Screen media savvy
Choosing screen media for a screen box isn’t as simple as it used to be p19 as to
INTERVIEW
HEAD OFFICE
EDITOR: Guy Woodford
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Liam McLoughlin
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Patrick Smith, Dan Gilkes
EQUIPMENT EDITOR: Mike Woof
DESIGNERS: Simon Ward, Andy Taylder, Stephen Poulton
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Nick Bond
OFFICE MANAGER: Kelly Thompson
CIRCULATION & DATABASE MANAGER: Charmaine Douglas
INTERNET, IT & DATA SERVICES DIRECTOR: James Howard
WEB ADMINISTRATORS: Sarah Biswell, Tatyana Mechkarova
MANAGING DIRECTOR: Andrew Barriball
PUBLISHER: Geoff Hadwick
CHAIRMAN: Roger Adshead
ADDRESS
Route One Publishing Ltd, Waterbridge Court, 50 Spital Street, Dartford, Kent DA1 2DT, UK
TEL: +44 (0) 1322 612055
FAX: +44 (0) 1322 788063
EMAIL: [initialsurname]@ropl.com (psmith@ropl.com)
ADVERTISEMENT SALES
SALES DIRECTOR:
Philip Woodgate TEL: +44 (0) 1322 612067
EMAIL: pwoodgate@ropl.com
Dan Emmerson TEL: +44 (0) 1322 612068
EMAIL: demmerson@ropl.com
Graeme McQueen TEL: +44 (0) 1322 612069
EMAIL: gmcqueen@ropl.com
SUBSCRIPTION / READER ENQUIRY SERVICE
Aggregates Business International is available on subscription. Email subs@ropl.com for further details. Subscription records are maintained at Route One Publishing Ltd.
SUBSCRIPTION / READER ENQUIRIES TO: Data, Route One Publishing Ltd, Waterbridge Court, 50 Spital Street, Dartford, Kent DA1 2DT, UK
TEL: +44 (0) 1322 612079
FAX: +44 (0) 1322 788063
EMAIL: data@ropl.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher. Contributors are encouraged to express their personal and professional opinions in this publication, and accordingly views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of Route One Publishing Ltd. From time to time statements and claims are made by the manufacturers and their representatives in respect of their products and services. Whilst reasonable steps are taken to check their accuracy at the time of going to press, the publisher cannot be held liable for their validity and accuracy.
PUBLISHED BY © Route One Publishing Ltd 2019
AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL USPS: is published six times a year. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by Agent named Air Business, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 156-15 146th Avenue, Jamaica, NY, NY11434.
PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT / US POSTMASTER
ADDRESS CHANGES TO: Aggregates Business Europe, Air Business Ltd, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 156-15 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434
PRINT: ISSN 2051-5766
ONLINE: ISSN 2057-3405
PRINTED BY: William Gibbons
Africa’s
Agreat construction aggregates need
s editor of Aggregates Business International, you can easily feel overwhelmed by the amount of new aggregates and quarrying equipment market research reports you receive, via direct company emails or Google News Alerts. As such, you need to be highly selective in which studies you choose to focus on.
One piece of research that caught my eye recently was Persistence Market Research’s (PMR) new report on African construction aggregates demand.
PMR notes that construction aggregates demand across Africa is expected to remain strong, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4% over the 2019-2029 period. This, PMR states, would see African construction aggregates demand worth US$22 billion in 2029. That’s an impressive rise on what PMR tips to be demand valued at more than $12bn in 2019. On tonnage, PMR forecasts that the 2 billion tonnes of African construction aggregates demand in 2019 will rise to 3.5 billion tonnes in 2029. PMR explains how the African construction aggregates market is segmented into crushed stones, sand, gravel and other types. Crushed stones, says PMR, will be one of the most lucrative segments throughout the forecast period.
So, what’s driving this eye-catching growth in African construction aggregates demand? According to PMR, escalating urbanisation in countries such as Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, and South Africa, is driving increased spending on new commercial and residential construction and infrastructure megaprojects, all of which require a huge volume of aggregates and other building materials. Some of the key infrastructure megaprojects are the 5,000-megawatt Upington Solar Power Park in South Africa, the Anesrif-East Mining Line in Algeria, and the KRC (Kenya Railways Corporation)-Mombasa to Malaba standard gauge railway line.
The PMR report also notes how a growing demand for leisure activities, amusement parks and other luxury sports venues in Africa is
driving the market growth of gravel throughout the continent. This, PMR says, is expected to create exciting commercial opportunities for international and local aggregates market players.
From a regional perspective, PMR says sub-Saharan Africa will account for a “prominent” share of total Africa construction aggregates market demand over the next decade, owing to its positive outlook for infrastructure and industrial applications. In 2019 sub-Saharan Africa is projected to hold an impressive 64.1% share of the Africa construction aggregates market. In east Africa, the construction aggregates markets in Ethiopia and Tanzania are anticipated to expand at relatively higher growth rates, says PMR, compared to many other African countries, owing to the substantial investment in new infrastructure in those two countries, such as energy and power plants. The north Africa construction aggregates market is also projected to be a lucrative market, with a CAGR of 5.8% in the 2019-2029 period.
At the UK Mineral Products Association’s annual conference in London, England, I listened to a fascinating presentation by Dr Matthew Free, director, Geohazard & Risk Management at Arup, an independent global firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists working across every aspect of the modern built environment. He highlighted a PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) report forecasting that the world’s economy will double in size by 2042 compared to 2016. The report states that while the US and the EU will experience a reduction in their economic might by 2050, Africa’s economy is growing the fastest. The PwC report also tips China to have the biggest national economy by 2050, with India up from third in 2016, based on IMF (International Monetary Fund) estimates, to second, the US down from second to third, and Indonesia up from eighth to fourth.
For ABI readers, such figures from highly reputable global business market analysis sources will be very well received indeed. GW gwoodford@ropl.com
It’s
PPC
Huge
Global
Metso celebrates 30th anniversary and 10,000 sales of HP Series cone crushers at event in Macon, France
Volvo CE excavators help to meet growing demand for Indian black granitebiggest construction market
The global aggregates hauler market continues its vibrancy
New state-of-the-art conveyors offering big productivity gains
An
Specials
10 INTERVIEW
Thomas Schulz on the impressive evolution of FLSmidth’s global cement and minerals industries products and services portfolio
15 METSO AIMS BIG IN INDIA
Metso has ambitious plans to meet the expanding demand for aggregates in India
17 QUARRY PROFILE
Switching to Sandvik premium crushers and screeners in its tertiary plant production is allowing South Africa-based BluRock Quarries to nearly double its capacity
43 LSR GROUP – RUSSIA
LSR Group is in good trading health in Russia’s 700 million tonnes-a-year aggregates market
45 KAMCHATKA VOLCANIC AGGREGATES
Known for its volcanic rock-based aggregates, the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East could become a hotbed for national aggregates production
45 43
FOX MARBLE WINS BIG UAE TEMPLE CONTRACT
Fox Marble, a London, UKregistered AIM-listed company, has won a major new contract worth US$2.4m to supply its Alexandrian White marble for the two-year construction of a temple in the United Arab Emirates.
The major new order has been placed by the Swaminarayan Hindu religious order which is building a temple in Abu Dhabi on land donated by the UAE Royal family. Fox Marble will provide most of the stone for the interior of the building. Construction of the temple is to start shortly.
Fox Marble CEO Chris Gilbert commented on the order: “We are privileged to be in partnership with the Swaminarayan religious order who have built over 1000 temples around the world. This temple will be the first such place of worship in the UAE and will be a monument for many generations to come.”
PPC appoints Roland van Wijnen as new CEO
South Africa’s largest cement maker PPC has appointed Dutch national Roland van Wijnen as its new chief executive officer.
With 17 years of experience at LafargeHolcim, van Wijnen was chosen following a global search, which kicked off in November 2018, to find the successor to Johan Claassen.
“Considering the specialised nature of the industry, and its challenges, as soon as Johan decided to retire, the board began a process to identify a highcalibre candidate, with extensive experience in leading cement companies in cyclical downturns and challenging markets,” said PPC chairperson Jabu Moleketi.
produced a total of 13,094 tonnes of marble at its Prilep Alpha (Macedonia) and Maleshevë (Kosovo) quarries - up 49% from 8,811 tonnes in 2017.
The company says it has made a strong start to 2019 with sales to 30 April of €515k (30 April 2018 – €76k), despite the winter shutdown of the quarries which generally results in very slow sales in the first few months of the year.
Fox Marble production in the four months to 30 April 2019 totalled 5,940 tonnes (2018 2,147 tonnes). The firm says the significant increase in production over this period is a reflection of capital investment made in its quarries.
The company has five quarries under licence (four of which are in operation) and a further five quarries under operating agreements. The quarries hold a combined volume of over 300 million m³ of premium quality marble and decorative stone.
“We are pleased to have secured Roland, a Dutch national, whose listed company experience and exposure to international global best practice will broaden the
will advance the process without any delays,” he said.
“He has been with Holcim, now LafargeHolcim, for 17 years during which time he held various senior leadership roles across the group. As CEO of the Philippine business, a public company, much the same size as PPC, he successfully dealt with similar challenges that PPC is facing. During his time Holcim Philippines successfully implemented a new retail business model and a growth strategy to best serve customers and increase profitability.”
An industrial engineering graduate from Twente University in the Netherlands, van Wijnen was CEO of some of Holcim’s Eastern European businesses between 2005 and 2010. He has also previously acted as CEO of Holcim’s global trading business before the Lafarge Holcim merger.
management practices of PPC. He is an ideal appointment as he has detailed knowledge of the cement sector. He is up to speed with our global strategic imperatives and
Having done some work for Holcim in South Africa before the company moved its operations out of the region, he is familiar with the country.
Moleketi said van Wijnen has signed a four-year contract and was expected to take over from Claassen as soon as he has received a work permit.
Drones saving aggregates & mining firms “up to 2,400 hours a year”
Fifteen per cent of aggregates and mining companies are saving between 600 to 2,400 hours in employee time a year by using aerial drones, according to a customer survey conducted by US drone-based aerial intelligence company Kespry.
The survey states that another 27% are saving 120-240 hours a year. Kespry surveyed the 220 aggregates and mining customers that use its platform across 3,311 worksites throughout North America. It found that 20% of companies are saving US$50,000-US$100,000+ a year by using drones, and 24% are saving US$30,000-US$49,999 a year.
Seventy-eight per cent of those surveyed said the drones enable them to more frequently survey their sites on demand, with 655 achieving greater data accuracy while reducing discrepancies and rework. Sixty-nine per cent of customers survey their sites monthly or weekly, with 36% engaged in large-scale surveys of 15 or more sites. Fifty-five per cent of customers stated they have achieved safer operations as a result of using the technology.
Eighty-two per cent of respondents said the ease of use also played a major factor in their decision to adopt the platform. Seventy-nine per cent chose the platform for speed of data capture and turnaround, and another 64% selected it for its turnkey hardware
guarantee designed to maximise uptime. Fifty per cent said they replaced contracted surveyors, measuring wheels, and GPS base and rover technology with Kespry.
Customers typically use the drones for inventory management, mine planning, materials management, contractor benchmarking, and boosting employee safety.
Fox Marble has won a US$2.4mn contract in the UAE
PPC has appointed Dutch national Roland van Wijnen as its new CEO
Global cement market to grow despite China slowdown
The 3.9 billion-tonne global cement market is being tipped to return to slight growth until 2023 after posting marginal declines from 2013 to 2018, according to a new study by the Freedonia Group (Freedonia).
A forecasted 1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in world cement sales during the 2018-2023 period will, Fredonia’s Global Cement report claims, be achieved despite reduced demand for the key building material in China, which accounted for over half of total global cement sales in 2018.
Global Cement predicts that China will continue to be a drag on global growth prospects for cement, as the nation’s robust economic expansion and related advances in construction slow down. Excluding China, however, Global Cement states that the pace of gains worldwide will be
much faster.
According to the new Freedonia study, cement market growth will be supported by expanding construction activity as urbanisation rates and infrastructure investment in developing regions rise; increasing modernisation and technological advancement of cement industries in low-income and developing economies; growing interest in cement products with improved energy efficiency and environmental profiles, particularly in higher-income countries; and environmental and regulatory concerns steering product innovation. As one of the world’s most energy-intensive manufacturing industries, concrete production is frequently implicated in environmental regulation –particularly in higher-income
areas such as the US and the EU. As such, the Global Cement report explains how manufacturers in these areas often focus on increasing the efficiency and quality of their operations; improving product performance; and making cement more environmentally friendly.
The new study notes how a number of environmentally conscious cement innovations have been introduced in recent years, such as TecEco’s (Australia) carbon-trapping Eco-Cement and Holcim Philippines’ (LafargeHolcim) Solido with reduced clinker content, which provide for a better environmental profile than standard cement.
More information about Freedonia’s Global Cement report can be found at: https://www.freedoniagroup. com/industry-study/globalcement-3699.htm
Saudi white cement contract for FLSmidth
Saudi Arabia-based Alsafwa Cement Company has signed a contract with FLSmidth to increase its white cement production capacity.
Alsafwa aims to convert to a dual white and grey cement production line in early 2020 to target a share of the significant growth in demand for white cement in the local market.
Referencing a 2018 Mordor Intelligence report, Denmarkbased FLSmidth says that emerging economies in particular are driving global white cement demand as construction activities increase.
The Alsafwa project will
involve the modification of existing equipment to create the dual white and grey cement production facility.
FLSmidth has conducted several similar grey-to-white conversions in recent years, including for Riyadh Cement Company in Saudi Arabia and Adana Cement in Turkey.
The modified kiln at Alsafwa is expected to be commissioned in early 2020, and the production objectives are to produce a minimum of 2,000 tonnes per day (tpd) white clinker with a maximum heat consumption of 1380 kcal/kg clinker.
RITCHIE BROS CEO TO STEP DOWN
Ravi Saligram is to leave his roles as CEO and director of Ritchie Bros Auctioneers from 1 October this year. The Burnaby, Canadaheadquartered industrial auctioneer and used equipment seller said Saligram had taken the decision to return to his family in the United States. The company has started a search for his successor and engaged an executive search firm to assist in the process. Ritchie Bros says it will consider both external and internal candidates.
Chair of the Ritchie Bros board Bev Briscoe said: “Over the past five years, Ravi has led the transformation of the company, building on its strength as a live auction company to become a world leader in providing solutions to customers for their equipment needs. With the acquisition of IronPlanet and its successful integration, Ravi leaves us with a robust platform and strategy firmly in place for continued profitable growth.”
Saligram said that the company is on track to deliver strong earnings growth in 2019, and that the 2017 acquisition of online auction platform IronPlanet is beginning to yield tangible value.
Alsafwa will install the FLSmidth Duoflex Burner to enable white cement production
A CRH cement plant in Mississauga, Canada pic: CRH
Ravi Saligram is stepping down as Ritchie Bros CEO and director in October
BMV HAILS CEMEX AS TOP SUSTAINABILITY FIRM FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR
Building materials giant CEMEX has for the fourth consecutive year been recognised by BMV –the Mexican Stock Exchange - as the company with the highest overall sustainability credentials from a total of 57 listed companies.
As part of this annual assessment, Monterrey, Mexicoheadquartered CEMEX also outperformed the average score of its industry.
For the eighth consecutive year, BMV included CEMEX in its Sustainability Index, which comprises the top performers in the three pillars of sustainability: Corporate Governance, Social Responsibility, and Environmental Care.
The award ceremony was held on 14 June in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at the 10th Issuer Forum of the Mexican Stock Exchange.
“This recognition encourages CEMEX to keep on enhancing our environmental, social, and governance performance and to continue pursuing our global sustainability ambitions to generate the most value for our stakeholders,” said Vicente Saiso, CEMEX corporate director of sustainability.
CEMEX says its 2018 sustainability performance highlights include zero employee fatalities for the first time, with 96% of its global operations fatality and injury free; 27.1% alternative fuels rate, the highest in the past four years; +13 million tonnes of waste from other industries seized as fuel or raw material in its production processes, representing 32 times more than the amount of waste it sent for disposal; and 21.6% reduction of specific CO₂ emissions vs. 1990, avoiding 8 million CO₂ tonnes during the year.
Rolls-Royce PS & XCMG partnership
local and international mining and quarrying projects, bringing together both parties’ technical strengths and business insights in order to enhance product competitiveness and gain market share.
With annual revenue of US$7.5 billion in 2018, XCMG is currently the largest market player in the Chinese construction & industrial sector and ranks sixth in the world’s construction machinery industry. Rolls-Royce Power Systems has been supplying MTU S2000 and S4000 diesel engines to power XCMG’s mining trucks ranging from120 to 400 tonnage since 2012. Both parties see great potential in further exploring the market with mining equipment built in China powered by highperforming, reliable MTU diesel engines that meet Chinese and global emission standards today and in the future.
Rolls-Royce Power Systems and XCMG, a multinational heavy machinery manufacturing company based in Jiangsu, China, have formed a strategic cooperation alliance to further develop the Chinese domestic and export mining and quarrying equipment markets, providing optimised solutions to customers worldwide.
A strategic cooperation
As part of a global supply footprint development strategy in its Minerals Consumables business area, Finnish quarrying and mining equipment heavyweight Metso is initiating consultations to evaluate the potential closure or other alternatives for its foundry operation in Isithebe, South Africa.
“Our strategy is to utilise synergies of the most efficient manufacturing and sourcing opportunities globally. We are continuously developing our supply footprint to deliver the best value, availability and quality
agreement was recently signed in Xuzhou, headquarters of XCMG, by senior executives of both companies. According to the agreement, Rolls-Royce and XCMG are committed to joint efforts in exploring opportunities to integrate Rolls-Royce’s renowned MTU power and propulsion systems, including MTU Series 2000 and 4000 engines, into XCMG equipment for Chinese
Li Zong, XCMG Mining Machinery, general manager, said: “The win-win cooperation is aligned with our development strategy to continue to enhance technology and market leadership at home and abroad. The combined force of MTU and XCMG will allow us to leverage synergies and create shared value.”
The two companies also agreed to collaborate on the validation and testing of new power and propulsion technologies including gas engines and hybrid solutions, as well as applications of digital technologies, to drive low-carbon, sustainable development of the mining and quarrying industries.
Metso evaluating potential closure of the Isithebe foundry in South Africa
for our customers,” said Sami Takaluoma, president, Minerals Consumables business area at Metso.
