"Optimización de voladura en la mina artesanal sociedad de hecho la zamorana”

Abstract

The blasting process is one of the most challenging stages of mining. In Ecuador, artisanal mining predominates and mostly lacks technical analysis, which has caused its blasting processes to be empirical, sometimes resulting in over blasting, mineral dilution, instability of workings, among others. This thesis aimed to optimize the blasting diagram in La Zamorana artisanal mine based on the proposal of a blasting mesh design to reduce costs. For the design approach, a previous analysis of the empirical mesh originally used by the company was carried out, and then it was compared with the Konya method to see its level of assertiveness. The proposed design was conducted based on the application of mathematical methods such as Konya and Holmberg, obtaining the dimensions of the blasting mesh, as well as its load in order to apply these models, a field study was carried out on the properties of the rock mass besides considering the properties of the explosive. These numerical data were applied in the mathematical equations corresponding to each method. In conclusion, an optimization was achieved through the approach of a mesh with the Holmberg model, appreciating that the general cost in the empirical mesh of $156.45, and for the Holmberg method a cost of $128, implied a saving of $24.75 in labor, as well as the opportune load reduction reduces $3.4 per mesh applied, giving a total reduction of $28.15 with