Search

German company Erlau celebrates 70 years since the first chain link designed for tyre protection. A small drawing registered by Erlau in 1943 marks a pivotal moment in the history of bulk materials handling. At that time mining methods were changing as the lumbering steam shovels, rope-operated excavators and horse-drawn rail tubs, which had themselves superseded the pick and shovel, were being replaced by wheeled, hydraulic loading shovels and tipper-bodied trucks. Based on the technology recently develope

Austrian company SBM Mineral Processing has launched a new website (www.sbm-mp.at) following a number of developments including the expansion of the concrete mixing plants product portfolio and the integration of the brand MFL-Mineral Processing into the SBM company. “Clear and straight design, simple operation and focussing on the essentials were the preconditions for conception and implementation,” says SBM. Graphic conversion and programming were carried out by the Austrian creative company Friedrich Sch

KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens, a worldwide manufacturer of heavy equipment for the aggregate and recycle markets, has promoted Michelle Cwach’s promotion to media relations manager while Melinda Schweitzer will take on the role of marketing manager. Cwach, who has worked as a Marketing Associate at KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens for the past two years, will expand her role to manage the public relations, advertising and social media for the company.

The Chevrières site of French building materials group Lafarge extracts some 750,000tonnes of gravel and sand each year, making it the group's largest production unit in Picardy. The group is now attempting to break into a new market around the Parisian Basin, which involves the recovery of material generated by earthworks.

Harsh weather affected the first quarter results of many major quarry operators, but they are upbeat about the rest of 2013 and are still looking to the emerging markets. HeidelbergCement reported revenue almost stable at €2.8 billion and that some 2.9 million tonnes of annual cement capacity was commissioned in Central India while its stake in Cement Australia increased from 25% to 50%, offering an extra 1 million tonnes.

A number of recent events in Europe would indicate that many quarry operators are seeing a slowdown in the rate of sales declines. Indeed, many are optimistic that while in some cases things may not get back to those of the good years, they are steadily improving and that debt reduction targets, set out soon after the economic problems appeared, will be met. Harsh weather has affected many first quarter results from companies but they are still optimistic about the rest of the year with emerging markets see

Sandvik Construction’s new distributor for the company’s mobile crushing and screening product range for the Philippines is Inframachineries.

McCloskey International’s V80 vertical shaft impactor (VSI) has been designed for producing high specification sealing aggregates; a high proportion of fines required for main roads/road-base or manufactured sand. The heavy-duty, track-mounted VSI, which made its North American debut recently, has a Cemco Turbo T-80 VSI crusher and a C13 Cat engine producing 320kW.

Dust Control Technology has introduced four new sizes of its popular dust suppression ring. The open area dust suppression company says these give bulk material handlers a wide range of options to suit specific conveyor sizes and discharge flows. The DustBoss DB-R ring is designed for use at material discharge points, creating a virtual curtain around the outflow for outstanding particle containment.

Sandvik Russia held a conference in Chelyabinsk, which was attended by over 50 guests. They saw a series of machinery demonstrations and took part in focused workshops and other activities, “designed to get the best from Sandvik construction equipment.” The Urals Equipment and Technologies for Construction Business in Russia Conference was jointly organised by Sandvik Construction Russia in partnership with its Russian distributor Quarry-Service.

Powerscreen has signed DUO Africa as its first distributor in Ghana, and has completed a deal to supply three crushing and screening trains. DUO Africa will sell equipment into Ghana and support Powerscreen products in the sub-Saharan region. Among its first contracts is to supply two Powerscreen XA400 primary jaw crushers, two 1000 Maxtrak cone crushers and two Chieftain 2100 triple-deck screens to UK-based Hawk Plant for a number of aggregate crushing operations in Sierra Leone.

French-based international building material group Lafarge is to raise €200 million to speed development in India. It has signed an agreement to raise the finance through capital increase subscribed by Baring Private Equity Asia, and representing a 14% minority stake in its Indian subsidiary, Lafarge India. The transaction, which is subject to the approval of local regulatory authorities, will accelerate Lafarge’s growth plans in India in all its product lines: cement, aggregates and concrete.

JCB plans to begin production of six-cylinder engines with the addition of the JCB Dieselmax 672 to itsengine line-up. The company points out that in just over eight years it has gone from a new entrant to engine manufacturing to a major global producer with a reputation for fuel efficiency and innovation. The first engine rolled off the production line in the UK in November 2004 and since then production has also extended to JCB India’s headquarters at Ballabgarh in the Faridabad District of Haryana, wher

Leading concrete and aggregates company, Tudor Griffiths of Ellesmere, County Shropshire, England, has acquired from Cemex UK, four established ready-mix concrete plants in Mid and North Wales. The plants are located at Aberystwyth, Bangor, Newtown and Wrexham. All existing operations, assets and staff at each of the four Cemex plants have been transferred to the new owner, Tudor Griffiths.

The German manufacturer of concrete admixtures, concrete paints and surface protection systems Ha-Be Betonchemie has signed a distribution contract with the German producer of industrial solutions Celanese Emulsions. Ha-Be Betonchemie is to distribute the concrete sealant Mowilith LDM 6880 in Germany, Austria and other countries in central and eastern Europe, as well as in the Middle East. Celanese Emulsions is aiming to enhance its presence in the area of concrete admixtures.

In France, Granulats Vicat has received two awards from the National Union of Aggregates Producers (UNPG) in recognition of its sustainable development initiatives. Vicat received the award for best practices in terms of health and safety for the creation of a game that aims to raise awareness among staff about quality, safety and the environment.

The Polish Institute for Market Economics (IBnGR) predicts that the cement consumption in Poland will reach 14.8 million tonnes in 2013 which will be 1 million tonnes less when compared to 2012. The 2013 sales will be affected by the long winter. But it is also pointed out that May has been difficult for cement producers despite the weather improvement. For example, Gorazdze's daily cement sales have been 20-30% lower when compared to May 2012. This is because the financial condition of clients has deterior

Germany-based steel manufacturer ThyssenKrupp has secured a deal from cement maker TPI Polene of Thailand for the construction of a €150 million cement clinker plant in Saraburi, close to the capital Bangkok. The major components for the deal, covering raw material preparation, cement grinding, clinker production and fuel preparation, are being supplied by plant construction specialist ThyssenKrupp Resource Technologies.

Hanson won the sustainability and health and safety categories at this year’s British Precast Best Practice awards. An energy-saving project at Whittlesey block works near Peterborough, England, which involved modifying an aggregate block curing system, won the sustainability category. The opportunity was identified by one of Hanson’s sustainability champions who is tasked with identifying and promoting improvements that can help the company achieve its sustainability objectives.

Turkish trade fair organiser MBA Grup Uluslararasi Fuarcilik is running a marble exhibition between 13-16 June 2013. The Stonexpo Afyon Marble and Marble Technologies Trade Fair will be held for the first time in Turkey's marble capital, Afyonkarahisar. The show, which will be based over 23,000m² with 3,000m² indoor space, will allow visitors to see marble pits and plants.