The Isithebe foundry produces metallic wear part castings for the mining and aggregates industries. The foundry has been part of Metso since 1998 and it has around 200 employees. In addition to Isithebe, Metso has five of its own foundries, located in Brazil, China, Czech Republic and India, and an extensive global network of external suppliers.
For the fourth straight year, CEMEX has been recognised by BMV as the firm with the highest overall sustainability credentials from a total of 57 listed companies. Pic: CEMEX
Rolls-Royce Power Systems and XCMG have formed a strategic cooperation alliance
Sami Takaluoma, president, Metso Minerals Consumables business area
FLSmidth, a globally renowned supplier of systems, equipment, services and products to the cement and minerals industries, headed into 2019 having achieved its strongest order intake in six years in 2018, with revenue also up by 4% compared to the previous year. Aggregates Business editor Guy Woodford spoke to FLSmidth group CEO Thomas Schulz to find out what customers can expect next from the ambitious and innovative Copenhagen, Denmark-headquartered business.
Asharp mind and easy-going charm don’t always go together, but they do in Thomas Schulz’s case. Talking with him at the bauma 2019 exhibition in Munich about the current performance of FLSmidth and future group goals, it was clear that the attributes I had noted during my Aggregates Business magazine interview with Schulz fiveand-a-half years ago, soon after he’d taken over as CEO of FLSmidth, were still very much evident.
Back in August 2013, Schulz, a German national and former president of Sandvik Construction, told me that in becoming FLSmidth CEO he’d joined a “fantastic company with a very strong business model and fantastic future potential”. Keen to appraise his new firm’s offer to customers, he wasted no time in conducting a businesswide ‘Health Check’. This identified where greater working efficiencies could be achieved and led to the appointment of a new HR group executive manager.
Schulz and his FLSmidth management team have continued to push for efficiencies. Last year’s return to group revenue growth and 13% year-on-year rise in order intake were aided by a strong performance in mining, largely driven by copper demand, and improved profitability in cement, coupled with the business’s diverse and strong customer lifecycle solutions. A truly global cement and mineral industries player with over 11,000 employees in offices in more than 60 countries, FLSmidth is targeting revenues of €2.54bn-€2.81bn (DKK 19-21bn) in 2019, compared to €2.51bn (DKK 18.6bn) last year.
“We see quite a positive momentum in the mining industry. Of course, there is negative talk of an upcoming global recession, trade wars, political unrest, populism, nationalism and so on. There is a feeling that we talk ourselves into a global recession, more than it really happens,” says Schulz, who in his early career days worked in coal and other areas of mining.
“If you look at the mining industry, there was a very long period of less or no investment - a kind of recession. But since mid-2017 we have seen a clear recovery. We have seen good growth in mining capital and aftermarket business. The recovery in the mining sector will build slowly year-on-year and will be built on trust.”
Schulz says the recovery of the global mining sector is driven by mine operators looking for solutions that can drive up their
productivity and profitability.
“Mining businesses also want to have a good social and sustainability set-up: to invest in education, water recovery and other things,” he adds.
Schulz also notes that the mining environment worldwide is getting more transparent and increasingly regulated. This, he says, is partly due to tragic events such as the Brumadinho dam collapse on 25 January 2019 when Dam I, a tailings dam at the Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine, nine kilometres east of Brumadinho, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, suffered a catastrophic failure. At least 233 people died in the disaster.
“Tragedies like this are, of course, negative for the industry in terms of its ability to attract young people. It is also negative in terms of how non-mining people see the whole industry. We now have a different mining environment with more regulation demanding greater transparency. We as a services provider to the mining industry have a lot of areas where we can contribute – not only with new technology, innovation and digitalisation, but to educate and support customers in finding new ways of working with water and energy, and to lower their emissions. There is a big overlap in the cement and mining industries. They face similar problems and we can help them learn from each other.”
Speaking about how FLSmidth plans to maintain its growth trajectory over the next couple of years, Schulz says, “We have definitely strengthened our aftermarket business. We were not a player at all in wear parts – but have revealed that we will have more than 10% of our aftermarket business from it by the end of 2019. This enables us to have more contact with our clients. We have significantly more service and sales people
compared to a few years ago, despite overall staffing levels being reduced since 2012-2013.
“We are today heavier in sales and service, R&D [research and development] and technical support staff. This is good as customers request more productivity improvement and less cheap equipment. It is now more a time for premium OEM [original equipment manufacturer] solution and services suppliers to be in demand. Besides requests for performance-enhancing solutions, customers are also very keen to gain an advantage through a greater use of automation and digitalisation across their businesses. You can digitalise everything, but the key question to ask is ‘Is it a gadget, or does is really add value to my business?’ We can look at this and start tailored programmes to help customers from day one gain advantages from digital technology solutions.”
Schulz says that FLSmidth’s equal split between big mining and cement business clients and small to medium-sized mining and cement customers is a key strength of the group, “The big project business customers are our base to give us the knowledge about all the processes involved in mining different commodities. We offer most if not all core mining and cement production equipment, and all kind of aftermarket services, up to managing and maintaining complete [mining and cement production] sites.”
In his comments accompanying FLSmidth’s encouraging 2018 trading results, Schulz said the group was taking innovation
LEFT: FLSmidth group CEO Thomas Schulz at the bauma 2019 exhibition in Munich, Germany BELOW: An FLSmidth material handling equipment customer in South Africa pic: FLSmidth
is a
and digitalisation to the “next level”. I asked what he meant by that? “There is nothing that is not digitalised. It is not a product. It is a new way in how we work. You see it privately when you have kids. Five or six of them in one room and all they do is text each other. I use emails and I get the comment that I’m ‘antique’.
“Our innovation and digitalisation can be seen externally in our new products, whether it’s a new heap leaching system, crusher or working process. But equally important is the positive effect it has internally, with software programs, the use of robots and other elements speeding up processes, increasing efficiencies and improving cash return.
“Two or three years ago it was all about getting smart products out into the market. Products where we could immediately prove to customers how they would make more money by investing in them. Tomorrow it is about how digital we are and which type of interface we use to communicate with our customers.”
Schulz explains how staff in FLSmidth’s global control centre track the performance of hundreds of customer plant worldwide, with anomalies flagged up online and technical support teams dispatched to help solve production problems. He says this kind of digitally triggered, fast-reaction response to helping customers find ways of doing things better than before had to go into FLSmidth’s DNA “completely”.
“The average age in our industry is not 18, 20 or 22 - it’s around 48 years. We cannot think anymore in terms of preferring to use only a Microsoft or Apple product. The younger generation think differently. They are more results-orientated and don’t care about what tool they use to get them. You need to bring your long-term experienced staff from the analogue and internet-email world into the digital world. It’s a completely new world and one they have to adapt to and not feel scared about it – to see the opportunities it creates.”
Moving on to FLSmidth’s product range,
Schulz stresses how the group’s commitment to R&D can be seen in the fact that a new product launch is announced every trading quarter. “It has to be a new product – not an upgrade. We upgrade quite a lot of products but do not announce them as a new product.
“To achieve standardisation and value engineering we outsource a lot, so for us it’s important we work with modular components that can be sourced in higher volumes. Higher volumes mean more cost efficiency, speed, better cashflow and less quality issues.”
Schulz has a good example with which to illustrate the success of FLSmidth’s standardisation and value engineering policy. “Years back we invested some money in vertical roller mills for cement production. We had a market position but were not satisfied with it. We were in a recession and didn’t have that many orders, but we had all the experts and we said to them, ‘Come on. We have available hours. Let’s redesign these vertical roller mills so we can source them faster, make them easier to commission and improve their performance. The last two years have seen the biggest vertical roller mills sales in FLSmidth’s history – and cement is currently not a growing market.”
Schulz is excited about the potential benefits for customers from FLSmidth’s new cloud-based digital metrics & analytics on its Raptor cone crushers. The technology for the Raptor R250, R350 and R450 models was showcased at bauma 2019.
“This digital system is connected to the cloud and whatever happens at the crusher, the information about it goes immediately online and into other plant which means they can adjust their production and vice versa. It gives our customers better utilisation of their equipment and higher productivity. It’s a classical little thing that helps our customers get more profitable.”
Schulz says it is vital for FLSmidth to explore new technologies given the vastly different mining world in which the group operates in.
“Twenty to thirty years ago, 4-5% copper
content in a mined deposit was standard. Today, copper content per mined deposit is 0.2 or 0.15. We need to dig out 20 times more to get the same amount of copper. It means we have to find completely new technologies to help customers mine.”
One such new technology devised by FLSmidth and highlighted by Schulz is the Rapid Oxidative Leach (ROL) process for improving leach kinetics and recoveries of primary copper concentrates. The process is said to be capable of attaining over 97% of copper dissolution in less than six hours under atmospheric conditions.
“ROL is one key advance but the whole mining industry still uses equipment which has its IP (intellectual property) dating back to 1850 or 1870. We need to look at what we can do differently by utilising latest technologies. To best utilise such technologies, you have to invest in people – in their education, in their on-the-job training, in setting them challenges. Some people make mistakes through this, but you have to allow that. The world has got more conservative and tries to limit people. We look at it the other way and say, ‘Try it. Test it. Do it’. We think the digital world can open people’s minds again.”
Asked about his biggest achievements in his coveted role as CEO of FLSmidth and what he still has to achieve, Schulz replies, “We have fantastic people and today they understand that more. We have great collaboration among our employees and in our work with suppliers and customers. It’s a hell of an improvement on a few years ago.
“In terms of outstanding goals, we want to be the world’s number one productivity solution provider in cement as well as mining. We are in a good place in both those markets, where we have good peers and fair competition. All premium suppliers are still less than half the [mining and cement productivity solution] market, so we can really grow more. What I care most about is what our customers think about us and what we can do more for them.” AB
FLSmidth’s offers a wide variety of equipment and services to cement sector clients. Pictured
technician working on a cement kiln pic: FLSmidth
Cat 330 GC next-generation excavator in an Indonesian quarry
Indonesia: an aggregates market on the move
Southeast Asia’s largest economy, Indonesia, offers exciting commercial opportunities for international and regional building material suppliers and quarrying equipment manufacturers.
Guy Woodford reports
After his May 2019 re-election as president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo has been keen to continue delivering on his commitment to green-lighting well over US$400 billion-worth of new public works projects.
As a World Bank report in April this year notes, the diverse archipelago nation of more than 17,000 islands, 300 ethnic groups and 260 million people has charted impressive economic growth since overcoming the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. The country’s GDP per capita has steadily risen, from US$807 in the year 2000 to US$3,877 in 2018.
Today, Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation, the world’s 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, and a member of the G-20. Described by the World Bank as an ‘emerging middle-income country’, the highly respected international financial institution has praised Indonesia for its enormous gains in poverty reduction, cutting the poverty rate by more than half since 1999, to 9.8% in 2018.
The World Bank April 2019 report adds: “Despite heightened global uncertainty, Indonesia’s economic outlook continues to be positive, with domestic demand being the main driver of growth. Supported by robust investment, stable inflation, and a strong job market, Indonesia’s economic growth is forecast to reach 5.2% in 2019.”
According to GlobalData’s May 2019 report Construction in Indonesia – Key Trends and Opportunities to 2023, the Indonesian
construction industry continues to expand at a fast pace, driven mainly by the government’s continued investment in energy and transport infrastructure. It registered an annual growth rate of 6.1% in real terms in 2018.
The industry’s output value is expected to continue to expand at a healthy rate over the forecast period (2019–2023), with investments in housing, transport and tourism infrastructure projects continuing to drive growth. In the 2019 budget, the government increased its total spending on transport infrastructure from IDR410.7 trillion (US$28.8 billion) in 2018 to IDR415 trillion (US$29.1 billion) in 2019. GlobalData says the focus on developing local energy resources is also expected to drive industry growth, thus further increasing demand for construction and quarrying equipment. The government aims to produce 114GW of power by 2024 and 430GW of power by 2050, to meet the rising electricity demand of the country.
The total construction project pipeline in Indonesia – as tracked by GlobalData and including all megaprojects with a value above US$25 million – stands at a staggering IDR9 quadrillion (US$630.9 billion). The pipeline, which includes all projects from pre-planning to execution, is well balanced, with 50.8% of the pipeline value being in projects in the pre-execution and execution stages as of May 2019.
Given the above glowing endorsements of Indonesia’s economic health and construction sector vibrancy, few are sceptical that
President Widodo will fail to make good on his huge public works spending promise. This creates greater certainty among buyers of building materials and quarrying equipment, who are increasingly looking to invest in premium plant brands.
U.S. quarrying, mining and construction equipment giant Caterpillar is among leading global market original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) looking to build on their already strong presence in the Indonesian market.
Speaking about the country’s current aggregates demand, Annas Fadly, Indonesia territory sales manager, Global Construction & Infrastructure division, Caterpillar, says: “Over the last five years demand has been increasing, driven by massive projects in construction and infrastructure from both the government and the private sector.
The impetus for construction in Indonesia can be attributed in large part to the new government’s push to accelerate the projects such as the Trans-Sumatera toll road and toll roads across Java, the Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), the Jakarta Light Rail Transit (LRT), the new Jakarta airport, the new Priok port (also known as Kalibaru port) which will more than triple annual capacity of Tanjung Priok when fully operational in 2023, various dams and irrigation projects, and public housing.”
Fadly says that future Indonesian aggregates demand is at least likely to be comparable to current levels and may
be slightly higher, due to the number of government and privately-funded infrastructure projects, including housing and office space, still to be completed.
Turning his attention to trends among Indonesian quarrying equipment customers, Fadly continues: “The majority of them are retail customers, and most use a 20-tonne excavator with hammer for primary breaking, and 10-tonne trucks. Other customers use blasting and hammer only for secondary blasting, preferring 20 – 30-tonne excavators. Big players from the cement companies or subsidiary companies of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) operate larger equipment and take advantage of the available on- and off-board technology.”
The Indonesian government, says Fadly, has put in place new regulations and policies around the extraction of minerals including sand, lime, marble, granite and andesite. “In the past, mining licences were issued by the regional government, now all the new licences are granted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia.
“Unfortunately, with such high demand, illegal mining and quarrying of construction materials remains a challenge for the government and it is taking its toll on the environment. However, with more vigilant enforcement of new regulations and policies, we can expect curbing of the level of environmental degradation.”
Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is another major global original equipment manufacturer which has a strong presence in the Indonesian quarrying, mining and construction markets. Recent projects include a Volvo EC200 excavator helping to build a road for a hydroelectric power plant, a Volvo R60D and EC950E working on a coal mine project, and a Volvo ABG5820 paver supporting efforts to improve Central Sulawesi’s transport network.
Gerrit Lambert, sales director for Volvo CE Indonesia, is another senior OEM figure with confidence in future Indonesian aggregates demand.
“Demand is forecasted to grow further. Infrastructure development is on the rise, especially highway projects, airports and ports. Therefore, to support this infrastructure development, there is a high demand for aggregates. Our 20- to 40-tonne range excavators such as the EC210D, EC350DL and EC480DL are well suited to meet Indonesian aggregates demand,” explains Lambert. “As aggregates demand increases, it means a brighter future ahead for Volvo CE.”
Citing another example of Volvo CE’s current presence in the Indonesian market, Lambert notes how contractor Mutiara Batang Toru CV is using Volvo EC200D excavators to help construct a road in a challenging rainforest landscape for a new hydroelectric plant in North Sumatra. “Both the Volvo EC200D excavators can move over 800 tonnes of aggregates every day to complete road
works within a tight schedule,” he explains.
Lambert adds: “The road construction sector has been very much underdeveloped in the past, therefore more roads are now needed to meet the population growth. Port projects in the Indonesian government are also on the rise. And all these developments require aggregates.
“To meet the future market needs, Volvo CE is ensuring that our machines are accessible to customers as we continue to improve our dealer network.
“On the product front, we offer Volvo breakers, which are designed to handle the toughest breaking jobs in mining, quarrying, demolitions and construction. Volvo breakers are our customers’ top choice when it comes to working in tough applications like stone quarries.”
Lambert highlights how a major expansion of the country’s road network is part of the Indonesian government’s plans to accelerate economic growth. He notes how several Sumatran contractors are using Volvo CE machines on one of the largest projects – the upgrade of the Trans-Sumatran Highway.
“PT Rodateknindo Purajaya and PT Baniah Rahmat Utama are using a collection of our machines to work on their respective stretches. The contract for the TransSumatran Highway is the largest of seven road projects the company is currently working on. The company has seven Volvo CE units on the job, including three compactors, two excavators, a paver and a wheeled loader.”
Lambert says Indonesian quarries are getting bigger, generating a need for bigger equipment. “As such, the demand for continuous high production and low cost per tonne is on the rise. Customers are more interested in lower fuel consumption equipment and Volvo CE machines are well known for that,” he concludes. AB
Annas Fadly, Indonesia territory sales manager, Global Construction & Infrastructure division, Caterpillar
Volvo EC950E excavator & A60H articulated hauler at Mining Indonesia
Workers on the production line of Metso’s Alwar facility
METSO TARGETS BUOYANT INDIAN AGGREGATES SECTOR
Metso has ambitious plans to meet the expanding demand for aggregates in India. Partha Pratim Basistha visited the Finnish company’s Alwar facility in the north of the country to find out more.
In the face of burgeoning aggregates demand from the Indian infrastructure sector, Metso made a massive €70m worth of capital investments in its businesses in 2018.
Some of the investment was used to expand production at Metso’s flagship Alwar minerals equipment production facility at Rajasthan in North India, to enable the introduction of new manufacturing practices and expand the product portfolio. The rest of the funding was used for the acquisition of the RMEBS valve business (which was part of the privately owned Rotex group), and to set up a new 20,000tonne capacity foundry at Vadodara, Western India.
The investments were intended to enable strong backward integration of manufacturing based on Metso’s own standards.
Speaking to Aggregates Business
International about the buoyant business demand in the Indian aggregates market, Metso president and group CEO Pekka Vauramo said: “Our strong local presence in India since 1992 has enabled us to closely address local requirements, through the right product offerings and services mix.”
Metso faces increasing local competition in the country, led by price-competitive solutions from well-established Indian crushing and screening manufacturers.
Vauramo said: “To have a competitive business positioning, our emphasis will be on curtailing the cost per tonne of operations, backed by our global expertise, and to deliver indexed rated throughput to customers, and enable them to reduce overall operating costs.”
