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05 COMMENT
The increasingly pressing need to ensure long-term mineral-products supply
06 NEWS
Holcim posts “excellent” results in H1, Metso posts record quarter profitability, Heidelberg Materials closing the recycling loop
50 EVENTS
All the key events in the quarrying & aggregates world
Features
24 CRUSHING
& SCREENING
High-quality crusher wear parts, a new compact jaw crusher, and the merits of one top manufacturer’s trio of crushing and screening drive concepts
27
LOADING
Optimised payload and high performance are key features of modern loading machines doing vital work across the quarrying world
30
HAULING
Heidelberg Materials and Volvo team up to reduce carbon emissions of construction hauling and loading activities
33 CONVEYORS – 2
A top bulk-conveying solution company has embraced smart stockpiling, while others are making strategic acquisitions and expanding their sales reach
37 SCREENING BUCKETS & ATTACHMENTS
A highly successful crushing and screening bucket and attachments manufacturer has exciting plans for future development after more than two decades of market prominence
41
DEWATERING
Acquisitions and new pumps are all the talk of the quarry dewatering business
44 ASPHALT PLANTS
Top plant makers focus on attracting contractsecuring-savvy customers; Benninghoven delivers a big sustainability bang for your buck
22 STEINEXPO 2023 PREVIEW
Quarrying professionals from across Europe and beyond will gather at steinexpo 2023 from 23-26 August. We look at some of the highlights they will see from top quarrying equipment names
Specials
08 INTERVIEW
15 MARKET REPORT
19 QUARRY
PROFILE
COVER STORY: Mota Engil’s Herdade de Benafessim quarry uses Metso O-Series crusher wear parts in its tertiary crushing
Caterpillar chief technology officer Karl E. Weiss talks autonomous hauling solutions, non-line-of-sight, remote-control machine operation, and much more
After a tough 2022, Germany’s aggregates sector outlook is brighter this year due to the need to ramp up production of high-quality, ecology-minded aggregates to deliver the country’s sustainable building strategy
How Norwegian quarrying company Verdalskalk is boosted by dealer-led Caterpillar machine rebuilds
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The increasingly pressing need to ensure long-term supply
In January 2020, I was in the Latomia Latouros boardroom at the company’s calcareous limestone sand quarry in Dali, just under 20 kilometres southeast of Cyprus’s capital, Nicosia, as the Cyprus Aggregates Producers Association (CAPA) board discussed the situation in Paphos. The aggregates deposits within the existing footprint of the city district’s three limestone quarries were running out, and quarry operators wanted to extend their sites to access new mineral reserves. However, as their area had been designated an EU Natura 2000 nature protection area, no new quarrying licences were being issued.
“It means quarries often some distance from Paphos will need to cater to the city’s aggregates demand, generating much higher supply costs. We would prefer the government authorities to identify a new quarrying zone in that area,” explained Antonis Latouros, CAPA’s president and head of the Latouros Group (LG), Cyprus’s biggest quarrying group.
Latouros, who became president of Aggregates Europe-UEPG in June 2021, continued: “Regarding the rest of the island, we would prefer the government authorities to deeply investigate the possibility of expanding the existing quarries, wherever this is possible, to secure long-term deposits, rather than continuing as they are to look for a new quarry zone for the Larnaca area. These expansions and the creation of buffer zones between 300 and 500 metres around the existing quarries will give much more long-term deposits. It is also a more environmentally friendly approach than opening a new quarry zone.”
The above discussion during my tour of Cypriot aggregates businesses over three-anda-half years ago came to mind as I thought about how the increasingly pressing need to secure long-term mineral products provision has become, rightfully, a hot industry topic.
In a recent National Commodities Strategy debate in the Netherlands, VVD MP Silvio Erkens stated that while the need for sand, gravel, and other critical raw materials will increase enormously, there are too few raw materials in circulation for the circular economy
to be a ‘silver bullet’. The essentiality of minerals and minerals planners was a recurring theme at the Minerals Planning Conference, titled Minerals Planning at a Crossroads, jointly hosted in London on 15 June 2023 by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
Speaking at the event, attended by more than 300 delegates, in person and online, Mark Russell, MPA executive director for Planning and Mineral Resources, said: “While the issue of minerals supply has been dominated in Government circles by concerns around the availability and delivery of ‘critical’ minerals like lithium, cobalt and nickel, it is important we do not lose sight of the fact that the industry responsible for delivering a steady and adequate supply of ‘essential’ minerals for UK construction and manufacturing face many of the same issues.”
The Aggregates Europe-UEPGcommissioned, December 2022-published report, An Assessment of ‘Non-critical’ but Essential Raw Materials with Focus on Policy and Permitting Elements, by Professor Michael Tost and Gloria Ammerer of Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria’s university for mining, metallurgy and materials, suggested that making mineral product extraction permitting processes more effective may be achieved through integrating the different permits required across EU member states in such a way that they are issued by one competent authority (a one-stop-shop) and with only one environmental impact assessment or by parallel assessment.
Seven EU member states have introduced a one-stop-shop per region or at a national level, significantly reducing permitting timeframes. Furthermore, the report suggests that guidance documents or translations can facilitate an understanding and legal certainty of what must be provided to obtain authorisation for mineral exploration or extraction.
It is encouraging that how best to secure mineral products supply long-term is being openly debated. But the debate must soon lead to effective action before access to mineral products is no longer essential but critical. GW
Holcim posts
“excellent” results in H1
Holcim CEO and chairman Jan Jenisch has praised the Swiss building-materials giant’s global team for delivering “excellent” H1 2023 trading results.
The Group achieved 7.4% organic net sales growth (CHF 13,067mn – €13,681mn) in the first half of the year and 13.4% organic recurring EBIT growth. Holcim also posted a record Q2 recurring EBIT margin of 21.1% (+2.2 pp) and EPS in H1 of CHF 2.19 (+15%). Group operating profit of CH 1,970mn - €2,062mn) was down 4.7% on H1 2022 (CHF 2,067mn€2,164mn).
Other Holcim H1 2023 trading figures included a reduction of CO2 per net sales by 18% in H1 2023. Holcim’s full-year 2023 guidance is for organic net sales
growth above 6% and organic recurring EBIT growth above 10%.
Jan Jenisch said: “I thank all members of the Holcim family for delivering excellent results in H1. I am excited about our record EBIT margin in Q2, putting us well on track
to deliver industry-leading margins in 2023. This confirms Holcim’s strong positions across all markets, delivering superior profitability and growth with leading sustainable building solutions and brands.”
In line with Holcim’s Strategy 2025 - Accelerating Green Growth, Jenisch said the Group had reduced its overall CO2 per net sales while building billiondollar brands with ECOPact and ECOPlanet. “It’s exciting to be at the forefront of decarbonising Europe with three additional grants from the EU Innovation Fund for our Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage projects, making us the first in our sector with five projects supported by the EU. We look forward to finishing the year strong and to further decarbonising building.”
Metso posts record quarter profitability
Metso CEO and president Pekka Vauramo says the Finnish quarrying and mining-solutions giant’s profitability reached a record level in the second quarter of 2023, driven by a continued improvement in the Minerals segment and solid performances in Aggregates and Metals.
Operating profit rose to €230mn in the quarter, with sales from April 1 to June 30 rising by 15% to €1,483mn. Metso’s received orders declined -13%, amounting to €1,398mn.
Further first-half-year 2023 figures show Metso increased its H1 sales by 18% to €2,901mn. Operating profit stood at €426mn. The group’s received orders were down -3% to €2,931mn.
Metso president and CEO Pekka Vauramo said: “We performed well in the second quarter with the group’s profitability reaching its highest level to date. In addition, we made good progress in several key
areas, such as launching new solutions for battery-metals processing and investing in our capacity around the world.
“Looking ahead, we see energy transition and electri-
BREEDON GROUP CONTINUES ALONG STRONG GROWTH PATH
Breedon, a major verticallyintegrated construction materials group in Great Britain and Ireland, continued its impressive growth trajectory in the first half of 2023.
Group revenue was £742.7mn, up 11% year-on-year, with underlying profit at £64.9mn, up 7% on H1 2022.
All Breedon divisions initiated operational excellence reviews during the first half of the year, with the Cement division executing two scheduled kiln-maintenance shutdowns on time and within budget. Cement increased its revenue by 18% via sustained strong pricing due to resilient end-market demand.
Breedon’s GB revenue increased by 10%, completing two bolt-on transactions and delivering a solid first half through “nimble execution, strong pricing tailwind and careful cost management,” according to the Group’s trading statement.
The Group’s Ireland business grew revenue by 11%, trading well through tendering season, winning work on quality, and completing the acquisition of Robinson Quarry Masters.
Breedon was a key partner in the launch of the Peak District, Derbyshire, England-based Peak Cluster initiative, an innovative carbon-capture and -storage collaboration aiming to reduce industry emissions significantly. Breedon Balance, the Group’s range of products with sustainable attributes, continued to gain traction, accounting for 30% of revenue. There was also further improvement in Breedon’s rate of cement alternativefuel substitution to 50% (2022: 48.5%)
CEO Rob Wood commented on Breedon’s first-half 2023 trading: “In the first half, our vertically-integrated and local operating model has again come to the fore, leveraging our long-term customer relationships and deep market knowledge. Our first-class team has operated with great agility to deliver a strong start to 2023, for which I thank them sincerely, and we are well-positioned for the second half of the year.”
fication advancing, which will support our business in the coming years. Our full focus will be on capitalising on these opportunities and further improving our performance.”
Holim CEO and chairman Jan Jenisch
Metso is celebrating record quarterly profits
Breedon Group CEO Rob Wood. Pic: Breedon Group
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Next-stop quarrying on Caterpillar’s autonomous & remotecontrol journey
Aggregates Business editor Guy Woodford spoke to Karl E. Weiss, a senior vice president at Caterpillar and the company’s chief technology officer, during the CONEXPO/CON-AGG 2023 exhibition in Las Vegas to learn more about major developments and Caterpillar’s wider automation strategy in the quarrying sector
Karl E. Weiss at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, where he spoke to Aggregates Business editor Guy Woodford during CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023
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Caterpillar and longtime customer Luck Stone have teamed up to deploy an autonomous hauling solution at Luck Stone’s Bull Run plant in Chantilly, Virginia. For what will be its first autonomous deployment in the aggregates industry, Caterpillar is expanding its autonomous haul truck fleet to include the 100-ton (91.7-tonne) class Cat 777. Caterpillar is also testing its new Cat Command non-line-of-sight remote control operation for mid-sized wheeled loaders at quarry sites in the US and other countries before its launch in Q2 2024.
Having noted the significant operational benefits of deploying autonomous and non-line-of-sight remote-control solutions in the global mining industry, there has been an increasingly loud call for the same technology to be made available to the world’s quarrying sector.
Caterpillar and a few other leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as Bell Equipment and Volvo Construction Equipment, are acting on this demand and testing several autonomous solutions with new technology-minded, innovation-hungry quarrying customers.
Caterpillar’s big December 2022-announced collaboration with Luck Stone, the US’s largest family-owned and -operated producer of crushed stone, sand and gravel, is seeing the manufacturer’s existing Cat MineStar Command for Hauling system used on a fleet of Cat 777G trucks. Karl E. Weiss explains during our morning meeting at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas that the project will allow Caterpillar to gain valuable insights on quarry operations and tailor the next generation of autonomous solutions specific to quarry and aggregate applications.
Due to go live in 2024, the deployment of Caterpillar autonomous solutions at Luck Stone builds on Caterpillar’s long history in autonomy and automation. The premium global OEM is recognised as the industry
leader with the world’s largest fleet of autonomous haul trucks, now numbering more than 580. As of December 2022, the trucks had travelled more than 202 million kilometres and autonomously moved more than 5.5 billion tonnes without a single injury.
“It is a big deal; a very important development for us and the [quarrying] industry,” stresses Weiss about the Caterpillar-Luck Stone project. “We’ve been quite successful in the mining industry with autonomous hauling. People often think the difficult part is the technology, but that’s not the difficult part. The difficult part is understanding the customer’s operation, ensuring that the customer understands the processes and technology they will be working with and ensuring that our solution supports their business in a way that suits their business. For a quarry, that will be different from a mine. We, as well as our customers, have to learn that.
“We have had a very close relationship with Luck Stone for many decades. The company has a progressive view of how they want to use technology, and they have always pushed the envelope on that. They also have a very strong culture within their staff, which is important when working with an autonomous solution. It’s a great opportunity for us to work together.”
Speaking to Aggregates Business on 16 March 2023, Weiss says Caterpillar recently hosted Luck Stone representatives at Caterpillar’s Tinaja Hills proving grounds and demonstration area in Tucson, Arizona. “It was the first big step in this project’s change management process. We helped them
understand how it would work and showed them how our autonomous solutions have worked on mine sites. They gave us feedback on what they thought would and wouldn’t work for them. It was a good event.”
While Cat MineStar Command for Hauling using Cat 777G trucks will go live at the Bull Run plant in 2024, Weiss emphasises that the project’s implementation will begin before “we even move the first truck.” He continues: “The learning has already begun, and we are working together on the project’s infrastructure. After the trucks start moving, our learning will accelerate in the first three months. Then the feedback loop will instruct us on modifying our current MineStar Command for Hauling system to right-size the solution for a quarry site.”
Asked whether Cat MineStar Command for Hauling’s success in the mining industry can be largely replicated in quarrying environments, Weiss responds: “We operate this system with some very large truck fleets at mine sites whose operators just want as much production as they can get. In many quarries, it’s not so much about maximising production; it’s about optimising the operation for the production they need. We want to learn how capability sets may differ to optimise the cost-benefit for it to work best in a quarry.”
I ask Weiss whether he could give an idea of the potential productivity and efficiency gains quarrying customers could expect from autonomous hauler utilisation compared to traditional in-cab driver operation. “A good way to look at it is turning the quarry into a consistent process, almost like we try to
“It’s not so much about maximising production; it’s about optimising the operation for the production they need”
A Cat 777G truck at the Bull Run plant. Pic: Caterpillar-Luck Stone
ANOTHER GENERATION
do in our factories. You fully understand how you want your quarry to operate, and you set it to run that way all of the time. It is about continuous improvement: taking cost and time out. A simple example of the latter is doing away with lunch breaks, as an autonomous hauler won’t need them! You also gain new options about where to best locate personnel; at their current work site or assisting with work at another site.”
Is Caterpillar already looking at wider quarry customer trials of its Cat MineStar Command for Hauling system? “Luck Stone and Caterpillar would not have entered this agreement without knowing that this project would help the quarry industry. We want to take what we learn with Luck Stone and rapidly replicate it with other customers. We are in discussions with other quarry companies that aren’t just in North America. We have some very interested customers.”
Asked how long it will take quarry customers to see a return on investment in a Caterpillar autonomous solution, Weiss replies: “That is exactly what we want to learn through our collaboration with Luck Stone. I don’t know the answer yet, but it will vary. Some of our mining customers have publicly stated a 30% productivity improvement. It gives us an idea of what’s possible.”
Does Weiss think that Caterpillar autonomous solutions can truly be adopted by quarries globally, given that many sites, including many in large emerging markets, have poor digital connectivity? “Most of our mining customers using our Cat MineStar Command for Hauling system are based in remote locations. That is what drove them to look at autonomous solutions. We have learned a lot about how to make these solutions successful. We work very closely with our customers as there are different network providers in different parts of the world, so there are different ways to supply connectivity. I am confident we can work our autonomous solutions in urban and remote locations.”
autonomous solutions have other advantages rather than just saving money on human labour.”
So, what’s Weiss’s response to those who see autonomous solutions like Cat MineStar Command for Hauling as putting people out of work? “We often get that question put to us when we begin a project with a customer. It’s part of the change management that we go through with them. Luck Stone, for example, has a very strong people culture, and they have done a really good job working with us to help their staff understand that it’s not about removing jobs; it can be moving jobs from sitting in a truck to an office location and upskilling workers. It is also important to highlight how autonomous solutions can solve some labour shortage issues. In some locations, attracting some people to work as equipment operators has become increasingly difficult.”
a customer to reduce unproductive usage. Equipment acceleration through a quarry site can also increase fuel usage. What if you don’t need to repeatedly accelerate when a truck, for example, isn’t carrying a load? When using an autonomous solution, you can put the truck in a gear that runs it more efficiently.”
In November 2022, Caterpillar announced the expansion of its Cat Command for Excavating solution to quarry-applicationsuited Cat 349, 352, 374 and 395 large hydraulic excavators. The remote-control system removes operators from potentially hazardous worksite conditions by keeping them at a safe distance. It also reduces potential safety risks from climbing on and off machines.
