Centralising Safety And Precision In Underground Blasting

Underground blasting has traditionally placed personnel in challenging, high-risk environments. Coordinating multiple detonations across different areas while ensuring complete evacuation has always required careful timing and absolute precision. Now, Austin Powder empowers operations to take this capability to the next level.

For modern mining operations, control, timing, and safety are non-negotiable. Ensuring that every area has been evacuated and that both people and equipment are safely positioned is critical before any blast can be executed. The ability to manage this process with absolute certainty has long been a priority for forward-thinking operations.

It is precisely these needs that inspired the development of Austin Powder’s E*STAR CUBE System (Centralised Underground Blasting Equipment). This groundbreaking solution redefines how underground blasts are initiated. By centralising the entire initiation process, E*STAR CUBE allows operations to trigger all blasts remotely from a secure control centre on the surface, eliminating the need for personnel to be underground during the critical moments leading up to detonation. The result is a powerful combination of enhanced safety, operational efficiency, and real-time control.

Taking advantage of the new technologies: The vision behind E*STAR CUBE

The underground hard rock mining industry has increasingly adopted advanced communication technologies like Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and LTE to improve safety, efficiency, and productivity.

These technologies are used for both communication and the control of centralised explosives blasting systems. Leveraging these new technologies, the E*STAR CUBE system enables the creation of a communication network connecting all work areas to the surface control centre. As a result of this network, which can extend over several kilometres, it is possible to maintain real-time communication between the electronic detonators and the firing equipment, precisely controlling the exact moment when the blast is initiated.

The E*STAR CUBE system was born from a single, critical need to enable mining operations to trigger all blasts safely and efficiently from a surface control centre. While remote blasting had already been in use through a network of communication cables, the rapid expansion of modern mines introduced new challenges. As cable lengths increase, communication between detonators and the blasting machine becomes less reliable, resulting in operational delays, safety risks, and even misfires.

To overcome this, Austin Powder set out to reimagine the communication process. To reduce reliance on long blasting cables and implement advanced, reliable communication between detonators and blasting machines, the E*STAR CUBE system was developed. Harnessing the power of modern connectivity, the E*STAR CUBE system utilises the mine’s internal communication network – whether Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or LTE – E*STAR CUBE reduces the total length of blasting cables while ensuring robust, real-time, two-way communication between detonators and blasting machines.

This is a preview of an article that was originally published in the Jan/Feb 2026 issue of Global Mining Review. Subscribe to Global Mining Review for free to read this article in full and many more here.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/special-reports/16022026/centralising-safety-and-precision-in-underground-blasting/