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EEgyptian aggregates capital
gypt’s new capital city– formally known as the New Administrative Capital (NAC) – is under construction on a vast plain less than an hour’s drive east of central Cairo, the current capital and a sprawling North African megacity with a population of more than 20 million.
As V.L Srinivasan highlights in a fascinating feature in this issue of ABI, such a megaproject comes with many challenges to overcome. It also offers highly attractive commercial opportunities for construction firms, multinational and ambitious medium- and small-sized regional building materials suppliers, and leading quarrying and construction original equipment manufacturers.
Once completed, Egypt’s new capital will be home to six million people and span an area larger than Madrid or Birmingham. Its central park will be twice as long as New York’s and three times bigger than London’s Hyde Park. It will also be home to the tallest tower in Africa, the largest church in the Middle East and the biggest opera house outside Europe.
With three-quarters of the infrastructure works for the first phase of the NAC already completed, the government is set to move 34 government ministries — including the presidential complex — to the new capital in June 2020.
Even after the project’s completion, earmarked for 2022, I think there will be plenty of further, if less grandiose, building works associated with the maintenance of the new Egyptian capital to keep aggregates suppliers busy. I look forward to paying some of them a visit during a future trip to the region as editor of ABI
One of my favourite trips during my fiveand-a-half years to date editing this magazine was to South Korea with Metso in 2018. Visiting aggregates and cement product makers in and around Seoul and Busan and seeing their smart and highly sophisticated approach to production
and site management, made a big impression on me. As such, I have found it very interesting to analyse the current and likely future health of the South Korean aggregates industry when putting together this edition’s Market Report.
According to Construction in South Korea – Key Trends & Opportunities to 2023, a report published in July 2019 by GlobalData, a major global business market research consultancy, South Korea’s construction industry is expected to contract by 1.7% in 2020, following a 5.9% dip in 2019, before a period of renewed growth. This decline, which will also negatively impact on national aggregates demand, can be attributed to reduced infrastructure spending, an increase in minimum wages, tighter housing regulations and government policies. However, GlobalData notes that the construction industry will be supported over the next three years by the government’s efforts to galvanise the economy.
GlobalData notes that the South Korean government’s investments in the country’s Renewable Energy Plan 2030, 5G infrastructure development, affordable housing and research and development (R&D) will support construction industry growth, and as a result aggregates demand growth, until 2023. Last year, the government also approved a financial package worth KRW24.1 trillion (US$21.5 billion) to deliver 23 projects focused on highways, rail, manufacturing plants and hospitals.
This issue’s Market Report also includes the thoughts of Byoung-Young Cho, director of marketing communication and special sales in Korea for Volvo Construction Equipment. Cho quotes the influential Construction & Economy Research Institute of Korea (CERIK) forecast that South Korean aggregates demand in 2020 will reach a healthy 376 million tonnes. That’s very good news for the national aggregates industry, including some of the highly likeable entrepreneurs I had the good fortune to meet two years ago. .GW gwoodford@ropl.com
Readers of Aggregates Business International can now also enjoy browsing on our magazine’s exciting new website, updated every weekday with all the latest news on the European and wider global aggregates industry. Fully viewable on smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs, the easy-to-use website also includes exclusive web-only features and video content, making it the go-to tool for aggregates sector professionals.
“The
19 CRUSHING & SCREENING
How screening buckets are being used to turn quarry waste into money
22 LOADING
A top quarrying and construction sector excavator manufacturer’s big alternative fuel project
25 HAULING
New haulers and hauling product solutions are helping quarry operators to increase the productivity of their sites
28 DRILL RIGS, HAMMERS & BREAKERS
Leading global market manufacturers showcase new models and growth plans at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020
WEIGHING
Accurate and efficient payload management systems can save your quarrying business big money
WASHING – PART 1
Major new water processing and management plant launches for 2020
SCREENING MEDIA
The importance of screening media is apparent when appraising the new products on the market
39
CONCRETE PLANT
A premium concrete mixing plant is being used in the construction of what is claimed to be the world’s largest lock in the port city of Ijmuiden near Amsterdam 41
Popular for many years in Western Europe and North America, quarrying machine rebuilds are now showing growth in Russia, Africa and the Middle East
Specials
08 INTERVIEW
SBM executive vice president Libo Fang on the exciting present and future of China’s biggest crushing, screening and washing plant manufacturer
11 MARKET REPORT
South Korea’s aggregates market is strong and has the potential to grow further
13 A NEW EGYPTIAN CAPITAL
Egypt’s New Administrative Capital is inching closer to reality
16 EXCON 2019
Emphasis on new equipment at India’s Excon
43 QUARRY PROFILE
Xinkaiyuan Quarry offers a green quarry blueprint for Chinese quarry operators
46 LOAD WEIGHING IN AFRICA
Smart load-weighing solutions for African quarry operators
SCIENTISTS CREATE BENDABLE CONCRETE THAT CAN BETTER WITHSTAND EARTHQUAKES
A new type of concrete that is made out of waste materials and can bend under load has been developed and patented by Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia-based researchers Dr Behzad Nematollahi and Professor Jay Sanjayan.
