Harlen Supplies in Zambia: NexPand in the Field

Earlier this year, Harlen Supplies completed a highly successful visit to Zambia, our first on-the-ground engagement outside of South Africa. You only really understand a site’s constraints when you’ve walked it: access, cycle times, safety controls, and the practical realities of keeping production moving.

NexPand as a practical alternative to blasting (Boulder formation primarily)

On this operation, NexPand Large Hole was used as an alternative to conventional blasting for rock breaking. The objective was straightforward: achieve reliable fragmentation while avoiding the operational interruptions that come with a blast cycle.

What changed on the production side

The standout outcome was continuity. With NexPand in use, the mine avoided the typical blast-related disruption, no downtime and no evacuation process. That translates directly into improved production flow and higher output, because the operation can keep working instead of waiting.

A longer-term fit for the site

Beyond immediate results, the application has shown strong potential as a long-term solution for the mine’s rock-breaking requirement. Consistency and predictability are what carry weight in mining; once a method proves itself under site conditions, it becomes part of the operational plan.

Looking ahead: business in Zambia and beyond

Harlen Supplies is excited about the opportunity to do business in Zambia going forward. More broadly, we’re focused on widening our footprint across the African market. The logic is simple: there is substantial opportunity outside of South Africa, and the demand for dependable drilling and rock-breaking solutions is not confined to one border.

What we bring to site

Harlen Supplies supports drilling operations with:

• A full range of drilling tools and accessories

• Our market-leading rock-breaking chemical, NexPand, for applications where blasting is not the preferred option

  
  

If this Zambia visit confirmed anything, it’s that practical solutions travel well, especially the ones that keep people safe and machines working.