Formerly Hanson Aggregates, before its acquisition by Heidelberg Materials UK (HMUK), HMUK is one of the country's largest users of rail freight, moving over 2.5 million tonnes of aggregates a year from seven rail-connected loading points to 12 distribution depots. The company produces and moves so much material that it has its own fleet of locomotives and wagons, while barges supply production facilities alongside the River Thames. For road haulage, Hanson had a core road fleet of 1,200 liveried trucks operated principally by self-employed owner-drivers under a franchise scheme.
The company required a flexible and efficient aggregates loading system to effectively and efficiently load its aggregates onto various haulage solutions. The system had to move the aggregates at high speeds and not lose any material from the conveyor, and after discussions with Coalville, Leicestershire, England-headquartered QMS, a bespoke 60 m-long radial stacker conveyor was supplied and constructed at the Frindsbury Wharf site.
The QMS 60m-long radial stacker conveyor was designed by the company's experienced in-house technical design department, which can draw on many years of industry experience. Manufactured entirely at the company's UK headquarters, it was installed, commissioned, and now serviced by QMS service engineers. This team is dedicated to quarry and aggregate sites, helping to maximise the investment in essential equipment.
"The QMS range of robust conveyors is engineered to create a trouble-free connection between crushing and screening equipment. They are designed to increase stockpile capacity and reduce onsite material handling. Our full range of conveyors can be used for the transfer of materials in the quarrying, mining, recycling, construction and mineral processing industry," explains QMS managing director Jonathan Beck.
"We believe that our radial stacker conveyor is one of the most cost-efficient and effective ways of stockpiling material as the reduction of segregation, degradation, contamination and compaction when stockpiling ensures 'in specification' material for any application. QMS' radial stackers cater for a complete range of applications and industries and deliver 30% more stockpile capacity on the same footprint when stockpiling in a trapezoidal shape than standard stackers," adds Beck.
HMUK produces and distributes aggregates, crushed rock, sand and gravel from a network of quarries, depots, and wharves across the UK. The company supplies these aggregates for various construction uses, including ready-mixed concrete production, precast concrete, brick and block manufacture and asphalt production. It also produces specialist sands for glass making, horticulture, agriculture and leisure. Additionally, the company can offer an extensive range of specialist sub-base and base aggregates, including industrial sands, agricultural lime, SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) aggregates, and sea defence aggregates. It sells aggregate sand and gravel to other precast and ready-mixed concrete manufacturers and the general market.
"Given the wide variety of aggregate products Heidelberg Materials UK produces and the wide range of customers the company services, an efficient, cost-effective radial stacker conveyor is an essential piece of equipment for the company. The QMS 60m radial stacker conveyor is able to produce stockpiles that are easily accessed by even the largest loading shovels. It uses mains electricity at the site, so it is environmentally friendly as well as cost-efficient. It has proved itself onsite and is now considered essential for the Frindsbury Wharf site," concludes QMS's Beck.