“We started automation in parts of the mining world with the highest labour costs. Since then, we are automating sites in Latin America, for example, that don’t have quite as high labour costs. This shows that
Commenting on autonomous solutions’ sustainability benefits, Weiss says: “When I think of sustainability, I think of people and safety, an ESG [Environmental, Social & Governance] approach that is a key part of autonomous solutions. Using these solutions to run an operation more efficiently can increase sustainability by using less energy, electricity and diesel fuel. Doing this over time will help you meet your sustainability goals. For example, you waste fuel when you have idling time on a truck or other equipment, so we provide tools that enable
The Cat Command station allows for non-line-of-sight remote control. Users can comfortably control all basic machine functions like digging, lifting and tracking from a ‘virtual cab’ with familiar controls and machine displays. Caterpillar exclusive machine technologies like Cat Grade with 3D for Excavators, Grade with Assist for boom and bucket, Swing Assist, E-Fence, and others can also be set, activated, and used remotely.
The Cat Command station allows production to restart immediately following disruptive processes such as blasting in quarry applications. By removing the operator from an on-site cab, the Cat
Luck Stone’s Craig Wiant (left) & Johnny Palmer in front of one of the Cat 777G RDTs set to be fitted with the Cat MineStar Command for Hauling automation solution. Pic: Caterpillar-Luck Stone
An aerial view of Luck Stone’s Bull Run plant in Chantilly, Virginia. The site is hosting Caterpillar’s first autonomous hauler deployment in the aggregates industry. Pic: Caterpillar-Luck Stone
Command station also offers a solution to workforce shortages and training advantages for newer operators. Furthermore, it creates new opportunities for those with physical limitations that prevent them from climbing into the equipment. The new large hydraulic excavator models join the current Cat Command-ready excavators (320-340) and medium dozers (D5-D7), which can be operated from the same Cat Command station.
Weiss says the next Caterpillar machine range to be made ‘Command-ready’ will be quarrying-suited, mid-sized wheeled loaders. “The Cat 982, for example, is a key wheeled loader for quarry truck loading. This will be the first big Cat Command impact on the quarry industry.” Weiss says Caterpillar is testing Cat Command for mid-sized wheeled loaders at quarry customer sites inside and outside the US, with the solution set to be launched in Europe in the second quarter of 2024.
“The feedback we’ve had from the quarry customers using the Cat Command station has been very positive,” continues Weiss. “You think of young people entering the industry being attracted to Cat Command station rather than sitting in a loader, truck or dozer on site. But the same attraction applies at the other end of the experience scale. I spoke to a very experienced equipment operator pre-COVID. He was past retirement age and felt ready to retire, but putting him in a Cat Command station has extended his career. It’s a lot easier on his body. The customer needs that operator as they can’t find enough of them. We find the learning curve with Cat Command station is very quick.”
Which quarrying regions does Weiss think the Cat Command station will most appeal to? “I think North America and Europe will be the leaders in this. I think Australia will also be quick to take it up.”
Weiss explains the different levels of the Cat Command station: “The simplest form is an over-the-shoulder control, used where you see the vehicle. This is for customers with applications where they periodically have a slightly riskier environment, perhaps with difficult underfoot or high wall
conditions. The next step is our universal remote-operating system, where you can control a machine from many miles away as it connects through telematics. The most advanced Cat Command station system is SATS (Semi-Autonomous Tractor System), where you can operate three to five dozers from one virtual cab seat.”
As with Cat MineStar for Hauling, Weiss stresses that quarry customers’ return on investment in a Cat Command station system for their operation will vary depending on their site configuration and equipment fleet usage. “At some sites, there may not be an initial ROI; it is more of a safety and recruitment play. You can say, ‘You don’t have to work at this site in the middle of nowhere. You can work a machine from the city you live in.
“It is not a question of ‘What can we do?’ It is more about ‘How do we prioritise?’”
“If you look over a full working day, you see many equipment operators’ performance degrades over time as they tire. The Cat Command station gives operators a fresher, more sustainable working environment.”
I ask Weiss what features Caterpillar wants to add to its Cat Command station offering. “What we’ve done with the large dozers in terms of a repeatable process we can automate and allow one operator to operate several dozers is a goal with other equipment and applications. Safety features will be built around this growth in capability.”
A native of Hagerstown, Indiana, Weiss graduated from Purdue University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in agricultural engineering. He received an MBA from Northern Illinois University in 1999.
Since joining Caterpillar in 1988, Weiss has had various assignments within product development at the manufacturer’s Decatur,
Joliet, and Aurora facilities, primarily focused on large machine structural design. Weiss subsequently transferred to Geneva, Switzerland, with Caterpillar Global Mining as an equipment management consultant serving mining customers and dealers in Europe and Africa. After a stint as Aurora, Illinois’ large wheeled loader new product introduction manager, Weiss and his family moved to Beijing, China, for four years. He served as the wheeled loader product manager for the Asia Pacific Region. In that role, he managed the integration of Shandong Engineering Machinery (SEM) as Caterpillar’s entry into the Chinese wheeled loader industry. Weiss then served as the worldwide product manager for mediumwheeled loaders in Aurora. In 2013, the Caterpillar Board of Directors named Weiss vice president of the Earthmoving division. He was then named vice president of the Material Handling & Underground division in August 2017. He became senior vice president of the Integrated Components & Solutions division and chief technology officer in May 2019.
“Each of my experiences with Caterpillar in different parts of the world has broadened my perspective, firstly in customer empathy,” explains Weiss. “No customer is the same. There are bigger differences between a customer in the US and a customer in China than among customers throughout the US, but still, there’s a spectrum of customers everywhere.”
Weiss says that understanding customer needs led to Caterpillar’s entry into GC products (excavation, earthmoving, load and haul, paving, and work tools for smallto medium-sized customers looking for best-in-class, durable, reliable machines, fuel competitive and offering good value for money) and XE products (a premium offering across multiple machine classes, signifying the next generation of machines designed to improve system efficiencies, operator productivity and assist businesses to achieve greater sustainability outcomes).
“It means we don’t have a ‘one size fits all’ offer any more,” he emphasises.
I ask Weiss what he likes best about his senior Caterpillar role, his biggest day-to-day challenges, and how he looks to overcome them. “I’ve been at Caterpillar 35 years this year, and I’d honestly say this is the most exciting time of my career. So much is possible. We haven’t talked about electrification, but that’s happening. Automation is happening. Information is just exploding. Our ability to work with our customers across these areas and others opens up many ideas and capabilities; it is not a question of ‘What can we do?’ It is more about ‘How do we prioritise?’. Our work with Luck Stone is part of that journey. There are a lot of things we can do to help them at their Bull Run plant. But where do we focus our efforts? It is challenging to set priorities and to make things easy for customers. That’s where change management comes in.” AB
Caterpillar is in discussions with a number of quarry operators worldwide about carrying out further trials of its Cat MineStar Command for Hauling system in the aggregates sector. Pic: Caterpillar
German aggregates production falls as sector faces multiple challenges
Factors including rising domestic inflation, the Ukraine war and ongoing fallout from the pandemic led to a decrease in aggregates output in Germany in 2022. The industry outlook is brightened by the central importance of suitable aggregates to the country’s sustainable building strategy. Liam McLoughlin reports
The German Aggregates Industry Association (MIRO) estimates that aggregates production has declined by -8-10% in 2022, with the price per tonne of aggregates increasing.
MIRO vice secretary general Walter Nelles commented: "Due to the sharp decline in production, sales of aggregates have declined slightly in 2022." He adds that factors contributing to the significant decline in aggregates production last year include the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the rising inflation rate in Germany, which reached 6.9% in 2022.
Nelles says the German coalition government - which came to power in 2021 and consists of an alliance of Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) - is looking closely at the implementation of the EU's Green Deal, which includes a commitment to cut carbon emissions by 55% by 2030.
"They are looking at the use of sustainable aggregates and recycled material in construction," he adds. "Since this year, there has been a crisis in the construction industry with a massive decrease in investment in public projects for roads and new bridge construction and maintenance. This will lead to a further decline in aggregates production this year."
Nelles says the German government has fallen far short of its announcement to build 400,000 new homes each year. In 2022,
only 250,000 were built, and this year the number will be even lower. He says that due to demographic changes, there is a shortage of skilled workers and labour. However, Germany must also provide housing for the roughly 400,000 workers needed, who must be acquired abroad. "Here, Germany is visibly heading for a bottleneck," says Nelles. "They need space to live, and it will be hard to find workers if they can't bring their families with them.
"One of the government's goals is to promote and further expand the use of renewable energies such as photovoltaics and wind power," he adds. "However, environmental and nature conservation authorities do not want wind windmills and photovoltaic plants in protected forest areas and nature reserves, for example. This is a real problem.
"We say in Germany that the construction sector was the biggest engine of the economy in the last 20 years. Now this engine is no longer working. For many construction companies, business is declining, there are too few orders and too few workers."
He adds that there are positives for the German aggregates and quarrying sector related to the use of renewable energy and achieving climate-change targets.
"To build windmills, you need a strong foundation," he says. "For example, a 3-megawatt wind turbine needs a foundation of around 1,000 m³ of concrete. That means
1,600 to 1,800 tonnes of aggregate just for one wind turbine, and it is not always possible to use recycled material for this, primary aggregate is almost always used. You also need concrete for the tower of the wind turbine."
He adds that aggregates are also needed for the construction of sustainable buildings: "Recycled aggregate is also used here. But if the construction sector comes to a standstill, then the construction and demolition waste that accumulates when old buildings are torn down will be missing. Because only when there is construction, is there also demolition.
"To achieve climate-change goals, you need sand, gravel and aggregates. Our industry provides the actual conversion material in the form of aggregates. We have them in our country. Most other things like iron ore and the so-called critical raw materials such as lithium, which are needed for electric-vehicle batteries, for example, have to come from other countries like China and Brazil, etc."
Commenting on the current market challenges for the German quarrying sector, Erich Kribs, product manager EU region at Volvo CE, highlights three main
Building in Berlin. The German construction industry has this year seen a massive decrease in investment for public projects
issues: obtaining permits for transport and exploration; the cost of energy for crusher, screening and belt systems; and availability of suitable operators and technicians.
Kribs says that Volvo CE’s services offerings are becoming more and more important as part of the industry’s digital transformation and this is mirrored in the German quarrying/aggregates sector.
“Our productivity services are the main opportunity for business right now as we see customers needing to take great steps forward in reaching their carbon-reduction goals while still increasing productivity, profitability and safety,” Kribs added. “Our CO2 Reduction Programme is a key focus for us in this area – and the advantage being that every save we make is also a save for the customer. Every save here is also a save for the customer. We feel that our range of mining and quarrying machines – wheeled loaders, haulers and excavators – are already very well represented in the sector.
Kribs says that the machines currently most in demand from German quarry operators are wheeled loaders , from the Volvo L150 and larger. The company’s most in-demand excavators are the Volvo EC300 and larger. He adds that Volvo’s complete hauler range remains a popular choice for the quarrying and aggregates sector.
“All machines come with Volvo Co-Pilot with the On-Board Weighing (OBW) and TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) functions to increase uptime, prevent wear and tear and reduce repair and associated costs. The main requirement for customers here is the importance of efficiency,” says Kribs.
He adds that the main trends in the German construction sector currently influencing demand for aggregates include ongoing infrastructure projects for building and maintaining highways and bridges,
in addition to the electrification of railway networks.
Looking ahead over the next 12 months to the likely major developments in the German quarrying and aggregates sector, Kribs comments: “The most important factors to look out for will be to take care of cost increases which are happening in all areas, as well as the challenge in finding operators for our equipment.”
Construction industry output in Germany will grow by 2.7% to reach €250,640m in 2023, according to industry analyst ResearchandMarkets.
“Despite near-term challenges in certain construction sectors, the medium- to longterm growth story in Germany remains intact,” the analyst states.
“The growth momentum is expected to continue over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 2.4% during 2023-2027. The construction output in the country is expected to reach €275,382.3m by 2027.”
ResearchandMarkets says that higher borrowing costs, surging raw material prices, and fears that recession could accelerate a further decline in property prices are all weighing on the growth of the construction industry in Germany. Home-building activities declined in Germany at a significant rate in 2022. In addition, new orders for all
construction projects have also reported a decline in the country.
A number of construction firms suffered cancellations of building projects in Q4 2022. On the other hand, new home-building orders recorded a decline, compared to the same period in 2021. The cost-savings efforts of leading tech firms are also projected to have an impact on the construction of new manufacturing and industrial facilities in Germany over the next 12 months .
In its 2022 budget, the German government earmarked billions of euros for the development of rail infrastructure and the construction of roadways. The Federal Budget earmarked €3.86bn for the construction and expansion of roadways.
However, due to the increase in inflation and subsequent rise in construction-material prices, the analyst expects even higher spending on the development of railways and roadways infrastructure in 2023. This is projected to keep supporting the growth recovery of the construction market in Germany from the short- to medium-term perspective.
ResearchandMarkets says that, along with government spending, aid from the European Commission will also support infrastructure development in Germany. In December 2022, the EC approved €1.8bn to roll out power charging infrastructure for EVs.
The investment will be utilised to develop infrastructure for electric-vehicle charging in urban, suburban, and rural areas in Germany. At approximately 900 locations, a total of 8,500 high-power charging units will be deployed. This project is also expected to support the construction-industry recovery in Germany from the short- to medium-term perspective.
The construction of data centres has also been boosting the construction industry in Germany. In addition to German companies, global players such as NTT have launched new data-centre facilities in the country in 2022. Along with data-centre facilities, the pent-up travel demand has also resulted in the undertaking of many new hotel construction projects in 2022, and the trend is projected to further continue over the next
Walter Nelles, vice secretary general of MIRO
Volvo CE says its large wheeled loaders are in demand by German quarry operators
Erich Kribs of Volvo CE
12 months.
ResearchandMarkets says this will keep supporting the growth of the commercial construction market in Germany over the next three to four years. The analyst adds: “The global pandemic outbreak accelerated the growth of the housing market, as more and more Germans were purchasing homes in rural areas, due to work-from-home measures and social-distancing norms implemented during the period. However, the sales have now declined significantly, owing to rising interest rates and subsequent increases in mortgage rates.
“With residential buyers holding back their purchases because of higher mortgage rates, a further decline in the housing market is projected. This will result in lesser housing projects compared to 2021, thereby affecting the growth of the residential construction market in Germany.”
German and European members of industry organisation VDMA expect a new sales record for the coming year with a forecast real growth of up to ten percent.
The VDMA represents over 3,600 German and European companies in the mechanical and plant engineering industry, including construction equipment.
The association says the ability to deliver has improved due to the fact that more components are available to manufacturers. This was the general conclusion at the board meeting of the trade association VDMA Construction – Equipment and Plant Engineering on 14 July 2023.
It adds that orders from the past thus ensure the necessary capacity utilisation. However, the order backlog is now gradually decreasing because far fewer new orders are coming in. In the period from January to May 2023, construction machinery had already recorded a total decline of 19% in new orders and building-materials plants a fall of 23%.
Paul Culliford, regional sales manager EMEA at rigid hauler manufacturer Rokbak, says the company is continuing to build its brand across Germany. He adds: “Germany has always been a historically strong market for Rokbak and we’re now seeing an increase in demand. As a result, we’re always looking to expand our dealer network in the country to support customers and strengthen our presence in this important hauler market.”
Rokbak currently works the country with construction-machine rental service Klarmann-Lembach, which is based in Eltmann, central Germany, and operates across North Bavaria and Thuringia.
“Our partnership with Klarmann-Lembach has led to a good relationship with SaxonyAnhalt quarrying company Erdbau Schrader, which has been extremely happy with its Rokbak trucks,” Culliford says.
He states that 2022 was a very good year for the articulated hauler market. There were around 190 units, across all brands, sold in Germany and Culliford says there is a similar projection for 2023. The numbers are quite consistent, with approximately 85 units already sold by the end of May.
“We’re getting the Rokbak name out
there and we have more and more companies requesting demo trucks,” he adds. “We had an RA30 in the middle of the Klarmann-Lembach open day in June which enabled customers to see the product up close and really let the machine speak for itself, as well as meet the team supporting the haulers.”
Culliford says that Rokbak’s focus for 2023 is to continue to increase its dealer footprint in Germany. “We’re looking for established dealers, with a good reputation, that have a range of products and want to add an articulated hauler to complement their equipment portfolio,” he adds. “Our main target markets are quarrying, construction, infrastructure development and mining.”
Develon, formerly known as Doosan Construction Equipment, says it has invested in its German operation, setting the course for further growth in the country, in addition to in Austria and Switzerland.
The South Korean manufacturer of crawler excavators, wheeled loaders and articulated dump trucks (ADTs), says that it is building a state-of-the-art customer and training centre for the German-speaking countries together with a demonstration area for testing machines on a 10,650 m² site in Mannheim. The completion of the new facility is planned for the 3rd quarter of 2024.
Develon says the facility will bring the company much closer to its customers and dealers and clearly demonstrates its commitment to Germany as a business location.
The manufacturer says: “To ensure that customers do not have to wait, operations at a transitional location were already started in March 2023, so that large parts of the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, RhinelandPalatinate and Hesse can already be supplied with spare parts and services. A well-equipped new rental fleet with the latest generation of construction machinery is available to bridge order peaks, to conserve the company's own capital requirements or to be able to test a product over a longer period of time. The experienced sales team is also already in place.”
