One of the most important, if often taken for granted, part of any quarry or aggregate plant operation is the cone crushers. These machines often provide the lynchpin of the operation, reducing the material to specific sizes. Although installation and equipment costs are often high and sometimes costly to operate, cone crushers have proved to be an essential item of equipment at many aggregate plants and quarries. In the main, the advantages of a cone crusher make it essential due to its precision and throughput, with an effective installation making it a first-choice solution when it can reach the desired capacity.
This was the case for Breedon’s Cement Hope Works in Derbyshire, where two large cone crushers undertook secondary and tertiary rock reduction. Due to various factors, support for these crushers was seen as expensive and lacking. Wear parts, consumables and general aftermarket care not being considered up to the task at hand, which led Breedon to contact Quarry Manufacturing and Supplies directly.
“When we were first approached, the quarry didn’t feel it was getting the service it needed to keep production at the high level it required. We were asked to provide round-the-clock backup to the four cone crushers and other parts of the quarry operation,” says QMS managing director Jonathan Beck.
It was not just service and aftermarket care that the quarry required. Jonathan continues: “The quarry had found that spare and wear parts and consumables had become, and were getting, even more expensive. When it was realised that we could supply, fit and support our range of cone crusher consumables and parts, we were asked to supply these as well, as they proved a perfect match up to the existing crushers. Our crusher parts were seen to be more cost-effective than the other options available, of similar quality and equally productive. Due to the already existing levels of QMS support, it made sense to all involved for QMS to provide all the parts and aftermarket care required to maximise production.”
Due to the excellent relationship that developed between QMS and Breedon Cement, when it came to look at upgrading the plant and replacing the old cone crushers with new ones, Breedon Cement Hope Works had little hesitation in asking QMS if it could offer a suitable replacement. QMS jumped at the opportunity and initially provided one, then another B-Series cone crusher. These were installed in late 2022, with QMS also providing parts, consumables, and aftermarket care for the crushers and most of the quarry operation.
QMS’ B-Series range consists of different-size models engineered to deliver maximum productivity with reduced operating costs. Designed, developed and manufactured in the UK and offering the best engineering excellence, the B-Series’ robust design is manufactured with high-quality cast steel components and premium spherical roller bearings that directly contribute to reliability and high performance.
The B-Series cone crushers feature a unique hydraulic system which provides automatic overload protection by allowing the head assembly to drop, permitting the passage of tramp iron and other non-crushable material. The system then automatically returns the head assembly to its original position. The unique design of the hydraulic system means the crusher operates at a definite setting with less setting drift and greater stability throughout the circuit. The crusher setting is instantaneously maintained even after passing a piece of uncrushable material.
“A blend of high motor power, large eccentric throw and increased speed give the B-Series greater capacity than other crushers of comparable size, whilst the truly modern design creates excellent product shape and can be configured to maximise production of premium single sized aggregates,” says Jonathan Beck who concludes: “We believe we offer a range of crushers – jaw, impact and cone – that are the match of anyone else in the market with regards to the cost-to-performance ratio. As we are able to support our equipment with our engineers and have the industry knowledge to adapt any plant to suit the quarry, mine or aggregate plant’s unique requirements, we believe that our products and service provide the ideal solution whatever the size of operation.”
As this example shows, the Breedon Cement Hope Works quarry believes it has found the solution to boost its operational performance.
