Plastic Stemming Plugs for Better Blasting


Advanced Blasting Technology now manufactures its RockLock stemming plug in the United States; all diameters of the plug are now built and shipped from its New York facility. According to the company, the RockLock plug creates energy confinement and reduces stemming ejection to offer more reliable blasting results. By improving confinement, RockLock is claimed to enhance aggregate fragmentation, enable explosives to be loaded higher in the borehole in caprock applications and reduce fly rock. Constructed of high-strength pliable plastic, the spherical RockLock requires no accessories, such as loading poles, for use in the field. The sphere is partially filled with stemming material and dropped into the borehole. Upon blast detonation, the pliable RockLock flexes to create a frictional gas-permeable seal that prevents stemming ejection. Its design absorbs and equalizes the pressure field across the borehole. RockLock is available in a range of diameters from 1.5 to 9.25 in. (38 to 235 mm).

www.abtechinc.biz

As featured in Womp 2011 Vol 02 - www.womp-int.com