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JCB has now transferred excavator production in the UK to a new purpose-built £40million (€46million) heavy products factory outside Uttoxeter. The move ends 140 years of production at the old site in the town, which was formerly the home of Bamfords agricultural manufacturing business, but was taken over by JCB in 1989.

Volvo Construction Equipment has doubled its training capacity with the opening of a new technical training facility at its Duxford base in the UK. Despite the economic downturn, Volvo has continued to invest in training and technical support for its customers, with more than £200,000 being spent on creating two full size training workshops, a component workshop and two interactive classrooms. The company will also be able to offer customers the opportunity to have their own service engineers trained by Vol

Asphalt plant manufacturers are investing heavily in developing equipment to reduce energy costs and emissions. Energy savings and reduced environmental emissions are two major challenges for industrial designers of any kind of machine and asphalt plants are no exception. Asphalt production calls for great amounts of energy in the form of heat to dry and heat aggregates at the required temperature.

Sandvik has added the UH421 mobile tertiary crushing unit to its product line up which the company claims offers significant advantages with its integrated screening capabilities. "The main difference compared with the previous design of this machine is that the screen is placed alongside

Sandvik has announced the launch of a new basic line of hydraulic breakers - the BA505, BA707 and BA2323 - to provide simple and cost effective solutions for many breaking requirements. Simple in design, Sandvik's new basic line uses fewer working parts for reduced maintenance and lower owning and operating costs. The sealed nitrogen piston type accumulator protects the carrier's hydraulic pump during operation from pressure peaks in the breakers hydraulic circuit. The design incorporates a long and heavy p

Calls for more flexible screening solutions and easier financing are helping to drive demand for mobile units. Claire Symes reports. Accurate screening is essential to ensure quarry products meet the ever tightening aggregate specifications in Europe and command the highest price in the market. But restrictions of capital investment over the last 18 months have made it difficult for quarries to upgrade their operations.

Atlas Copco's new DrillAir range offers fuel savings and large air volumes for greater penetration rate. Aimed primarily at drilling contractors, Atlas Copco has said its new DrillAir range of large compressors will provide 'the largest air volume with the highest air pressure in the portable compressor industry.

Spain’s concrete producers association Anefhop has reported that demand fell by 20% in 2010, compared to the previous 12 months, to 31million cubic metres. The association said that demand was now 60% lower than before the start of the financial crisis.

Powerscreen has unveiled its first mobile wash plant that brings together for the first time its rinsing, screening and scrubbing capabilities on a single transportable chassis. The Aggwash is capable of producing three grades of aggregate and a single grade of sand at up to 60tonnes per hour. Electrically powered and delivered pre-wired, it lends itself to operations in built-up sites that are subject to noise or emission controls. Drawing on its mobility and versatility in operation, the Aggwash is the id

For the fourth quarter running, the volume of concrete goods manufactured in Poland grew year-on-year in the first three months of 2011. According to the Concrete Commodities Manufacturers Association (SPBT), 3,226tonnes of goods were produced, which was 57% up on the first quarter of 2010.

Need for higher breakout forces and limited working space is driving demand for larger excavators in European quarries. Claire Symes reports. While wheeled loaders can provide lower operating costs for face loading duties, narrow or high benches and need for greater breakout force mean that excavators are the best solution for some quarries.

Sales of concrete products rose by 25% in 2010, compared to the previous year, according to a new report from the country’s concrete producers’ association Betoniteollisuus.

JCB has added crushing technology to its portfolio with the launch of its new CB crusher bucket range. The 20m3 per hour CB60, 30m3 per hour CB70 and 40m3 per hour CB90 are designed for use with JCB excavators from the JS160 up to the JS360.

Recognising training efforts made by the employees to improve health and safety can help boost morale and sense of team work. Health and safety training is an essential part of modern quarry operation but motivating staff to undertake such programmes is not always straightforward. Many are not used to classroom based study or using computers so rewarding and recognising their achievements is important.

Higher grade steel is now being used in Digbits' Extreme Heavy Duty (XHD) rock buckets as part of a specification upgrade on the range. The company has changed the Hardox 400 wear plate previously used for a 450 grade and this is applied to the cutting edge and side reinforcing plate. According to Digbits, the XHD buckets excel in tough applications including for digging and handling rock, demolition and loading rubble into crushers.

Truck drivers working for Cemex UK have undertaken bike training to fully understand the risks delivery trucks present to cyclists. The training was organised by the Cycle Touring Club to give drivers a chance to see things from the cyclists’ perspective.

Introduction of better performing and more cost effective asphalt materials is gathering momentum in UK airport surfacing - and building a bank of invaluable knowledge within Colas. Jon Masters reports on its application at Jersey Airport

Improved production methods have enabled ContiTech to offer improvements to its ContiClean conveyor belt products. The company claims that the benefits include superior troughability and better resistance to low temperatures on the anti-stick belt product.

Carbon footprint is more than just the latest 'in' business phrase, reducing carbon emissions is something contractors and clients are serious about achieving. Claire Symes looks at how the quarrying industry is helping. Greenhouse gas emissions created by the global construction sector are set to double over the next 20 years at current growth rates, according to the latest report from the United Nations. The report claims that if emissions remain unchecked as construction markets in Asia, Middle East and

Investing in new tyres is an expensive business but an offer of a guaranteed cost per tonne of operation convinced Stoneycombe Quarry to part with its cash. Claire Symes reports. While the time it takes to procure new tyres in Europe may no longer be an issue now the tyre shortage of recent years has been resolved, the high cost of replacement remains.