A selection of Sandvik drilling, crushing and screening equipment is helping to produce high quality aggregates in Panama.
Panama Development of Infrastructure (PDI), located 40km north of Panama City, is currently assisting the Petaquilla Gold Mine, part of Petaquilla Minerals, in producing the aggregates from excavated materials at the mine.
In order to support the activities of Petaquilla Minerals, the only mining company currently operating in Panama, PDI is using the
The Petaquilla Gold Mine is not just a mine, but also a major source of aggregates for the local construction industry. Due to the diverse activities of mining and aggregates production at one site, Petaquilla Minerals identified a requirement for a drilling, crushing and screening solution that was both flexible and adaptable, not only for their demanding requirements, but also to those of their customers.
The company decided to invest in Sandvik equipment, selecting a DX800 drill rig; a UJ440i mobile crusher and a QA450 triple-deck Doublescreen mobile screener.
These were supplied by Grupo Tecún, which also provides after-market support. The company, which originally hails from Guatemala, began business over 50 years ago, and now possesses operations in Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
Despite diverse business interests, representing many companies, Grupo Tecún now considers the construction and industries equipment it represents to be one of its premier brands.
Of its decision to become Sandvik’s authorised distributor in Panama, Luis Fernando García, general manager of Mines and Quarries de Tecún, says: “The global availability of Sandvik equipment, and the personalised attention received from the company, is what led us to choose (to represent) this brand: we know that we offer our clients the latest technology which will produce for them high profitability.”
Of the relationship that has developed with Sandvik Construction through Grupo Tecún and PDI, David Baralt, general manager and chief operations officer at Servicios Mineros de Petaquilla, says: “We are seeking friendly suppliers, who understand how their products are connected to our production. We strongly believe in Sandvik for the recognised quality of its equipment worldwide.”
In Petaquilla’s case the UJ440i jaw crusher is used to process Andesite rock from the quarry, crushing down from 700mm to 150 mm at an average production rate of between 450-500tonnes/hour. Due to the demanding nature of both the material and the production requirements, the UJ440i is able to call on Sandvik’s support via Grupo Tecún in order to ensure that this impressive productivity is maintained.
In processing the aggregates, and in addition to the UJ440i crusher, the company also uses a QA450 triple-deck Doublescreen, which is able to achieve a production rate of up to 600tonnes/hour, depending on the material, the feed size, and the required fractions.
The highly productive unit provides an extremely flexible solution as it can produce four material sizes plus an oversize from the grid.
According to Sandvik, the high production capability is due to the patented Doublescreen screen box, which features two independent triple-deck screen boxes with independent drives that are able to have their amplitudes and screen angles adjusted depending on the application.
Said Vivas, business line manager, Sandvik Mobile Crushers and Screeners , says: “The UJ440i and QA450 are easy to transport to the quarry; can be operated in less than an hour, saving installation time and obtaining permits, and are very versatile machines, flexible and of very high production capacity.”
Sandvik says that the delivery and use of the QJ440i, together with the QA450 and DX800, strengthens its position in Central America.
“The interesting application at the Petaquilla Gold Mine highlights how the faith displayed by the customer in Sandvik’s history and reputation, the quality of the product, and the support provided Grupo Tecún, has presented benefits to all parties, facilitating what is hoped to be many years of successful partnership,” says the company.
“It is important for us (Sandvik Construction) to have someone with the experience, and local presence, to serve customers during the work of the machine, as well as the ability to offer stock to potential customers,” added Said Vivas.