Reductions in the cost per tonne of operations will be largely achieved by using Metso’s advanced research & development capabilities to redesign the crushing chambers, which will contribute towards
reducing waste and enabling plant owners to derive the right size of aggregates. To further lower operational costs, Metso will explore the redesign of wear parts for lesser replacements. It will also look towards higher levels of plant automation through digitisation, enabling plant owners to have better preventive and predictive maintenance, in addition to condition monitoring.
While creating a competitive edge through offering solutions to minimise cost of production, Metso will also look to meet the diverse crushing and screening application needs of the Indian market through its wide range of fixed and tracked plant of varied capacity.
One of Metso’s key strategies for consolidating and expanding its business in the country is leveraging further value from its services support. According to Vauramo this is based on the changing priorities of Indian customers, with newer plant owners
putting more emphasis on running their core business of supplying the aggregates.
“This completely unique service is based on our philosophy of Life Cycle offerings,” Vauramo said. “Here the plant owner can focus on his core business of marketing the aggregates and completely relegate the responsibility of running the plants on us to get the rated throughput. Running of the plants will be backed by both annual maintenance contracts and operational maintenance contracts.”
Metso’s new investments in its minerals equipment business in India have gone towards upgrading production standards at the Alwar facility. “We have inaugurated our new vibrating assembly shop and crusher on-line facility. These initiatives will enable us to widen our product offerings catering to wider application requirements, backed with highly superior manufacturing standards, enabling the plant owners to have higher return on investments,” said Vauramo.
To leverage quality and quantitative standards in production, a recent addition to the plant is inline assembly for the manufacturing of crushing components. This enables standardisation of the assembly process. The first phase of the
which coincided with the visit of Metso’s group CEO, is producing horizontal shaft impactors, cone and jaw crushers.
The Alwar facility is crucial to Metso’s overall business strategy as the plant meets demand in the Indian market, and also exports solutions to almost 60 other countries. The plant manufactures the Nordwheeler series of skid-mounted plant in addition to the track plant.
The Alwar facility features a complete fabrication line for producing the superstructure and associated components for crushers and screens. In addition, there are state-of-the-art plasma cutting systems for accuracy in cutting to minimise the amount of wastage. The fabrication shop houses a complete line of jigs and fixtures, made according to Metso’s own design standards to maintain evenness and repeatability in welding. The shop also has an ultrasonic testing facility for the welding joints.
The key objective of the Alwar facility is reducing production costs. This is evident from looking at the machine shop, which carries out machining of the jaw, cone and horizontal shaft impactors. Metso officials say the shop’s costs of production are low in
The key production line at the plant is for the production of rubber. This manufactures the screening media used in both aggregates and mining applications. It features an extruder and moulding press and incorporates both manual and machinery processes. In anticipation of the rising demand in the country, Metso has expanded the capacity of the shop with the recent addition of a pressing line.
Alwar also houses a pump manufacturing facility that provides solutions used in mining applications and in dewatering pumps at mineral processing sites. Backed by a complete testing line, it monitors the power flow in the pumps, in addition to temperature and vibration increases and any abnormality in sound.
Metso has invested more than €100m in its Indian operations so far. The first product it rolled out in the country was the Nordwheeler series of wheeler plant in 2012.
Metso’s orders in India totalled €293m in 2018, equivalent to 8.4 % of all orders across the Metso group for the year. In 2017 total orders were €166m. Exports account for about 20% according to senior company officials in India, having risen by around 50%
The Alwar plant is designed to reduce Metso’s production costs
Moulding presses on the rubber production line
Metso CEO and president Pekka Vauramo at the Alwar plant
Blurock invested in new-generation Sandvik crushing and screening equipment for the upgrade of the secondary and tertiary stages of the main processing plant
ENHANCING OPERATIONAL CAPACITY
A plant upgrade and several improvement measures at Blurock Quarries –anchored by a huge investment in new-generation Sandvik crushers and screens – have almost doubled the operation’s production capacity, while creating the much-needed operational efficiencies and flexibility, writes Munesu Shoko
With technology constantly advancing, industries are looking for ways to utilise the latest innovations to help their businesses run efficiently and maximise growth opportunities. A case in point is Blurock Quarries, a familyowned quarry located in the heart of Estcourt, a small town in the uThukela District of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, which has committed a huge investment in a major plant upgrade with new technology equipment, significantly boosting capacity and increasing operational efficiencies.
Blurock Quarries mines a dolorite rock with some sandstone intrusions. After the overburden layer, which is stockpiled for rehabilitation, comes a layer of weathered rock, a mixture of shale and sandstone, which is crushed to produce sub-base material (G5 and G7). Below that formation is a mixture of dolorite and a competent sandstone, which is used to manufacture G2 and general concrete products. Below that layer lies the clean dolorite, used to make road stone (20mm, 14mm and 10mm), as well as 26mm concrete stone and crusher
dust. The biggest-selling products at the moment are the 20mm concrete stone, crusher dust, G5 and road stone (20mm, 14mm and 10mm).
Since taking the reins as CEO of the family-owned enterprise back in 2015, after having served as the manager since 2010, Jeremy Hunter-Smith has focused his efforts on taking the business to the next level. He tells Aggregates Business International that following several recent interventions, the business has grown from strength to strength. Significant among some of the key initiatives in recent years was the investment in new-generation Sandvik crushing and screening equipment for the upgrade of the secondary and tertiary stages of the main processing plant. This was followed by recent investments in the modernisation of enabling infrastructure – new powerline, new substation, new switch room and a new control room, among others.
“In recent years we have focused on upgrading ourselves to be in line with the technological revolution. With the market slowdown, we have put our efforts into increasing efficiencies. A dip in the market can actually be an eye-opener for a business
– it has driven us to refocus our efforts on things that really matter, such as cutting wastages and driving efficiency in every way possible,” says Hunter-Smith.
Prior to the plant upgrade, Blurock Quarries operated an old processing plant that lacked capacity, efficiency and flexibility. The primary crusher was a Nordberg 1109 jaw crusher. It was a very old unit, one of only four brought into the country way back. From there, material was sent to a Telsmith 2536 jaw crusher, used as a secondary jaw crushing unit. “We had a primary and secondary jaw crusher. The reason was that we were able to feed into either jaw, which created a bit of flexibility in the event of a challenge with either of the two,” explains Hunter-Smith.
From there, material would go to the intermediate stockpile, from which it would be fed into a Metso HP300 cone crusher, which in turn fed the Ore Master vertical shaft impact (VSI) crusher. From the VSI, material would be fed into a Dabmar doubledeck screen. All oversize material would report back to a Telsmith 36/7” fine cone, before being fed into a 5” x 12” triple-deck screen for final segregation. This would then
feed the bins, from which the articulated dump trucks were loaded for stockpiling.
In 2016, Blurock engaged the services of a business development consultant, Deon Bosman, who suggested a growth and development plan for the operation. Based on Bosman’s previous experience with the Sandvik product, he recommended Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology South Africa to Blurock Quarries.
In 2016, Blurock started looking at areas where efficiencies could be created. The first Sandvik machine to be purchased was the CH440 cone crusher. Adam Taylor, lifecyle services manager – Crushing and Screening at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology South Africa, says the CH440 is suitable for a high-capacity secondary application or a high-reduction tertiary or pebble-crushing application, and it can be matched to changes in production through the selection of crushing chambers and an eccentric throw. The flexibility means that it’s suitable for a wide range of applications.
In this instance, the CH440 was deployed as a tertiary crusher, replacing both the Metso HP300 and the Telsmith 36/7” fine cone. “We removed two crushers and replaced them with a single, new-generation crusher,” says Hunter-Smith. “Apart from an increase in crushing throughput, this simplified our plant layout and having one crusher in the tertiary crushing stages, instead of two, reduced our maintenance effort,” says Hunter-Smith.
The Telsmith 36/7” fine cone was an old crusher which called for regular maintenance, which in turn resulted in unwanted downtime. In addition, maintenance of the old Telsmith posed safety hazards for the maintenance crew because its older technology did not have the means to lift the top of the crusher hydraulically like the new-generation Sandvik CH440. This feature has resulted in a reduction in downtime related to clearing blockages, which have been reduced from three hours on the old crusher, to about half an hour on the new crusher.
With the new CH440, Hunter-Smith also opted for Sandvik’s Automatic Setting Regulation control system (ASRi), which enables real-time performance management, allowing the machine to consistently run at optimum levels. “When a Sandvik CH440 cone crusher is equipped with ASRi, it automatically adapts the crusher to variations in feed conditions. By continuously measuring and compensating for crusher liner wear, the automation system allows for full utilisation of crusher liners and schedules liner replacements to coincide with planned maintenance stops. It also assists in keeping the crusher choke fed. This maximises rockon-rock crushing, which helps to optimise the quality of the final product,” explains Taylor. Installing the Sandvik CH440 has altered the whole tertiary section set-up while producing the exact quality that was achieved by having a fine cone crusher in the mix, says Hunter-Smith. “Another major benefit is that we have managed to relieve the pressure
In early 2017, Blurock started looking at its whole secondary crushing application. It engaged the services of Imilingo Mineral Processing, which designed the new secondary crushing layout. The quest to improve efficiencies at the secondary crushing stage started with the purchase of a Sandvik CS430 cone crusher. This was purchased in 2016, but was only installed in 2018. “It was the exact crusher we needed to upgrade our whole secondary crushing application,” says Hunter-Smith.
As part of the new layout, a Sandvik SS1633H scalping screen was bought in November 2017. “We started installation in December 2017 and commissioned in June 2018. The reason we selected this particular scalping screen was because of its compact build and high throughput, which allowed us to sidestep the space constraints we had onsite,” says Hunter-Smith.
The Sandvik CS430 cone crusher was purchased because Blurock wanted to create flexibility by being able to take out some of the products at the scalping screen before and just after the secondary crushing stage, before the product reported to the intermediate stockpile. This has also been made possible by the CS430’s ability to produce a better aggregate shape earlier in the crushing
on our VSI. We are able to reduce the speed of the VSI due to the CH440’s attrition crushing. Reducing speed on the VSI also lowers the amount of 0.075mm material in our crusher dust. Our concrete and asphalt manufacturing customers want as little 0.075mm as possible in their crusher dust,” explains Hunter-Smith.
Along with the Sandvik CH440, Blurock purchased the SV1252 vibrating grizzly feeder (VGF). This feeds the Nordberg 1109 primary crusher and was bought to improve feeding capacity at the primary crusher. “In terms of selection, we looked at other manufacturers, but the Sandvik VGF fitted perfectly into our existing structure. Our previous VGF created a bottleneck as we could not get enough feed into the jaw, so were not running the jaw full. That resulted in poor liner wear and poor attrition crushing,” adds Hunter-Smith.
In terms of plant design, the Sandvik CS430 cone crusher has been designed to allow the crusher to run either full or empty, with a dedicated feed bin feeding into it. “We built a big feed bin before the cone crusher, which is good crushing practice because you have the necessary continuous feed into the crusher,” says Hunter-Smith. “Once everything has been set up, we will install an automated door on the feed bin – if the crusher is full, it will stay open, but if there isn’t enough material in the bin, it will close the door and wait for the bin to fill so that the crusher will never run three-quarters or halffull. It will either be full or empty – that’s the best way to run a cone crusher.”
The scalping screen allowed Blurock to take out some of the product at the secondary stage. From the new Sandvik SS1633H scalping screen, they are now able to take out a handstone, G5, general concrete stone and dump rock material. “The investment into a scalping screen and the whole secondary set-up was to facilitate the manufacture of all products that we want using our main plant, instead of having to rely on our mobile crushing and screening train for some of the products. The secondary stage upgrade is definitely money well spent,” says Hunter-Smith.
The results of the plant upgrade are apparent – with the old plant system, Blurock had the capacity to produce about 100tonnes/hour. “We were very limited because of the old equipment we had. Following the upgrade – through Sandvik product and other efficiency improvement measures – we are now able to produce between 170 and 180tonnes/hour,” concludes Hunter-Smith. AB
TOP: Blurock has also invested in a new switch room ABOVE: Adam Taylor of Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology South Africa (left), with Jeremy Hunter-Smith, CEO of Blurock Quarries BELOW: A Bell excavator loads a Bell articulated hauler during overburden stripping
Aggregates plant for today & tomorrow
New plant and production hubs are making the crusher and screener market within the aggregates production business as vibrant as ever. Guy Woodford reports
Sandvik Mobile Crushers and Screens is a major player in the global quarrying equipment world, with the latest fruits of the company’s research and development work assured plenty of attention.
Recently, the Swedish quarrying equipment giant has unveiled the latest upgrade in its 2 Series plant range with the launch of the new QI442 tracked-mobile impact crusher.
The new model includes the new CI621 Prisec impactor which comes with a host of innovations for improved efficiency and greater safety during maintenance.
Like previous Sandvik Prisec impact crushers, the new CI621 can be configured to work as either a primary or secondary crushing machine, while the plant’s two hydraulically assisted curtains can be readily adjusted to produce a wide range of highquality product sizes.
The new CI621 includes further enhancements primarily focused on increased safety during maintenance and serviceability. These include a new rotor position and locking device, new hammer locking wedges for quicker removal and fitting, and a new wedge removal tool to provide safer installation and removal. The model’s rotor bearings have also been upgraded for easier assembly and clearance setting.
An eye-catching optional feature of the QI442 is the modular hanging screen system. Recently launched on Sandvik’s mobile cone crushers, the system is interchangeable and offers the flexibility for the crusher to operate in open or closed circuit. The innovative design enables set-up in less than 30 minutes and can be fitted without the use of additional lifting equipment. The patent-pending hanging
screen option delivers multi-functionality as a one, two or three-way split screener, as well as a highly productive and efficient impact crusher.
The double-deck hanging screen enables the machine to produce two screened products and recirculate the oversize back into the feed conveyor. The oversize conveyor may be hydraulically rotated 90° for stockpiling up to three products on the floor, or 180° for removal. The tail section can be raised hydraulically to give improved ground clearance for transport when loading or unloading.
The QI442 comes with a Sandvik My Fleet remote monitoring system as standard. My Fleet has been developed to help Sandvik customers know exactly how their equipment is being utilised. Through the collection and accurate monitoring of a wide array of parameters, this is said to facilitate accurate production forecasting, ensuring that the most efficient use is obtained from equipment, thereby maximising return on investment.
The QI442 comes equipped with a range of customer-focused features designed to improve the return on investment and experience for the operator. A pre-screen is fitted to ensure maximum scalping capability and to prevent any undersize material passing through the impactor, maximising throughput and reducing wear costs. This also allows a specifically sized product to be produced from the natural fines’ conveyor. The pre-screen also has a choice of grizzly or punch plate top deck and mesh bottom, providing the flexibility to suit any application.
Rockster, the Austrian mobile crushing and screening machinery plant maker, has moved to a new base which the firm says will double
its production capacity.
The move to the 10,000m² site in Matzelsdorf, Neumarkt im Mühlkreis, Upper Austria, was made in mid-June 2019. Rockster says the step is necessary due to the company’s continuous expansion, an extended product line and shorter delivery deadlines.
Established 15 years ago in the town of Enns, Rockster has since developed two patented systems for mobile crushers and expanded its distribution network worldwide. A new head office with a 7,000m² warehouse was set up in Ennsdorf, Lower Austria, in 2008, and subsidiaries Rockster North-America, Rockster China and Rockster Germany were established between 2013 and 2016.
The new Rockster site in Matzelsdorf was acquired in January this year. The first machine to be produced at the new assembly line will be the track-mounted impact crusher R1000S.
“It is our most technologically advanced mobile crusher and we are highly motivated to deliver one of our bestsellers as the first crusher produced in Neumarkt this fall,” said Rockster chief executive officer (CEO) Wolfgang Kormann.
As part of the relocation, the company name Kormann Rockster Recycler has also been changed to Rockster Austria International. The company says the name change will accentuate and better define the international nature of its operation, needs and future goals.
As part of the move Rockster plans to hire up to 20 new employees, and Kormann says the relocation will offer improved company growth potential due to the availability of a larger space.
“Standstill means regression. Continuous development is not only essential in the
The new Sandvik QI442 tracked-mounted impact crusher
construction of our machinery, but also the infrastructure has to be adapted according to the innovations and an increased demand.”
Serge Raymond, manager-product technology at MAJOR, an innovative Québec, Canada-headquartered manufacturer of wire screens for the global aggregates, mining and recycling industries, says choosing screen media for a screen box isn’t as simple as it used to be.
“What once was just woven wire now includes a variety of alternative options, such as rubber, polyurethane, metal plates, high-vibration wire, combinations of different materials and more. With each type comes countless new options for customisations of a screen deck to provide enhanced efficiency and throughput — whether by using one type of media or blending multiple.
“Standard woven wire is often the cheapest — at first sight — option, but that’s no reason for these alternative options to be passed over without careful consideration. Depending on the application, these innovative products can improve wear life; reduce pegging and blinding; speed up the stratification process and better remove fines, increasing the overall quality of the screened product.”
Raymond offers a few reasons why one should consider high-performance screen media.
“Most types of specialised screen media offer a much longer wear life than traditional woven wire. Thick rubber and steel plate media clearly mean greater durability, but sometimes sacrifice open area. High-performance media is made up of highly engineered wires held together with polyurethane strips, which eliminate cross wires with high wear spots that are common to woven wire and a few types of self-cleaning media. This results in optimal open area and a wear life as much as five times longer than wire alone.
“High-performance screen media can offer exceptional open area — in some cases 30% more than traditional woven wire and 50% more than traditional polyurethane and rubber panels. It is often a good solution for issues such as pegging, blinding or material contamination. Some media is tapered to help solve these problems, while others use unique designs to allow wires to vibrate independently from hook to hook under material contact. The result is high frequency vibrations from
the wires, in addition to the vibration from the screen box. This virtually eliminates near-size pegging on the top decks and fine material blinding and clogging on the bottom decks. It also means less risk of material contamination and cleaner retained product through the middle decks.”
Raymond argues that because screeners are often placed at both the beginning and end of production, the right screener media can be key to the quality and volume of production. High-performance media, says Raymond, can offer the necessary efficiency boost because some kinds accelerate stratification and increase material separation.
