Whole life operation costs and on-going productivity are becoming a higher priority for some quarry operators than the original capital investment in a bid to produce quality aggregates at a fixed cost per tonne. These factors were the main drivers behind UK-based quarry operator
"This is our first Kleemann machine," said Pinden director Steve Bishop. "We opted for a change despite the machine's higher cost, because of Kleemann's reputation for superior build quality and its potential to deliver significant lifecycle fuel and other savings.
"We had the machine on demonstration, first," said Bishop. "We were convinced we could make considerable savings in fuel consumption over the lifetime of the machine. We also found output to be higher, and the quality of product was better, than previous machines. Normally we would replace our crushers after three years; we expect to get five years from the Kleemann, with lower component replacement costs over that time." Pinden's Mobicat machine features a pre-screen which reduces fines before crushing, greatly reducing wear on the machine's manganese steel jaws.
According to Kleemann southern area sales manager Aidan Gillic, the machine should help Pinden realise fuel cost savings of around £15,000 compared to other similar machines. "The fixed jaw life could exceed 2000 hours before replacement too," he said.
