Thermoplastic Blast Hole Liner Welding and Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional blast hole liners are wasteful and fail to provide a reliable watertight seal due to their bulky design and inability to be welded, leading to moisture ingress and potential explosive spillage.
Innovation Solution
A portable apparatus using a thermoplastic tube welder that allows for on-site welding and cutting of the desired liner length, utilizing composite thermoplastic materials with discrete polymer strands for enhanced durability and waterproofing, enabling efficient and watertight lining of blast holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional thick plastic liners are used, then watertight protection is provided, but material waste increases due to ordering for maximum depth
Solution Approach 1:
The liner system transitions from fixed pre-cut lengths to a continuous dispensable form with variable length capability. The welder enables the liner to be cut at any point along its length, allowing the parameter of liner length to be dynamically adjusted to match each specific blast hole depth, thereby eliminating material waste from ordering for maximum depth.
2Ease of manufacture
If cable ties are used to seal the liner end, then closure is achieved, but watertight seal reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical closure method using cable ties is replaced with a thermal welding process. The welder applies heat to fuse the liner material, creating a permanent watertight seal that is far more reliable than mechanical fastening. This substitution of the sealing mechanism directly addresses the reliability issue while maintaining ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If pre-sealed pouches are used, then liner preparation is simplified, but adaptability to different hole depths decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The liner system transitions from static pre-cut lengths to a dynamic system where the effective length can be adjusted for each application. The welder enables on-site cutting to create custom lengths, making the liner adaptable to varying blast hole depths while maintaining ease of operation through a simple weld-and-cut process.
4Strength
If woven composite material is used, then abrasion resistance improves, but welding capability is lost due to different polymer melting points
Solution Approach 1:
The liner structure uses different materials for different functions: the woven composite provides abrasion resistance for the body, while a thermoplastic layer provides weldability at the sealing location. This local differentiation of material properties allows both abrasion resistance and welding capability to coexist in the same liner system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces material waste and ensures a reliable watertight seal by allowing precise cutting and welding of liner lengths during insertion, preventing moisture ingress and maintaining the integrity of explosives.
Implementation Method 1
the welder applies a heat to the tube in pulses so as to weld the tube closed
Implementation Method 2
an end of the tube can be welded closed by the welder
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for lining a blast hole comprises a tube of thermoplastic material and a welder for welding the tube, wherein an end of the tube can be welded closed by the welder and the desired length of tube can be dispensed and cut free from the rest of the tube when the closed end is at least part way inside the blast hole. There is also a method of lining a blast hole which comprises welding closed an end of a tube of thermoplastic material; placing the closed end in the blast hole and allowing it to descend into the hole; dispensing a desired length of tube; and cutting free the length of tube from the rest of the tube.