He continues: “High-vibration wire screens operate at a high frequency to accelerate the stratification process. That frequency can be as high as 8,000 to 10,000 cycles per minute, as much as 13 times higher than the standard vibration of a screen box. The increased screening action spreads material over the entire screen’s surface area on all decks. This moves the material faster, while maximising contact to ensure optimal throughput with no carry-over. The result is a higher-quality end product.
“This type of screen media can also be extremely effective in removing fines. The result can be less water needed to wash material or, sometimes, a complete elimination of necessary water use.
“One type of screen media isn’t always the option, and the answer isn’t immediately obvious. Consult with a dealer and manufacturer to determine the best type of media to solve screening problems and improve performance. The right solution could mean turning a screen that was a bottleneck into a profit maker.” AB
3 Depending on the application, high-performance screen media can improve wear life; reduce pegging and blinding; speed up the stratification process and better remove fines 4 MAJOR says high-performance screen media can offer exceptional open area — in some cases 30% more than traditional woven wire and 50% more than traditional polyurethane and rubber panels
Rockster’s new base will allow the company to double its production capacity
1 The rotor position and locking device for the Sandvik Prisec CI621 impact crusher 2 The first model to be produced on Rockster’s new site assembly line will be the R1000S track-mounted impact crusher
Metso’s Nordberg HP Series turns 30
Metso customers from Germany, Spain, France, UK, Australia and China recently joined some of the aggregates plant manufacturing giant’s dealers, distribution partners, employees and the quarrying trade press in Mâcon, France, to celebrate the 10,000th sale and 30th anniversary of Metso’s popular Nordberg HP Series cone crushers. Guy Woodford and Liam McLoughlin were among those in attendance at the big landmark event.
Having used them for more than 25 years, it’s clear that Eurovia is a big fan of Nordberg HP (HP) cone crushers. The subsidiary of VINCI, one of the world’s main transport infrastructure construction and urban development companies, currently has around 250 HPs working at some of its 400-plus production sites worldwide –helping the firm produce 100 million tonnes/ year of aggregates and asphalt for its diverse customer base. Given that Eurovia’s headquarters is in France, it’s no surprise to learn that half of the company’s HP cone crushers are in operation at its French sites, with the latest addition – an HP300 - being the 10,000th HP model sold by Metso in the range’s 30-year history.
Representatives from Eurovia, including Didier Thèvenard, the company’s equipment director, and Vincent Follet, Eurovia’s French site operations manager, were present for the unveiling of the landmark 10,000th HP Series cone crusher during a special 10,000th sale-30th anniversary event at Metso’s key production and R&D site in Mâcon, eastcentral France, on 4th June 2019.
“Our HPs’ production quality and the final grade of product they produce corresponds exactly to market demand, especially compared to older machines,” explains Follet. “The HPs also enable us to produce the right formula of aggregates to go into our asphalt plants.” The landmark HP300 model will be used to process amphibolite rock at Eurovia company Carrières de Condat’s Pagnac quarry in the village of Verneuil-sur-Vienne, 20 kilometres south of Limoges. After its commissioning this month in July 2019, it will work alongside a fixed HP3 plant and assist in producing sand and 0-2mm, 2-6mm, 6-10mm, 10-14mm and 14-20mm aggregate product.
Aggregate Industries’ Bardon Hill Quarry in Coalville, Leicestershire, England, has been using HP cone crushers for over 27 years. The 4.5 million tonnes/year granite quarry uses two HP500, two HP400 and one HP300 cone crushers, along with five Metso screener models.
“The HPs give us a good first pass yield and capacity,” said Douglas Galbraith, Bardon Hill co-operations director, who was joined at the Metso Mâcon event by fellow operations director Steve Harle. “You turn the HPs on in
ABOVE: Metso customers, distributors, division heads and Mâcon facility employees joined in the 30th anniversary-10,000th sale celebration of the HP Series cone crushers
the morning and you rarely have an issue. They are easy to look after and are ideal for producing high-value road aggregates.”
Harle added: “We always look for flexibility in our crusher configurations and the HP cone crushers gives us that.”
Ofitas de San Felices Group (OSF) has been using HP cone crushers for more than 24 years. Iñigo Ajuria, general manager of OSF, said: “We used [Nordberg] Symons and [Nordberg] Omnicone crushers and started using HP cone crushers as it was an evolution in the technology. Metso has the best crushers on the market, the best for technology, capacity, quality, reliability and versatility.”
OSF’s fleet of HP cone crushers – one HP100, three HP200s, one HP300, four HP 400s and four HP4s – work across the company’s three ophyte rock quarries, two in northern Spain and one in Granada, Andalusia, southern Spain. They work alongside a variety of Metso CVB and TS screens. OSF has a long history of high-quality ballast production, with huge volumes used in building Spain’s impressive high-speed rail network.
The HP Series range covers nine models. The latest generation HP3, HP4, HP5 and HP6
cone crushers have proved popular among aggregates quarrying and mining customers, while the HP100, HP200, HP300, HP400 and HP500 units are still selling strongly worldwide, with the HP300 the best-selling crusher in the entire range. A truly global product, North America, Europe and Asia account for a combined 75% of HP Series sales, with South America accounting for 15% and Africa 10%.
“The HP is undoubtedly one of Metso’s most widely used innovations. It’s a technology that has been evolving throughout the years to meet customers’ changing needs, making their operations more successful through proven performance and reliable output. That’s most likely why HP has become an industry standard for a variety of aggregates and mining applications,” said Arto Halonen, vice president, aggregates crushers at Metso.
The origin of the HP Series cone crusher can be tracked back to Milwaukee, USA in the early to mid-1980s. The technological breakthroughs by the Nordberg research programme were said by Metso to redefine crushing performance and provided the basis for a new type of cone crusher introduced in 1989: the Nordberg High-Performance cone crusher series, today simply known as the HP.
Today, two thirds of HP Series models are engineered and manufactured in Metso’s cutting-edge technology centre in Mâcon,
France. The other third is produced in Metso’s technology centres in Brazil, China and India. A versatile crusher, the HP cone crusher is ideal for a wide range of fixed and mobile applications, varying from limestone to taconite and ballast production to manufactured sand.
Halonen continued: “Know-how from developing the HP and from thousands and thousands of customer applications around the world has played an integral part in Metso research and development initiatives in crushing.
“This [10,000 HP Series sales] is an important milestone for Metso and we want to thank our customers for their continued confidence in us during the first 30 years of the HP’s journey.”
Speaking at the Metso Mâcon-hosted
development of the HP Series was born out of an evolution in Metso cone crushers: from traditional, mechanical Symons’ cones, to Omnicone and then the HP Series. It was strongly driven by the need for better performance, capacity and end-product quality. When HP Series cone crushers were introduced it became possible to produce much more with the same-sized unit than before.”
Summarising the key features of HP Series cone crushers, Somero noted how they offered 35% higher production capacity than Omnicone models, greater interparticle crushing ability, higher reduction and better shape. He also highlighted how HP Series units had no separate short head and standard configurations, a high speed and long throw, a high-hold downforce, an ability to seamlessly switch between secondary, tertiary, fines and sand processing applications, a very reactive tramp release mechanism and safe, quick and easy cavity clearing.
Presenting alongside Somero at the Metso Mâcon event, Halonen said that Metso’s main direction with the HP range is to improve its serviceability and performance, rather than planning any new models. He added: “We plan to make Metso Metrics [a cloud-based, remote monitoring and data visualisation service for Metso Lokotrack mobile crushing plants] available with the HP Series. This will give operators 24-hour access to their HP
Series plant. We see an exciting long-term future for these units.” HP Series performance can already be enhanced if the cone crushers are supported by the Metso IC70C crusher automation system, allowing users to control maintenance, setting modifications, production follow-up and data extraction.
The recent event also included a tour of the Mâcon manufacturing and assembly facility. Attendees learnt how each HP Series unit takes anything between two to five days to assemble and passes through more than 150 testing points. Each model undergoes four hours of rigorous testing covering areas including mechanical reliability, vibration and operating temperature. A key facility of the €200 million sales-a-year Metso France business, around 350 of the business’s staff work at or are linked to the Mâcon site.
Emphasising the truly global appeal of the Nordberg HP cone crusher range at the anniversary event was Sinohydro Bureau 8 Co. Ltd, Metso’s first HP customer in China. The firm has been using HP cone crushers for over 23 years, most notably in the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric gravity dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, in Hubei province, central China.
Minghua Xiong, chief engineer on the Three Gorges Dam project, and Handong Zhang, the project’s overall manager, were among event guests.
Zhang said: “We only used Metso
aggregates and sand processing plant in the Three Gorges Dam project. We used an HP500 as a secondary and tertiary crusher. HP Series cone crushers are first-class equipment. We also used a [Metso Superior MK III] 5065
gyratory crusher and a Barmac B9100 [vertical shaft impactor], after we were advised by Metso to upgrade from a Barmac B9000. Metso continues to contribute a lot of plant and expertise to our company.” AB
Europe’s leading aftermarket manufacturer and supplier of precision crusher spare parts and premium manganese wear parts for the Mining and Quarrying Industries.
An HP Series cone crusher at Eurovia’s Pagnac quarry
Excavators meeting growing black granite demand
Not many people know or have heard of Chitamba in India, but that all changed in 2008 when a fortune was discovered there — black granite. Since then, Chitamba’s black granite has become much sought-after around the world. Liam McLoughlin reports.
Afleet of machines from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is working on a mine in Chitamba, Rajasthan, India, to keep up with the growing demand for black granite. Between 2016 and 2017, production of granite in Rajasthan increased by 48%, from 2.5 million tonnes to 3.8 tonnes, according to the state’s Department of Mines and Geology report. Black granite from Chitamba has a wide acceptability with customers fetching the best of prices for the mine owners.
Harsh Granites, a granite supply company based in Jaipur, Rajasthan, has deployed a fleet of 17 machines at the Chitamba mine, where black granite was first found eleven years ago. The fleet consists of Volvo excavator models EC210, EC290, EC380 and EC300DL that work on average between 12 to 13 hours daily. The excavators are primarily used for pushing the granite blocks closer to the towing cranes. The fleet is also used in excavation works and to clear the site.
For example, the EC300DL hauls massive blocks of granites daily — some weighing over 30 tonnes — across considerable distances. It is a huge ask on any machine, especially on its undercarriage, but the Volvo EC300DL goes about its job with ease.
“Only the toughest survive the hardest,” said Amar Singh Bhandari, a partner at Harsh Granites. “The way Volvo EC300DL handles massive blocks of granite —pushing, dragging them with no stress or fuss — is amazing!”
Equipped with a smart electro-hydraulic system, Volvo’s powerful 30 tonne-rated heavy-duty EC300DL provides increased power, digging force, faster cycle times and greater control. The EC300DL is powered by a Volvo D7 engine that has a 170kW power rating and delivers 11% more fuel efficiency compared to previous models. Operators also have the option of using Volvo’s unique ECO mode, which contributes up to 5% of the machine’s total fuel efficiency saving — with no loss of performance in most operating conditions.
“High productivity and low machine downtime delivered by Volvo machines are crucial in our business that is forever facing margin pressures,” Bhandari said. “Operator comfort and optimum fuel consumption are a standard with Volvo machines, and it is easy to see why Volvo is a tough-to-beat choice in mining. Volvo machines remain a clear favourite for Harsh Granites and the group.”
Harsh Granites produces at least 100,000 tonnes of black granites annually, of which 70% are for domestic use, while the remaining 30% are exported to China and Europe.
Scottish company Tillicoultry Quarries has purchased a further three new Volvo CE loading shovels for its quarrying operations spread across Scotland’s central belt and Ayrshire.
This latest package includes two L120H loading shovels complete with 3.5m³ rehandling buckets and boom suspension
systems, one of which has been allocated to Tillicoultry’s Northfield quarry in Denny, Falkirk, the other to Tulliallan quarry in Tulliallan, Kincardine-on-Forth. Both will be put in charge of general rehandling and stocking-out duties. A larger Volvo L150H equipped with a 4.2m³ rehandling bucket has been sourced to operate at Hullerhill sand quarry.
These new additions to the fleet are due to the continuing expansion and acquisitions in the central belt locality by Tillicoultry Quarries, according to managing director Wallace Menzies. “The Volvo product represents excellent value for money in terms of economical fuel consumption, high residual values, a proven track record for reliability and sustainability and their qualities and pedigree mirror our own high standards in offering a competitive and professional service,” he says.
Powered by a Tier IV Final Volvo 8-litre engine developing 206hp with a maximum torque of 1317Nm at just 1450rpm, the L120H also benefits from Volvo-designed and -manufactured driveline components devised to offer considerable fuel savings each shift.
All the new Volvo CE machines are fitted with CareTrack as standard, which is Volvo’s telematics system that enables remote monitoring of a wide range of machine functions (e.g. location, fuel consumption, service reminders etc.), thus optimising customer operations.
A Volvo CE excavator, part of the Harsh Granites fleet in Chitamba, Rajasthan, India
Doosan says it is introducing new ready kits for its 14-30-tonne range of wheeled and crawler excavators to meet the increasing demand for machine guidance systems from its excavator customers.
The kits can be ordered direct from the company’s factory through Doosan Smart Solutions for use with Leica, Trimble and Xsite 2D and 3D machine guidance systems. Doosan says its ready kits can differ according to the model and the region concerned.
The company adds that its collaboration with the three machine guidance system manufacturers means that customers in Europe can now order excavators pre-installed with Leica, Trimble and Xsite ready kits.
The kits include all the components required to make sure a machine is ready for the installation of a guidance system at a later date, and Doosan says they require very little or no welding, re-painting, drilling or disassembly.
The kits are fitted on customer machines in the Doosan Customisation Centre in the Netherlands.
The 30-tonne DX300LC-5 crawler excavator from Doosan has won the EquipmentWatch Lowest Cost of Ownership (LCO) Award in the Excavators Crawler Medium category for the second year running.
The LCO Awards are based on empirical data regarding the long-term cost of heavy and compact equipment. They are organised by EquipmentWatch, which provides data, software and insights for the heavy equipment industry. Nominees are recognised within 15 different categories of machine that exhibit the lowest cost of ownership over a five-year span.
Doosan says total cost of ownership is one of the most important aspects that buyers take into account when they purchase equipment.
The DX300LC-5 is powered by the Doosan DL08 6-cylinder diesel engine, with an output of 202 kW of power at 1800 rpm, providing a 27% increase in engine power and a 30% boost in torque over the previous LC-3 model. The engine meets Stage IV emission regulations without the need for a diesel particulate filter (DPF), through the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and selective catalyst reduction (SCR) aftertreatment technologies.
As well as the Doosan engine, the DX300LC-5 has features that lead to claimed reductions in fuel consumption that average 10% compared to the Stage IIIB machine. These features include the ‘Trip Meter Setting’ screen which allows operators to check fuel consumption daily (or over a desired period) directly from the control panel.
In a recent post on the Facebook page of German mining company AG für Steinindustrie, board member Cornelius Kirsche wrote: “Is there a more spectacular sight than a 75-ton excavator at work in a lava trench? The latest addition to our portfolio is just a joy to witness. What more is there to add?” In mid-2018, the CASE dealer in Andernach, Germany, supplied AG für Steinindustrie with a CASE CX750D from the company’s latest D-Series range of excavators.
Since then, the machine has been serving the company reliably at the Ochtendung lava plant, located southeast of Kruft in the Fresserhöfe region. AG für Steinindustrie has an excellent pedigree in this region, having conducted mining, processing and shipping operations there since the seventies. The company’s specific operation is to mine lava from the Tönchesberg, one of the volcanic cinder cones that gives the volcanic area of
eastern Eifel its distinctive landscape.
The CASE CX750D is used for the direct extraction of raw materials in the lower part of the mines. Volcanic clinker and lava sands are present naturally as loose rock and are separated directly from the mine wall using the machine. After this, the material is loaded onto dump trucks or broken down on site with a mobile crusher to a size that allows for easy processing.
The extreme abrasiveness of the lava material demands high performance from the bucket and arm. In addition, the mining area is criss-crossed with numerous basalt deposits, which, for safety reasons, must be washed away repeatedly in the course of the excavation process.
For this reason, AG für Steinindustrie opted to purchase the Mass Excavator (ME) version of the CASE CX750D, which - with a maximum breakaway force of some 366kN, a larger bucket cylinder and optimised kinematics - is suited for tough extraction jobs.
Hanson UK has bought two new Hitachi ZX890LCR-6s for its fleet operating at Shap Beck Quarry in Cumbria and Chipping Sodbury Quarry in South Gloucestershire.
The two machines were part of a package of 16 awarded to Hanson Construction Machinery UK (HCMUK) following a tender process in 2018, which also includes four ZX690LCR-6s and several wheeled loaders.
After a 90-tonne Hitachi machine was moved from one Hanson quarry over to Chipping Sodbury for a trial, HCMUK says that Hanson chose to invest in a new one for the operations at the Chipping Sodbury site. At Shap, the existing 2007 Hitachi ZX870LCR-5 had clocked up 23,000 hours of operations, so the Hanson team decided it was time to replace it with the latest model from this weight class – the ZX890LCR-6.
Hanson UK is a supplier of heavy building materials/aggregates to the construction industry. Shap Beck quarry and Chipping Sodbury quarry produce limestone aggregate, some of which is used in the large-scale production of lime for steelmaking. AB
The 75-tonne CASE CX750D excavator at the Ochtendung lava plant in Germany
The Doosan DX300LC-5 crawler excavator has won a lowest cost of ownership award
Motherwell, Scotlandheadquartered Terex Trucks is a leading player when it comes to supplying articulated dump trucks (ADTs) to the world’s aggregates producers. The company’s managing director, Paul Douglas, recently found space in his busy schedule to talk to Aggregates Business about the health of the global articulated hauler market and the company’s new dealer appointments.
Hearty hauling health
The global aggregates hauler market continues to offer attractive commercial opportunities for leading articulated and rigid dump truck manufacturers. Guy Woodford reports
is continuing to expand its presence in these markets where growth is expected over the coming years.”
Douglas says Terex Trucks has signed several new dealers recently. In North America these include B-C Equipment Sales in South Texas and RDM Equipment Sales and Rentals in British Columbia. A little closer to home the company also signed four new dealers in France: Griset Materiel, Manu Lorraine and Manu Alsace from the Manu Lorraine Group, Framateq and Promatex, as well as
“For the past two years, we’ve seen strong growth in the articulated hauler market in almost every area. Looking at the last 12 months rolling, we can see articulated hauler sales peaked at over 8,000 units, across all brands, for the first time in many years. Most territories have seen positive growth, albeit at different parts of the cycle (i.e. some are growing steadily, whereas others may have reached a peak). We are watching this closely and are already seeing some signs of contraction in certain areas.”
