Alfred Nobel first invented a practical detonator in 1863 and then the blasting cap in 1865. At that time the detonator was used on the end of a length of safety fuse to initiate nitroglycerine-based explosives. Since then the detonator has gone through a number of changes. The instantaneous electric detonator was the first to allow remote firing. The electric delay detonator followed and allowed for timing between holes._x000D_
In the mid 1970s the NONEL Tube was invented. This tube combined with NONEL detonators meant that many of the safety issues, such as stray current and radio frequency, associated with electric delay detonators were eliminated. This system gave the mining industry a reliable and fairly accurate system with which to detonate shots of any size._x000D_
Since the early 1980s a large amount of research and development work has been done around the world to create a more accurate detonator for the mining and quarrying industry. After years of research, electronic detonators have emerged as the most accurate and precise initiation system available to the mining and quarry industry today. Electronics provide the user with millisecond timing accuracy. The improved level of timing control allows operations to improve fragmentation, throw and reduce vibration levels. There are now a number of different electronic detonator suppliers on the market today._x000D_
In 2004 Dyno Nobel formed a joint venture called DetNet with AECI. DetNet has a suite of electronic detonators: DigiDet, HotShot and QuickShot. This paper will focus on the HotShot system, the first of the three new initiation systems to be released to the market in Australia by Dyno Nobel._x000D_
FORMAL CITATION:Orbell, J, 2005. New blasting initiation technologies in the mining industry, in Proceedings New Leaders' 2005, pp 59-66 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).