4G, to control the blasting outcomes the way we need to.

In addition, we are investing heavily in developing technologies related to more efficient energy use and looking at automated loading and wireless initiation systems.

What can you tell us about DigiShot Plus 4G system and how digitalization is shaping the company's innovation focus?

The DigiShot system has evolved over several years and the Digishot Plus 4G system is top of the line in the market. We have shown consistent results regarding programmability, timing, reliability, and usability. One of our products that work well with DigiShot Plus 4G is our Commander Blaster System. It provides flexibility for larger mines in their blasting initiation sequences and remote firing, allowing mines to manage the blasting program efficiently.

Digitalization affects every aspect of the company. We are working diligently to understand how our customers can improve their milling processes by providing real-time data-driven information. For example, using ΔE2, we can program the drilling and loading truck to deliver the right amount of explosive energy to each hole at different levels. Then, we receive digital records for our blast reporting. This wealth of data over the life of a mine allows us to understand and track the blasting history and gauge efficiency. Dyno Nobel is looking to process that data efficiently so we can better understand the outcomes and implement whatever improvements the data suggests.

What impact can Dyno Nobel have on the productivity of mining operations?

Our goal is to discover our blasting procedures' outcomes and change our processes to provide the customer with the desired outcomes. This requires strong relationships, expertise on the side of both companies, and a digital interface that makes it easier to map and implement the desired results. So, being able to integrate previously disconnected systems and being able to connect data from machines at the mine site to our systems has been critical.

We have several examples of tracking our ΔE and ΔE2 outcomes through our client's milling systems. In these cases, we recorded significant savings that resulted in the company being much more efficient.

What is Dyno Nobel's approach to training and education, and could you give some insights into the Nobel Academy?

We invest a lot in training and keeping employees engaged so we can deliver better results for our customers.

Dyno Nobel has launched several programs inside the company through what we call the Nobel Academy. It starts with our blaster and operator training and goes all the way to leadership training. Dyno Nobel wants to be an industry reference for people training in explosives. Our company has a very robust set of standard operating procedures. Dyno Nobel not only trains its staff but also our customers' employees on how to safely operate with our systems and products. We are working to consolidate all this information and make it more accessible.