Baumaschinen Rehnen in Germany, Mining Eurasia in Russia and Aldimak in Spain. He continues: “Expanding our operations is helping to reinforce our commitment to customers and dealers and bring our robust and reliable TA300 and TA400 articulated haulers to a wider customer base. We are working with strong dealer partners who understand the local customers and can provide them with high-quality support and solutions, with the backing from us here at the factory. We aim to continue to grow our dealer network, volume output and market share as the year progresses.”
Douglas says there is a large global demand for energy, housing and infrastructure, and this has been driving demand for construction equipment. On top of this, construction markets in general have also seen growth, but some signs of maturity and even contraction are now evident.
“The global economies in the second half of 2019 are not totally clear: China appears to be slowing down which will affect Asia and the global market, we still await the outcome of Brexit and the impact that may have on both the EU and global markets, while North America still appears to be strong and growing.
“There are several key markets for Terex Trucks that are particularly strong. These include North America, South Africa, France, Germany, Russia and the UK. Terex Trucks
Doosan has been talking in more detail about the company’s bauma 2019-launched Stage V-compliant DA30 and DA45 ADTs. The new DA30 and DA45 replace the previous DA30-5 and DA40-5 Stage IV models, respectively. The DA30 has a 28-tonne payload, while the DA45 offers a 41-tonne payload.
The DA30 is powered by the new Scania Stage V-compliant DC09 9-litre diesel engine providing 276kW of power. The DA45 is driven by the new Scania Stage V DC13 13-litre diesel engine with an output of 368kW.
The new Scania engines have undergone two years of very intensive testing in exacting construction and mining environments and have passed with flying colours. While the core of the Scania engines, which has been responsible for their exceptional reliability, has not changed, the main difference in the new engines from their predecessors is the improved after-treatment system.
In 2018, the DA30 ADT was upgraded with a range of features including a new cab, a new self-levelling front suspension and a new tandem bogie system which are all incorporated in the new Stage V model.
Terex Trucks managing director, Paul Douglas, says there has been strong growth in the global hauler market over the last two years
A Terex Trucks TA400 articulated hauler
A similar process has been applied in the new DA45 Stage V machine, with a new cab and a semi-levelling front suspension that adjusts itself independently depending on the operating conditions to ensure a comfortable working environment for the operator.
As well as these changes, the new Stage V models offer many more features - one of the most eye-catching is a new design for the front frame and bonnet components on the trucks, created by the Doosan design team in accordance with the latest trends in the market. The new dynamic look this gives the Stage V ADTs reflects the high performance, power and robustness of the Doosan ADT range and aligns even more closely with the rest of the market-leading range of construction equipment from Doosan.
Together with the visual changes there are a number of functional changes on the new ADTs which improve safety, comfort and serviceability. These include a new positioning of the diesel and AdBlue tanks. The latter are now much lower than before, allowing the operator to fill both tanks whilst standing next to the machine (‘ground-level filling’).
The greasing system has also been relocated to make it easily accessible from ground level. Space has been provided above the automatic lubrication system (which is standard) for additional grease cartridges and a filling pump. In addition, the transmission filters have been installed close to the greasing system, where they are also very easy to
Doosan’s new DA45 ADT is powered by the new Scania Stage V DC13 13 litre diesel engine
access. All of these systems are protected to ensure that any excess drops of oil/grease are collected and can be removed during service and maintenance.
Both new machines are equipped with additional external round hand rails to prevent accidents and hazardous situations. Inside
the cab, there is a new additional grip on the right-hand side for increased safety for the operator. The electronic and hydraulic systems in the new trucks have also been upgraded to offer improved performance with extended functionality and new technology.
The state-of-the-art designs and
Visit us!
Materials Handling Middle East
Dubai, UAE
September 03 – 05, 2019
Za’abeel 5, Stand A22
Visit us!
PERUMIN, Arequipa, Peru
September 16 – 20, 2019
Stand 467/468
The new Cat 777G is said to offer 7% more engine torque and a higher top speed than its predecessor
SOME THINK RAW MATERIAL TRANSPORT REQUIRES A COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE.
developments in the new Stage V DA30 and DA45 ADTs are said to have resulted from intensive market analysis, customer visits, interviews with operators and additional feedback gathered by the Doosan ADT product and R&D teams at the company’s ADT plant located in Elnesvågen, near Molde in Norway.
Given their many new, advanced features, Doosan says its new Stage V ADTs establish a notable benchmark in load-carrying performance, fuel efficiency, enhanced controllability and high operator comfort, together with improved reliability, durability and reduced maintenance and servicing costs.
Caterpillar ’s new 777G rigid dump truck (RDT), a 90-tonne hauler with a 765kW Cat C32 ACERT EU Stage V/US Tier 4 Final engine, is said to be proving popular among quarrying and mining customers, with sales strong in markets such as Indonesia, Africa and the Middle East.
the 777G incorporates several fuelsaving features.
Auto Neutral Idle allows the hauler’s transmission to intermittently shift to neutral when the truck is idling in a forward gear to avoid stalling the torque converter and increasing engine speed. Engine Idle Shutdown, an operator-selected feature, stops the engine when the truck idles in park for more than a preset interval. Speed limiting provides an alternative to gear limiting the 777G by allowing the truck to travel at a more fuel-efficient engine speed and in a more efficient transmission gear. Meanwhile, Advanced Productivity Electronic Control Strategy (APECS) transmission controls boost fuel efficiency by maintaining momentum and speed on uphill grades during shifts.
Mined raw materials travel along extensive transport routes. Overland and pipe conveyors are an energy efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly way of transporting the commodities over long distances to the plant or storage area. We customise the curved belt conveyors to overcome any challenging topographical circumstances. This minimises the transfer points and the number of systems and reduces investment, operational and maintenance costs.
For more information visit www.beumer.com
“We have designed and manufactured the 777G to be the most efficient 90-tonne mechanical truck in the industry. The new 777G is reliable and economical, and offers comfort, confidence and control to its operators. In addition, with an improved access system designed to minimise slips and falls, this truck provides firm footing and stability in less than perfect conditions,” says Kyle Amettis, global application specialist, Caterpillar.
Showcased at the bauma 2019 exhibition in Munich, Germany,
Additionally, the 777G has two operating modes: Standard Economy and Adaptive Economy. Standard Economy is said to save fuel by reducing engine power by 0.5 to 15%, based on the fleet and economic conditions at a given site. Adaptive Economy requires a production baseline for the site using the Advisor display, and then, as the truck travels the haul cycle, the system automatically evaluates the power rating needed to meet baseline requirements. Full power is applied when needed, and reduced power is applied when appropriate. The efficiency of the 777G’s performance is said to be further enhanced by 7% more engine torque and an increase in top speed. AB
Conveying long-term value
Conveyors are vital equipment in a quarry, transporting vast volumes of different sized crushed and screened aggregates products to stockpiles for further processing.
Liam McLoughlin & Guy Woodford look at some of the latest developments in this area
The first TR-75 and TC-100 tacked radial conveyors have come off the line at Terex’s new Northern Irish production facility in Campsie, Derry/Londonderry. The first models have been purchased by quarrying and recycling customers in Australia and the US and were due to be containerised and shipped in July 2019.
Full production of the TR-75 and TC-100 conveyors follows thorough testing of prototype models by Terex customer D.K. Trotter & Sons at the company’s quarry in Manorhamilton, Co. Leith, Ireland.
The Terex TR-75 is a 22.9-metre long self-powered tracked radial conveyor with a 1,050mm belt said to offer a large stockpile capacity. It has a maximum discharge height of 10.9m and comes with crawler tracks with pendant control system and single radial wheel drive.
The Terex TC-100 follows on the successful launch of the TC-65 & TC-80 tracked conveyors. At 30 metres long, the extra length of the conveyor and increased
power is said to allow for maximum mobility and flexibility, reducing or eliminating the use of wheeled loaders on site. Like the TR-75. the model has a belt width of 1,050mm, and a discharge height of 14.3m.
Terex says the TR-75 and TC-100 can cope with a range of applications, from screening light and fines materials to primary crushing applications.
BEUMER Group (BEUMER) has been talking about the benefits offered by its innovative and robust belt apron conveyors.
variant, the belt apron conveyor (GSZF): using a belt instead of a chain as traction element allows higher speeds and a slimmer design while still delivering the same level of performance. The GSZF is therefore, says BEUMER, particularly suitable for modernisations.
In general, the clinker comes out of the cooler at 80° plus ambient temperature. But during the process, a so-called kiln flash can occur caused by a raw meal flash from the preheater tower or by caked clinker coming off the kiln: Within a few seconds several
Terex’s TR-75 radial conveyor is now in full production
Terex’s TR75 and TC-100 radial conveyor at work at D.K. Trotter & Sons quarry in Manorhamilton, Co. Leith, Ireland
With its apron conveyors, BEUMER says it provides robust and reliable solutions. The specific design of the cells allows safe, low-friction transport of any hot material. Sealed and overlapping side walls and bottom plates in the cells prevent the clinker from exiting and minimise the escape of dust. The traction element in this conveyor is usually a single or double strand sprocket chain. The system supplier is the only manufacturer on the market who offers apron conveyors with the tried and tested BEUMER steel wire belts from the bucket elevator technology instead of a chain as traction element. Here the cells are attached to the long-lasting, steel-wire reinforced belt in a way so that the heat of the clinker in the steel cells is not transferred to the belt. Partition plates are attached in the feeding area below the cooler and can be easily removed for maintenance, protecting the belt against hot clinker in case of a kiln flash.
One decisive advantage of the belt apron conveyor, says BEUMER, is its speed of 0.6 metres per second, allowing it, the company says, to reach double the conveying speed compared to apron conveyors with a chain. This is said to make it perfect for retrofitting and modernisations. If operators want to increase the kiln capacity, for example, they can replace an existing chain apron conveyor with a belt version of the same size – this means double the capacity without having to make any changes to the steel structure or the conveyor bridge. The cement plants also benefit from a new construction application. The thinner, lighter design of the GSZF reduces costs for steel structure and freight. Furthermore, the decreased net weight lowers the static and dynamic loads which affect the clinker silo and foundations for example. A new construction project can be designed for a smaller load and is therefore said by BEUMER to be more cost-effective to build. The lightweight design also lowers operational costs.
The entire belt lies with its surface on the drive and return pulley, avoiding the unwanted polygon effects caused by the chain. The particularly smooth running of
Accumulation of Fugitive Material Over Time
the machine also reduces noise emissions considerably. The noise is less than half as loud as conventional SZFs with chains, which is advantageous for both the employees and the environment.
The use of the durable BEUMER steel wire belt is said by the German manufacturer to lower maintenance costs, while, concurrently, extending maintenance intervals. Chains can break, if preventive maintenance is not performed properly, which will lead to the conveyor collapsing. The rubber of the steel wire belt only becomes brittle with age, but it would never completely break. Lubrication is also not required for the belt, whereas used frequently on a chain, if for no other reason than to reduce noise levels. BEUMER notes that grease and oil are not only a cost factor, but also detrimental to the environment and the conveyor. The clinker dust gets stuck on it and settles in the chain links, which accelerates the wear and tear.
Given the number of conveyorrelated accidents that occur during routine maintenance and cleanup, Martin Engineering (Martin) stresses how every bulk material handler has a vested interest in technologies to help reduce hazards and prevent injuries.
A company spokesperson says: “Seemingly mundane tasks such as adjusting belt cleaners and removing spillage often require employees to work in close proximity to the moving conveyor, where even incidental contact can result in serious injury in a split second. Further, spillage can contribute to the risk of fire by interfering with pulleys and idlers and by providing potential fuel. Even worse, in confined spaces, airborne particles can create the right ingredients for an explosion.”
The buildup of fugitive material can occur with surprising speed. As the Martinsupplied table below illustrates, spillage in an amount equal to just one sugar packet (about four grams) per hour will result in an accumulation of about 700 grams at the end of a week. If the rate of escape is four grams per minute, the accumulation will be more than 45kg per week, or more than two tonnes/year. If the spillage amounts to just one shovelful per hour (not an uncommon occurrence in some operations), personnel can expect to have to deal with more than 225kg of fugitive material every day.
The Martin spokesperson continued: “Although there are a number of beltcleaning technologies available to conveyor
Table 1: Material loss from conveyors
BEUMER’s robust belt apron conveyors are said to be ideal for use in cement plants to transport clinker safely and economically from the kiln cooling system to the silos.
BEUMER says is apron
operators, most designs in use today are blade-type units of some kind, using a urethane or metal-tipped scraper to remove material from the belt’s surface. These devices typically require an energy source - such as a spring, a compressed air reservoir or a twisted elastomeric element - to hold the cleaning edge against the belt. Because the blade directly contacts the belt, it is subject to abrasive wear and must be regularly adjusted and periodically replaced to maintain effective cleaning performance.
“The ability to maintain the proper force required to keep the blade edge against the belt is a key factor in the performance of any cleaning system. Blade-to-belt pressure must be controlled to achieve optimal cleaning with a minimal rate of blade wear. There is a popular misconception that the harder the cleaner is pressing against the belt, the better it will clean.
But research has shown that there is actually an optimum range of blade pressure, which will most effectively remove carryback material. Increasing tension beyond this range raises bladeto-belt friction, thus shortening blade life, increasing belt wear and increasing power consumption, without improving cleaning performance.”
Martin notes that operating a belt cleaner below the optimum pressure range also delivers less effective cleaning and can actually accelerate blade wear. The firm says a belt cleaner lightly touching the belt may appear to be in working order from a distance, whereas in reality, excessive amounts of carryback are being forced between the blade and the belt at high velocity. This passage of material between the belt and the blade creates channels of uneven wear on the face of the cleaner. As material continues to pass between the blade and the belt, these channels increase in size, rapidly wearing the blade to a jagged edge.
The Martin spokesperson said: “A common source of blade wear that often goes unnoticed - even with a properly installed and adjusted cleaner -- is running the belt empty for long periods of time. Small particles embedded in the empty belt’s surface can create an effect like sand paper, increasing the wear rate of both the blade and the belt. Even though the cargo may be abrasive, it often has moisture in it that serves as a lubricant and coolant.
“Another potential source of wear is when the cleaner blade is wider than the material flow, causing the outside portion of the cleaning blade to hold the centre section of the blade away from the belt. As a result, carryback can flow between the belt and the worn area of the blade, accelerating wear on this center section. Eventually, the process creates a curved wear pattern sometimes referred to as a ‘smiley face’ or ‘mooning.’”
Martin stress how as urethane cleaner blades wear, the surface area of the blade touching the belt increases. This causes a
reduction in blade-to-belt pressure and a corresponding decline in cleaner efficiency. Therefore, most mechanically-tensioned systems require periodic adjustment (re-tensioning) to deliver the consistent pressure needed for effective carryback removal.
The company spokesperson said: “To overcome the problem of the blade angle changing as the blade wears, a radialadjusted belt cleaner can be designed with a specially-engineered curved blade, known as “CARP” for Constant Angle Radial Pressure. With this innovative design, the changes in contact angle and surface area are minimised as the blade wears, helping to maintain its effectiveness throughout the cleaner’s service life.”
Martin stresses that new air-powered tensioning systems are automated for precise monitoring and tensioning throughout all stages of blade life, reducing the labour typically required to maintain optimum blade pressure and extending the service life of both the belt and the cleaner. Equipped with sensors to confirm that the belt is loaded and running, the devices automatically back the blade away
during stoppages or when the conveyor is running empty, minimising unnecessary wear to both the belt and cleaner. The result is consistently correct blade tension, with reduced power demand on start-up, all managed without operator intervention. For locations lacking convenient power access, one self-contained design uses the moving conveyor to generate its own electricity, powering a small air compressor to maintain optimum blade pressure.
Even the best-designed and most efficient of mechanical belt cleaning systems require periodic maintenance and/or adjustment, or performance will deteriorate over time, explains Martin. Proper tensioning of belt-cleaning systems minimises wear on the belt and cleaner blades, helping to prevent damage and ensure efficient cleaning action. Belt cleaners must be engineered for durability and simple maintenance, and conveyors should be designed to enable easy service, including required clearances for access. Service chores that are straightforward and ‘worker-friendly’ are more likely to be performed on a consistent basis.
The Martin spokesperson continued: “The use of factory-trained and certified specialty contractors can also help ensure that belt cleaner maintenance is done properly, and on an appropriate schedule. Further, experienced service technicians often notice other developing system or component problems that can be avoided if they are addressed before a catastrophic failure occurs, helping conveyor operators avoid potential equipment damaging and expensive unplanned downtime. By setting the cleaning goal necessary for each individual operation and purchasing a system adequate for those conditions as laid out in CEMA standards, it’s possible to achieve carryback control and yet obtain long life from belt cleaners. The bottom line is that properly-installed and adjusted belt cleaners help minimise carryback and spillage, reducing risk and overall operating costs.” AB
Wear to a conveyor belt cleaner blade can create a wear pattern known as a ‘smiley face’ or ‘mooning’
Constant cleaning angle and pressure
Onur Recepgil, E-MAK brand and market manager
Eye-catching asphalt plant innovation
The global asphalt plant market is full of innovation. Guy Woodford and Kristina Smith report
Rising above the showground at bauma 2019 in Munich in April, asphalt and aggregate plant manufacturer E-Mak’s latest invention was impossible to miss. The Megaton, billed as ‘the world’s first aggregate factory’, had travelled from E-Mak’s head office in Turkey in no less than 70 trucks.
Though E-Mak is a relatively small player in the asphalt plant market, this show of strength demonstrates that it has the financial backing of the much larger Simge Group of which it is a part, says brand and market manager Onur Recepgil.
“We have the financial support of a huge company, but we also have the flexibility of a small firm,” says Recepgil. “We are not a huge corporation with long reaction times. We can resolve problems quickly. It’s very easy to reach us.”
Projects like the Megaton demonstrate the fact that E-Mak still retains the entrepreneurial and inventive spirit of its founder and chairman of the Simge Group, Mehmet Nezir Gencer.
