About
SHOCKWAVE
Technological development in the Drill and Blast Industry
Technical developments in stemming of blast holes have long lagged behind other advancements in the blasting industry where R&D has traditionally focused on explosives, detonators, blast design modelling, drilling precision and sequencing control.
When it comes to stemming, blast holes are generally stemmed with rock aggregate, drill cuttings or crusher-processed materials as a method by which to contain explosive energy.
The use of rock material like this has never been 100% effective and yet there has been limited research or attempts to increase blast performance by using more advanced stemming materials.
Until now.
SHOCKWAVE Group’s focus on blast containment capitalises on the benefits of using the blast pressure wave energy for gains in rock fracturing and fragmentation.
What we’ve discovered is that the right stemming material can more effectively control pressure wave energy. It can enhance attenuation, reflecting that pressure wave energy back into the formation and causing constructive interference that increases the shear and stress energy transfer throughout the rock formation.
The same kind of consistent and effective control of blast pressure energy simply cannot be achieved with traditional aggregate, especially when taking into account the variables associated with loading aggregate into the hole.
Recognising stemming as an influencing factor on blast containment, the SHOCKWAVE Group has developed STEMGEL™ hydrogel stem.
The SHOCKWAVE Group
The SHOCKWAVE Group brings together a number of industry-leading scientists, engineers, innovators and creators of solutions-based mining products, equipment and software.
With a long-standing commitment to ongoing Research and Development, the SHOCKWAVE Group prides itself on a solid commitment to increasing safety, efficiency and profitability for blasting operations by delivering specialised solutions that also support sustainability and ecological care.
Our core innovation is the STEMGEL™ hydrogel blast stemming material which when combined with our specialised delivery systems, provides effective blast containment and consistent stemming control in every basting sequence.
The Group’s Operations, purpose-built Training Facility and Manufacturing are located in Australia’s mining capital, Perth, Western Australia and the Group is currently expanding to establish Regional and International centres to service its expanding global market.
Key SHOCKWAVE Team
Mason Trouchet
Executive Director
Business Development
Mason has been a leading Business Development Manager and new technology installer within the mining space for over 30 years with Mason Enzymes, Jasol Chemicals and Rainstorm Dust Control. Mason is your main contact for enquiries pertaining to product and equipment sales, Distributorships and License agreements.
Damien Browne
Managing Director
Technical Sales & Product Development
Damien is an Industrial Chemist with over 20 years experience working in a range of industries including mining, oil & gas, agriculture, water treatment, paint & coatings, and personal & household care. Damien provides technical sales support and product innovation to the Shockwave Group.
Dalton Gooding
Director
Chairman
Dalton has over 35 years’ experience in business advisory and corporate finance related services; 18 of those spent in Business Services with Ernst and Young. Currently a Director of 21 companies, Dalton brings a wealth of experience in navigating challenges and risks faced by directors and businesses generally in fast-changing business environments.
Andrew Wheeler
Non-Executive Director
Operations Manager & Technical Sales
Andrew has over 24 years mining experience in the Drill & Blast Operations sector. His expertise lies in shotfiring and drill & blast planning, design and safety across coal, iron ore, gold and other hard rock mines. In addition to his Business Development role as a Co-Founder of StemSafe, Andrew is currently involved with the design, manufacture and commercialization of new equipment and products for the mining industry.
Ted Baker
Non-Executive Director
Operations & Engineering Design
Ted has an extensive career in engineering and the mining sector. Ted spent seven years as the Operations Manager of Hytech Drilling, specialising in hard rock open cut mining and since 1993 Ted has been the Managing Director and owner of Stemtite, a company specialising in manufacturing products and equipment used in underground blasting. He is also the creator and supplier of blasting consumables that are used worldwide.