With the decision to take over sales, rental and service operations for a clearly defined market area, Develon says it is building on proven and successful market development with its trade partners. “In future, they will also be better supported by German-speaking office staff in Mannheim,” the company states. AB
3D view of DEVELON’s planned customer and training centre in Mannheim
Rokbak says it is seeing increased demand for its articulated haulers in Germany
RICH REBUILD RETURNS
Dealer-led or original equipment manufacturer-certified machine rebuilds can offer quarrying customers a highly attractive alternative to investing in new models. Aggregates Business editor Guy Woodford learned this first-hand during a recent trip to Norway with Caterpillar.
There is more to life than the next new thing. Just ask Verdalskalk. The longstanding Caterpillar limestone quarrying customer based in Verdal, in Norway’s Tromsdalen region, has rebuilt five of its Cat fleet over the years - 990, 990K, 980H wheeled loaders, and 775F and 775G off-highway trucks. Carried out earlier this year, the Cat 990K was Verdalskalk’s most recent dealerled machine rebuild.
As Per Olav Listou, key account manager for Pon Equipment AS, Caterpillar’s Norwegian dealer, explains during Aggregates
Business’ trip to see Verdalskalk’s impressive operations an hour-and-a-half’s drive north of Trondheim, a dealer-led machine rebuild typically costs 35% to 40% of a new machine (not Cat Certified). Rebuilds are commonly done at 15,000 hours, depending on the machine and condition, equating to the end of a machine’s first life.
Verdalskalk rented a 988K to replace its 990K during its rebuild. All components were tested to Caterpillar standards, with the rebuilt 990K gaining a new 5,000-hour Extended Protection Plan with a Customer Value Agreement (CVA) - a total repair and maintenance contract.
Verdalskalk’s 990K rebuild was done at Pon Equipment’s new workshop in Trondheim, which opened in January 2023. The 990K was the first machine rebuilt in the new facility, with the project taking two months. The workshop was officially opened on 25 May this year.
Listou notes that operators have a say in the machines that have been rebuilt. For example, they know how the machines handle and if something needs replacing in the cab.
Rebuilds are generally done due to cost (cheaper than buying a new unit) or to access new machine technology.
Verdalskalk’s Tromsdalen Quarry
The Cat 990K rebuild followed the November 2022 rebuild of Verdalskalk’s Cat 988H large wheeled loader. The rebuild included a new engine, bearings, injectors, and gearbox. It is giving Verdalskalk another 6,000 to 7,000 hours out of the machine.
Tromsdalen quarry, Verdal site manager, Kjell Ivar Nonset, says the 988H operator appreciates the higher comfort level after the rebuild because the machine handles better. Nonset is hosting Aggregates Business’ visit on 31 May 2023 alongside colleagues, maintenance manager Petter Jermstad, and mechanic Lars Vergard Hårberg.
Commenting on the Cat 988H rebuild, Jermstad says: “We had a lot of meetings with Pon Equipment to get the correct solution and understand what work was important to carry out.”
Hårberg adds: “Pon Equipment is easy to work with; we communicate well. The Pon Equipment service technician lives locally in Verdal.”
Pon Equipment has 300 service technicians. Most of them work from home to be conveniently located to support the customers. Service calls include free mileage within a 50km radius. “What I like about Cat machines is that they are robust. I like the fact that they can be rebuilt. I think this is a great solution. Not many brands offer that,” says Hårberg.
Verdalskalk was established in 1991 through a merger of the Hylla division of Franzefoss Bruk and Faxe Kalk Norge (formerly Reidar Svendsen & Co) in Tromsdalen and the port of Verdal (Verdal Havn in Norwegian).
Started back in 1897 with the Hylla Kalkverk lime works, today, the NOK 220mn-a-year turnover (€18.86mn) company is a medium-sized family enterprise with around 70 employees distributed between four sites: Tromsdalen (quarry), Verdal Havn (loading facility at the port), Hylla (production facility for high-quality and stable quick lime (CaO)), and a transport department.
The owners of the Verdalskalk production company are Franzefoss Bruk (55%) – owned by Franzefoss Minerals; Faxe Kalk, Denmark (35%) – the Belgian company Lhoist owns FK; and Nordkalk, Finland (10%).
Verdalskalk’s business is based on one of Europe’s purest and largest limestone deposits (CaCO3). The purity and structure of the limestone make it suitable for producing quick lime for all kinds of purposes in various market areas such as industry, agriculture, food, water and sewage treatment, construction products and more. The limestone is particularly suitable for producing PCC (precipitated calcium carbonate) used in environmentally friendly paper production.
The deposit is estimated at 3 billion tonnes of usable limestone down to sea level. The Geological Survey of Norway estimates the total deposit around 7.5 billion tonnes. This makes the deposit one of Europe’s most important carbonate deposits and one of Norway’s most important mineral
A Cat 775G off-highway truck and Cat 990K wheeled loader at work at Tromsdalen Quarry
Aggregates Business editor Guy Woodford and Kenneth Bratseth, Pon Equipment region manager, at Pon Equipment’s new Trondheim facility
Pictured left to right at Tromsdalen Quarry are Lars Vergard Hårberg, Kjell Ivar Nonset, Per Olav Listou, and Petter Jermstad
resources. Verdalskalk is in the process of regulating a quarry that will allow it to extract limestone for 100 years. First, the quarry will be extended across its surface and then will extract deeper down.
At the Tromsdalen quarry in Verdal, day-to-day operations are performed in an open pit with drilling, blasting, loading and transport, and crushing and fractionating limestone to grades based on market needs. Blasting is done two to three times a month, with the site’s monthly limestone product production ranging from 130,000 to 160,000 tonnes, depending on demand. The temperature at the quarry can drop to -30°C in winter, with the snow lasting until the following April.
Verdalskalk has been buying Cat machines since the early 2000s, with 70% of the company’s fleet now Cat. A CVA covers Verdalskalk’s Cat machines except for the older ones maintained in-house by a mechanic.
On a tour of Tromsdalen quarry, Aggregates Business saw the site’s Cat 775G off-highway truck, 775F off-highway truck, 740 articulated truck, 345D excavator, 990 and 990K large wheeled loaders, 988H large wheeled loader, and 906H compact wheeled loader in action. The 906H is equipped with forks, a bucket and snow plough to keep the site clean and clear of snow.
Before leaving the quarry, Aggregates Business briefly chatted with Franzefoss Minerals’ CEO Hanne Markussen Eek, who spoke of how Verdalskalk was keen to reduce carbon emissions at the Tromsdalen site. Among various solutions being investigated are Swedish company Hypex Bio’s claimed more sustainable explosives for blasting in the mining, quarrying, and construction industries. The explosives are said to be free of ammonia, nitrate salts and NOx gas while ensuring no nitrate leeching. They are claimed to generate a more than 90% reduction in CO2 while guaranteeing comparable performance to standard industry explosives. Markussen Eek says Verdalskalk works closely with Hypex Bio’s Norwegian subsidiary, with the company’s greener explosives due to be tested at Tromsdalen quarry this autumn.
At Verdalskalk’s Verdal Havn port facility, a Cat 988K XE large wheeled loader loads ships. It was purchased because it has a higher bucket capacity than the Cat 988H. It also burns 10 litres an hour less fuel than the 988H it replaces. A Cat 988H is used in various supporting roles. A Cat Productivity trial with the 988K XE only started on 31 May. Verdalskalk runs a Scania battery-electric road truck from Tromsdalen quarry to the port as a test pilot. The company is looking to use zero-emission equipment, and Aggregates Business is keen to be updated with the results from both projects.
Commenting on the Cat 988K XE’s performance at Verdal Havn, Geir Ove Guddingsmo, shift leader and machine operator, says: “It is much quieter than the 988H we previously used as the primary ship loader and runs at a lower RPM than a
standard machine. Putting its bucket into the material is like a warm knife through butter!” Verdal Havn’s Cat 988H was rebuilt by Pon Equipment late last year, giving it up to 7,000 hours of additional working life. “It’s been working fine since it came back to us. We use it when we get the bigger boats in,” explains plant manager Elisabeth Wiik Moe. “We have new ship-feeding conveyors that allow us to load 3,000 tonnes of material an hour. We load six to ten ships a month. It takes around 13-14 hours to load a ship with a 28,000tonne capacity, with the new ship-feeding conveyors halving the time it previously took.”
Around a quarter of Verdalskalk’s annual limestone production (400,000 tonnes) goes to Norcem, a Norwegian cement manufacturer and a subsidiary of Heidelberg Materials. The rest is shipped to other customers. “The 32,000-tonne capacity Norcem ships are the biggest ships we load at Verdal Havn,” adds Wiik Moe.
Later the same day, Aggregates Business visited Pon Equipment’s new 3,500m² facility in Trondheim, where region manager Kenneth Bratseth hosted the magazine.
Replacing a 50-year-old 1400m² site, the new facility is home to Pon Equipment, Pon Energy Rental, Pon Rental, and Sitech. New and used equipment sales and parts, fleet servicing, and machine rebuilds are all carried out onsite.
Bratseth explains that Pon Equipment’s vast customer base stretches 580 kilometres north of Trondheim and more than 150 kilometres south of the city.
Verdalskalk’s Cat 990K was the first machine rebuilt in the new facility. “It was super well planned,” says Bratseth. “Three mechanics, including a trainee mechanic, were allocated to the project under the supervision of the workshop manager. As the work progressed, decisions were made on what to keep and replace. This involved constant communication with the customer. The only big challenge with this job was the axles, where some metal particles had shattered. Replacement axles are not normally kept on our shelves. The project represented 600 hours of work and was completed on time.”
Bratseth notes Pon Equipment’s 40 years of rebuilding experience. The first machine the company rebuilt was a Cat D8 dozer in 1984. He continues: “The viability of a rebuild depends on the age of the machine and the hours on the clock. They are usually done on Stage IV or Stage V emissions-compliant machines.”
Pon Equipment recruits young third-year college mechanics who follow a year of workshop-based training. They are usually retained permanently and thrive, with some promoted throughout the organisation.
“In addition to rebuilds, machines are serviced in the workshop, and new machines are prepared for customer delivery,” Bratseth adds. “Forty mechanics work in the region, mostly based at home with their van to be close to customers. Most Cat genuine parts are available from us within 48 hours.”
Verdalskalk’s Cat 988K XE depositing material on a stockpile at the Verdal Havn port facility
A Norcem cement storage silo at Verdalskalk’s Verdal Havn port facility
Mechanics at work at Pon Equipment’s new state-of-the-art Trondheim facility
IT’S SHOWTIME!
Tens of thousands of quarrying professionals from across Europe and beyond will gather at steinexpo 2023 from 23-26 August at the Mitteldeutsche Hartstein-Industrie quarry in Nieder-Ofleiden, near Homberg, in the central German state of Hesse. Guy Woodford reports on some of the highlights they will see from top quarrying-equipment names
Komatsu will be 'in the thick of it' at steinexpo 2023. The global off-highway equipment giant will showcase its latest quarryingsuited machines at demo area A of the German showpiece event for the raw and building materials industry in Europe's largest basalt quarry.
Featured machines will include the HM400 articulated dump truck, the BR380JG mobile jaw crusher, the HB365 hybrid excavator, the WA475 wheeled loader, the D61PXi dozer with second-generation intelligent machinecontrol ex-factory, as well as the PW180 wheeled excavator developed and produced in Hanover and the WA100 compact wheeled loader. In addition to being present on stand A4, the WA600-8 wheeled loader and an HD605-8 dump truck will be in action in the daily live demo show.
Komatsu's stand exhibits will include systems such as Smart Quarry Site, the OEM-independent fleet-management system for efficient and safe quarry operations. Furthermore, Komatsu experts will present Smart Construction solutions, including the Smart Construction Fleet System, which is equally suited for use in the quarry and
on the construction site – even for mixed machine fleets.
In its commercial relationships, Komatsu is focused on its role as a value-added partner, and this is the impetus behind the Komatsu driver-training courses with innovative technologies, which form part of the trade-fair presence.
"Up close and in direct contact with customers, we will again be on location in 2023 at the eleventh steinexpo trade fair," says Marco Maschke, head of the German office of Komatsu Europe International. "Planning for the trade fair is in full swing; we have also already ordered the best summer weather – now all we need is you!" he says, looking forward to the upcoming trade fair in August.
The Komatsu sales partners from Germany, BRR – Baumaschinen RheinRuhr, Kuhn Baumaschinen Deutschland, Ritter & Schwald Baumaschinen, Schlüter Baumaschinen and Schlüter Baumaschinen Halle will be available to speak to exhibition attendees both before and in advance of the event.
Electromobility, hydrogen fuel cells, digital solutions and heavy-duty power
will be the focus of an innovative display by Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) –demonstrating that the quarry of the future is just around the corner.
Highlights include the 23-tonne EC230 electric excavator – one of only a few mid-size electric solutions on the market – proving that sustainable power can come in many packages; the heavyweight Volvo L350H wheeled loader, bringing with it up to 15% greater fuel efficiency, the 50-tonne EC550E crawler excavator providing outstanding tractive force, and the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell articulated hauler, the Volvo HX04, a pioneering concept for alternative technologies. An array of Volvo Site Solutions to improve productivity and safety and make life much easier for quarrying and aggregates customers will also be exhibited.
Showground visitors will not only get the chance to see Volvo CE’s latest innovations but can enjoy hands-on demonstrations –including of the 60-tonne A60H hauler – as well as the traditional driver competition, which will this year give participants the chance to get into the cab of the mid-size EC230 electric excavator.
Aligning with the show’s Quarry Vision
The steinexpo 2023 demo-area-appearing WA600-8 and HD605-8 are said by Komatsu to be the perfect combination in the loading cycle. Pic: Komatsu
Volvo CE’s EC500E at work in a quarry. Pic: Volvo CE
"We are delighted to be participating at this year's Steinexpo with our strategic partners"
theme, the Volvo HX04 hydrogen fuel cell prototype articulated hauler will demonstrate that we are moving closer to a more sustainable tomorrow.
Powerscreen is demonstrating its crushing and screening class at this year’s steinexpo. The Terex Materials Processing (Terex MP) business division brand’s team will be located at stand C12 along with its longstanding German distributors - C. Christophel and Jürgen Kölsch. In the exhibition demo area, the Premiertrak PT400X jaw crusher and Warrior 2100 scalping screen will be put through their paces.
The Premiertrak PT400X is an extremely
versatile 400 tonnes/hour capacity crusher used in various applications. User benefits include hydraulic-crusher-setting adjustment for complete control of product size, tracked mobility for optimal flexibility of set-up and crusher-overload protection to prevent damage by foreign objects. With its hydraulicsetting adjustment, the Premiertrak PT400X allows the size of the product to be changed at the press of a button, minimising the need for downtime.
The 700 tonnes/hour capacity Warrior 2100 is engineered to include the proven triple-shaft technology unique to Powerscreen heavy-duty mobile screens. The triple-shaft design ensures the 16' x 5' screen box is highly efficient while maintaining exceptional throughput productivity. The extreme screening acceleration is said to offer the Warrior 2100 improved capabilities over its class rivals, especially in sticky scalping applications. While the Warrior 2100 sits within the same transport envelope as other machines in the 16' x 5' class, Powerscreen says it has been proven to considerably outperform any conventional single-shaft 16' x 5' screen.
Gerry Mulgrew, business development manager at Powerscreen, said: "We are delighted to be participating at this year's Steinexpo with our strategic partners Christophel and Kölsch. Germany is an important market for Powerscreen, and we are excited to return to the steinexpo stage."
Develon, formerly Doosan Construction Equipment, is showcasing some of its wide range of crawler excavators, wheeled loaders and articulated dump trucks (ADTs). This machine trio is said to offer customers from the quarry, mine and construction sectors complete solutions for excavation, loading and transport work, as well as meeting the needs of many application types, from general earthworks to the production of
aggregates and building materials, all from a single source. The company’s static display will include the DX490LC-7 crawler excavator, the DL420CVT-7 wheeled loader and a DA30-7 ADT. The DX490LC-7 crawler excavator is powered by a Stage V-compliant Scania DC13 diesel engine, which provides 257kW of power. The increased power of the DC13 engine is combined with a Virtual Bleed Off (VBO) hydraulic system (D-Ecopower+) and the new-generation Smart Power Control Technology (SPC3) to optimise productivity and fuel consumption, depending on the mode selected.
In the demonstration area, Develon will put its DX800LC-7 80-tonne crawler excavator, DL550-7 wheeled loader and the new DA45-7 4x4 ADT through their paces. The DX800LC-7 is Develon’s second-largest crawler excavator, only surpassed in size by the new DX1000LC-7 100-tonne model.
Terex Washing Systems is highlighting the growth in its waste-processing plant installation business in mainland Europe.
In September 2022, TWS commissioned an excavation waste-processing-plant in Dittingen, Switzerland, some 20 kilometres south of Basel. This project was developed on behalf of Antag, a subsidiary of the independent Albin Borer Group. This processing plant is unique because it processes all the materials generated by the Group's construction sites and recycles them into cuts for the concrete that supplies the company's ready-mix plants.