Gencer founded E-Mak back in 1992. Initially its role was to provide machinery for the Simge Group companies, the first of which, Simge Construction, started operating in 1977. Later E-Mak began to supply equipment, mainly related to asphalt plants, to others.
Today, E-Mak operates in Europe, Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. Currently there is good demand from Baltic countries as well as Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia, says Recepgil. But markets are changing all the time due to economic and political factors, he adds, which means that companies like E-Mak must be able to manoeuvre and adapt.
Each market must be treated differently, says Recepgil, and that requires local knowledge. Over the past decade or so, E-Mak has been building up a network of local experts who can sell E-Mak products and services in the context of their own markets while providing intelligence and feedback to head office.
In Europe, for instance, E-Mak has recently changed direction to concentrate
on retrofitting and renovation. “For the European market there is not a high demand for purchasing the total asphalt plant package,” says Recepgil. “They have a tendency to refurbish, replace, retrofit what they have.”
E-Mak has a dedicated team to deal with upgrades and repairs. “You have to have technical people for these tasks,” explains Recepgil. “Every plant is totally different. We have to check what equipment is there, what its condition is, make measurements and understand how everything works.”
The Megaton, initially reported on in Aggregates Business’s Aggregates Production feature in May-June 19 issues, was designed for quarries or aggregate processing facilities with multiple customers serving multiple sectors. It is the next step on from Simge Group’s Challenger, which crushes and screens aggregate and feeds it directly into an asphalt plant.
Megaton takes quarried rock, crushes it in a vertical shaft impactor, lifts it using a vertical elevator and then puts it through a variety of screening units to produce the
AMMANN ABA UNIBATCH ASPHALT-MIXING PLANT
NEW STANDARDS FOR THE
The ABA UniBatch sets new standards for asphalt mix production in the 100–340 t/h output classes. It delivers cutting-edge technology and includes all the features of current and future plant concepts.
• Maximum customisation combined with top performance and economic efficiency
• Designed for worldwide use, with mixing tower modules optimized for ease of transportation
• Can be fitted and extended with numerous options at any time
grading of aggregate required for a concrete or asphalt mix. The aggregates then go into huge storage silos with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes.
After its time at bauma 2019, the very first Megaton was going to be installed at the quarry of E-Mak sister company Simgemat in Bursa in Turkey. This Megaton will have two screening systems to feed both concrete and asphalt mix production, but different versions and combinations can be made to suit a customer’s requirements, says Recepgil. A Megaton could also be supplying aggregates alone.
Megaton was conceived for use in quarries in or near large conurbations, where cities have spread out to meet industrial areas. One of the big benefits of the system, says E-Mak, is that it vastly reduces dust production.
It also cuts energy consumption since it keeps aggregates dry. This reduces the heat required to produce asphalt because there is less moisture to be driven off initially.
The need for asphalt, concrete and aggregate production facilities to become more like factories will increase as governments around the world raise air quality standards. E-Mak recognises that it may take a while for others to appreciate its good idea. Challenger took nearly 10 years before it was used outside the group but is now popular throughout Turkey with asphalt manufacturers, according to E-Mak.
The next step will be to put Megaton through its paces at the quarry in Bursa. No doubt there will be changes and developments along the way, says Recepgil. “No design stays the same,” he says. “We are always looking to make improvements.”
Meier Company turned to a retrofit from Ammann when it wanted to get more out of its existing plant. The result was tonnes of improvement – literally.
“Before, we had four load-out silos with an overall capacity of 280 tonnes,” says Michael Stemplinger, technical manager at Meier Company, an asphalt producer located in Rotthalmünster, Bavaria, southern
Germany. “Now we have eight different silos with a total capacity of 640 tonnes.”
The additional silos provided more than storage. They also greatly improved the flexibility of the business.
“In the last 20 years, requirements from governments have changed and there is a need to produce more varied hot mixes with different materials and additional types of bitumen,” Stemplinger says. “We mix a lot of small batches. We rarely have large orders, but often many orders for small amounts. Every day we mix 10 to 15 different types of asphalt, and that is why we need high flexibility.”
Working within the existing site’s footprint posed some challenges. They were deftly handled by the highly regarded Ammann retrofit team, which was on-site to help. The decision was made to put a new, separate silo in the mixing tower. This required some engineering but Meier Company and Ammann found solutions together.
“The biggest challenge was that we decided to retrofit the plant while continuing the operation of the business,” continues Stemplinger. “The installation of the new silos was done while still mixing asphalt. During this time, we used a shift operation. We produced asphalt from 6am until 2pm. After 2pm, we started the retrofit work.”
The retrofit has made the plant more profitable. Mix can be produced days in
advance because of the improved storage capacity, which leads to fewer interruptions and more efficiency during daily operation. Bulk mix can be prepared and stored. There no longer is a need to shut down the plant when there is a smaller customer in between larger orders.
“We are very satisfied with the retrofit,” says Stemplinger. “The plant is running without any problems. The operators have adjusted and are working with the new plant. We achieved what we wanted.”
No matter which side of the debate producers are on regarding climate change, the fact is that worldwide environmental regulations are here to stay, focusing asphalt plant manufacturers and asphalt producers on the need to meet strict environmental requirements every working day.
US company ADM Asphalt Drum Mixers’ introduction of its environmentally friendly and state-of-the-art EX Series of asphalt plants helps producers globally with just this task, according to Mike Devine, president of ADM Asphalt Drum Mixers.
“Our EX Series of asphalt plants feature high production capacities that range from 120-450 tonnes per hour and are available in portable, skid-mounted and relocatable versions. Most importantly, they allow worldwide producers a quick return on investment (ROI) for more profitable operations while meeting environmental demands and highest quality asphalt standards. Extensive research and development went into the innovative design of the EX Series with its counterflow technology to meet the environmental mandates globally,” Devine stated.
Specially designed for clean operation and the highest quality asphalt production, the EX Series’ innovative, counterflow technology separates the drying and mixing zone and helps shield the hot-mix asphalt from the burner flame to help reduce the production of blue smoke. An optional state-of-the-art blue smoke control system captures residual gases and reintroduces them back to the combustion zone, virtually eliminating blue smoke and hydrocarbon
Meier Company is benefiting from greater production volume after an asphalt plant retrofit by Ammann
ADM Asphalt Drum Mixers EX Series asphalt plants feature high production capacities. Pictured is an EX120-1 plant
emissions.
Carlos Cardenas, sales engineer, ADM Asphalt Drum Mixers, explains: “Counterflow design is based on the process and movement of the material through the drum in the opposite direction of the heated air flow and combustion gases.”
In addition to allowing the elimination of blue smoke and hydrocarbon emissions, the counterflow technology of these EX Series single-drum asphalt plants is said to provide some of the industry’s longest drying and mixing times, through separate drying and mixing zones, for efficient, consistent, high-volume and highest quality asphalt production with RAP (recycled asphalt pavement) up to 50%.
A new rubberised asphalt made out of recycled old tyres has been launched by UK-based Tarmac.
The major sustainable building materials and construction solutions business is the first in the UK to develop a new asphalt technology capable of recycling end-of-life tyres (ELTs) into roads.
With 40 million ELTs generated in Britain every year, the company has created an innovative asphalt mix using granulated rubber.
Tarmac estimates that it will be possible to recycle and reuse up to 750 ELTs for every kilometre of highway surfaced with the new material, depending on the thickness of the road, which would help to reduce the 120,000 tonnes of rubber waste exported from the UK annually.
The initiative is part of Tarmac’s commitment to the circular economy, with the business recycling 8.7 million tonnes of waste from other industries every year. It also builds on the company’s reuse of ELTs to power its cement kilns and its commitment as a net user of waste.
Brian Kent, technical director at Tarmac, said: “While plastic recycling has attracted media headlines, used tyres remain a significant and overlooked waste stream and our new innovative rubber-modified asphalts offer a more sustainable option for our industry and the environment.”
UK asphalt plant manufacturer Parker Plant has recently installed a satellite mixed-material storage system for Tarmac’s Asphalt2Go operation near the centre of Gateshead, in north-east England.
The facility operates on the principle of providing rapid local access to ‘pre-mixed’ asphalt for immediate use in Gateshead, Newcastle, and the surrounding area. Mixed material from Tarmac’s existing asphalt plants situated outside the Tyneside conurbation is brought to the site in the early morning or late at night to avoid daytime urban road congestion. The system stores mixed material at the correct temperature and its central location provides councils and contractors with instant access to high-quality, ready-made asphalt for use in building, repairing and maintaining local roads, along with projects from driveways and cycle paths to pavements and car parks.
At the opening ceremony of the facility, the then Mayor of Gateshead, Councillor Jill Green said: “We’re delighted that Tarmac has chosen to open up this new facility in the east of Gateshead, providing the council and others with access to heated asphalt quickly and without fuss. This new venture
is ideally located to help local businesses access this material which will help meet the daily challenges faced by construction professionals.”
John Riley, Tarmac’s area director for its materials business in the North-East, added: “We are very excited about our new Asphalt2Go site in Gateshead. It underlines our commitment to providing a convenient supply of local material which will help support the local council and other customers to deliver surface repair and construction activity with greater ease.”
There are less than 40 asphalt-producing companies in the UK, operating around 275 plants between them. This is a reduction of nearly 10% in the number of companies but a 3% increase in the number of plants in the last five years.
These companies account for a market of around 26 million tonnes/year, an increase of 13% over the same period, although there has been little movement in the size of the market over the last few years.
The leading five producers - Aggregate Industries, Breedon, Cemex, Hanson and Tarmac - occupy an estimated 80% of the market with the majority of their plants integrated into their other operations, such as quarries, wharves and depots. Asphalt provides a key outlet for these companies, all of which are significant aggregates producers. The whole asphalt market represents around 12% of total primary aggregates demand in Great Britain.
These are some of the findings of an updated report on the asphalt industry published by leading consultancy BDS Marketing Research. First published three years ago, it has been brought up to date to reflect the changes to the industry over the last three years.
The report also provides new analysis of the bitumen market, the structure of the market shares and volumes by company and by region, a study of plant investment and age analysis, planning activity, industry end-use, a review of highways term maintenance contracts and future industry prospects to 2022. AB
Tarmac has launched a rubberised asphalt made out of recycled old tyres
Parker Plant has recently installed a satellite mixedmaterial storage system for Tarmac’s Asphalt2Go operation near the centre of Gateshead, north-east England
Cost-effective dewatering
Efficient dewatering of your aggregates production site can have a positive impact on the quality of your final product and your bottom line. Guy Woodford reports
McLanahan, a US-headquartered global provider of process solutions for a variety of industries including minerals and aggregates processing, has been speaking to Aggregates Business about the gains to be had from adding a dewatering screen to your aggregates production operation. A company spokesperson says: “The dewatering screen may have started in the coal industry, but it has really found a home in the aggregate world. Since being introduced to the North American market in the late 1970s, the dewatering screen has become the go-to piece of equipment for economical removal of water from sand.”
McLanahan sees three key benefits that can come from adding a dewatering screen to your aggregates jobsite.
1. Produce a drier material
“Several pieces of equipment are used to reduce moisture content in sand. A separator, or siphon-assisted hydrocyclone, produces an underflow material that is in the range of 22-35% moisture. The material can be stacked on a drainage field or discharged to a dewatering screen for additional moisture removal. Discharging the material directly
onto a conveyor belt usually creates a housekeeping issue due to the remaining free water.
A fine material screw washer produces a discharge with a moisture content of 15–30%. While the product can discharge onto a conveyor directly, material can cling to the belt and create a significant housekeeping issue. This equipment is better suited for material that is drier and can be more easily handled. This can be achieved by adding a dewatering screen.
The dewatering screen achieves 8-20% moisture, depending on the physical characteristics of the material. Despite the range of retained moisture, the dewatering screen discharge is classified as drip-free and can be easily conveyed, loaded into a truck or placed in a bin.
When feeding dryers, putting material on conveyors, loading trucks or discharging to other equipment that requires the lowest percent moisture, a dewatering screen is a low-cost solution.”
2. Handle multiple products
“The use of longitudinal dividers allows as many as three products to be dewatered on one screen. Many applications feature
a two-stream process where a fine stream and a coarse stream can be kept separate or blended to create specialty products. Utilising one dewatering screen for multiple products reduces the overall footprint of equipment and can lower both capital and operating costs.”
3. Integrate with surrounding equipment
“Dewatering screens fit well into many applications to yield a drier product, capture ultra-fine material or allow better control in the process.
• Wash plant
“The combination of a hydrocyclone or separator with a dewatering screen creates a wash system with a higher level of efficiency and yield with a drier product. The screen underflow can be recirculated back into the hydrocyclone feed for recovery or removed as undesirable material.”
• Ultra-fines recovery plant
“Generally, a screen is set up to make a classification based on the media openings. When trying to capture material that would normally pass through the media, a dewatering screen can be used in combination with a hydrocyclone to recover ultra-fine material before it goes to a settling pond. Even though some of the fines will pass through the screen media, they will remain in the system. The hydrocyclone overflow is the only exit point for the fine material, and it is operated at a high pressure to retain the material.”
• Feed preparation for downstream equipment
“Equipment such as attrition scrubbers will not operate at optimal levels when the material is too wet. A dewatering screen will produce a predictable moisture, which will allow better control in the process. The material can be adjusted to the correct percent moisture through the addition of water at a controlled rate.
ABOVE: McLanahan says there are big gains to be had by adding a dewatering screen to your aggregates production operation BELOW: A McLanahan dewatering screen
TAKE CONTROL
Omni gives a previously inaccessible level of control to multiple mobile crushing and screening machines from a central location.
SAFETY
2 x remote camera views per machine greatly reduce the time the operator has to be out of the safety of the cab.
CENTRAL CONTROL
One-touch pause & ability to make multiple machine setting adjustments.
CONNECTED
Understand operational metrics and warnings as they happen to ensure maximum uptime.
MULTI-USER Omni offers exceptional visibility by connecting to another tablet (sold separately)
Looking at these three benefits of a dewatering screen, you can be sure that it is a welcome addition to any aggregate plant when looking to remove moisture and improve housekeeping. The dewatering screen allows you to produce a drip-free product ready for resale, eliminating the need to wait for stockpiles to drain. Dewatering screens are designed to help you achieve production goals and have better stockpile management with shorter inventory cycle.”
In the UK, Atlas Copco Power and Flow has a new partnership with Pump & Plant Services, which specialises in hiring and selling industrial dewatering pumps, diesel generators and lighting towers. Based on the borders of Shropshire and the West Midlands in England, the company operates throughout the UK. Under the partnership, Pump & Plant Services will be supplying and supporting Atlas Copco’s WEDA, PAS and VAR ranges, to provide a comprehensive dewatering pump capability.
The PAS range of medium- and highflow diesel dry prime pumps offers high performance in any conditions. Effective even with suction heights of several metres, PAS products can pump liquids with suspended solids. The VAR wet prime pumps are robust, flexible and ideally suited for medium construction projects and flood control schemes. WEDA electric submersible pumps offer durable performance in tough environments across multiple industries.
“We recognise that Atlas Copco’s products are built on heritage, prestige and quality; based on this, our new partnership gives both Atlas Copco Power and Flow and us an opportunity to grow market share” comments Paul Sandy, managing director at Pump & Plant Services. “The partnership provides a strategic objective of both product and service capability expansion for both parties, creating exciting future business growth potential.”
The new partnership with Pump & Plant Services follows on from the spring 2019 completion of Atlas Copco Power and Flow’s
portfolio of WEDA electric submersible dewatering pumps.
The range now comprises three families; the expanded WEDA D for dewatering, WEDA S – also expanded - for sludge, and the entirely new WEDA L slurry family. WEDA D pumps handle either clean or dirty water, even with small solids. The WEDA S range supports dewatering of liquid sludge containing larger solids. The WEDA L products are the toughest and have the largest apertures to facilitate handling of slurry with the most challenging solids.
The WEDA D family expansion is marked by the D80, a new model for dewatering. S30, and S60, as the new models for the WEDA S sludge family, can handle thick, soft, wet mud or other similarly viscous mixtures of liquids and solids, especially the product of an industrial or refining process. The completely new WEDA L family handles semi-liquid slurry mixtures, typically of fine particles of manure, cement or coal, and water.
LEFT: In the UK, Atlas Copco Power and Flow has a new partnership with Pump & Plant Services
Aside from optimising their performance, a lot of focus has been given to make the pumps lighter, enhance electrical safety, improve the seal design and ease installation. All pumps in the D and S range are available with WEDA+ features, which include phase failure protection, rotation control, thermal switches and a 20 m cable with phase shifter plug for all three-phase pumps. The WEDA+ features are also available as an option on the L range.
Japanese dewatering pump manufacturer Tsurumi showcased its new KTZ415 and KTZ615 pumps at the bauma 2019 exhibition in Munich, Germany.
The 615 is the new top model of the KTZ series that now comprises 15 models. Thanks to a motor output of 15kW, the model pumps up to 2800 litres of water/min (l/min) with discharge heads of almost 40 metres. The 415 with the same motor pumps up to 2000 l/min, but up to a maximum height of 55 metres.
Both submersible pumps can cope with sandy water, groundwater and rainwater. The water may also contain stones with grain diameters of up to 12mm. The pumps are pressure-resistant to a submersion depth of 25 metres and have a pressure port with a diameter of four (model 415) and/or six (mode 65) inches on the outside thread.
The KTZ series was launched back in the 1980s and is one of the best-selling pumps in the product line. Even the smallest model, with a motor output of just 1.5kW, can move 430 l/min up to a height of 21.5 m.
The highlights of the series also include their dry running-safe design (motor cooling and oil lubrication), high wear-resistance (abrasive pumping media) and the failsafe feature (electrics). The KTZ is built in Tsurumi’s mega factory in Kyoto, the world’s largest production site of its kind. AB
The addition of Tsurumi’s new KTZ415 and KTZ615 dewatering pumps has taken the number of KTZ series range models to 15
Atlas Copco Power and Flow now has a full portfolio of WEDA electric submersible dewatering pump
Powering up opportunities
New European Stage V emissions standards for off-highway machinery engine manufacturers could spark new portable power innovation. Liam McCloughlin reports
The European Commission’s introduction of Stage V emissions standards for non-road machinery is bringing new challenges for engine makers, including the integration of after-treatment systems and meeting particulate matter count.
The phased introduction of Stage V standards for off-road power plant started in January 2019. The transition period for generator sets with power of less than 56kW and more than 130kW will last until December 2020.