The innovative concrete incorporates industrial waste products such as fly ash – a by-product of coal-fired power stations. It is especially suited for construction in earthquake zones where the brittle nature of conventional concrete often leads to disastrous building collapses.
“Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world,” says ARC DECRA Fellow at Swinburne’s Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Digital Construction, Dr Nematollahi.
“In fact, it is the second-most consumed material by human beings after water. Its quality has a massive effect on the resilience of our infrastructure such as buildings, bridges and tunnels.”
Traditional concrete is not only prone to shatter when being stretched or bent, but also has a huge carbon footprint
CEMEX announces organisational changes
Mexican building materials giant CEMEX has announced changes to its senior level organisation.
Sergio Mauricio Menendez Medina, current president for CEMEX in Europe, has been appointed president for CEMEX Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA). Medina will oversee the business in the Philippines, Israel, Egypt and United Arab Emirates, in addition to his current responsibilities.
“I would like to thank our current president of our Asia, Middle East and Africa region, Joaquin Estrada, for his contribution and commitment to CEMEX during his 29 years of service in the company, and wish him success in his new endeavours,” said Fernando A. González, CEO of CEMEX.
Jesus Vicente Gonzalez Herrera, current president for CEMEX in South, Central America and the Caribbean (SCAC), will also oversee CEMEX’s global trading activities, in addition to his current
responsibilities.
The senior management changes at CEMEX come after a period when the group has been very much in the industry news headlines.
Last month, CEMEX launched a new Climate Action strategy, which outlines its vision to advance towards a carbon-neutral economy and to address society’s increasing demands more efficiently.
CEMEX says it has reduced its net specific CO2 emissions by more than 22% compared to its 1990 baseline. However, the group has defined a more ambitious target of a 35% reduction of net specific CO2 emissions by 2030.
To complement this strategy with a longer-term vision, CEMEX is also establishing a new ambition to deliver net-zero CO2 concrete by 2050.
CEMEX also recently posted flat consolidated net sales for both Q4 and full-year 2019, with CEO Gonzalez describing 2019 as a “very challenging year”.
Metso celebrates ‘first pour’ at new foundry in India
Metso announced in 2018 a greenfield foundry project in Vadodara, India, with a target to increase the casting wears capacity for the mining and aggregates industries.
due to calcination of limestone to produce its key ingredient, cement. By using industrial waste products, Dr Nematollahi and colleagues have done away with the need for traditional concrete, making the product more sustainable.
“Production of this novel concrete requires about 36% less energy and emits up to 76% less carbon dioxide as compared to conventional bendable concrete made of cement,” says Dr Nematollahi.
The foundry’s ‘first pour’ was celebrated in India on Thursday, and the facility will now start production for customer deliveries for local and global markets.
“The state-of-the-art foundry will have a strong role in our global foundry network by serving our customers’ growing needs in the mining and aggregate industries worldwide. The new facility with its modern and efficient production processes increases our product availability with reduced lead times,” says Sami Takaluoma, president, Metso’s Minerals Consumables business area.
The foundry manufacturing process utilizes Lean principles, enabling strong on-time delivery performance, shorter lead times, and world-class quality of finished products. Metso is continuously exploring alternatives to develop its supply capabilities globally through its own manufacturing facilities as well as through a supplier network.
In India, Metso employs more than 1,400 people at 13 locations, serving all Metso’s customer industries.
Sergio Mauricio Menendez Medina has been appointed president for CEMEX Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA)
Metso has staged the ‘first pour’ at its Vadodara foundry
Dr Behzad Nematollahi with a sample of the novel concrete developed at Swinburne University, Melbourne Pic: Swinburne University
ASPASA South Africa: Association aims for safer surface mines
Despite the solid performance of South African surface mines under the banner of ASPASA in its annual health and safety audits, the industry association is pushing for further reforms to ensure still safer mines in the year ahead.
The association’s members have not recorded a fatality in five years due partially to the effectiveness of its compliance audits which highlight any potential shortcomings and risks. The association also raises awareness through constant communication and information sharing, both internally and via the media, to ensure problematic areas are addressed timeously.
