Efficiency is crucial in the highly competitive modern quarrying world. Guy Woodford reports on some of the new models delivering it - in our sister title Aggregates Business
Metso’s Lokotrack crushers are noted for their high production efficiency – making them very popular amongst customers.
Recently, the Finnish global crushing and screening giant reached another major milestone in Lokotrack sales by delivering the 500th unit sold in Germany. The LT120 jaw plant was received by Andres Erdarbeiten, a family-owned crushing, screening and recycling contractor, at steinexpo 2017, the biggest quarry exhibition in Europe, held 30 August – 2 September. Globally, Metso has sold over 7,000 Lokotracks.
“Metso’s German customers were interested in the mobile, track-mounted Lokotrack crushing plant concept right away after the commercial production started in the Tampere works, Finland, in 1985. In Germany, customers noticed quickly that the track-mounted units are more economical while the crusher could be moved to the rocks,” said Hugo van Benthem, Metso’s Germany distribution manager.
The first Lokotrack deliveries to Germany in the late 1980’s often included often two-stage plants for crushing and screening in hard rock quarries. A typical combination was a tracked LT100 jaw and LT1100 cone plant. ABAG, a German company, purchased these units over 30 years ago, and are still running the same crushers, which proves something of the longevity of the Lokotrack range.
“Today, Metso’s Lokotracks used in Germany cover well all customer segments, from light, easy-to-transport contracting and recycling plants to sturdy, high-capacity mobile quarrying crushers. Our German customers like also Metso’s in-the-pit primary crushing concept with jaw plant connected to a mobile conveyor system,” explains Joachim Höft, Metso’s Germany sales manager.
Andres Erdarbeiten is a family-owned company with Diethardt Andres as the owner and managing director. Based in Mendig, Rheinland-Pfalz, the company was founded in 1993 and deploys activities in quarrying, contract crushing, recycling, transport, soil handling and processing. The company has successfully operated Lokotrack LT105 jaw and LT200HP cone plants for over a decade in varying applications from tough basalt through to recycling of mixed demolition waste. Besides crushing for building materials, Andres Erdarbeiten’s stone saw plant processes the top-quality basalt to accurately pre-programmed dimensions for stairways, kitchen tops and decorative applications.
Lokotrack branded crushing and screening plants and mobile screens are sold in Germany by Metso Germany (quarry units) and two experienced distributors, Fischer Jung and HSB (contractor units). “Good reputation, reliability using first-class components, high crushing and screening efficiency and excellent resale value are the backbones for our successful Lokotrack sales in Germany,” said Thorsten Plew, managing director of Fischer Jung.
At steinexpo 2017, Metso was also showcasing the Metso MX cone crusher. Launched globally earlier this year at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 in Las Vegas, USA, more than 20 MX crushers have already been sold to customers worldwide. The innovative model uses patented Multi-Action crushing technology, which combines the piston and rotating bowl into a single crusher. The Metso MX cone crusher is said to significantly boost profitability by cutting operational costs by 10% and enabling 10% more uptime compared to traditional cone crushers.
Powerscreen’s Premiertrak 400X jaw crusher was another big draw at steinexpo 2017.
Showcased by the Northern Irish manufacturer’s experienced German dealers, C. Christophel and Jürgen Kölsch, the Premiertrak 400X is ideal for medium- scale operators in quarrying, recycling, mining and demolition applications. The 400X with hydraulic adjust is part of a range also featuring the Premiertrak R400X with hydraulic release.
The Premiertrak 400X has many eye-catching features: the primary crusher’s post-screen allows users to produce a high volume type one product from a solitary machine. The model also has a quick release system to ensure maximum uptime and easy service and maintenance.
At steinexpo 2017, Powerscreen was also exhibiting the Chieftain 2200 3 deck screen. Highly versatile, the model is well-suited to customers who require large volumes of high specification products. Its patent pending drive system allows switching between two and four bearing with bolt-on parts. By splitting up into two individual screenboxes, the up to 700tonnes/hour capacity Chieftain 2200 3 deck is able to run aggressively without the constraints of a larger box.