Despite the challenges for engine architecture, the introduction of Stage V for off-road engines also presents real scope for technological advancement, according to Andrew Walker, president of the power technique business area at Atlas Copco.
“The result will be a new generation of compressors, generators, pumps and other equipment that will be quieter, smaller and more fuel efficient than ever before,” Walker states. “Ultimately, Stage V needn’t be complicated, nor expensive.”
The Stage V diesel engine regulations are part of the European Commission’s desire to improve air quality, and therefore protect its citizens’ health.
The regulations – due to be implemented during 2019 and 2020 – will be extended to include the smallest compression-ignition engines (below 19kW) and all larger engines (greater than 560kW), setting a minimum stringency over the entire power range.
Stage V will also continue the path towards reduction of particulate and NOx emissions.
Walker says that the main difference is that for the first time there will be a limit on the number of particulates for several engine categories between 19 and 560 kW.
“In practice, this will drive adoption of diesel particulate filters [DPFs] and associated equipment for engines in this power range,” he adds.
The standards will apply to a wide range of traditional mobile equipment in construction, including portable compressors, wheeled loaders and excavators, as well as mobile generators, and light towers.
But Stage V’s introduction is not all about emissions. According to Walker, it has created an opportunity for performance advancement through the insertion of new technology. For the past couple of years, Atlas Copco has been working closely with engine suppliers to deliver more productive
“Ultimately, Stage V needn’t be complicated, nor expensive”
Andrew Walker
and reliable machinery, with lower throughlife costs.
Atlas Copco’s aim has been to provide portable air supply customers with a smooth transition to Stage V, either through using transitional engines or new Stage V-ready designs. Innovation has been added to emissions compliance, promising greater efficiency, more compact design, better utilisation, higher resale value, lower maintenance costs and higher productivity.
Meanwhile, the company says it has used the Stage IV-Stage V transition to accelerate development of new compressor elements, which could deliver further performance enhancements.
Most engines installed in generators comply with Stage IIIA emissions standards, so the transition to Stage V is greater than for air compressors. Also, generators usually require constant speed engines necessitating different solutions to variable speed types – and as constant speed engines have a low market share, Walker says that progress towards Stage V compliance has been slower.
“However, Atlas Copco has been working with its partners on Stage V genset solutions for several years, focusing on areas like after-treatment system design and packaging,” he says. “This will impact the size, performance, fuel efficiency and cost of Stage V-compliant machines, and all these factors are currently being assessed in ongoing trials.”
In terms of dewatering products, Walker says that new Stage V engines are benefiting from improved impellers and casings to maximise their RPM capability.
Atlas Copco’s new QAS 60/35 VSG variable speed generator
Doosan Portable Power’s 12/155 Stage V portable compressor is one of nine new-generation range models
He adds that the optimisation process will result in Stage V products with higher efficiency and better through-life performance, together with space-saving, flexible designs.
“Ultimately, Stage V needn’t be complicated, nor expensive,” he concludes. “Atlas Copco can provide customers with a clear pathway to compliance, with an unrivalled range of next-generation compressors, generators, pumps and light towers that will offer better performance and value than ever before.”
Atlas Copco says the latest addition to its QAS mobile generator range, the QAS 60/35 VSG (variable speed generator), is a “game changer” in terms of operational savings, performance and reliability.
Sergio Salvador, product manager at the Atlas Copco power and flow division, says: “The proprietary variable speed generator (VSG) technology embodied in the QAS 60/35 completely eliminates the inherent risks associated with low-load generator operation such as cylinder glazing, bore polishing, heavy carbon build-up, high oil consumption, low combustion temperatures and fuel waste.”
The low-load performance of the QAS 60/35 VSG, which features automatic variable speed control from 950 to 2550rpm and an integrated energy storage system, is intended to enable fuel consumption levels to be reduced by up to 40% against traditional fixed speed generators. At the same time, Atlas Copco says that it helps increase reliability in applications with an average load of less than 20%, such as construction projects, outdoor events or telecoms service duties. The integrated energy storage system helps increase peak power capabilities by 70%, matching the performance of a 60kVA prime power generator. In addition, the QAS 60/35 VSG enables operators to reduce their carbon footprint, by offering CO2 emission reductions of up to 40%.
Fully compliant with European emission standards, the plug-and-play, environmentally-friendly QAS 60/35 VSG is housed in a robust, sound-attenuated Zincor steel enclosure that is up to 55% smaller than comparable units and considerably quieter than the requirements of OND 2000/14/EC sound regulations.
The QAS 60/35 contributes to operators’ uptime, productivity and revenues through service efficiency and extended engine
lifetimes. A maintenance interval of 500 hours is made possible by the unit’s heavy-duty fuel filtration system and water separator. Similarly, engine lifetime is extended as a result of the dual-stage air filter and safety cartridge features.
Moreover, the new QAS 60/35 VSG allows customers to downsize and optimise their fleets, as one unit can replace up to six power nodes of a typical fixed speed generator from 9 kVA to 60 kVA.
With a one-to-one ratio motor start capability, the QAS 60/35 VSG is the ideal source of high starting current for the electric motor drives of site equipment such as construction tools, cranes, pumps, or electric compressors.
Doosan Portable Power (DPP) showed several new portable compressor, generator and lighting products for the first time at the bauma 2019 exhibition in Munich, Germany (8-14 April). They included the new Stage V compliant 12/205 and 12/255 portable compressors, the new 7/53R portable compressor for the rental industry, and the new G20 generator.
The 12/205 and 12/255 are part of a new generation of large Doosan Stage V portable compressors, with nine models offering free air deliveries from 14.0 to 30.0m³/min at operating pressures from 7.0 to 21.0 bar.
Low-pressure models are powered by the new Cummins B6.7 Stage V engine, while the high-pressure compressors are powered by the new Cummins L9 Stage V engine. All the compressors are equipped with an integrated after-treatment system and provide increased fuel efficiency.
These new Stage V compressors combine a compact size with enhanced serviceability to ensure ease of use and an outstanding return on investment.
All the models also offer increased environmental protection via a standard bunded base and the optional ECOmizer system, resulting in up to 30% fuel consumption reduction depending on the application.
Large portable compressors like these are used to provide compressed air for a wide range of drilling and boring machines for quarrying, mining, site investigation, geothermal, mineral exploration and water well construction work. They also cover other specialist applications such as abrasive blasting, spray painting and standby and temporary compressed air for industry.
JCB Power Products’ flagship QS generator range now features three new sets powered by Stage IIIA JCB six-cylinder engines. The G166QS, G201QS and G221QS add an emission-compliant engine option to the previous G165QS, G200QS and G220GS respectively, offering outputs of 150kVA, 180kVA and 200kVA.
Features include efficient Stage IIIA JCB six-cylinder engines; a compact canopy width for easy transport; three-stage fuel filtration ensuring clean supply; and LiveLink for Power telematics as standard.
The addition of these three premium models takes JCB’s standard Stage IIIA power generator range from 20kVA right through to 550kVA, powered by JCB, JCB by Kohler and Scania engines.
The G166QS, G201QS and G221QS generators are available with a standard 50Hz output. The new models are supplied in a class-leading heavy steel canopy, with a width of just 1,100mm. This is said to allow two sets to be carried side by side on a trailer, reducing transport cost for rental companies and dealers. A 400-litre fuel tank ensures that the generators can be operated continuously for a full 12 hours, when running at 75% load. The metal tanks can be removed for easy cleaning, while a 110% capacity bunded base is available as an option. AB
JCB Power Products’ new G221QS generator
Ceramic liners help meet demand for hard rock
Using ceramics and rubber in crusher liners can help address the problem of processing highly abrasive rocks in quarries. Liam McLoughlin reports
Austin, Texas, USA, is experiencing a surge in infrastructure projects to keep up with a growing population.
For over ten years, one of the local aggregates producers, Texas Materials, has been using Metso solutions to meet this growing demand in addition to managing a new vein of hard rock.
Texas Materials produces aggregates mainly for construction purposes. Its end products are fine aggregates, manufactured sand, gravel, and stone, shipping primarily to the Central Texas market, including Austin and Houston. With an economic emphasis on infrastructure, this has created great demand for Texas Materials’ various aggregates products.
One site worked by Texas Materials is Marble Falls Quarry, a 1,200-acre open-pit limestone quarry that has been in operation since the 1940s. Today it employs nearly 100 people.
The aggregates production process begins with a Metso Nordberg C160 jaw crusher. Tertiary crushing is done by two Metso HP500s. Currently, Texas Materials has five crushers in operation.
Texas Materials recently needed to adapt to a sudden change of mineral content in the rock it was processing.
Texas Materials does not own the land where it operates and the land owner contracts where Texas Materials can quarry. Therefore, quick action was required when the mineral content at Marble Falls Quarry suddenly went from 1-2% silica to 20% silica. This means much more abrasive rock, which has a direct impact on crusher liners.
“We were taken by surprise,” says LG Lindsey, plant maintenance manager at Texas Materials. “It happened overnight. We
didn’t know we were butting into that much higher abrasive material. Considering the impact on the old liner, that’s when we knew we needed to change our liner.”
The main issue was that the high tonnage processed impacted the steel liner in a target area, which caused problematic wear points. To resolve these challenges, Metso field engineers recommended a rubber ceramic liner. The rubber in the liner absorbs the energy from the brutal impact of the material. The ceramic in the liner has abrasion-resistant properties, minimising wear from the crushed material.
Crisp Industries, one of Metso’s aggregates consumables distributors in the US, provided a Metso Trellex Poly-Cer liner that is designed for this type of hard rock.
The Trellex Poly-Cer liner allows Texas Materials to maximise the operational lifespan of its HP 500 crushers by protecting the inside steel liners from premature wear due to the abrasive product being processed. This allows the plant to maximise production while preventing potentially costly breakdowns.
Previously, the site used mild steel plates that would only last two months. Since switching to the Trellex Poly-Cer liners, in use for four times as long already, there are only small signs of wear.
Texas Materials says it is very pleased with the performance of the liners which have prevented shutdowns every two months for changeouts. In addition, there has been a noticeable reduction in noise from the material impact area.
“So far, we’re happy with Metso’s ceramic liner,” LG continues. “It’s a fantastic solution. The wear is non-existent, there is no wear in the ceramic itself.”
As the Texas Materials example illustrates, aggregates applications are tough on equipment -which can make it even tougher on budgets. Metso says that, by protecting the equipment with protective lining, material flow can be kept up and maintenance time down. Installed in feeders, spouts, hoppers, bins, transfer chutes, silos and any other application that is subject to heavy wear and noise, carefully selected wear linings minimise wear and reduce noise while increasing the components’ service life.
The Trellex Poly-Cer lining is designed for extreme abrasion resistance even with the highest material flows and speeds.
“The combination of the best properties of rubber and ceramics in the linings ensures an extra long lifecycle compared with other types of wear protection,” said Henrik Persson, director of lining products at Metso. “The high-quality ceramics provide unique resistance to wear, while the elastic properties of rubber effectively absorb shock impacts.”
“Trellex Poly-Cer covers the angles of impact that are difficult for rubber and steel, and thereby ensures greater availability; for example, applications with transfer points in the transport system and material deflectors.”
Trellex Poly-Cer linings are also used as protection in crushers. Metso’s protective weld-in and bolt-in linings are designed to protect the mainframe, armguard and/ or countershaft. Tailored elements can be retrofitted to an already installed standard liner or be delivered pre-welded to a replacement main frame liner. The protective crusher linings are designed to increase crusher availability and help align and synchronise change-outs with the working wears’ change-outs.
The Marble Falls limestone quarry in Texas faced the challenge of dealing with more abrasive material
improve equipment performance and safety. Remember to talk to your supplier whether the design has changed and if there are upgrade kits to improve performance. One good recent example here is the upgrades we did to a quarry operator’s conveyors’ impact cradles and bars. With new components, impact on the belt was lessened, and material spillage and maintenance times
Warranties and sustainability aspects play an important role, too - it is important to check these before buying replacement parts to ensure that the manufacturer’s policy is not invalidated. The supplier may also provide a suitable replacement warranty.
When things are going smoothly, local inventory or technical expertise may not always be top of mind. When a failure strikes, you want to have a supplier with access to the needed components and
“A remote monitoring and maintenance tool such as Metso Metrics Services can send an alert notice when parts need to be replaced, further assisting in reducing downtime from an unplanned failure,” Perez says.
quality is best to counteract it? The possible uses of Amdurit components in concrete and asphalt mixing plants or gravel plants are virtually limitless, the company states. There are, however, preferential applications.
The pre-feed bins on asphalt mixing plants, for instance, can be clad comprehensively or only in part. Drum feed and discharge areas are ideal for reinforcement. Cladding the bends of the raw gas duct with Amdurit is recommended by Ammann, as abrasive wear occurs here most frequently. Amdurit is also ideal for reinforcing the back wall and side elements of hot elevators, as well as the feed and discharge sections and the transition area to the screen.
Experience is required to counteract wear and tear effectively - and two of Ammann’s design specialists have focused exclusively on the subject for years. They developed various systems that enable the plant operator to fit the components with speed and precision.
When selecting spare parts for aggregates production equipment, price and delivery terms are often the main things considered. However, correct design and sizing, optimal material and support deserve careful consideration too.
Although parts may look the same from the outside, they may actually be very different in terms of quality and materials. The result of using an incorrect part that does not perform as planned can be very costly – equipment can be damaged, the parts’ lifetime may be considerably shortened or the equipment could fail catastrophically, putting the safety of employees at risk.
“Incorrect part materials may lead to considerable production losses, far outweighing the cost of the individual component,” explains Jose Perez, vice president at Metso.
“For example, a main shaft protection bushing that is not composed of the correct materials may wear down much more rapidly than the original component, leading to additional changes and maintenance breaks.”
According to Perez, even the smallest changes in the design can have a drastic impact on the performance of the equipment.
“It goes without saying that to operate the way it should, the part needs to be a perfect fit,” says Perez. “Always look to see if the part has been modified or simplified. Sometimes the simplified parts may bring functional or operational improvements, but sometimes the missing features may have been added for safety and removing them may put people at risk.
“In addition, equipment and part designs are not static but are continuously refined to
Ten years ago, Ammann launched Amdurit plates to counter increased asphalt mixing plant components wear-out, mainly due to increased use of recycled material.
The benefits experienced by customers utilising the product worldwide over the past decade are said to be “significant”. Crucially, Amdurit plates do not need replacing as frequently as other components. A longer lifetime reduces the amount of costly assembly and dismantling work on the plant. Furthermore, systems are available that are designed to optimise asphalt mixing plants via the speedy replacement of wear parts. The result is improved plant availability and lower plant operating costs.
Ammann stresses that every replacement is preceded by an analysis: how much wear is there and what material thickness and
The parts for the drum discharge, for instance, are precision-made according to drawings. They are said by Ammann to be easy to attach thanks to threaded bolts, and therefore just as easy to replace as and when necessary. Wear parts are numbered for accurate assembly and are provided together with an installation drawing.
A drill template makes it easier to fit Amdurit plates with threaded bolts to the aggregates weighing scale.
Ammann notes that a complete system instead of a kit is available for hot elevators. The bottom part consists of three sections with armoured ribs so that the components can be removed individually. The side parts are also attached via threaded bolts. A new transition section can be added retrospectively if the area between elevator and screen is not yet clad with Amdurit. Replacing the wear material at a later date is then quick and easy. The large door is big enough for installing the largest Amdurit panels. Threaded bolts make replacing wear plates at a later date quick and easy.
The optimisation of wear protection is enhanced further still as the designers have access to the original documents and can design made-to-measure components. This is achieved by redesigning the plant based on its original drawings, so that replacing wear parts in the future takes even less time.
UK company CMS Cepcor has won a Queen’s Award for international trade. The Coalville, Leicestershire-based firm designs and manufactures spare parts for crushing and screening equipment, and for asphalt plants. CMS Cepcor was one of more than 200 winners at the 2019 Queen’s Awards, which recognise excellence in international trade, innovation, promoting opportunity through social mobility, and sustainable development. To win an award for international trade, companies must have made a minimum of £100,000 in overseas sales in the first year of their entry and show year-on-year growth. AB
Jose Perez, vice president, aggregates business development at Metso
Transition section between the hot elevator and the screen coated with Amdurit
LSR Group’s aggregates agenda
Russia’s impressive more than 700 million tonnes-a-year aggregates market still has room to grow, with the country keen to put a prolonged period of economic stagnation behind it.
Eugene Gerden reports
Asure sign that the worst of Russia’s economic malaise appears to be over can be found in the resumption of many infrastructure projects following varying periods of suspension.
Traditionally, most aggregates sector investment has come from businesses in the north-west of the vast country, particularly in and around St Petersburg, where most of Russia’s major aggregates fields are located.
One of the most important players in the Russian aggregates market is St Petersburgregion-based LSR Group, a real estate
division of LSR Group has been headed by Vasily Kostritsa. The 55-year-old has been working across different roles within the LSR Group for 18 years, having started his career at Granit-Kuznechnoye (GK), a small enterprise that produced crushed stone at Kaarlahti quarry, one of the largest and oldest crushed stone quarries in Russia, located in the St Petersburg region.
In 2000 Granit-Kuznechnoye was acquired by LSR Group, with Kostritsa appointed as GK’s general director in 2002. Prior to his current role, he worked for three years as head of LSR Bazovye North-West, an aggregates division of LSR Group.
Speaking to Aggregates Business International about LSR Group’s latest
major aggregates-based projects, Kostritsa says: “One key project involves processing thousands of tonnes of aggregates to create a ‘new land’ on Vasilyevsky Island - an island which constitutes a large portion of St Petersburg’s historic centre. This is the most promising and ambitious project, not only for us, but also for the entire city of St Petersburg. We are already seeing the results of its implementation.
“There were some projects in the past which involved reclamation of land in various
TOP: The LSR Group is heavily involved in creating
parts of St Petersburg, but none of them have been fully implemented.”
To date on the Vasilyevsky Island works, Kostritsa says 170 hectares of land have already been reclaimed, with about 300 hectares scheduled to be created during the next few years. “Part of our plan is the establishment of about 80 additional hectares, which was due to be completed by mid-2019,” he explains. “It is important that we carry out the project drawing on our own capacities and materials. In some of our previous projects and over many years, we worked with some Dutch land reclamation specialists. Thanks to this, we had an opportunity to carefully examine technologies used so that we could apply them and achieve the same high results.”
