Investment in new equipment has led to an increase in productivity at an aggregates quarry in Cyprus
A significant investment in new equipment has resulted in increased productivity say the operators of the largest aggregates quarry in Cyprus.
The 40hectare quarry is situated beside the Stavrovouni Monastery, located on the mountain peak of the same name, near the villages of Kornos and Pyrga. It was initiated in 1960 and bought by Skyra Lima Public 14 years later.
Skyra Lima was taken over by the Iacovou Group in 2006 and since then it has made some significant changes to the management of the diabase quarry.
These have included the introduction of a primary crusher, a mobile crusher, six trucks and a
The new equipment has helped to almost double production from 1.2 million to 2 million tonnes/year within two years.
The site looks to Hitachi ZW wheeled loaders, supplied by Cypriot Hitachi dealer Unitrak Machinery, to cope with the tough conditions on this Mediterranean island, which has the warmest climate in this part of the
“We blast the rock four or five times a week with a mix of dynamite and ANFO,” says Skyra Lima’s quarry manager, Iakovos Stefanou. “The ZW550 is then used to load five of our trucks, which transport the materials over a distance of 1.5km and dump them into the primary crusher. This feeds two production plants, which have three and five cone crushers respectively.”
Both production facilities output the same grades of aggregates: 0-4, 4-10, 8-20 and 10-14mm for the asphalt and concrete markets, and 0-32, 10-32 and 0-70mm of sub-base for road construction sites. The company’s asphalt and concrete customers are also its largest, and they collect the materials directly from the quarry.
Skyra Lima’s second Hitachi wheeled loader, a ZW310, loads the constant stream of trucks that arrive in the stockyard from early morning. The 41-strong team work from 7am until 3pm in the quarry, and in two shifts, from 7am to 3pm and 3pm to 9pm, in the production plants.
The ZW310 was delivered in December 2007 and has completed over 10,000 working hours.
“It has been operating perfectly and the fuel consumption is also favourable compared to other machines,” Iakovos explains.
“The success of the ZW310 led to the purchase of the ZW550 in February 2011. We use the new wheeled loader, rather than a large excavator, for loading the rock, due to its excellent mobility and reduced running costs. It is fast, stable and has a strong chassis, ideal for manoeuvring up and down the 11 benches in the quarry.
“It also has a high penetration force and takes around one minute and 45 seconds to fill each truck. At ten tonnes per pass, this equates to 450tonnes per hour. The Hitachi wheeled loaders are vital to our operation, as is the maintenance and service supplied by Unitrak.”
George Demetriou has been an operator for 30 years, the last 13 of which he has worked for Skyra Lima.
The ZW550 is the first Hitachi that he has driven.
“It’s an excellent machine – so strong, stable and powerful. It’s also fast during the loading cycle and offers strong penetration into the rocks. The air conditioning is perfect for this climate, the seat is comfortable and the controls are easy to use,” he says.
