Abstract: A method of producing a coloured shock tubing comprising a visibly coloured hollow tube having an inner coating of a reactive material wherein the core loading of the reactive material in the tube may be measured by radiation absorption. The visible colouration of the hollow tube is effected by the addition of a coloured compound, which compound is essentially transparent to the radiation used to measure core loading. A one stage extrusion process may be utilized to prepare a shock tube wherein core loading is easily measured during production, and verified after production.

Abstract: A system is provided for initiating a blasting cap wherein pulsating light energy is converted to electrical energy. An optical coupler couples the source of energy to a remote firing arrangement to transfer the generated pulsating light energy to the firing arrangement. An electrical connection connects the firing arrangement to an ignition resistor in a detonator. Thus, the generated light energy is converted to electrical energy and is transferred to the ignition resistor, the transferred electrical energy being the firing energy for the ignition resistor.