ASPASA director Nico Pienaar says that every year the audits uncover a wealth of information relating to risks and non-compliance. This is immediately addressed with the mine’s management, as well as being recorded for analysis and
y
where necessary communicated with other members.
Last year’s audits reveal some of the areas where improvements are required, which include:
Many mines are still experiencing problems setting up an ISO 45001:2018 H&S Management System.
Day-today identification of risks needs to be improved with internal inspections and identification of deviations
from the system.
Some mines still need to develop and implement traffic management plans.
Failure to comply with the trackless mobile machines’ (TMM) pre-start checklist hazard classification. TMMs operating with A-Class “No-Go” findings.
Poor compliance with isolation and lockout requirements. Deviations on proper machine guarding.
Poor accident / incident investigation.
As a result, ASPASA will be providing information and assistance to its members to address these potential problem areas on members’ mines. “We advise that other non-ASPASA members also take heed of our findings and also begin to close the loop on health and safety issues that may affect their own operations,” says Pienaar.
HOLCIM PHILIPPINES TO INCREASE USE OF WASTE AS RAW MATERIALS AND ALTERNATIVE FUELS
Holcim Philippines is reported by the Manila Standard newspaper to be proposing to boost its usage of pre-processed, properly segregated and qualified waste as raw materials and alternative fuels.
In 2019, the cement maker consumed over 170,000 tonnes of waste materials from communities and sectors as raw materials and alternative fuels.
The Manila Standard says that the firm will continue usage of raw materials and alternative fuels and drive co-processing operations to control the company’s costs and contribute to solving the waste management problems in the Philippines. The development was outlined by John Stull, Holcim Philippines CEO and president.
Dangote Cement to start exports from Congo after Nigerian export woes
Holcim Philippines cement plants on the island of Mindanao were recently recognised by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) for promoting ecological stewardship among the youth and strong adherence to environmental regulations.
Dangote Cement, Africa’s biggest building materials supplier, plans to start exports from its Congo Republic plants to neighbouring states after its Nigerian exports fell 41% in 2019 when Nigeria’s government closed its borders.
Nigeria shut its land border in August to curb the smuggling of rice to neighbouring states where it sells for more, and an illegal arms trade. The closure has also hurt other Nigerian businesses, including cement exports, and has stoked inflation.
Joseph Makoju, Dangote’s outgoing chief executive, said the border closure led exports to drop to 0.5 million tonnes in 2019 from 0.7 million tonnes in both 2018 and 2017. He said the company had exported to West and Central Africa from Nigeria.
Makoju said total production volumes last year were flat at 14.1 million tonnes. Higher discounts, marketing and haulage costs caused core profit to fall 9.1%, while margins slid 59.2%, he said.
In February, Dangote Cement appointed ex-head of Lafarge Africa Michel Puchercos as its new chief executive, Makoju said. “We undoubtedly faced several challenges last year,” Makoju told an analyst call reported on by Reuters news agency. “We are very optimistic about the market in 2020 and we expect to see some increase especially for infrastructure project.”
Dangote now plans to commence export of clinker, the main raw material to make cement, from Congo in 2020 and promote its Nigerian production more heavily to support growth.
Holcim Philippines’ employees cleaned local waterways in support of International Coastal Clean-Up Day Pic: Holcim Philippines
Nico Pienaar, ASPASA director
g
Dangote Cement workers at a recently opened company cement plant in Zambia Pic: Dangote Cement
LIBO FANG
SBM’s winning approach to the whole aggregates Shibang
Already China’s biggest aggregates crushing, screening and washing plant manufacturer, Shibang Industry & Technology Group (SBM) is wasting no time in executing its ambitious domestic and export growth strategy. Guy Woodford visited the company’s headquarters and spoke to Libo Fang, SBM executive vice president, to learn more
Opened in late 2018, SBM’s product exhibition hall, situated in a large ultra-modern, aircraft-style hanger building within the grounds of the firm’s Shanghai headquarters in eastern China, is extremely impressive. Libo Fang, the company’s executive vice president, is proudly showing me around after I’ve travelled down to interview him after attending the 6th China International Aggregates Conference in Wuxi, a city two hours north west of Shanghai.
Above the large range of assembled SBM crushing, screening and washing plant is a large array of national flags, many belonging to countries to which SBM already exports its equipment and technology. Established in 1987, SBM posted annual sales of around RMB 3bn (US$427.1mn) in 2018. Employing around 3,000 people and with six production factories in China – three in Henan province, central China; two in Shanghai, and one in Jiangsu province, eastern China – SBM has established itself as by far China’s biggest and most successful crushing, screening and sand-washing plant maker. Also known for its feeders, heavy-duty conveyor belts and grinding equipment, SBM exports its products to customers in regions and countries including South East Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East, India and Australia.