This is the third end-to-end project that TWS has completed in Europe, from design and specification to supplying the machines. The manufacturer worked with its regional distributor, Avesco, for this project, who completed the installation. It has the capacity to process 480,000 t/yr of materials, and it is due to start accepting materials from the Group's partners later this year.
Antag chose a location to the south of Dittingen, near Laufen, in the district of Basel-Landschaft, as the site for its first fixed processing plant, which will be used to process materials from its groundworks sites. It has been designed to process materials with a clay content of up to 30%, most of which originates from the
region.
Basel
AB
Gerry Mulgrew, Powerscreen
Powerscreen will be demonstrating its crushing and screening class at steinexpo 2023
The DX800LC-7, Develon’s second-largest crawler excavator, will be at steinexpo. Pic: Develon
The Terex Washing Systems waste-processing plant installed for Antag, a subsidiary of the Albin Borer Group in Switzerland.
Pic: Jean-Pierre Leport, Mines & Carrières, April 2023
Withstanding a full-on crush
High-quality crusher wear parts are invaluable for a big Portuguese construction group. Meanwhile, a new compact jaw crusher from a major brand promises big productivity returns, while another top-flight manufacturer highlights the merits of its trio of crushing and screening drive concepts. Guy Woodford reports
Herdade de Benafessim quarry, owned by Mota Engil in Portugal, has used Metso O-Series crusher wear parts in its tertiary crushing station since 2022 with strong results.
Located in the district of Évora, municipality of Montemor-o-Novo, the Herdade de Benafessim quarry has operated since 1994. One of the 11 quarries of the major Portuguese construction group Mota Engil, the quarry produces aggregates mainly for the internal consumption of the construction group but also for some other, smaller customers.
Being a large international construction group, Mota Engil operates in 23 countries spanning Europe, Africa and Latin America. The group is among Europe's 25 largest construction companies, with holdings in more than 200 companies. Mota Engil has been involved in numerous major infrastructure projects in Portugal, including one of the largest bridges in the world, Vasco de Gama, which rises 150m above the River Tagus in Lisbon and is more than 17km long.
The Herdade de Benafessim quarry processes granite for various needs, including concrete and asphalt production for civil engineering and road construction, and its annual production capacity is more than 600,000 tons. Mota Engil was awarded a significant project in consort with a partner to build the final leg of the Southern
International rail corridor between the town of Évora and the Spanish border. The quarry is producing 31.5-50 mm fraction railway ballast and 0-32 mm sub-ballast for the railway project.
The crushing process in Herdade de Benafessim has three crushing stages. The secondary stage has a Nordberg HP400, and the third stage has a Nordberg HP4, which the quarry obtained in 2022. They also have a crushing line extension with a Barmac impactor to produce sand and asphalt and
concrete fines.
The HP4 operates in a closed-side setting (CSS) and produces two fractions, 6-14mm and the final size, 14-20 mm. The Nordberg HP4 replaced the earlier HP300 in the tertiary stage.
To lower its cost per tonne, the quarry started to use Metso’s O-Series wear parts in the HP300, and based on its good experience with their use, they have extended the same application on the HP400 in the secondary stage. In 2022 they invested in
Mota Engil’s Herdade de Benafessim quarry has operated since 1994. Pic: Metso
An aerial view of haulers at work at Herdade de Benafessim quarry. Pic: Metso
a new machine and replaced the HP300 with a new HP4. The plan is to continue to use the O-Series wears in the HP4 in tertiary, too, as soon as its warranty period is over. When changing from premium wear parts to the more affordable O-Series range in their tertiary crushing stage, their production capacity experienced a reduction of approximately 10%, but the cost savings are outplaying the production decrease and making their operations more cost-effective.
The quarry has its own modern rock laboratory to analyse the material for the best crushing results. Over the course of time, the quarry has received many quality certifications, including SO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 and all their products are now CE-marked.
With 20 years left on its licence, the quarry has no plans to slow down. A new bank in the quarry face is in planning to be opened. With that, the quarry plans to move its crushers to a new location, update its equipment and modernise automation to maintain its momentum.
EvoQuip has launched the Bison 340—the newest and largest addition to the Terex Materials Processing business brand's Bison jaw crusher range.
The 34-tonne crusher has a 1000mm x 600mm jaw chamber opening and boasts an impressive output potential of 280tph, depending on application.
A high-performance primary jaw crusher, the EvoQuip Bison 340 is designed for operators in quarrying, demolition, recycling, and mining applications. It features track mobility for a quick setup time and hydraulic crusher setting adjustments for total control of product size. The hydrostatic drive, which is included as standard, allows the crusher to be run in reverse. This is particularly useful for removing blockages from the chamber or crushing in a sticky application like asphalt.
Andrew Armstrong, EvoQuip product manager, said: "As with the entire EvoQuip range, the Bison 340 is compact and easily transported from site to site. The Bison 340
The preconditions for using a Kleemann crushing plant with E-DRIVE are often favourable in stationary recycling. An adequate power supply is often available, even occasionally from an in-company photovoltaic system. Pic: Kleemann
A Nordberg HP4 cone crusher at work for Mota Engil at Herdade de Benafessim quarry. Pic: Metso
EvoQuip has launched the Bison 340 jaw crusher, the largest in the range. Pic: EvoQuip
is at home in hard rock quarry applications, as well as recycling applications. It also has an efficient drive system and low engine RPM to enable it to be run with low fuel consumption."
All Bison jaw crushers come with the T-Link telemetry system fitted as standard, providing customers with realtime information on the performance of their machine, leading to effective machine management and maximised uptime. This data can be accessed through a tablet or smartphone and provides comprehensive information on the location, fuel consumption, tonnages, wear ratings,
operating hours, and much more.
Kleemann has highlighted how the company uses three different drive concepts that offer the best solution depending on the crushing and screening tasks. Although electric drives score very well on CO2 footprint, a fuel-saving diesel drive is the better solution in some situations. E-DRIVE, D-DRIVE and H-DRIVE represent the variants diesel-electric, diesel-direct and dieselhydraulic.
The decision on the most efficient solution depends on many factors: For example, whether a power-supply option is available on site, whether the machines are used
in an urban environment or which local environmental regulations apply.
The E-DRIVE concept offers two options: Diesel fuel or all-electric. All-electric operation is environmentally friendly: there are no CO2 emissions on site. A good power infrastructure is a precondition for this, often available in quarries or larger recycling yards. A diesel-electric work option is available if the power supply is insufficient or there isn’t one available, for example, if the complete plant in the quarry is to be moved along the rock face. Power is then supplied from a long cable, which is often too complex or may not even be possible. In this case, power comes from the fuel-efficient diesel engine. The crusher and all conveyor belts are still electrically driven by a generator. Depending on the local situation, the E-DRIVE concept offers high flexibility.
The diesel-direct D-DRIVE provides power directly from the engine to the crusher. In the last few years, it was possible to reduce consumption, for example, through the load-dependent fan drive of the new EVO2 Generation. Concerning the degree of efficiency, the diesel-direct drive has the edge and fuel consumption is significantly lower. Thanks to their compact size and well-thought-out transport options, the machines can be positioned anywhere on the work site. If continuous use of the all-electric drive is not possible, the D-DRIVE is the better, more sustainable choice – whenever flexibility is required. This is the case with demolition and processing work in urban areas and road construction, where the machines have to be moved along as construction progresses.
The screening plants from Kleemann use an effective diesel-hydraulic drive. In this case, hydraulic pumps operate all machine parts such as screen, belts and drive system. The power requirements of the screens are considerably lower than a crusher – fuel consumption during operation is, therefore, more favourable. The optionally available Start-Stop system can reduce consumption even more. With the configuration with Dual Power, Kleemann screening plants have an option for an all-electric power supply. If a mains connection is available, the plant operates on-site free of emissions – for example, in ecologically sensitive areas with strict regulations.
Many factors play a role in the area of sustainability. The energy required for production, transport, storage, sales and disposal are all incorporated into the ecological footprint of the production process. As far as CO2 emissions during operation are concerned, an all-electric plant is, without doubt, the best choice. In other cases, you have to weigh whether supply via an external power source involving high equipment and material costs is more constructive at the end of the day than technology with lower fuel consumption. Ecology can also mean trusting low material usage and high durability. AB
Loaders dig out impressive quarrying performance
Quarry operators are seeing major performance improvements following rollouts of cutting-edge new loading and excavating equipment. Liam McLoughlin reports.
Following a product demonstration day organised by Hyundai dealer CS Matériel at the LRM quarry in Lunel, France, the quarrying specialists were so impressed with the HL975A CVT wheeled loader that they immediately purchased one for use at their new quarry at Pic-Saint Loup.
LRM, which stands for Languedoc Roussillon Matériaux, is 50% owned by Razel Bec (Fayat) and Eurovia (Vinci). The new LRM quarry in Hérault at Liols le Fort covers almost 27 hectares and is licensed to operate until 2047 for up to 500,000 tonnes per year, extracting limestone for concrete production.
The HL975A CVT arrived in April 2022 and had already clocked up almost 1,200 hours of operation by the end of the year. Dedicated exclusively to this quarry, it mainly loads customer trucks and works nine hours daily on-site.
A key factor in purchasing this model was the HL975A’s fuel consumption, operating at 13 litres per hour. “These machines are very economical compared with others, and in the current economic climate, we are more aware than ever of factors like fuel consumption. It’s using around three to four litres less than its equivalent competitor model – the fact that it is a CVT model also makes a difference to its fuel economy,” commented Jean-Marc Boyer, director of LRM.
Benoit Demangeot, operations manager at the quarry, added: “Our number one priority is service, and the dealer has made a huge difference. If we have a problem, our dealer
responds quickly, which is crucial – our machines can’t be inactive; we need them running all the time. We have confidence in this machine and the brand, and above all, we have confidence in Thierry Jacquot of CS Matériel. His serious approach and professionalism make all the difference.”
He continued: “Our operator is full of praise for this model. There’s no lack of adjectives: flexible, robust, comfortable – we can’t ask for more.”
At a lava stone quarry in Sicily, a Hyundai HX520A NL excavator is demonstrating all of its power in carrying out stone extraction and crushing work. Intramoviter specialises in lava stone extraction, crushing, earthmoving and transportation. Its quarry, the true heart of the company, is based in Contrada Incaria, at Belpasso, in the Sicilian province of Catania. Located on the slopes of Mount Etna, the site focuses on extracting inert lava aggregates that stand out for their unique characteristics: lava rock is a strong and particularly durable material used in street furniture and architecture.
Intramoviter is a family-owned company founded in 1990 which handles the extraction and distribution of inert lava aggregates for construction work.
Natale Consoli, a veteran operator with the company, explains: “In this quarry, formed entirely of lava stone, we crush the rocks with a hydraulic hammer, reducing them to pieces of roughly eighty centimetres in size, which are then collected in buckets and loaded on lorries. They are then transported from the quarry to the crushing plants, where
they are transformed into sand, cobbles and chippings.”
The new Hyundai HX520A NL excavator has been operating in this setting for several months - it is equipped with a Cummins Stage V engine, delivering all of the power needed for particularly demanding applications of this type, while at the same time reducing emissions and fuel consumption.
Consoli says: “It is a machine that we really needed for speeding up the extraction phase. The power and the geometric capacity of the boom enables us to reach greater heights - optimising our time and resources. Despite weighing fifty metric tons, this Hyundai excavator is very agile.”
Giuseppe Pappalardo, the owner of Ct Macchine, Hyundai Construction Equipment’s Sicilian dealer, adds: “The customer needed a powerful and sturdy, but also agile, precise and safe machine. In fact, the operation of rock fracturing and extraction is not simple: it is necessary to drill at very precise spots on the slope to avoid the risk of being crushed by large boulders.”
The first EC380E Hybrid excavator from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) to be put to work on a customer site in Europe is already proving it can deliver big savings.
The large hybrid crawler excavator is being used by Eichstetter at its gravel works in Fürth, Germany, to extract mountain gravel for use in the production of high-quality building material and aggregates.
Thanks to its unique hydraulic hybrid technology, the excavator can capture and
A Hyundai HL975A CVT wheeled loader is demonstrating impressive fuel economy at the LRM quarry in Lunel, France
store the energy generated in the boom down motion to drive the assist motor and power the engine.
Eichstetter is seeing fuel savings of up to 15% in comparison to its conventional machine equivalent.
Family firm Eichstetter is the first in Europe to operate a Volvo EC380E Hybrid. A large crawler excavator, it delivers the same power and performance as its conventional equivalent, but with greater fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.
This is something that Eichstetter is seeing at its gravel pit near Fürth in Germany, where the machine has been operating since Autumn 2022, excavating mountain gravel, the so-called tertiary gravel which was deposited 10-15 million years ago. The company has been measuring the performance of its new machine versus a conventional EC380E – and the results are impressive, with the hybrid technology delivering fuel savings up to 15%.
“The Volvo EC380E Hybrid is more economical,” says Ludwig Eichstetter, co-managing director of Eichstetter. “It has about the same fuel consumption as our Volvo EC300E. But where the EC300E manages about 2,500 cubic metres a day, the Volvo EC380E Hybrid manages over 3,000!”
Volvo CE's hybrid technology generates energy from the lowering movements of the excavator boom.
Featuring unique hydraulic hybrid Volvo technology, the EC380E Hybrid harvests free energy from the boom down motion. This regular and powerful lowering movement pressurises a hydraulic accumulator, which in turn uses this energy to drive the auxiliary hydraulic motor to support the engine system when needed. All this whilst delivering the same level of control and performance as a conventional EC380E, including the ability to operate in ECO and hybrid modes in parallel.
Depending on the type of application, Volvo CE’s hybrid technology promises fuel savings of up to 17% as well as CO2 emission savings of around 15%. And this is something
Eichstetter was determined to put to the test. The firm already had a conventional EC380E in its fleet, so comparing the two machines over a period of weeks was straightforward. The EC380E Hybrid delivered a fuel saving of around 10 to 15% depending on the use and operator handling the machine.
The new EC380E Hybrid fills the Volvo A25G quickly and efficiently - saving up to 15 percent fuel compared to its non-hybrid counterpart.
Ludwig Eichstetter says: “Fuel savings are higher when the machine is optimally positioned on the debris. Lowering and lifting must be in the right proportion so that the energy gain is optimised. To fully exploit this potential, it also depends a lot on the driver. Driving the hybrid machine is a constant learning process.”
Founded in 1938 as a transport company, Eichstetter is a family business specialising in sand and gravel mining, recycling, demolition and earth preparation. Today the firm is led by Helmut and Ludwig Eichstetter and employs 35 people.
Machines from Volvo CE have long been the equipment of choice for Eichstetter, who value their efficiency. The company operates eight Volvo wheeled loaders with operating weights of between three and 45 tons, as well as four wheeled excavators - two Volvo EW160E’s and two Volvo EW220E’s – plus a Volvo EC300E crawler excavator. When the need for a larger crawler excavator became apparent, the firm turned to Volvo CE dealer, Robert Aebi, with whom it has been working for more than 20 years.
Specialist quarrying company CBA has recently taken delivery of a customised ZX350LC-7 medium excavator, supplied by Hitachi Construction Machinery Europe’s approved dealer, Prowimat.
A subsidiary of Eurovia and the VINCI Group, CBA is responsible for the extraction of one million tonnes of aggregates per year. The new Zaxis-7 machine will be based in Hautes-Alpes, in the village of Montmaur.
CBA’s newest fleet addition is intended to replace an older ZX350LCN-5 to assist with loading dump trucks and breaking rocks with a hydraulic rock-breaker attachment. This demanding work requires the most durable of machines, hence the company’s decision to invest in a Zaxis-7 model.
As per the customer’s request, Prowimat’s talented team has ensured the medium excavator is quarry-ready. To further enhance durability, safety and operator comfort, it has been equipped with: bucket cylinder protection; a travel alarm; auto lubrication system; cab air compressor; fire
Intramoviter's Hyundai HX520A NL excavator at work
The new Volvo EC380E Hybrid excavator saves up to 15% fuel compared to its non-hybrid counterpart
extinguisher; three track guards; and 600mm double grouser shoes. Additionally, the cab’s front and top guards have been specially reinforced. The machine sale also included an extended warranty and maintenance contract. So far, the team at CBA is extremely pleased with its purchase, the customisation provided by Prowimat, and the performance of the -7 model.
Caterpillar has launched the new Cat 995 wheeled loader which features up to 19% increased productivity than the previous 994K model with its higher rated payload and 6% increase in hydraulic force with equal hydraulic cycle time. The new loader is claimed to deliver up to 13% lower hourly fuel consumption and offer up to an additional 8% efficiency gain when operating in Enhanced Eco Mode compared to throttle-lock mode. It is also up to 19% more efficient than the 994K in equal comparisons of throttlelock operation. Enhancements to the front linkage include an improved casting design, increased weld size, larger bearings and pins, and profile changes for increased service
life. New, larger capacity buckets available for the 995 incorporate an extended floor for fast loading, high fill factors reaching 115%, and excellent material retention. Buckets are interchangeable between the 995 and 994K.
