But is also the most inexpensive way to break rock, much less expensive than crushing, grinding, or secondary blasting. After a blast, the resulting fragmentation is spread out before you. You know that there is an optimum size distribution for your application. You just don't know how to measure that distribution. Screening is certainly not an option, it is much to expensive and time consuming.
Image processing is a cost effective alternative.
It requires images of rock be digitized, and their outlines defined by a computer program. The blocks are then measured for size. And a graph is generated. WipFrag is a new automated, PC based fragmentation analysis system that uses state of the art photoanalysis to measure broken rock or other particles. WipFrag was developed by Dr. John A. Franklin and Dr. Norbert H. Maerz in collaboration with researchers from the University of Waterloo and with industrial groups, with a solid understanding of blasting, mining methods, geotechnical influences, and mineral processing requirements.