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30 September 2026
Following five years of intense R&D, global leader in explosives Dyno Nobel, has unveiled a fully autonomous system which tackles one of mining's last, manual, and safety-critical processes – the drill and blast bench.
The world first, end-to-end autonomously orchestrated blast hole inspection and loading technology, unveiled to investors in New York, has the potential to open up areas of high-value deposits around the world, which, due to their location or the risks of the site, have been unattainable – until now.
Dyno Nobel Chief Technology Officer Dirk Van Soelen said the fully built prototype will soon be trialled by Mariana Minerals at Copper One, the World's Only Autonomy-First Mine and Copper Refinery located in Utah, in the USA.
“Dyno Nobel is very proud to announce that we have successfully built a fully operational, end-to-end process, which can autonomously deploy initiating systems and bulk explosives on a bench, at scale,” Mr Van Soelen said.
“Even fully operational mines have areas that have been difficult to mine due to safety risks or unstable conditions like underground voids, and yet until now, there has not been an autonomous solution available for the total drill and blast process.
“We know that safer, and more consistent blasts lead to better extraction and for a world hungry for critical minerals, the productivity and safety benefits that come from being able to deliver the full blasting process autonomously, could not come and a better time.
“Teaming up with some of the world’s leading tech and robotics companies, we are incredibly proud that Dyno Nobel has built a full solution which we believe can transform one of the mining industry's most safety-critical processes into a more reliable, and repeatable data-driven operation,” Mr Van Soelen said.
Software-first minerals project developer and operator, Mariana Minerals, is working with Dyno Nobel to trial its new autonomous bench technology at Copper One in Utah, USA.
“We’re excited to work with Dyno Nobel to trial this technology at Copper One and to contribute to its development in an operating mine environment,” Juan Lozano, Co-Founder & CTO said.
Demand for critical minerals is accelerating around the world, while supply struggles to keep pace. Closing this gap requires a fundamentally different approach to mining, one built on autonomy, software, and operational intelligence.
"Our goal at Copper One is end-to-end mining & processing autonomy, and blasting sits right at the start of that chain. We're deploying this technology with Dyno Nobel and developing the MineOS integrations that carry it through to the rest of the autonomous operations,” Lozano said.
Mr Van Soelen said that while workers currently need to perform multiple complex tasks manually on a mine’s drill and blast zone, Dyno Nobel’s new technology autonomously coordinates all these processes from a control centre located safely away from high-risk zones.
“Every component of Dyno Nobel’s Autonomous Bench is equipped with sensors, allowing unprecedented data capture and analysis providing not only valuable management information but also repeatability and predictability of the drill and blast process.
“Our new technology can autonomously measure, prime, load, stem and record each hole. It also integrates with the systems at the mine, as well as other autonomous solutions that our customers have already deployed on their sites,” he said.
“I am incredibly proud that our technology is opening up a world where each blast can be safer and more precise, with less variability than the one before.
“Unlocking unprecedented productivity on site, an autonomous bench is a game changer for the world’s mining industry,” Mr Van Soelen said.
Dyno Nobel will roll out the new technology in a staged pathway to mid-2027.
Trials for Dyno Nobel’s autonomous bench technology will commence in the USA with further countries to follow.
See more in this video here: Automated Bench Launch | Dyno Nobel.
ENDS.
Media Contact: Amity Sturwohld Amity.sturwohld@dynonobel.com or +61 493 095 043