Built to the same size as the 994K but offering a higher rated payload, the new 995 is designed to enable a one-pass reduction when loading Cat 785, 789 and 793 Mining Trucks. This equates to up to a 33% increase in production and efficiency when loading the 785, up to a 25% increase with the 789 and up to a 20% increase with the 793.
The new 995 meets the global industry's demand for high production and greater payloads with its powerful Cat 3516E engine offering configurations based on regional needs, meeting EU Stage V/U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final or U.S. EPA Tier 1 equivalent emissions. Its 39% torque rise ensures high lugging forces during digging and acceleration in high rimpull conditions.
Caterpillar is also celebrating the production of the 50,000th Cat wheeled excavator.
In 1984, Caterpillar, Eder and Zeppelin Baumaschinen, the Cat dealer in Germany, introduced a new wheeled excavator line, offering four models under the Cat Eder brand. Eight years later, the line became a 100% Cat product with a designated wheeled excavator team. Twenty-eight years later, in 2012, Caterpillar celebrated production of its 25,000th wheeled excavator. This year, Caterpillar announces production of its 50,000th wheeled excavator, a Cat M318 Next Gen model, adding another 25,000 units to the total in just 11 years.
Europe and South Korea were among the first adopters of this new solution. However, the combination of speed, power, versatility and ability to operate a wide range of hydraulic tools has the Cat wheeled excavator line growing in popularity in China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North America and other world markets. Starting with only four models, today’s expanded Cat wheeled excavator line includes seven models – Cat M314 to M322 – for markets with higher emissions regulations, one model – M315 GC – for China, three models – M315 to M320D2 –for those adhering to lower emissions standards, the M323F railroad-specific model, and four materials handlers from the MH3022 to MH3040.
As the authorised dealer for Belgium, Evergem-based Interparts will be showing a wide range of products from Develon, formerly known as Doosan Construction Equipment, for the first time in Belgium at the Matexpo exhibition.
The Interparts stand display will present a comprehensive selection of wheeled and crawler excavators, mini-excavators and wheeled loaders from Develon.
Being held from 6-10 September 2023 at the Kortrijk XPO in the city of Kortrijk, one of the biggest multi-purpose indoor arenas and convention centres in the Benelux region, Matexpo is an international trade fair showcasing machinery and equipment for the construction industry.
Interparts is showing five machines from the latest-generation Develon DX-7 wheeled excavator range, namely the DX140W-7, DX165WR-7, DX170W-7, DX190W-7 and DX210W-7 models from 15.8 to 21.9 tonne.
The dealer is also exhibiting the DX140LCR-7 15.6 tonne and DX235LCR-7 24.3 tonne reduced tail-swing models from the Develon range of medium-sized DX-7 Stage V crawler excavator models, giving operators greater flexibility where space is a premium without sacrificing performance. The stand display will also include the larger DX255LC-7 25.7 tonne, DX300LC-7 33 tonne and DX350LC-7 36.1 tonne Stage V crawler excavators from the ‘DX-7’ range.
In addition, the Interparts stand will be displaying several models from the Develon range of wheeled loaders. They include the larger DL220-7, DL320-7, DL420-7 and DL480-7 machines from the award-winning DL-7 range, providing easier and faster loading with maximum bucket capacities from 2.3 to 4.8 m3
Quarry company CBA’s customised Hitachi ZX350LC-7 excavator
The new Cat 995 wheeled loader has a higher payload than its 994K predecessor
The Rokbak RA30 hauler in operation at Aerolite Quarries. The site supplies lightweight scoria volcanic rock, which produces more product at less weight to be delivered and lowers the carbon footprint. Image: Rokbak
On the haul towards lower emissions
A large Australian quarry operator and two major quarrying market players based in Europe are targeting reduced CO2 emissions in the hauling sector, Liam McLoughlin reports.
An articulated hauler from Scotland-based manufacturer
Rokbak is transporting hundreds of tonnes of rock daily at a demanding site that provides important construction materials to locations around southern Australia.
The Rokbak RA30 hauler is operating at Aerolite Quarries, which is based half-anhour north of Geelong in Victoria. Aerolite is a leading producer of construction materials for large infrastructure projects, supplying scoria and basalt-based construction materials to Melbourne and the surrounding area. A very light honeycomb volcanic rock, scoria possesses a high strength rate and low tonnes-to-cubic metre, allowing more product at less weight to be delivered –important as this lowers the carbon footprint.
The nondescript crushed rock is used for road base and overpasses throughout Victoria, and, as one of the region’s biggest scoria suppliers, Aerolite projects often require 60,000 tonnes in mere months. With the RA30’s arrival on site in Anakie, the articulated hauler is assisting the Aerolite operation.
Aerolite Quarries operates on a large scale, supplying thousands of tonnes of construction materials daily to meet the demands of significant infrastructure projects across Victoria.
Since arriving on site, the RA30 has demonstrated its efficiency working in a constant circuit, going back and forth between the fixed plant and the mining area.
“We are flat out all the time,” states Aerolite Quarries general manager Trevor Bartlett. “We’ve done a lot of projects where we are supplying 50 or 60,000 tonnes over a time of a period of months, hence the need for more and more equipment.”
Covering 1,800 hectares, Aerolite Quarries contains two scoria quarries and a basalt bluestone quarry. Excavators fill up the RA30, which takes the material across a distance of 100m to be processed at one of two fixed crushing plants. Aerolite has two large fixed plants, which process between 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes per plant per day.
The quarry operator says the Rokbak is efficient and consistent, with the capability of a 28-tonne haul. The machine's superior traction and stability, combined with its payload, mean it can transport larger quantities of construction materials and maximise productivity. The RA30's advanced articulated steering system also allows for greater manoeuvrability, effortlessly navigating challenging terrains and confined spaces easily.
“The vision and the cameras are very good,” adds Trevor. “There are no blind spots, so the drivers can see everything, which is critical for us. The side mirrors are big,
the camera works exceptionally well, and the view through the windows in all three directions is perfect for us.”
The Australian articulated hauler market is the fifth-biggest in the world. The country consistently sees high demand and experiences an extremely buoyant industry, into which Rokbak is making inroads.
“In Australia, we’ve seen the Rokbak colours go down very well,” says Lee Irving, Rokbak regional business manager. “That sand-coloured aesthetic is distinctive from any other equipment colour, and the brand name is growing and standing by itself.”
Rokbak has further expanded its US dealer network by partnering with Alpha & Omega Equipment Sales and Rental – one of Texas’ leading providers of construction equipment. Rokbak says the new partnership supports its expansion plans, reinforces its commitment to customers and strengthens its presence in this important market.
Alpha & Omega will bring both the RA30 and RA40 to its customers in Lubbock and Midland-Odessa, Texas, who work in industries including construction and mining.
Jackie Johnson Sr., CEO of Alpha & Omega, said: “In Texas, there are over US$35bn of infrastructure projects that will be awarded in the next two quarters. We’ve already had multiple requests for these haulers, and we’re confident that the RA30 and RA40 will contribute to the success of
Wednesday, 27 September 2023
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our customers’ projects and allow us to enter new markets – such as the infrastructure industry.”
Around 60% of the machines that leave Rokbak’s Motherwell factory head across the Atlantic to customers in America. The US is leading articulated hauler demand with huge infrastructure spend and significant construction activity around house and road building. The total articulated hauler market for North America is usually around 3,500 units, with 2022 closing out with an expectation-defying 4,000 units. North American customers currently account for nearly half of the total market, which was just over 9,000 units in 2022.
“As we’ve seen in multiple territories, the Rokbak rebrand has led to accelerated demand in North America,” says Rokbak regional sales manager Dan Meara. “And with that level of interest in our products, expanding our dealer network and partnering with reputable dealers like Alpha & Omega is key to getting our haulers working for even more customers.”
A new collaboration agreement between Heidelberg Materials and Volvo Group is aimed at significantly reducing carbon emissions in the operation of hauling vehicles.
The aim is to jointly investigate and develop how the hauling, in addition to loading, needs of Heidelberg Materials can be solved with the help of electrified vehicles and related services. As part of the agreement, Volvo Group’s emission-free solutions, a mix of its electric trucks and construction equipment machines, will be put to work in several Heidelberg Materials’ Northern European sites and quarries.
In the Northern Europe region, land-based transport accounts for 6% of the valuechain carbon footprint. Electrification of the Northern European fleet can potentially reduce annual CO2 emissions by up to 200,000 tonnes. In addition, electrified vehicles provide a quieter and better work environment.
Volvo CE and Heidelberg Materials aim is to jointly investigate and develop how the loading and hauling needs of Heidelberg Materials can be solved with the help of electrified vehicles and related service
“The partnership with Volvo is a lighthouse project in our industry and has the potential to significantly push the decarbonisation of our entire value chain in Northern Europe. We look forward to working together to identify and implement state-of-the-art solutions for a fast climate transition in the construction sector,” says Heidelberg Materials CEO Dr Dominik von Achten.
Martin Lundstedt, CEO and president of Volvo Group, says: “New collaborative partnerships like this address climate change across the value chain. While we are focused on reducing carbon emissions for both our products and our own operations, we are also committed to helping our customers to lead by example through innovative, well-
orchestrated collaborations that deliver much-needed change.”
A six-month joint feasibility study will evaluate which emission-free vehicle technology and charging infrastructure will best suit the requirements of Heidelberg Materials’ operations regarding operating efficiency, maintenance and charging at the sites. The holistic study will provide a unique opportunity to map, tailor and implement a complete CO2 reduction programme throughout the operations considering transport and loading activities. The project will mainly focus on the larger sites in the region, with the first vehicle in operation at the cement plant in Slite, Sweden, already this summer.
Hyundai Construction Equipment is entering the articulated dump truck market with two new models in its rapidly expanding line of heavy-construction and earthmoving equipment. The HA30A and HA45A have rated payloads of 28 tonnes and 41 tonnes respectively, which the manufacturer says provides an ideal haul-truck match for its larger crawler excavators and wheeled loaders.
Aimed at the popular 30- and 45-tonne sectors, the HA30A and HA45A are built around a full-time six-wheel drive concept, with front and rear limited slip differentials and a longitudinal differential that can be manually locked, for maximum drive and traction on difficult terrain.
The trucks have a compact chassis design, to aid manoeuvrability, with a sloping rear frame and a front-mounted differential integrated into the ZF transmission, allowing for a shorter front-frame section. This results in the smallest turning radius in the sector and outstanding stability. Selflevelling hydro-gas suspension on the front
axle further supports a comfortable ride, delivering maximum tractability in tough ground conditions.
Hyundai has employed powerful EU Stage V-compliant Scania diesel engines to power both trucks. The HA30A uses a fivecylinder, 9.3-litre, DC9 turbocharged diesel, developing 375hp (276kW) and 1,876Nm of torque. The larger HA45A employs a six-cylinder, 12.7-litre DC13 diesel engine, producing a maximum 500hp (368kW) and 2,476Nm of torque.
Finland-based Metso has signed an agreement to acquire Ab A. Häggblom, a privately owned Finnish engineering and manufacturing company. The company’s key offering includes mining truck bodies and buckets. Häggblom's service portfolio includes wear parts, truck body and bucket refurbishments, as well as related field services. Häggblom has partnered with Metso for several years in the manufacturing of truck bodies.
Metso says the acquisition will broaden its offering in bodies and buckets by providing complete end-to-end hauling and loading solutions and strengthening the company’s position in the aftermarket. The aim is to leverage Häggblom's strong engineering and manufacturing expertise in collaboration with existing partners on a regional and global basis.
Heikki Metsälä, president, consumables business area at Metso, says that hauling and loading is a growing business, and the company’s goal is to further develop its capability to serve its customers in this area.
Metsälä added: “Häggblom's product range, manufacturing know-how and engineering capabilities, as well as service expertise are a good addition to Metso's wear-parts portfolio.” AB
Heidelberg Materials and Volvo Group have started a collaboration to cut carbon emissions. Pic: Volvo CE
Hyundai is entering the ADT market with the new HA30A and HA45A models
Smarter conveying
One leading bulk-conveying solution company is going big on smart stockpiling, while others are making strategic acquisitions and expanding their sales reach.
Guy Woodford reports
Telestack is renowned in the global aggregates market for its bulk-conveying innovations that improve customers’ quarrying operations. One example is the introduction of the 'Self-Driving' smart stockpiling solution, found in the Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland-headquartered manufacturer’s radial telescopic-conveying range. By deploying technology and experience, this advanced, autonomous stockpiling solution aims to maximise returns within any operation, ensuring operational efficiency, improved site safety, reduced operational overheads and complexity, and a quality in-spec 'blended' product.
The Telestack radial telescopic-conveyor range has a proven record of performance and reliability operating in a range of aggregate applications around the globe. The mobility options of the unit allow the operator to utilise this technology anywhere on site, ensuring a high-production capacity and 30% more stockpile capacity on the same footprint when compared to fixed length/height conveyors. Once set up, the smart system can be operated locally by an operator or remotely using the smart onboard PLC (programmable logical controller) to feed information back to the remote-centralcontrol station. Once the unit's physical constraints are established, the unit can work independently using the pre-programmed parameters determined in the set-up.
The smart stockpiling system starts at a low working angle, such as 8°, maintaining its lowest workable drop height throughout the operation as the stockpile increases in increments. This is compared to a fixedlength unit, for example, that would start at an 18° angle, thus wasting more energy to
The Telestack radial-telescopicconveyor range has a proven record of performance and reliability.
discharge the product at a greater height. This also results in a greater potential to compromise the quality of the product due to fracture and degradation caused by material dropping from the elevated operating height. The reduced power usage required for the radial telescopic conveyor ensures that less energy/fuel is used daily. Fuel consumption can be further enhanced by introducing an optional VSD (variable speed drive) by allowing the operator (remotely or locally) to increase or decrease the speed accordingly, depending on the operation's needs.
The continuous, autonomous stockpiling ensures that the blend of the product is maintained throughout the stockpile, and a higher quality product is achievable, ensuring the product is evenly mixed over a wide area. This helps to eliminate segregation, degradation, contamination and compaction, providing a higher-grade product for a lower
stockpiling cost per tonne while reducing labour dependency and costs. There is also a big environmental gain of reduced traffic, dust and noise. The smart system also hosts a range of automatic sensors that guide the independent unit as determined in the set-up. These sensors, as well as safeguarding the drop height of the product, also ensure that the unit will pause when the material has stopped flowing. This ensures the integrity of the continuous stockpile structure, producing an ‘in-spec’ blended product. For example, this would be a significant factor for many in the aggregates sector, where product integrity is critical.
The Telestack range of radial telescopic stackers is available in lengths of 32m (110ft), 42m (140ft), 46m (150ft), 50m (170ft) and 58m (190ft) with possible stockpile capacities up to 200,000 tonnes at 270°. Stockpiling rates range from 100-3,000tph, and stockpile
Pic: Telestack
Telestack’s TS-42 radial telescopic conveyor at work for a UK customer. Pic: Telestack
heights up to 20m (65ft) are easily achieved.
In addition, the option of several PLC automatic stockpiling programmes provides the operator with a versatile, economical and reliable stockpiling system that offers the ability for a radial windrow, incline windrow and radial-conical-stockpile formations, which in all provide a larger stockpiling potential and a radial-stockpiling potential of up to 270° for maximum stockpiling. The smart stockpiling system controls the unit's operation, gathers information, and sends it back to the central control station/ remote location. This helps to troubleshoot when issues arise, giving the controller operational information and specific status updates. In addition, the optional Telestack telematic system Telecore offers remote monitoring and support from the factory to enhance performance. This has proven critical in the operational performance and the unit's general maintenance. Particularly when labour was restricted, for example, during the recent COVID restrictions, the support from the factory was vital in supporting operations through challenging times.
A major UK customer recently purchased a TS-42 radial telescopic conveyor to stockpile aggregate/ scalpings at 1,000tph after a primary crusher and linking system. The fully galvanised conveyor had a host of environmental features, including galvanised dust covers the full length of the outer conveyor, a fully sealed transfer point from outer to inner conveyor, side wind plates on the inner with a retractable canvas cover on the outer conveyor, a spray-bar dust-suppression system and dualaccess walkways for ease of maintenance as well as health and safety benefits. The customised discharge chute also helped eliminate and control dust emissions. This arrangement of dust-management options allowed the operation to satisfy the needs of the local regulations to mitigate potential environmental pollution. In addition, the ability to fully control the operation remotely
(for example, from the central control station) means that the fully automated bulk-material-handling process enhances equipment efficiency and availability, ultimately increasing productivity and lowering operational costs.
The TS-42 installation has proven highly beneficial, and the customer has reported a significant improvement in the quality of the finished product. The benefits are also evident in the operational metrics achieving high throughput and a more efficient, productive, and safer bulk-materials-handling operation. The environmental improvements are also significant.
