Orica, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial explosives and innovative blasting systems, today announced that 100 million electronic detonators have now been produced out of the Brownsburg manufacturing facility in Canada.

The 100 millionth Electronic Blasting Systems (EBS) detonator rolled off the production line today, marking a milestone achievement for Orica and the facility which supplies the detonators to customers around the world.

The Brownsburg team taking a commemorative picture with the 100 millionth EBS detonator

Orica, Vice President, Electronic Blasting Systems, Adam Mooney said the 100 millionth Electronic Blasting Systems (EBS) detonator rolled off the production line on Tuesday, marking a milestone achievement for the company and the facility which supplies the detonators to customers worldwide.

“Reaching the 100-million-mark demonstrates our commitment to customers in delivering a high quality and reliable supply of innovative blasting systems,” Mr Mooney continued.

The first case of live i-kon™ detonators boxed in 2007
The first case of live i-kon™ detonators boxed in 2007

With the recent addition of a new EBS assembly line in Helidon, Australia, another key global manufacturing site for Orica, customers in the Australia Pacific and Asia region are now benefitting from a stronger and more efficient manufacturing and supply chain operation that ensures reliable and quality supply of EBS within the region.

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“These market-leading EBS technologies, combined with our technical expertise on the ground is how we deliver value to our customers every day.”

The company has also expanded production at Brownsburg to include WebGen, the world’s first wireless initiation technology in the mining industry that eliminates the exposure to high risk activities and enables new mining methods and blasting techniques capable of delivering faster loading cycles, lower cost of production and improved, more flexible blasting reliability and management.

The system provides for groups of in-hole primers to be wirelessly initiated by a firing command that communicates through rock, water and air, removing constraints imposed by the requirement of a physical connection to each primer in a blast.

Orica Vice President, Initiating Systems & Packaged Explosives Manufacturing, Leah Barlow said Brownsburg instils a strong safety and innovative culture shared by its 300-strong workforce.

source: Orica press office