Speaking at the exhibition, Joe Cassidy, Powerscreen’s product manager, said: “All the changes to the Premiertrak 400X compared to the Premiertrak 400 have been around further improving the plant’s serviceability, ease of use and reliability. There’s more clearance underneath the chamber, we’ve centralised hydraulics and electrics, and as much as possible is accessible at ground level. We fully launched the 400X in June and we’ve sold out until the end of this year.
“The Chieftain 2200 3 deck screen was launched last year. It is very, very good with fine screening, and switching between two and four bearing gives excellent capacity and product shaping.”
A fifth-generation family-owned sand and gravel quarry in Jersey is reaping the benefits after the delivery of a new Terex Finlay 684 2-Deck screener.
Based in St. Ouen’s Bay, on the west coast of the island, Simon Sand & Gravel Limited has noticed greater efficiency onsite since the arrival of the plant.
Supplied by Finlay Plant Southern – part of the Finlay Group of companies – the Terex Finlay 684 is only being run one day a week, as in that time it is powering through enough material to meet the requirements of the business. Jason Simon, owner of Simon Sand & Gravel Limited – which was established in 1909 – said: “Since the purchase of the Terex Finlay 684 I have noticed that my operation has run a lot more efficiently.
“We supply about 250 tonnes of material a day to the industry and that requires us to run the machine just one day a week, as it easily allows us to meet demand.”
The Terex Finlay 684, which has been supplied in white to blend in with its surroundings, is replacing a static Terex Finlay 390 Hydrascreen, supplied by Finlay Plant Southern more than 12 years ago.
Featuring two 4.3m x 1.7m inclined screen decks, it boasts a large screening area with higher efficiency and capacity, as well as three adjustable discharge conveyors.
Simon Sand & Gravel Limited, the only sand quarry on the island, is getting three products from the machine, which is solely for use in the Jersey construction industry.
The top deck – at 16mm – takes off the oversize material, leaving a 5-15mm pipe bedding, whilst the 1.2mm stainless steel piano wired bottom deck is producing a 4mm down building sand as well as a plastering sand.
Combining state-of-the-art quick wedge tensioning on the top deck, with conveniently placed access holes and hydraulic tensioning on the bottom, it ensures mesh set-up and change out times are kept to an absolute minimum.
The compact screener is easily transportable with hydraulically folding conveyors, aiding rapid set-up and tear down times.
Simon Sand & Gravel Limited has been purchasing machines from Finlay Plant Southern since 2004 and in that time they have had several screeners and a crusher.
John Dunne, managing director of Finlay Plant Southern – who has helped specify the machines – said: “What won Simon Sand and Gravel Limited over with the Terex Finlay 684 was the size of the screen box.
“They don’t have to spend as much time screening as they did before which means they can turn their focus on to other areas of the business.”
Jason added: “The aim now is to move away from static machinery and head towards tracked equipment.
“I’ve always had good experiences with the Finlay Group, right from the purchase all the way through to after sales.”
BF135.8, BF90.3 and BF120.4 crusher buckets and a MB-LS220 screening bucket for shovels were among MB Crusher’s quarrying range models due to be exhibited by the Vicenza, Italy-based firm at Marmomacc 2017 in Verona. (27-30 Sep). A BF135.8 crusher bucket, to be applied to excavators weighing 43tonnes plus, was recently used in a large silica quarry on the outskirts of Paris and in a quarry in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the material crushed is re-utilised for making foundations for the city roads.
A BF90.3 crusher bucket has been working in a vast quarry in Bahrain to crush over 50,000m³ of rock to be re-used for road foundations. Meanwhile, a BF120.4, was recently deployed in Buttapietra, not far from Verona, on a worksite dedicated to the extraction of river stones.
The MB-LS220 is the largest MB Crusher screening bucket for shovels, mini-shovels and tractor-excavators weighing 12-35tonnes. The model is a versatile bucket with a high hourly output.