Specialists in the complete design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of mobile bulk-material-handling systems, Telestack has a globally proven record in a range of applications, including mining and
quarrying, stockyard management, ports & inland terminals, power stations, rail yards, steel mills, cement kilns and many other bulk-material-handling industries and offers a range of solutions and reference sites along the logistics chain from pit to port to plant.
With its acquisition of the US-based Hendrik Group, Beumer Group, a conveyingtechnology major, is expanding its portfolio in bulk-material transport.
“The Hendrik Group specialises in the efficient and environmentally friendly transport of bulk materials. This aligns very well with our goals of bringing sustainable products to the market and improving our customers’ carbon footprint,” said Markus Schmidt, CEO of Beumer Corporation in Somerset, New Jersey, USA.
Founded in 1983 by Henk Hartsuiker and based in Woodbury, Connecticut, the Hendrik Group has become one of the leading manufacturers in the bulk-materials-handling industry with customers worldwide.
Operations manager Rik Hartsuiker believes that his father’s many years of experience and expertise in air-supported conveying technology are now in the best hands: “We hope my father’s legacy is safe in Beumer’s care and are confident that they will be as committed to the further development of air-supported conveying systems as we were.”
“In recent years, we have often had constructive discussions with the Hendrik Group about international cooperation in air-supported belt-conveying systems. The acquisition of this internationally successful company is the logical consequence of these constructive discussions,” said Kay Wieczorek, head of Beumer Group’s Centre of Competence (CoC) Product Business. “The qualitative expansion of our products is a great opportunity for us: we will continue to develop the groundbreaking technology of air-supported belt conveyors for our customers and in terms of sustainability.”
Global conveyor-belt and rubber-parts manufacturer Smiley Monroe has recently announced the move to a four-day week
The Beumer Group recently acquired US-based Hendrik Group, renowned for its air-supported conveying technology. Pic: Beumer
LEFT: Kay Wieczorek, head of Beumer Group’s Centre of Competence (CoC) Product Business. Pic: Beumer RIGHT: Markus Schmidt, Beumer Group US CEO
SMART AUTONOMOUS STOCKPILING SOLUTIONS
Smart stockpiling system with onboard sensors negating the need for human intervention
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•Information feedback to control station to help monitor operation
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across its Northern Ireland production facilities.
Initially trialled within one production department in Lisburn, County Antrim, the shorter working week has now been rolled out company-wide and sees employees benefit from reduced working hours with no adverse impact on salary.
“Moving to a four-day working week is something we have aspired to for a long time,” comments Jayne Peters, Smiley Monroe’s director of People and Culture. “Employee satisfaction and wellness is at the core of our decision-making, and we have worked hard to put the necessary efficiencies in place to offer this to our team without impacting our output and, most importantly, our customers. We know that our employees will reap the rewards of an enhanced worklife balance and more time to spend with their families.”
The benefits of a four-day week have been well documented, with a 2022 UK trial of 70 companies seeing 86% of participants continue with the policy once the pilot ended. Positive results included happier, more productive employees, reduced stress and illness, savings on childcare and transport, and a reduced carbon footprint. Since the trial, more and more Northern Ireland companies are adopting this new way of working, with successful examples demonstrated within Smiley Monroe’s own customer base.
Smiley Monroe has industry giants such as Terex, Metso, McCloskey, Sandvik, Astec, Wirtgen Group and CDE among its customers. With three global production centres in Northern Ireland, the USA and India, Smiley Monroe targets £100mn in sales by the end of 2027 – three-fold growth in five years.
Chris Monroe, CEO of Smiley Monroe Group, said: “Our vision is to be the numberone partner across our material-processing and recycling world. For us, this does not just mean sales growth - it means being the best employer in our industry, the most sustainable choice for customers and the easiest to do business with. We are delighted to be one of the earliest Northern Ireland manufacturers to adopt the shorter working week, and we look forward to seeing our people thrive under the new scheme. We
will continue to invest in the well-being and development of our team, and I am confident this will enable us, together, to achieve great things that will positively impact our business, our people and our communities.”
Bulk-handling accessories and safety company Martin Engineering is expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific market by opening a business unit in Malaysia.
Headquartered in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur - with a satellite office in Lumut - the Malaysian business unit will act as the main hub to serve bulk-handling industries such as quarrying, cement, mining, ports, biomass and other sectors in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Martin Engineering says the benefit to customers will be more localised care from a team with a greater understanding of the region’s needs and challenges. It adds that this will result in faster response times, better logistics, closer customer relationships, and expanding the portfolio of products and services available to help customers improve their bulk-handling efficiency and safety.
“Our team in Australia has done a great job of serving this area, but we’ve come to realise that the Malaysian market deserves closer attention,” said Javier Schmal, the
area vice president overseeing the expansion for Martin Engineering. “This is an exciting opportunity to give existing and new customers a greater range of bulk-handling options and innovations.”
The business unit will begin with six qualified collaborators, including experienced professionals like William Valladao from Martin Engineering Brazil. In addition to hiring more qualified local technicians, he will manage and improve support to key accounts and lead customer development. Valladao is a highly experienced member of the Martin Engineering operation. Having worked as a service manager for 20 years in Brazil, he was promoted to business development manager and, in five years, has earned the opportunity to build and drive the success of the Malaysian business unit.
The Malaysian team will speak several languages, including Malay, English, Portuguese, and Tamil.
“The Asia-Pacific market offers one of the best growth opportunities currently,” Schmal concluded. “This new business unit is part of Martin Engineering’s investment and strategic plan to improve our coverage and continue to offer the best service and customer support in the industry.”
The product offerings at the unit will include some of the company’s most popular cleaners, such as the innovative CleanScrape or the QC1+ Light Duty (LD) to Extra HeavyDuty (XHD) models for superior belt cleaning to reduce carryback, dust and clean-up.
Improving the material flow and workplace safety, the Typhoon air cannons with SMART series nozzles allow external maintenance of valves and nozzle replacements without tank removal or exposure to high heat applications. Martin Engineering’s Malaysian team will also deliver fully engineered Total Material Control transition-point retrofits with belt sealing, dust control, belt tracking and belt support designed to improve the conveyor operations of customers throughout the region in any bulk-handling application. AB
Some of Martin Engineering’s Malaysian team arriving at a customer work site. Pic: Martin Engineering
Smiley Monroe has recently announced the move to a four-day week across its Northern Ireland production facilities. Pic: Smiley Monroe
A big-screen institution
A major crushing and screening bucket and attachments manufacturer has big plans for future development after more than two decades of market success. Guy Woodford reports
For more than 20 years, MB Crusher has offered a full line of innovative and patented jaw crusher and screener buckets and accessories for excavators, skidsteer loaders and backhoes of all sizes. A passion for engineering innovation, savvy investment and strong family values have enabled the company to reach internationally recognised excellence.
Founded and still owned by the Azzolin family and headquartered in Fara Vicentino, a town in the Vicenza province of northeast Italy, MB is established globally through its eight subsidiaries, a worldwide network of authorised dealers and service support, and logistic centres on different continents.
Speaking at SaMoTer 2023 in Verona (3-7 May), Alessia Valerio, MB’s communications manager, says at the company’s new 485,000sq ft. HQ, MB manages all phases of its operation, including manufacturing, research and development, and sales. Alessia says a third manufacturing facility at MB's HQ is likely due to strong customer demand. With its complete supply chain control, MB says it can ensure its products are of the highest ‘Made in Italy’ quality.
Since the company's 2001 founding, MB's crusher buckets have spread the idea that the quality processing of inert job site material can create a valuable additional
revenue stream.
Using crusher bucket attachments is said by MB to be the easiest solution for many companies now that construction-equipment procurement is becoming more complex, expensive, and time-consuming. Alessia stresses that they also offer a practical solution when construction sites are located where heavy vehicles have difficulty reaching them due to a lack of connecting roads or are in historic areas with traffic restrictions. Crushing material on-site also avoids moving material from job sites to landfills, respects truck-passage limitations imposed by municipalities, and demonstrates care for the environment by not polluting or exploiting its resources.
Depending on the site's requirements, the 12-strong range of 6.5-100-tonne-excavatorcompatible MB crusher buckets transforms the stones into different sizes. An iron separator installed on the crusher bucket separates the iron portion. During operation, a nebuliser reduces the dust from the crushing. Due to its innovative design, MB crusher buckets can work without problems in closed environments, such as inside sheds and galleries and in urban and historical centres.
MB's screening buckets are designed to select natural materials like pebbles, slag heaps, sand and soils in pre- and post-
crushing phases, reducing the crushing time by 60%.
MB grapples have a 360° rotation and a tilted coupler for a greater range of movement. The company says that all nine grapple models are so responsive that they enable precise selection; the closing graduation allows the handling of recyclable materials such as wood, and metal, separating portions destined for landfill or even controlled demolitions of masonry and urban-area buildings.
MB says its shaft screeners offer an excellent multi-purpose system that can easily process different kinds of material because you can quickly change the shafts directly on-site. They are extremely easy to use and can be simply maintained on-site. MB notes that its new shaft screener is also equipped with a hydraulic shock absorber to reduce shock when changing the direction of the shafts, so the engine, transmission system, and machinery are not damaged.
MB claims its drum cutters are the only ones globally utilising a direct-drive twin motor. The company's novel patent protects this direct-transmission dual-motor system, allowing for a differentiated force distribution on the two drums. This is said to provide an enormous advantage since the drum cutter manages the power force autonomously according to the toughness and resistance of
An MB-S23 screening bucket attached to a Hitachi Zaxis 460 LCH excavator at work in an Italian quarry. Pic: MB Crusher
the material.
During the latest edition of SaMoTer, MB staged the global launch of its new MB-G400 and MB-G500 sorting grapples, and new MB-HDS307, MB-HDS312, and MB-HDS412 padding buckets.
Asked why MB is introducing the new grapples and padding buckets, Alessia says: "It is filling a gap in attachments for medium compact excavators. In Europe, especially, there is big growth in this area. You want to take a medium compact excavator to your work site rather than a large excavator as it is cheaper, and you want attachments that work best with a medium compact machine. With our attachments, you can crush, screen, and recycle on-site – a full materials-processing operation without bringing in trucks to transport material by road for further processing. This is also good for sustainability.
"You can use one machine and change between our attachments for different jobs and material types while crushing and screening buckets and other attachment maintenance is done on-site. Respecting [client] deadlines is a huge necessity, and we help our customers do that by reducing production downtime. The current shortage of building materials is also increasing demand for attachments that can process materials on-site and meet customer-delivery expectations."
Alessia says that MB's product range appeals to a broad range of construction, quarrying and building materials recycling customers. "You have companies that may, say, specialise in demolition, but on the side, they do some recycling and make aggregate products from that. You may want to separate topsoil from recovered materials; we have attachments that can do that. Our attachments are compatible with any on-site customer carrier."
MB has developed a crusher and screener bucket performance-monitoring telematics solution currently only available to Italian customers. "Once perfectly tailored to the Italian market, we will introduce it more widely. A lot of Italian companies are using Industry 4.0. It is a big benefit to various
industrial customers," explains Alessia.
A 250-plus employee company, MB has, says Alessia, worked hard over many years to build its global distribution setup, which is coordinated out of ten regional branch offices.
Turning her attention to the evolution of MB's manufacturing processes, she continues: "We opened our second manufacturing facility next to our existing HQ manufacturing site just before COVID
[2019]. Our laser and welding robot machines were another key investment. A third manufacturing site will surely be needed in the future.
"We are always employing people. It is a good growth indicator. We are also always looking for ways to respond to market demands. MB never stops!"
Finding an effective way to separate and screen materials directly on-site is vital for cost and time-saving-conscious construction and earthmoving fleet operators.
Available in six models for excavators from 1.2 to 45 tonnes, Simex VSE screening buckets are specifically designed for separating different-sized materials directly on-site. The VSE product range features the rapid adjustment of output size via an instant control in the cabin. This exclusive patent allows the shafts to be instantly distanced and closed, with a maximum travel of 40mm.
Simex’s FIT screening tool technology, another standout feature of VSE screening buckets, remains popular with customers two years after its introduction. The low-maintenance system allows for the easy interchange of every single disc or blade without unstrapping shafts. The Italian company says this means 75% less maintenance costs than the previous system. Multiple configurations are possible, depending on the materials to be screened. Simex offers users four different set-ups, but many others are possible thanks to the 100% interchangeable screening elements.
Recently in the Yorkshire Dales in
Alessia Valerio, MB Crusher communications manager on the company's outdoor stand and demo area at SaMoTer 2023
The MB Crusher HQ in Fara Vicentino, Vicenza province. Pic: MB Crusher
northern England, Simex dealer Mouse Valley Equipment used a VSE 10 screening bucket coupled to a CAT 307D crawler excavator. The attachment worked with different materials, including soil and demolition waste. Reclaiming soil directly on-site results in net savings, avoiding the huge costs of purchasing and transporting new raw materials and significantly lowering disposal costs. The screening operation using a VSE bucket supplies the dual advantage of saving in disposal – delivering only a minimum of the total material – and supplying new soil for refurbishing green areas. The land reclaimed and cleaned from debris is immediately usable, aerated and of a size suitable for subsequent planting.
Given the uncompromising weather and material conditions, the chosen ‘aggressive configuration’ comprised only bladeequipped tools. Simex says this configuration was created to handle more compact materials where, in addition to separation, it is necessary to shake off soil adhering to stones, roots, gravel and demolition waste.
Despite the high soil humidity caused by the heavy rains in the hours before the application, production was still efficient. The instant variation of output size, through a control in the cabin, has also accelerated the processing time necessary for material separation. With Simex screening buckets, the company says there’s no need for long and complicated technical operations to
change the output size, adapt to different materials by distancing the shafts, or change the screening tools.
Simex VSE screening buckets aim to sustainably recover and reclaim soil and aggregates resulting from demolition, helping
deliver a circular economy.
The new VD Drum from Finnish manufacturer Allu enables you to replace fixed TS blades quickly, and there is no need to open the chain box when blades are replaced. Enabling a variable drum setup
In the Yorkshire Dales, England, Simex dealer Mouse Valley Equipment used a VSE 10 screening bucket coupled to a CAT 307D crawler excavator to process soil and demolition waste. Pic: Simex
means an individual drum or blade can be changed quickly, saving time and money.
Allu’s patented TS (top screen) construction and screening blades make it possible to screen materials even when wet or moist without fear of the structure getting clogged. With the TS structure, getting three different fragment sizes from the same Allu unit is possible by rearranging the screening combs with no additional costs.
Allu Transformer D-series attachments are said by the manufacturer to be versatile and reliable tools for industries, including quarrying, enabling efficient screening and crushing of materials.
The D-series screener buckets are designed for larger processing jobs. Everything from aerating compost to primary on-site screening and processing construction material. This bucket screens, crushes, pulverises, aerates, blends, mixes, separates, feeds and loads materials. And best of all, it transforms the materials you work with. It’s more productive and more profitable.
Allu says it has been consistently one step ahead, leading the industry for over 35 years, with truly mobile, compact screening buckets, which are the perfect attachment for compact base machines to screen and transform your materials.
engcon, a major global manufacturer of tiltrotators, quick hitches and accessories for excavators, is launching a new, improved S60
machine hitch for 12–19-tonne excavators.
In addition to strengthening the machine hitch, retrofitting with EC-Oil blocks will be easier as the new machine hitch contains almost no hoses and minimises the risk of leaks. The end customer will also notice that the new bolt-on EC-Oil block has an increased hydraulic flow.
A LONG WAY TOGETHER
“Thanks to our innovation-driven work focusing on the end customer, our customers can rely on engcon to always deliver stateof-the-art technology. Our package should be the complete solution and the premium product that our customers want, now and in the future,” says Martin Engström, engcon’s product manager. AB
No matter how challenging your needs, EARTHMAX SR 41 is your best ally when it comes to operations that require extraordinary traction. Thanks to its All Steel radial structure and the special block pattern, EARTHMAX SR 41 provides excellent resistance against punctures and an extended service life. In addition to long working hours without downtime, the tyre ensures extraordinary comfort.
EARTHMAX SR 41 is BKT’s response to withstand the toughest operating conditions in haulage, loading and dozing applications.
engcon is launching the new and improved S60 machine hitch for 12–19-tonne excavators. Pic: engcon
Major acquisitions in water tech sector
McLanahan, Xylem and FPS have all recently finalised significant acquisitions in the dewatering and water technology sector. Liam McLoughlin reports
Aggregates-processing solutions company McLanahan has finalised the acquisition of Diefenbach, a leading manufacturer of filter presses and thickeners based in Medolago, Italy, which was first announced in February 2023.
Diefenbach has been designing and manufacturing liquid-solid separation equipment since 1907. With thousands of installations around the globe, the company provides solutions for filtration and dewatering applications in a wide range of industries, including aggregates and mining.
McLanahan and Diefenbach have been working on projects together since 2013. This new partnership will allow McLanahan to serve their customers better worldwide, offering a more comprehensive waterrecycling and tailings-management solution and contributing to sustainable materialsprocessing practices as part of the circular economy.
