Ancillary Equipment

Safety is the responsibility of everyone in the supply chain from equipment producer and quarry owner down to the individual worker and their colleagues. ABE reports. Improving the safety of quarry workers has been a key target for the industry over the last decade and these continual efforts have helped improve the sector's reputation. But to achieve the next target of zero lost time accidents at more than just a few sites will call for everyone to take responsibility.

Real-time monitoring of vibrating screen performance could help guarantee reliability, according to Metso Minerals. Performance monitoring software is becoming a common feature on construction equipment but now the benefits may also be seen on vibrating screens. Metso Minerals has joined forces with Metso's Automation division to develop the new technology.

High fuel prices look set to become the norm. Bell explains how saving just a litre or two of fuel per hour can reduce the operating costs of an Articulated dump truck. With crude oil prices at a record high and prices expected to continue climbing, the impact on the operating costs of quarrying equipment is becoming ever more of a concern.

Last year oil prices reached US$65 per barrel and have continued to climb steadily over the last 12 months to over US$140. But industry experts have warned that fur

Difficulty in obtaining tyres for quarry machines means that more attention is focused on proactive maintenance to improve service life. While the use of shredded tyres to power cement plants means that used tyres no longer have to be sent to landfill, the sourcing of new tyres to replace them is still a challenge.

The shortage of off the road (OTR) tyres has been a problem for the construction equipment industry for several years and the problems look set to continue until at least 2010. Although shor

If it is true that a cat has nine lives, then one UK quarry's Cat wheeled loader has just regained a few following a complete refurbishment programme to rejuvenate the machine instead of replacing it. The Caterpillar 972G wheeled loader had provided six years of service at Hanson's Barton Quarry near Burton on Trent but the previous service had showed the machine was in need of an overhaul or replacement. Hanson opted to put the machine through Cat's rebuild programme - the first time the company has taken

Spiralling fuel costs, demands for easy to operate equipment and calls for low maintenance are driving wheeled loader development. The initial cost of a new quarry machine used to be one of the main points when it came to deciding on which manufacturer's model to select, but that is beginning to change. Today quarry customers are demanding more fuel efficiency and lower maintenance to minimise total ownership costs, as well as easier to operate, more comfortable machines, and wheeled loaders are no exceptio

Reversing is a hazardous process in a quarry site but, according to Brigade, there is a quieter alternative to noise pollution creating beeping systems. Beeping reversing alarms are now commonly heard in quarry sites across Europe as operators try to reduce the risk of strike accidents during manoeuvring operations. But while such systems can improve safety, the noise they create can be difficult to locate and may also be a nuisance to neighbours.

More than 100 Caterpillar customers attended organised by the company and its dealer in the region Bergerat Monnoyeur at Sagrex’s quarry in Overijse, Belgium. The Quarry Masters event was aimed at sharing best practices in order to deliver lower cost per tonne of operation with demonstrations and presentations.