In total, Kostritsa says about 3.5 million m³ of sand will be used in reclamation works on Vasilyevsky Island, as well as 30,000m³ of rubble and 105,000m³ of stone to strengthen the shore of the bay. Currently LSR Group operates a fleet of specialist equipment, which ensures the creation of such land “from scratch”. “The fleet includes 15 vessels, three hydraulic loaders and a suction
“It is important that we carry out the project drawing on our own capacities and materials.”
Vasily Kostritsa
Commenting on the current demand for aggregates materials in Russia and the Russian aggregates industry’s ability to recover from a prolonged economic downturn, Kostritsa says: “Our industry has always largely depended not only on geopolitical factors, but also on large-scale domestic infrastructure projects, which require huge volumes of aggregates. If we talk about the north-west region, particularly the city of St Petersburg, then new projects of this kind have not yet been announced. As of now, most projects scheduled for implementation in recent years are almost completed. The only exception is the M-11
TOP: Vasily Kostritsa, head of LSR Group’s aggregates division
MIDDLE: A rigid dump truck at work at LSR Group’s flagship rubble quarry in St Petersburg Note: All pics copyright of LSR Group
eight quarries and nine factories equipped with modern equipment.
“The confirmed volume of gneiss granite reserves under the management of LSR Group is more than 550 million m³, which is enough for more than 80 years of development at the current levels of production,” says Kostritsa. “This means that our reserves are more than enough, so we don’t have to think about expansion.”
as reflected in its financial and production figures.
In the first three quarters of 2018 (full 2018-year figures still to be published) the company posted a significant increase in production and sales across most of its aggregates range. LSR Bazovye NorthWest’s production of crushed stone for the 1 January-30 September 2018 period amounted to 5.78 million m³ - 28.8% higher than in the
the group’s and wider aggregates industry’s business outlook.
“We continue to hold leading positions in many segments of the Russian aggregates market, especially as today most of Russia’s needs in aggregates are met by domestic production,” he stresses. “Accordingly, the local market remains a key market for our supplies and a priority for the company’s further development.” AB
Russia’s Far East aggregates advantage?
The Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East could become a hotbed for national aggregates production over the next few years. Eugene Gerden reports
The Kamchatka Peninsula, a 1,250-kilometre-long peninsula in Russia’s Far East, is not an area known for being a great hive of industry in modern Russia. But all that could be about to change. According to recent statements by several leading domestic aggregates producers and some senior officials of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the vast peninsula would make an ideal aggregates production zone.
Dr George Yarotsky of the geological and mineralogical sciences department at the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, points to the Kamchatka Peninsula’s (Kamchatka) thousands of fields containing a diverse range of minerals, including aggregates, located along the north-west Pacific Coast. This has led to the coast being referred to as the ‘Global Pacific Ore Belt’.
Despite its mineral riches, the remote location and tough terrain of the northwest Pacific Coast – a region which includes Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands, Koryakia and Chukotka – have meant that aggregates production and mining activities have been limited.
However, the allocation of Kamchatka government funds to encourage geological and prospecting works, coupled with larger aggregates companies becoming more knowledgeable about the area’s rich mineral reserves, is encouraging many firms to step
up their local production plans.
Another big draw for aggregates producers is Kamchatka’s numerous volcanoes, whose rocks can be used to produce high-quality and popular aggregates. Currently, the volcanic belt of Kamchatka is comprised of around 160 volcanoes, 29 of them still active, with a significant part of the belt suitable for use
as a base for regular aggregates production and processing.
Some of Russia’s leading aggregates producers have already announced plans to start commercial production of aggregates on Kamchatka fields, created by past volcanic activity. One of them is LLC Kamchatnerud (Kamchatnerud), a leading Kamchatka-based producer of aggregates, which has recently declared its intention to invest up to US$40 million in the development of the Bystrinsky, Nikolaevsky and Mutnovsky aggregates fields. The company says that all these fields are based in the Elizovsky area of the Kamchatka region, near Mutnovsky volcano, a volcano in the southern part of the peninsula, and one of the most active volcanoes in
The aggregates fields developed by Kamchatnerud have already been given special economic zone status. Such status gives investors an opportunity to claim various state benefits, including tax and
In Kamchatnerud’s case, however, most of the funds for aggregates production in southern Kamchatka will come from the company. Some funding has also been secured in the form of loans from several
Regional authorities are also said to be supporting Kamchatnerud’s new
production focus in Kamchatka. The peninsula’s governor, Sergey Ilyuchin, has already promised the firm that his authority will provide as much support as possible to ensure the successful cultivation of Kamchatka’s southern aggregates fields. This will include assistance in building the necessary infrastructure, particularly new roads and the establishment of a new power plant.
Svetlana Gulyaeva, a general director at Kamchatnerud, said: “The project will create more than 150 new jobs at the initial stage.
It will involve processing of volcanic rocks from the fields and a further production of sand, gravel, natural stone rubble and some other aggregates. The production is scheduled for commissioning before the end of the current year. It will reach its design capacity by 2022.”
Kamchatnerud is currently finishing geological exploration and design and survey works on the aggregates’ fields earmarked for production. The company has not disclosed estimated production volume. However, according to some sources close to the company, it could be in the range of 30,000-40,000tonnes/year initially, with the possibility of an increase in subsequent years.
Future Kamchatka aggregates fields production will fulfil all the needs of the peninsula’s construction sector, with remaining material exported to neighbouring Asia-Pacific countries.
According to Kamchatnerud, the quality of its Kamchatka-sourced aggregates products will be high, ensuring their use even in the aggressive climatic conditions
of the Russian North and similar ecosystems. Scientific support for Kamchatnerud’s Kamchatka project will be provided by some leading Russian research institutions in the field of aggregates and mining, notably the Central Research Institute of Geology, Industrial Minerals & Aggregates of Russia, and the Institute of Aggregates & Hydromechanisation.
According to recent statements of Denis Manturov, a state official, who is responsible for the Russian government’s development of the national aggregates industry, Russia plans to use the experience of Iceland, which, due to the number of volcanoes located within its territory, has been able to significantly increase the volume of its volcanic rock-based aggregates production in recent years.
With Kamchatka and other Russian region-sourced volcanic rock aggregates, a major focus will be on extracting andesites, kainotypic rock materials formed in the process of volcanic eruptions during the freezing of lava. These materials can usually be found in the earth’s interior, near the surface, reducing the costs of extraction. This makes them an attractive option for Russian government officials, together with investors.
According to data from the Russian Ministry of Energy, there are 21 andesite fields in Russia, the majority of which can be found in the Kamchatka region and some other parts of Russia’s Far East.
A spokesman for Manturov said that Russia’s discovered commercial rubblebased andesite reserves are estimated to be 250 million m³.
Because volcanic rock production needs none of the large-scale mining works often associated with minerals extraction and processing, some Russian mining and aggregates experts believe the use of volcanic rocks in aggregates production will also reduce the impact of production on the Kamchatka environment and ecosystem.
Similar volcanic rock aggregates production plans to those of Kamchatnerud are being considered by other Russian producers, notably AO Kamchatskstroymaterialy (Kamchatsktroymaterialy). According to the company’s deputy general director, Viktor Olkovich, part of Kamchatskstroymaterialy’s plans focuses on the development of the existing Sopka Petrovskaya field in Kamchatka, whose rubble reserves are estimated at about 1 million m³.
In the meantime, Denis Manturov has said that in addition to volcanic rocks, the Russian government, together with some leading domestic producers, is considering the production of aggregates from bed deposits from some shallow Russian rivers, located mainly in Siberia, but also on the Northern Sea Route. The increasingly highprofile shipping route is officially defined by Russian legislation as lying east of Novaya Zemlya and specifically runs along the Russian Arctic coast, from the Kara Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait. The entire route lies in Arctic waters and is within what is currently Russia’s exclusive economic zone. AB
BELOW: The Kamchatka volcanic belt All pics copyright: Kamchatka regional government
Individually
ConstructionTV.TV
SDLG loader’s rapid support for Holcim Indonesia
An SDLG LG936L wheeled loader is proving vital to operations at a Holcim concrete plant in Bandung, Indonesia. Contractor
PT Sarana Karya Cipta Transindo is using the fuel-efficient LG936L to produce high-quality concrete products for Holcim, one of the world’s leading suppliers of cement and aggregates.
“The LG936L has really improved efficiency and operations at the plant,” said Rieko Stevanus, owner of the company. “Its smooth and reliable performance allows us to move up to 65m³ per hour.”
On site since April 2018, the LG936L works between 15 to 20 hours daily, primarily transporting materials such as limestone, crushed stones and sand from the stockpiles to the concrete plant’s hopper, to help produce 3,000m³ of concrete/month for Holcim.
“The SDLG wheeled loader is a reliable workhorse and needs only one minute and 20 seconds to pick up the materials from the stockpile and unload at the hopper 30 metres away,” Stevanus said.
With an air-conditioned steel cab with wide visibility
PT Sarana Karya Cipta Transindo chose an SDLG LG936L wheeled loader to handle aggregates at Holcim’s concrete plant
and a large operating space, the operator is protected against the elements and enjoys optimum comfort. With the option to install rollover protective structures and falling object protective structures, contractors have flexibility to adapt the lightweight wheeled
loader to meet changing job site needs.
Powered by a 92kW Weichai Deutz engine, the 3 tonne-rated LG936L is highly manoeuvrable. The 1.8m³ bucket on the unit can be raised to a dumping height of 3.3m, and the maximum break-
out force is 96N.
PT Sarana Karya Cipta Transindo owns a fleet of seven SDLG LG936Ls, which were all purchased from PT Indotruck Utama, SDLG’s distribution partner in Indonesia. www.sdlg.com
Terex MPS launches Simplicity SI screen
Terex Minerals Processing Systems (MPS) has launched a new series of Simplicity Standard Incline (SI) screens designed for heavyduty, medium and fine screening applications.
The screens come with a range of features designed to be more versatile and highly reliable in the market.
Terex MPS says they are built with a robust drive mechanism and oversized bearings to handle large tonnages and a wide variety of applications. Utilised as wet or dry screens, these units have adjustable stroke and speed combinations to fit a variety of applications and are available in two- or three-deck configurations. They are fitted with woven wire media but can be converted into modular media with polyurethane, rubber media or steel plate without any cutting or welding.
The SI screens also have the option of operating with grease or oil lubrication, with an AutoLubrication system available with grease lubrication. Side plates are made of hot rolled semi-killed/ killed steel and the decks along with reinforcement plates are Huck bolted to the side plates. The robust tubular deck frames are made of hollow sections and fabricated structures.
“The SI screens are intelligently engineered to provide maximum value and long life,” said Edwin Sauser, Terex MPS product manager. “The screens are versatile, reliable and have features designed for easy maintenance, such as large spacing between decks, which also allow for quick media changes.”
www.terex.com/mps
Terex MPS’ Simplicity SI screen can handle large tonnages
New partnership brings global bulk handling leader to UAE
Global leader in bulk handling equipment Martin Engineering has entered the Middle East market by forging a partnership with German Conveyor Industries LLC, UAE’s experts in the design, installation and maintenance of industrial plant.
The deal means that Martin Engineering’s superior range of products – which helps companies to achieve unparalleled productivity and efficiency –is available for the first time in UAE. The products are exclusively supplied, installed and maintained by German Conveyor’s local team of specialists.
Martin Engineering is present in more than 20 countries across six continents, supplying innovative conveyor belt cleaners, market-leading air cannons and associated parts to attain cleaner,
safer, more effective and sustainable processing. Martin products eliminate blockages, prevent spill ages and reduce airborne material.
In UAE, Martin Engineering is partnering with German Conveyor Industries LLC, experts in the design, installation and maintenance of industrial plants
With a highly skilled and motivated team of 150 people, German Conveyor – part of Quarry Mining LLC – designs, manufactures, installs and maintains bulk handling systems, processing plants and environmental technologies in the UAE minerals and mining sector.
Teams from Martin Engineering offices in Germany, Turkey, South Africa and the UK have been working alongside colleagues from German Conveyor to develop an extensive product offering and year-round, rapid-response service. www.martin-eng.com
BKT unveils new size for Earthmax SR 423
Designed for tipper trucks and mining dumpers, particularly in the Middle East, the new 12.00 R 24 size of BKT’s EARTHMAX 423 tyre was launched recently at the Automechanika Dubai exhibition.
The new tyre size showcased at the BKT platinumsponsored showpiece event staged at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre (10-12 June 2019) is the third size in the EARTHMAX 423 tyre range, following on from the launch of sizes 10.00 R 20 and 11.00 R 20, also specifically developed for tipper trucks and dumpers used in mining and transport operations in the most demanding conditions. The EARTHMAX 423 tyre’s robust tread pattern with non-directional lugs provides excellent traction on any terrain.
As a global company present in over 160 countries worldwide, Bhuj, western Indiaheadquartered BKT says it pays a great deal of attention to developing products as a response to each territory’s most specific needs.
At Automechanika Dubai, BKT also exhibited the EARTHMAX SR 23 tyre, in size 20.5 R 25, which is specifically designed for motor graders and wheeled loaders. It is said to distinguish itself for its outstanding self-cleaning properties as well as excellent front and lateral traction, and an extended operating life cycle.
The tyre’s large shoulder minimises the risk of cuts and chips even under toughest operating conditions, and on adverse and inaccessible paths. The all-steel casing structure provides great resistance and durability leading to a longer product life cycle.
EARTHMAX SR 423 has also been designed for increased load capacity, and the reinforced bead makes it the ideal tyre for heavyduty service applications.
Meanwhile, the also showcased EARTHMAX SR 33 is a radial tyre for multi-purpose trucks, said to ensure extraordinary grip on soft and sandy grounds. The tyre is also said to be extremely resistant to snags and punctures, while offering maximum stability. It was on display in size 365/80 R 20.
Another highlighted tyre from the EARTHMAX family was the EARTHMAX SR 48 for rigid dumpers operating in stone quarries, cement and mining industries. This tyre is said by BKT to have extraordinary traction and wear resistance, even under the toughest conditions in rocky environments. It is said to be ideal for transporting heavy loads. www.bkt-tires.com
Haver & Boecker Niagara says its new rugged N-Class vibrating screen can optimise crushing plants and screening operations through its ability to screen as much as 5,000tonnes/hour. It is said to be ideal for tough jobs, such as scalping and classifying ores, minerals, stones, sand and gravel in aggregates and mining applications. The Niagara N-Class vibrating screen has an advanced four-bearing design that is said to minimise structural vibration while maintaining constant g-force, even through fluctuating material feed rates.
“The Niagara N-Class is a oneof-a-kind machine with the ability to productively accomplish screening tasks other vibrating screens have difficulty with,” said Peter Grotjohann, managing director of Haver & Boecker Niagara’s German facility. “The machine offers our customers an ideal solution for improving crushing plant efficiency and classifying coarse materials, therefore improving profits.”
Haver & Boecker Niagara’s N-Class offers one to three screen decks and features an advanced
single-eccentric shaft design that’s supported by four high-performance, double-spherical roller bearings. It is said to be dynamically balanced to minimise dynamic loads transferred into the structure and allows multiple screens to be placed side by side in the same building. The N-Class maximises screening efficiency and is said to “virtually eliminate” blinding and pegging by providing a consistent g-force in all operational modes, regardless of load consistency. A heavy-duty body design handles heavy loads in applications with extreme material sizes up to 2,032 x 1,016 x 1,016mm. The screens offer a self-cleaning action to minimise common problems encountered with traditional grizzly feeders.
The N-Class is described as ideal for reducing loads and energy demands for a crushing plant by providing more consistently-sized material to improve crushing efficiency. The use of the vibrating screen in the process before the crusher increases the crusher capacity and maximises the quality of the crushed product.
www.havercanada.com
BKT’s EARTHMAX SR 23 tyre
Haver & Boecker Niagara’s N-Class offers one to three screen decks and features an advanced single-eccentric shaft design
H&B Niagara N-Class Scalper
2019
AUGUST
1-3 Conmart Expo 2019 Guangzhou, China
Organiser: CMEPCA, GZCMIA, CMIA Tel: +86 0755 82598142 www.conmart.com.cn/index_ en.aspx
SEPTEMBER
5-7 RecyclingAKTIV and TiefbauLIVE 2019
Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre, Germany
Organiser: Karlsruher Messe-und Kongress GmbH
Tel: +49 721 3720 2300
Email: verena.schneider@messekarlsruhe.de www.recycling-aktiv.com
18-20 5th China International Aggregates Quarrying Tailings & Construction Waste Disposal Exhibition 2019
Tel: +86 182 1898 2900
Email: grand.zh@grahw.com www.cctee.net
SEPTEMBER (CONTINUED)
23-25 Aggregates China 2019
China Import and Export Fair
Organiser: Trista Chan Tel: +86 20 28945347
Email: grand.zh@grahw.com www.cctee.net
OCTOBER
2-5 CONEXPO Latin America 2019 Santiago, Chile
Organiser: CONEXPO Latin America
Tel: +1 800 867 6060
Email: customerservice@conexpolatinamerica.com www.conexpolatinamerica.com
DECEMBER
10-14 Excon 2019 Bengaluru, India
Organiser: Confederation of Indian Industry
Tel: +91 44 42444564
Email: excon@cii.in https://excon.in/exconpub.php
2020
MARCH
10-14 CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020
Las Vegas, NV
Organiser: AEM Tel: +1 414 274 0644
Email: customerservice@conexpoconagg.com www.conexpoconagg.com
21-25 SaMoTer 2020
Verona, Italy
Organiser: Veronafiere S.p.A. Tel: +39 045 8298561
Email: customercare@samoter.com http://www.samoter.it/en
JUNE
23-25 Hillhead 2020
Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, Derbyshire, England
Organiser: The QMJ Group Tel: +44 (0)115 945 4377
Email: Harvey.sugden@qmj.co.uk www.hillhead.com/exhibitors/ hillhead-2020
MEET THE TEAM
Throughout the year Aggregates Business travels the globe attending conferences, events and equipment shows, keeping you informed of the latest offerings. Why not come and join us for a chat at any of the events below?
MARCH 2020
10-14 CONEXPO-CON/ AGG 2020
MARCH 2020
21-25 SaMoTer 2020 Verona, Italy
JUNE 2020
23-25 Hillhead 2020 Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, Derbyshire, England
www.constructiontv.tv