“As the focus on sustainability and creating a circular economy within the materials-processing industry continues to grow, the need for water-recycling and tailings-management is more important than ever,” said Cory Jenson, executive vice president of sales and business development at McLanahan.
“This acquisition complements McLanahan’s existing line of tailings- and water-management solutions and will allow us to offer more competitive solutions to our customers around the globe.”
Diefenbach will continue to operate as an independent brand in the marketplace and support its customers globally. For the aggregates industry, Diefenbach is partnering
with Eagle Iron Works (EIW), another brand in the McLanahan family of companies, to provide a proven line of filter presses and thickeners to EIW customers who are looking to purchase a complete tailings-management and water-recycling solution from a single vendor.
McLanahan is helping Newcastle Sand - a mining operation located in Williamtown, New South Wales, Australia – increase production with a sand-washing plant featuring a highly efficient dewatering screen.
When Newcastle Sand commenced operations in 2019, the company opted to dry wash its sand products with an air separator. However, rainy days would put a damper on the dry process, so Newcastle Sand purchased a small-scale wash plant consisting of a small screw washer.
In 2020, Newcastle Sand experienced
an increase in demand for washed sand. The company supplemented its small screw washer by adding a higher-volume wash plant to increase production.
But even with the two wash plants, the smaller one and the higher-volume plant, Newcastle Sand was still struggling to meet the demand for washed sand.
“We sought to find a screw washer that could increase our production to keep up with the current market demand,” said quarry manager Eliott Laver.
Laver had a previous relationship with Lincom, McLanahan’s dealer for aggregates wet-processing equipment in Australia, prior to joining the Newcastle Sand team. Working with Lincom and McLanahan, Newcastle Sand installed a McLanahan Fine Material Double Screw Washer and UltraDRY Modular Dewatering Screen.
McLanahan has been helping Newcastle Sand increase production
The McLanahan Fine Material Screw Washer washes, classifies and dewaters Newcastle Sand’s washed sand product, while the UltraDRY Dewatering Screen removes excess moisture from the final product. An integrated sump underneath the UltraDRY Dewatering Screen captures the water that is removed from the sand product and recirculates it back to the screw washer via a pump to aid in the washing process.
Since installing the McLanahan wash plant, Newcastle Sand has more than doubled its production. “That allows us to produce more quality washed sand product,” Laver said. With the UltraDRY Dewatering Screen reducing the moisture content of the final product, Laver said Newcastle Sand is able to sell the product straight from the belt, minimising stockpile requirements.
deeper and further, making operations more efficient, sustainable, and safe.
“Being able to sell our material straight off the belt rather than stockpiling and letting our material dry allows us to reduce the amount of haul times, reduce our product movement or handling,” explained Laver.
In addition to being able to sell the product more quickly, Newcastle Sand has experienced additional benefits from the UltraDry Dewatering Screen, such as improved site housekeeping and recirculation of water back to the wash plant.
“The McLanahan UltraDRY Dewatering Screen allows us to keep our stockpiles clean and tidy,” Laver said. “We have less water runoff, and we’re able to harvest that water and reuse it in the wash plant.”
He added, “We’re able to recover up to 90% of the water from our washing process. In turn, we recycle that water, reducing our environmental footprint in the location.”
Water technology and dewateringsolutions company Xylem has completed its acquisition of Evoqua Water Technologies, a provider of water-treatment solutions and services.
Xylem says the US$7.5bn all-stock transaction creates the world’s most advanced platform of capabilities to address customers’ and communities’ critical water challenges. Xylem provides water and pump technology for global industries including quarrying.
Patrick Decker, president and CEO of Xylem, says that the combination with Evoqua creates a global platform to solve critical water challenges at an even greater scale.
He adds: “Global awareness of water as a systemic risk to society has never been greater. Investment in water solutions continues to accelerate as communities and businesses around the world address intensifying challenges like water scarcity, quality and resilience to climate change – and how to address these issues in an affordable way."
Washington, D.C.-based Xylem says the combined company becomes the world’s largest pure-play water technology company, with US$7.3bn in pro forma revenue and more than 22,000 employees globally. Xylem adds that its portfolio of solutions
across the water cycle, including advanced technologies, integrated services, and deep application expertise, will help customers in utilities, industrial and commercial end markets address their most pressing water needs.
The combined company's executive leadership team will be led by Patrick Decker and include senior leaders from both Xylem and Evoqua. Xylem has also appointed Lisa Glatch and Lynn Swann, former Evoqua directors, to serve as members of its board of directors.
Xylem announced in August that it made total revenue of US$1.7bn in the second quarter of 2023, with reported growth of 26% and organic growth of 15%, surpassing prior guidance. The Q2 results include the acquisition of Evoqua Water Technologies.
Xylem says that orders were up 10% on a reported basis and down 2% organically, while backlog grew to US$5.3bn, up 7% organically and including US$1.3bn from Evoqua, with resilient underlying demand.
Second-quarter earnings, excluding the acquisition, exceeded Xylem’s previous standalone guidance.
Xylem has released a new dewatering pump which it says has been developed to significantly increase efficiency, cut costs, and minimise downtime for construction and mining customers.
It adds that the Godwin HL270M Dri-Prime Pump is designed to meet the unique demands of deep-mine and highpressure water transfers and can deliver cost savings of up to 10% compared to competing solutions.
With greater hydraulic efficiency and optimised head and flow, it reduces the need for multiple pumps in series, lowers energy consumption, simplifies operations and maintenance, and minimises premature wear. Field-test participants have already used the pump to meet project goals with fewer assets, simpler operations, and reduced maintenance costs.
The solution, part of the Godwin Ultrahigh-head range, also enables operators to lower carbon emissions.
“Meeting the evolving needs of our customers is paramount,” said Mike Ramos, global product manager at Xylem. “The Godwin HL270M meets the unique demands of deep-mine and high-pressure water transfers. It allows our customers to go
“This product is also a great example of a sustainable and smart business. The pump uses less power, reduces the need for multiple pumps, minimises premature wear, and offers longer life between repairs.
Thompson Pump has announced that its distributor Florida Pumping Solutions (FPS) is expanding its services with the acquisition of Northern Florida-based socking company American Sock & Dewatering.
FPS says the addition of American Sock means it can now provide a full range of dewatering services
FPS is a distributor for Thompson Pump and Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of heavy-duty, diesel-powered bypass and dewatering pumps.
With the addition of American Sock, FPS says it is able to improve the customer experience by now providing the full range of construction dewatering services, from start to finish, including socking – a technique used to prevent water intrusion during excavation and construction, slurry pumping, bypass pumping, emergency response and more. This allows FPS to meet the unique North Florida challenges such as low-lying terrain, coastal areas and heavy rain and flooding which require effective dewatering and flood-control solutions for construction, agriculture and other industries. FPS says it is excited to be at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge pumping services to clients, especially with the help of Thompson Pump.
“This move not only cements us as a leader in the pumping industry, but it ensures we are supplying even greater value to our customers – with more efficiency and faster project completion times, helping to cut down on costs,” said Jay Friemark, general manager at FPS.
Thompson Pump provides multiple models of dewatering pumps with a focus on rotary and piston pumps, as well as vacuum-assisted models, for wellpoint and sock underdrain.
FPS is headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida, and offers a range of services including sales, rental and service of Thompson Pumps.
Atlas Copco has developed a new range of electric surface self-priming dewatering pumps for various applications.
The E-Pump range comprises the E PAS and PAC electric models, which feature a canopy and open set configuration. Atlas Copco says this flexible solution is ideally
Xylem’s new Godwin HL270M Dri-Prime Pump
suited for many applications like sewage bypass in the municipality sector and construction projects with access to a power source. It adds that E-Pumps can successfully manage demanding flows and large solids with a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and no CO2 footprint during pumping operations with digital connectivity solutions.
The manufacturer says the new range offers an electric, no-CO2-emission alternative to diesel-powered surface dewatering pumps during pumping operations. This allows customers to reduce their emission footprint and operate in emission-restrictive areas with no fuel consumption. While the PAC electric pumps, an open configuration range with a galvanised frame, will mostly address the North American market, the E PAS is designed with a canopy to meet European customer needs.
The E PAS features an intelligent priming solution to ensure that the pump’s priming system only runs when necessary, reducing energy consumption and noise generation under normal operating conditions. Atlas Copco says the E PAS model emits reduced noise levels, making it ideal for noisesensitive environments. The priming system ensures no carryover contamination, and the canopy set units are up to 120% spillage-free, keeping the workplace and environment clean. E PAS dewatering solutions can intelligently start and stop based on float signals.
The operating expense of the E PAS is up to 40% lower, depending on the difference between local diesel and electricity costs. Also, electric motors' maintenance and servicing costs are substantially lower than diesel engines. Time to service is less with patented hinge doors for easy access to serviceable parts.
The E PAS model features Atlas Copco’s
variable speed drive (VSD) solution, increasing the efficiency of the pump and offering energy savings of up to 40% with an extended pump life.
“The E PAS and PAC electric lines of surface dewatering pumps are an exciting addition to the electric-powered range of products from Atlas Copco,” says Saksham Dube, global marketing manager at Atlas Copco Power & Flow. “They offer excellent performance, low cost of ownership, reduced footprint and unique digital connectivity, contributing towards Atlas Copco’s efforts to create a more sustainable future.”
Tsurumi Pump has partnered with Briggs and Stratton to offer North American users its engine-driven trash and dewatering pumps another choice and continuously high aftersales support. This enables popular models in Tsurumi’s EPT and TE series to achieve compliance with the latest regulations of California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) and allow them to be sold in the state.
The Vanguard Series engines will offer the same horsepower and RPM figures and be an
option on 2” and 3” centrifugal dewatering pumps and 2” and 4” trash pumps under the TE3-50V and TE3-80V, and EPT3-50V and EPT3-100V model designations, respectively.
Standard features on Vanguard singlecylinder engines include an integrated cyclonic air cleaner that doubles air-filter replacement intervals to 600 hours, an acoustically designed fuel tank and muffler optimised to reduce noise, and easy, one-pull starting in cold temperatures as low as -20° F.
Japan-headquartered manufacturer Tsurumi says that its agitator pumps deliver dependability in slurry applications
The company adds that its agitator pumps are made with wear-resistant components like high-chrome impellers and hard castiron volutes that demonstrate outstanding performance and durability when handling abrasive materials.
One of the largest challenges that contractors face when pumping slurry water is finding the right equipment to efficiently and seamlessly complete the job. Pumping from pits that contain sand, grits or debris requires heavy-duty equipment, specifically designed to handle abrasive materials to work continuously without failure. Tsurumi states that agitator pumps are the answer.
Agitator pumps utilise an agitator propeller that shares the same shaft as the pump's impeller. While the two spin in the same direction, the agitator blades are in the opposing orientation to those of the impeller. The agitator provides a propelling force to stir up solids near the floor while the impeller pumps the now suspended solids along with the fluid. They keep the mud circulating to avoid solids from settling while allowing pumping to continue without obstructions.
“The use of agitators in coal mines and quarries is well known, but not everyone is aware that they can be used for any liquid containing solids that needs to be pumped,” explains Kevin Boicken, Southeast regional sales manager at Tsurumi Pump.
“We recently installed an agitator at a construction site that had solids suspended in the water being pumped. A standard dewatering pump could become suffocated by sucking the solids to the small hole screen, preventing the liquid to be pumped.” AB
Atlas Copco’s new E-Pump range comprises the E PAS and PAC electric models
Tsurumi’s agitator pumps are designed for dependability in slurry applications
Increased sustainability in the asphalt-plant mix
The world’s asphalt-plant market is increasingly focusing on green and smart-technology solutions, with many major asphalt-plant manufacturers offering eye-catching, cutting-edge products to tempt more sustainability-minded and contract-securing-savvy customers to invest in their solutions. Guy Woodford reports
Marini, a Fayat Group company, has been busy explaining the significant sustainability gains of its asphalt-plant solutions to both customers and potential customers.
Established in 1899 in Alfonsine, in the Ravenna province of Emilia-Romagna, Marini is among the world leaders in its field. The company’s comprehensive asphalt-batchingplant range includes the Master Tower, Class Tower, Top Tower, Be Tower, and Xpress. The adjacent Ermont brand also offers continuous asphalt plants in mobile, transferable and stationary types. Additionally, Marini has a polymer modified bitumen (PMB) plant and SAE cold-mix plants, a Fayat Group speciality.
Marini customers can also benefit from the company’s technical services and ZEROVOC production-assisting technology, combining the AeroFILTER with the EvoDRYER system. ZEROVOC delivers effective and efficient asphalt-plant fumes management and treatment of VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions.
AeroFilter is a filtering system for fumes and blue smoke produced at certain points of the asphalt plant, such as the mixer discharge or along the skip track if the plant is fitted
with a lateral storage bin plus the truck discharge points.
Filtering takes place in a series of steps, and the oils are recovered in the lower part of the hopper before being evacuated through special tanks without any external dispersion.
The treated fumes can be sent to the plant stack or receive further heat treatment in the
EvoDRYER.
As well as the benefits and improved performance with RAP (reclaimed asphalt pavement) use, the EvoDRYER system also provides heat treatment of the fumes, which could contain classified substances such as VOC.
The conveyed air is fed behind the burner flame through a special cylinder entrance.
This patented system means the air is distributed around the external periphery of the combustion chamber where the fumes are said to be quickly and effectively treated, and the residual organic composites of the gases are eliminated.
Speaking at Asphaltica, staged in conjunction with the 31st edition of SaMoTer in Verona (3-7 May 2023), Roberto Berardi, Marini-Fayat Mixing Plants product marketing manager, says: “Many asphalt producers, particularly bigger companies in France and other countries in northern Europe, are speaking about the need to reduce their carbon emissions and investing in solutions that can do that. Many smaller Italian companies have historically been keen to reduce spending on asphalt plants. We are saying to them, ‘If you spend a bit more, you can greatly reduce the impact on the environment while also reducing your energy
and other production costs.’ We are trying to develop different kits and ‘softer’ solutions for these companies.”
Berardi continues: “The kits we offer to large and medium-sized customers can be retrofitted to their plants or fitted on a completely new plant. For example, our Master Tower has a patented system that uses up to 100% RAP. The main difference in this system is that it has one burner that heats two drier drums, one for the aggregate and the other for the recycled material. This gives more production flexibility.
“For medium-sized customers, we also offer a parallel [dryer] drum that can be installed on an existing asphalt plant. It guarantees that you stay within permitted emission levels. It is longer, bigger and offers excellent recirculation of air. It means that the flame stays in the centre of the burner and does not come into contact with the material. It means you don’t risk burning the old bitumen in recycled material, and as the drum is longer, you have more time to reach up to 70% of recycled material without an emissions problem.”
Berardi says that domestic-market encouragement to increase the RAP used by Italian highway asphalt-works contractors and the need for better production temperature control may lead to new guidelines that encourage contractors to invest in more sustainability-minded asphaltplant solutions from Marini and other leading sector players.
Marini’s plant-control software includes kits that optimise the thermal exchange between the hot air created by the flame and the aggregate. “According to the temperature of the fumes, the software automatically adjusts the speed of the dryer-drum’s rotation to maintain the quantity of material inside the drum, which is especially important when working with a percentage of RAP,” explains Berardi.
Berardi says Marini is working on introducing more predictive-maintenance features for its asphalt-plant range. “They involve sensors that analyse plant-supportbearing vibrations and trigger alerts if they exceed a certain level. This allows technicians to make necessary changes to components. This is very useful for customers, especially those running just one or two plants, who may not have the same experienced plant-maintenance people they used to.”
Commenting on the health of the Italianasphalt plant and supporting-services market, Berardi says: “Generally, the market is good. The last two or three years have seen big fiscal incentives offered by the Italian government and the EU, encouraging customers to invest. The incentives are now less, so the market presents new challenges. However, we can continue doing good business in machine sales and servicing existing customer asphalt plants.”
Asphalt-plant manufacturers have made great strides to reduce emissions over the last decade. Advanced baghouse filters, improved
combustion processes and alternative fuel sources are among the improvements.
And now, emissions reductions are being fought on a new front: during the loading process. Ammann is leading the industry in these efforts with Ammann Blue Smoke Treatment (BST).
BST captures vapours that previously escaped during loading. With BST, the trapped fumes undergo a filtration process where oily particles are removed, and the remaining gas streams are sent to the burners.
“BST is a win for plant owners on all counts,” said Mathias Halter, Ammann’s sales director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “It’s the answer the industry has been looking for.”
Blue-smoke emissions have been around since the advent of asphalt-mixing plants. The smoke released during loading resulted from the extremely high temperatures required in production.
The temperatures were a necessity.
Therefore, little could be done to stop the smoke.
New regulations are requiring that steps be taken to mitigate blue-smoke fumes. It’s a challenge for industry professionals, but Ammann has found an answer with BST.
• BST captures the fumes and redirects them to a multi-stage filtration system.
