2010

This demining hand tool is based on a combination of an MIT concept to reduce ground friction and the rules required to ensure that a tool does not separate or fragment in an anti-personnel mine blast. Thousands are in use in Humanitarian Demining around the world.

With a 40cm long blade in front of the hand-guard, the shaft is  malleable stainless steel that has been reduced in one plane so that the blade is oval in cross-section.

A close-up of the prodder-tip is shown alongside.

A demining research group at MIT observed that ground friction could be significantly reduced by flattening the sides of a round probe and then twisting it while inserting it. The probe makes an oval hole in the ground with ground friction acting on all sides. After the probe has been twisted, ground friction only acts on the widest parts of the blade and so is significantly reduced. After twisting the blade, it can be pushed further into any ground without extra force. How much further it can then be pushed depends entirely on the composition of the soil.

A 40cm blade length obliges a kneeling/squatting deminer to approach the target area from a low angle. The tool is designed to be used with a forward thrust by one hand in soft ground. The forward movement is followed by a rotating action to reduce friction, then a further forward thrust to move deeper into the soil.

The hand-grip is made of non-shattering polyethylene firmly bolted to the blade which passes through it to prevent separation. The user’s hand is protected by a pliant and washable ballistic aramid hand-guard. The guard does not prevent the use of a second hand to hold the blade, but is intended to discourage it. This prodder weighs around 0.4Kg (12oz).

The picture on the right shows Oval profile prodders after detonating a 200g mine while excavating. In every case, the tool remained intact and the blade curved gracefully.
 

Quote the SD Order No. SKU3010.

Open PDF data-sheet on blast-resistant tools and print or save.

All SD tools can be adjusted to meet your requirements
but significant changes should always be blast tested
to ensure that safety has not been compromised.