“We are already a global standard manufacturer that does business all over the world. The advance of new technology and technical knowledge in China means we can progress our product offer more rapidly compared to developed countries in other world regions,” says Fang. “The Chinese aggregates market that is booming with all the major infrastructure works taking place.”
Turning his attention to SBM export sales, Fang continues: “Exports are always important to us. We began internet-based marketing and export sales in 2004 and currently sell our plant to customers in 170 countries. We have very good co-operation with Google’s management team in Shanghai who have advised us and supported our efforts to reach customers online. This is particularly helpful in putting our very large customer engineering support teams
in contact with export market customers. Exports sales are currently around 45% of our total sales. East Africa has been a good region for us, and South East Asia is currently a very good market. There is rapidly growing equipment demand in countries like Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam.”
Fang says that domestically and globally, cone crushers are SBM’s biggest-selling crusher type. “We have many different efficient static and mobile cone crushers across our HPC, HST, HPT, PY and CS series models. They are very versatile machines which meet our customers’ needs. Chinese demand for mobile crushers and screeners is growing rapidly, largely due to the growth in materials recycling which offers far higher profitability.
“The need for better quality final product and a better quarrying and mining environment in China has led to an increase in demand for our washing plant.”
Delegates at the 6th China International Aggregates Conference held at the Intercontinental hotel in Wuxi (9-12 December) heard a keynote speech from Hu Youyi, president of China Aggregates Association (CAA), who explained how China is embarking on a green quarrying revolution that will transform the aggregates production
SBM’s extensive plant range includes the S5X Series vibrating screen
ABOVE: Libo Fang discussing all things SBM with ABI editor Guy Woodford
industry across the world’s most populous country; a country whose 20 billion tonnes a year aggregates market equates to 40% of total world demand.
Hu said that future Chinese quarries would have four development models: Aggregate 1.0 – green environmental protection aggregate plant; Aggregate 2.0 – extending the aggregate industrial chain; Aggregate 3.0 – green building materials industrial park; Aggregate 4.0 – eco-industrial park based on a quarry. Hu also noted that with the support of 5G technology, digital, unmanned quarries and smart mines in the aggregates industry will become a mainstream trend. The same technology will also see a rapid rise in the intelligent transport of aggregates and the use of intelligent logistics.
In an interview with this magazine during the conference, Hu said that 80% of Chinese quarries will reach the required green standard within the next five years.
As a prominent CAA member, SBM actively participates in various aggregatessector enhancing activities organised by the association. The company also follows CAA policies and suggestions on how to best promote the healthy development of the Chinese aggregates industry. Indeed, SBM chairman Yang Songke is the CAA’s vice president.
Commenting on the grand Chinese green quarrying plan, Fang says: “It’s a very important issue. The future for quarrying and mining in China must be about the production of good material and the greater use of recycled materials as part of a wider environmental focus. The Chinese aggregates industry has undergone huge change in the last three to four years, as the Chinese government have a very strict environment policy. A lot of smaller mines shut down and producers can no longer excavate gravel from rivers and lakes. This kind of change can only happen in China, and it is very good for the industry.
“As a company to tie in with Aggregate
4.0, SBM is looking to produce high-quality design, high-performance and low-emission plant solutions. We also want to provide wider solutions that cover the whole green quarrying and mining operation, including site design, transportation and waste disposal. We are putting a lot of research and development resources into this and are co-operating with a number of other companies.”
Fang says 2015 was a key year for SBM due to big investment in enhancing not only the company’s plant range, but also its production capabilities. “The domestic aggregates supply and equipment market was very tough that year, so our chairman decided to take advantage of lower building costs to invest in our headquarters, including the building of our exhibition hall, and in new and extended production factories. This meant we were better able to meet market domestic and export demand when it increased.
“The quality of manufacturing here in Shanghai is the best in China. We have some very good, tech-minded neighbours, such as Tesla and Google. This means we can share a lot of technology and ideas. We buy a lot of new machines to produce our products, but if we only produce our products with them, our return on investment is not quick. As such, we are talking to people involved in a big airplane-making project in the city who are interested in paying us for allowing them to use our advanced Shanghai factories’ machines.”
Focusing on SBM’s plant aftersales offer, Fang, who has a master’s degree in marketing and a degree in economics and management, both from Tsinghua University in Beijing, says the company’s direct sales model allows it to get to know customers better. “It’s important that we know our customers, their working environment and their production needs to ensure that we can offer the best solutions,” he stresses. “Direct sales also help us identify how we can improve. I also want our aftermarket teams to use more new technology, such as 5G, in their interaction with customers.