• The filters remove the oily particles during multiple filtration stages, ensuring high efficiency and allowing the remaining gases to be re-used in the combustion process.
• The condensed oil that accumulates in the filtration system can be recycled.
• BST enables a steady flow rate at the chimney, a key factor in controlling NOx and CO emissions. Therefore, BST is not a case of solving one problem and creating another.
The Marini Top Tower 3000P asphalt-batching plant. Pic: Marini-Fayat
BST is a cost-effective solution. The filtration system is highly efficient and inexpensive and does not require complex and costly confinement methods.
The BST system is green from start to finish. Diffuse emissions are removed, pleasing those at the plant – including operators, haul truck drivers and other workers near the loading dock. Those who live near the plant are thrilled at removing the fumes.
This new innovative technology by Ammann is already in use with expected results in several of the company’s plants.
“This is a significant development on the sustainability front,” said Marzio Ferrini,
Ammann’s product marketing manager. “Blue smoke is a challenge the industry has faced for years – and Ammann has found an answer.”
Lintec CSM containerised asphalt-mixing plants have played a major role in helping to improve local transport conditions by opening up central Pakistan's north-south traffic arteries of the Peshawar-Karachi motorway (PKM).
Lintec & Linnhoff China sold two Lintec CSM4000 containerised asphalt-mixing plants to established customer PowerChina Group to support the construction of KPM's 392km M-5 section.
The asphalt-mixing plants were installed
in December 2017 and March 2018, with the first providing 34.1km of new asphalt road and the second covering a stretch of 29km, with three lanes in either direction. Both plants had produced over 600,000 tons of hot-mix asphalt by the time the project was completed in November 2019, 13 days ahead of the 36-month schedule. The new M-5 section of KPM is helping slash travel time from Sukkur to Multan by two thirds.
During the construction of this large-scale project on Pakistan's longest motorway, there was a lot of demand for the asphalt-mixing plants' rapid assembly and disassembly capabilities and mobility. These challenges proved no problem, as Lintec's CSM range offers clear advantages, with its 100% ISO shipping-container design facilitating easier and more economical transport and removing the need for concrete foundations. The pre-assembled modular construction also speeds up assembly.
"We had already purchased several Lintec asphalt-mixing plants, including the CSM and CSD models, for other international aid projects since 2010, so we knew we could easily achieve a fast set-up time," said Mr Chen, project manager at PowerChina. "But just as important was knowing we could depend on reliable performance and smooth operation because these were challenging conditions, with the local temperature passing 40°C, which can damage some equipment. To adapt to the local hightemperature environment, the project adopted a new standard of rutting-resistance technology for road asphalt mix at 80˚ C. Due to the high batching accuracy of the Lintec CSM4000 asphalt-mixing plants, this recipe was smoothly implemented, ensuring excellent quality of the road surface."
To adapt to the extreme environment and heavy workloads, the project adopted a new standard of rutting-resistance asphalt for the road surface, capable of withstanding high temperatures up to 80°C. Due to the high batching accuracy of the CSM4000 AMPs, this recipe could be smoothly implemented, ensuring consistently high quality for the surface and providing resistance against even extreme floods.
"As a state-owned enterprise working on an international aid project, our client places the greatest importance on the production safety and stability of its equipment," said Tony Liu, CEO of Lintec & Linnhoff China. "Lintec's reputation as a leading brand of German heritage gained widespread recognition and a reputation for safe operation, batching accuracy and mobility performance. This is why we are an everpresent partner in projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative."
The 1,152km, US$2.889bn PKM expressway originates in Karachi, passes through Lahore, and terminates at Peshawar in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province. As the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor's largest transport infrastructure project, it is speeding up access to China's western border. AB
ABOVE: Lintec's CSM4000 containerised asphalt plants were used to construct Pakistan's Peshawar-Karachi Motorway (PKM) BELOW: Two Lintec CSM4000 plants produced
hot-mix asphalt to support the construction of PKM motorway’s 392km M-5 section. Pics: Lintec & Linnhoff
Benninghoven sustainable asphalt production for today and tomorrow
How do you get the biggest sustainability ‘bang for your buck’ in today’s US$4bn-a-year global asphalt-plant market? It’s a question dominating plant operators’ minds worldwide and one to which major premium asphalt-plant and linked-solutions manufacturer Benninghoven offers a cogent response. Guy Woodford reports
Whether you want to lower your carbon emissions via warmmix (low-temperature asphalt) rather than hot-mix asphalt production, make greater use of RAP (reclaimed asphalt pavement] in your asphalt mixes, switch to powering your asphalt production with low- or zero-carbon alternative fuels, to retrofit your asphalt plant to improve its eco-minded efficiency or incorporate all those worthy aims in your future business delivery, Wittlich, southwest Germany-based Benninghoven’s continuing large investment in research and development (R&D) and its comprehensive modern product range leaves it well placed to meet customers’ greater sustainability expectations.
Aggregates Business recently spoke to Benninghoven general manager Heinrich Steins and the company’s head of R&D, Steven Mac Nelly, to get the latest on the Wirtgen Group brand’s approach to sustainability, other key market trends and where Benninghoven sees its biggest growth opportunities during the next few years.
At the large cutting-edge production facility within the company’s €130 million state-of-the-art HQ, Benninghoven produces mobile and stationary 100-400tonnes/hour asphalt-mixing plants, capable of handling up to 100% reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Benninghoven is gaining wider market
recognition for its innovative modular system and intelligent connection technology, making assembly easier. Steins stresses that the company also produces high-quality, maintenance-friendly components for all its plants.
“Out of the modules, we can build different plants. From a manufacturing perspective, we brought a new approach to the old industry. We manufacture modules and test their functionality within our factory so that we know the senior components are functional and can bring the modules together on a customer site; we know that the quality is there and the plant will function,” says Steins.
Benninghoven’s asphalt plant types – ECO, TBA, and RPP – feature the company’s BLS 4 control systems. The firm also produces its own asphalt-plant combustion (burner) technology, with burners available in five sizes, and carries out full asphalt-plant retrofits.
Steins continues: “Sustainability is a subject growing at different rates of speed in different markets. However, many solutions require new investments. The way to finance this is by increasing your use of RAP, which will lower your production cost and increase your margin as an asphalt producer or road construction company. In some regions of the world, RAP costs nothing. With those achieved savings, you can afford to invest in future technologies and drive sustainability forward.”
Steins says customers also increasingly want to consider alternative fuel options, including green hydrogen, to power their asphalt plant’s material-drying. This and other sustainability-minded production shifts are, notes Steins, due to tougher EU and other big regional and national government environmental legislation and new greenminded works-contract stipulations. To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C – as called for in the Paris Agreement – carbon emissions must be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
“All this is driving huge change in the entire industry,” says Steins. “In several Scandinavian countries, if you are part of a tender for a road construction project, you get preferred treatment if you can prove that you can reduce your carbon footrprint during the works and your competitors can’t. Some countries have carbon-tax legislation coming in, and the US has gone for a huge Green Deal. In South America, Brazil is considering increasing the recycled material used in roadbuilding by classifying it as raw material. It’s also coming at different levels in Asia.”
From a Benninghoven perspective, Steins re-emphasises that the company meets the growing customer need for more sustainable asphalt-plant technologies. “CO2-avoidance
At its brand headquarters in Wittlich, Germany, Benninghoven develops and manufactures sustainable solutions in the world's largest and most modern asphalt-mixing plant factory. Pic: Benninghoven
technology is big in Europe, North and South America, and an important part of those regions’ futures.”
Focusing on the market shift to warm- and cold-mix asphalt production, Mac Nelly says: “It differs between regions what they mean by warm and cold mix. In the Netherlands, they mean 110˚C; in Germany, they could mean 150˚C [compared to 170˚C-175˚C for hot mix]. That’s a big difference. The technology for this is not new. We have offered foam bitumen systems for over 13 years to customers in various countries, such as the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. What needs to be extended is the long-term quality check. How is the marketplace quality of the warm-mix asphalt produced with a foam bitumen system and some additives supplied ten years ago?
“Some studies already show that the longterm quality of LTA [low-temperature asphalt] is comparable to that of conventional asphalt. However, the effects of additives on the next life cycle (re-recycling) in terms of quality and emissions during production and processing need to be examined more closely.
“I would add that even with warm- rather than hot-mix material, you can use a higher percentage of RAP,” says Steins. “In the last couple of years, the Wirtgen Group has been starting to think about different production systems for roadbuilding. We call warm recycling one of them, which involves the end-to-end process. We look as a Group at the milling process via the Wirtgen cold milling machines; then we have Kleemann for crushing and screening; then we look to create the right asphalt-mix recipe with our Benninghoven asphalt plants that give the maximum economic and sustainable output for our customer, then bring it back to the road [for Vögele paving and Hamm compaction].”
Mac Nelly adds: “Some plant owners have tended to produce asphalt at the hottest temperature possible as they think it gives them the highest quality product. They want to see the steam over the asphalt. Around 95% of asphalt-plant operations in Germany have traditionally used lignite coal dust as a fuel, and energy has been really cheap. Plant owners have started rethinking and saying, ‘Okay, fuel now costs a lot of money, and maybe 150˚C will be enough temperature as the final product quality is much better as the [asphalt’s] physical properties don’t like high temperatures’.”
“We have recycled asphalt material that can be processed at 160˚C, yet we still see some virgin material being overheated because it is sometimes not believed that temperatures around 160˚C can achieve a high-quality product,” says Steins. “We have enough examples we can show. You don’t have to change your asphalt plant’s fuel if you manage the heating of your virgin and recycled material more efficiently. This will give you significant energy cost savings and reduce your CO2 emissions.”
Steins says modern technology will likely quicken the switch to lower-
temperature virgin and recycled material asphalt production. “In the past, some very experienced technicians would turn every knob on the asphalt plant and knew what to do. Where asphalt plants are going is having a control system that will achieve consistent product output and lower energy use. It is a required shift as getting people with decades of experience to run asphalt plants is hard.”
He continues: “Our plant-servicing business is just properly starting. What moved it on was the covid pandemic, as we couldn’t send people to customer sites, so we made failure identifications through remote function. We also did some remote commissioning of plants. Developing our plant control system, including a new control setup for our burners, has made much remote servicing possible. We can do some remote burner maintenance. Customers have seen
the positive results they are getting, which gives them the confidence to invest further in plant servicing.”
Steins believes preventative maintenance solutions are perfect for the needs of Benninghoven’s 24/7 modern customers. “We used to have customers doing roadbuilding, say, March until October, then have a long winter break, during which they do their plant maintenance. With changing weather patterns, there are no longer two-thirds of the year business and one-third of the year maintenance businesses. There are more and more all-year-round businesses in more need of preventative maintenance.”
Steins says the fact that customers in many countries are finding it increasingly difficult to get a permit to operate a new asphalt-plant site is also playing a big part in a market shift to more sustainable and more efficient asphalt-plant production, often through the retrofitting of new technologies on existing plant models. “It is much easier to get a permit for an asphalt-plant retrofit where a major part of the plant, like the burner or complete drying system, is exchanged for our latest modular solutions. A customer’s capital expenditure is also less. We have the corresponding retrofitting solutions, and we are seeing a lot of interesting projects.”
Returning to the makeup of today’s global asphalt-plant market, Steins notes that it is extremely difficult to calculate exactly how many plants are operated worldwide. “There are a lot of very small plants using very simple technology. In the more traditional markets, there is a lot of larger plant
ABOVE: Asphalt production has begun at Switzerland’s first Recycling Priority Plant (RPP) with Benninghoven hot-gas-generator technology. BELOW: Already using renewable fuels today: Benninghoven EVO JET burners can also burn biomass to liquid fuels or wood dust. Pics: Benninghoven
Dr Heinrich Steins, Benninghoven general manager. Pic: Benninghoven
consolidation, with those plants involved in more complex applications.”
Asked which Benninghoven asphalt plants are the most popular with customers, Steins responds: "We have seen great interest in the ECO series in markets like the Middle East and Eastern Europe. It is not needed to do much warm-mix asphalt production. It is a standard plant with high economic efficiency; a reliable investment. The RPP (Recycling Priority Plant) series is popular in Europe for asphalt-recycling applications regarding maximum recycling rates in asphalt production with minimum emissions. The leading recycling technology allows plant owners to produce asphaltic mixtures from 100 % reclaimed asphalt. Thus, the RPPs also stand for a reduction of the CO2 footprint.”
During our three-way Microsoft Teams call, Mac Nelly displays a series of diagrams and charts. One diagram shows the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in a kilometre of highway production chain; another highlights the impact of RAP content levels on a plant’s carbon emissions.
“Carbon emissions occur during the extraction, crushing and screening of the virgin materials; then you have to transport it to the asphalt-mixing plant, with the creation and transporting of the bitumen used in asphalt production generating further huge carbon emissions. Then a hot- rather than warm-mix production leads to high consumption of fuels to dry the minerals, generating greater carbon emissions. Finally, you must transport the finished material to the highway to be paved and compacted, generating further carbon emissions.
“If you substitute virgin materials for 60% of RAP materials in your asphalt-production mix, with RAP already containing bitumen, you reduce 17% of your highway kilometre’s total carbon emissions. This is possible when using Benninghoven’s Recycling Priority Plant (RPP). It is a state-of-the-art plant using hot-gas generator technology that allows customers to use up to 100% of RAP material
while complying with VOC [volatile organic compound] emissions values.”
Mac Nelly says that for customers that don’t want to spend top dollar on the RPP plant due to their lower annual production requirement, Benninghoven offers a REVOC retrofit solution, a patented innovation first presented at the bauma Munich exhibition (24-30 October 2022). Benninghoven REVOC supplements existing asphaltmixing plants with one or more recycling systems, significantly reducing total carbon concentrations (VOC) in the exhaust gas and adding up to 60% recycled material. Specified limits are not exceeded. In Germany, for example, the levels remain below the limit the TA-Luft regulation requires.
Steins says Benninghoven’s discussions with existing and potentially new asphaltplant customers have increasingly focused on where the company is going on powering its plants with CO2-neutral alternative fuels. “Roadbuilding companies with integrated asphalt-plant production see asphalt plants as offering a big bang for their buck around carbon-emission reductions alongside switching their vehicle fleets to electric and, in the longer term, hydrogen internal combustion engine or fuel cell power.”
Mac Nelly says: “Customers use oil and lignite dust to power asphalt plants, especially
in Germany, but its availability will decrease due to the emphasis on greener production. Natural gas and LPG [Liquefied Petroleum Gas] and LNG [Liquefied Natural Gas] could be fuels for the near future as a bridge technology. We can halve carbon emissions with natural gas, but it’s still present.”
Mac Nelly explains that while some biofuels, like BtL [Biomass to Liquid] and HVO [Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil], are classified as CO2-free in current legislation, making them a potentially attractive future asphalt-production fuel, others are not. “If you produce asphalt with oil and lignite dust, you generate around 28kg of carbon dioxide per tonne of asphalt. With [a biofuel like] wood dust, you generate 27kg of carbon dioxide per tonne of asphalt – nearly the same. With natural gas, you generate 15kg of carbon dioxide per tonne.
“Possibly in the near future, green hydrogen will be one of the future fuels. Will it be the only one? No, I don’t think so. But it will play a very important part. This is why we are doing a lot of research and development work around green power for asphalt-mixing plants. In addition to the fuels of the future, the focus will be on direct energy savings – all the way to locally emission-free.”
Steins adds: “We need to give our customers a [asphalt] drying system which can use all future fuels we and, potentially, they can think of. If a customer has an alternative fuel they would like to use, we can test it at our headquarters and let them know if you can burn it with our plants.” Steins says Benninghoven is the only asphalt-plant manufacturer offering in-house fuel testing. “We don’t have to test different fuels at customer operating sites,” he stresses.
Mac Nelly and Steins explain that Benninghoven’s solutions development includes customers being ‘development partners’ using Benninghoven prototypes and existing technologies on their job sites. “We can bring this to developing countries. For example, we have a project with eight or more old asphalt plants generating high energy costs; it’s a big issue. By installing our new burner and burner control system on these plants, they can burn up to three different fuels simultaneously, reducing their costs,” says Steins.
Commenting on how easy fuel-use change-ups can benefit customers closer to home, Steins continues: “In Germany, an asphalt-plant customer may have a gas contract that limits them to a certain gas usage amount per day, with anything over that permitted usage, triggering an exponential cost increase. Using our system, you can play around, saying, ‘Ok, today I will run six hours on natural gas and two hours on oil and lignite dust.’ With the rising energy prices, a German customer ran their plant on gas for an extra two hours a day, costing them €80,000.”
“In the future, it is conceivable having burner systems that can use 100% green hydrogen, which will also be able to use other fuels via a burner control system,” Mac Nelly concludes. AB
ABOVE RIGHT: Steven Mac Nelly, Benninghoven head of R&D BELOW: A Benninghoven ECO 2000 asphalt-mixing plant. Pic: Benninghoven
These dates were correct at the time of going to press, but please note that the COVID-19 pandemic means some events may be rescheduled with little advance notice
