Following our captivating customer introduction to the innovative ROG+ service (Rock on Ground Plus) at Hillhead 2024, EPC-UK’s General Manager Blasting and Explosives, Ben Coppock, talks to the Onsite Journal in more detail about our new, advanced level of servicing to unlock value with precision: 

“I feel proud that it’s ‘seen as standard’ for EPC-UK to provide an exceptional service to the customers it supports through investments, assets, and the passionate people who work in our teams,” Ben says. “This pride is elevated yet further as we successfully introduce ROG+ to the market which, as a more advanced and technically focused development of our original Rock on Ground service, is capable of unlocking even more value within customer operations, using improved precision and an emphasis on the latest digitalized processes.” 

A team result

“Our ROG+ service innovation has been achieved through technological progression, a commitment to learning & development and, of course, the hard work performed throughout our core business; however, we couldn’t deliver such rewarding results without applying our collaborative, partnership approach to projects. At EPC-UK, our SPIRIT value ethos proves most effective when we perform in partnership with our customers, as only by fully understanding their needs can we truly deliver value to operations using targeted technologies and techniques that realise optimised results.”

How ROG+ works

ROG+ involves digitally measuring blast impact on a continual feedback loop, using site data and engineer expertise. The loop is created to see how blasting activities impact the overall downstream of a customer’s quarrying operation and the performance and value gained from materials being extracted. The information is fed back into the next blast decision making process and, by making slight adjustments each time, can progressively enable customers’ operations to become even more optimised. By choosing only the tech elements from the service that apply to each individual site, customers can significantly improve activity and expenditure; whether that’s linked to loading, hauling, fuel usage or crushing to get all the value possible. Improved choices can also be made regarding emulsion types and blends, detonators, timings, top and bottom priming, and blasting parameters. 

ROG+ value adding features can be tailored to customers’ individual site requirements and include:

• Engineer led site baseline and opportunity assessment site, reviews and partnership meetings
• Expertab for drilling and loading and advanced digital GPS aligned drilling and auto hole layout technology 
• Smart Assets – machine telematics reporting (drilling & MEMUs) 
• Advanced fragmentation tracking and blast performance analysis 
• Hybrid 2 electronic initiation 
• Advanced vibration monitoring, analysis and scheduled site factors calibration 
• Explore platform, full digital data capture and blast tracking and integrated KPI dashboard for site wide operations 
• Optimised, carbon efficient blasting 

“EPC-UK’s technology continues to amaze me,” Ben adds. “By working together to deliver ROG+ we’ve advanced our levels of competency and knowledge, realising a service with next level capabilities that can deliver value for our customers through the targeted application of technology. It’s an exciting development that I’m delighted to be a part of.” To discuss ROG+ in more detail with Ben, email Ben.Coppock@epc-groupe.co.uk