“Every day we get feedback from our customers all over the world on how to improve our equipment, a lot of it referring to automation and machine control and intelligence. This drives our R&D work. For example, we have designed a wheeled compact cone crusher for contract customers in markets such as Africa.”
In 2017, SBM became the official Chinese distributor for major North American quarrying plant maker McCloskey International (McCloskey), now part of Finnish sector heavyweight Metso.
“It’s been a very good co-operation. McCloskey mobile crushing and screening plant are quality and very good value. We have now sold around 40 McCloskey plant in China, and plan to sell 100 by the end of 2020,” says Fang. “We have met with senior Metso figures and they have assured
us that the co-operation between SBM and McCloskey will remain the same.”
Describing his leadership style, 33-yearold Fang, who hails from Anhui province, eastern China, says: “I think instilling a positive culture is very important. We have a lot of young staff and I and the rest of the SBM management team encourage a constant learning culture. We like to refer to this as created and shared value.”
And what of the SBM executive vice president’s remaining personal career goals? “Working in a rapidly changing global aggregates industry is very exciting. I want to help SBM be one of the best plant manufacturers in the world, and for the company to be firmly associated with being good for the environment and helping our customers create a greener world.” AB
ABOVE: A comprehensive SBM plant solution at a customer aggregates-processing site
BELOW: SBM’s KH 300-2 mobile crushing station
SBM’s VU Series Aggregate Optimisation System
As well as being China’s biggest-selling crushing, screening and washing plant maker, SBM exports its equipment to customers in 170 countries
A tech-savvy South Korean aggregates sector
South Korea’s aggregates sector is set for a period of strong demand thanks to big governmentbacked private-sector spending on new national infrastructure. Guy Woodford reports
While South Korea’s contribution to global cultural life was very much in world headlines in February this year when the film Parasite, set in the country’s megacity capital, Seoul, won the Best Picture gong at the Oscars, the country’s aggregates producers’ enthusiastic embrace of premium off-highway equipment and its linked technology is another interesting wider-world story.
Indeed, the country’s aggregates producers and construction contractors don’t have to look too far for examples of major global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) striving to supply increasingly sophisticated loading and hauling machines.
On 20 November 2019, more than 200 distinguished guests, including South Korea National Assembly figures, watched on as Seoul-headquartered Doosan Infracore unveiled its high-tech ‘Concept-X’ construction jobsite control solution during a special demonstration event at its proving grounds in Boryeong City.
Concept-X is a comprehensive control solution that can be used to survey worksite topography via 3D drone scanning, establish operational plans based on the topographical data, and operate construction equipment such as excavators and wheeled loaders without human intervention. In short, Concept-X
realises the construction site of the future by having all dangerous construction work performed solely by equipment, leaving human personnel free to concentrate on more sophisticated analysis and management tasks.
A wide range of cutting-edge ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ technologies is used in Concept X such as image recognition, cognitive/control technologies, autonomous driving technologies, 5G remote control, 3D drone surveys and accurate workload estimation and assignment, together with failure prediction technologies.
Doosan Infracore asserts that the Concept X solution will boost productivity and economic feasibility significantly by reducing the time and costs required for construction equipment operations, while introducing a revolutionary improvement to the issue of construction worksite safety. Crucially, the company plans to commercialise Concept-X by 2025. While its technologies will initially be targeted at construction contractors and firms, many will also be suited to aggregates-processing work sites.
South Korea’s population has doubled since 1960 and now stands at over 51 million people, with more than 81% of them living in an urban environment. This has created strong demand for new residential and commercial building works along with major transport infrastructure
projects, such as the 2001-opened world-class international airport in Incheon, a city of 2.8 million people near Seoul.
Volvo Construction Equipment has a strong presence in the South Korean quarrying and construction equipment market.
Byoung-Young Cho, the company’s director of marketing communication & special sales in Korea, said that according to the Construction & Economy Research Institute of Korea (CERIK), Korea is expected to see 253 trillion (US$206.484bn) in construction investment in 2020, with aggregates demand estimated to reach a healthy 376 million tonnes (235 million3).
“The main drivers for this demand are from road repairs and the residential building industry,” said Cho. “In terms of the aggregate type, we expect to see an even-demand split between sand and gravel. The majority of these aggregates will be sourced from recycling (43.7%), quarries (41.5%), the sea (7.9%), land (5.6%) and river (1.3%).”
Cho said the most popular machines for aggregates production in South Korea are excavators above the 30-tonne class, such as Volvo CE’s EC300E, and wheeled loaders with bucket capacity above 4m³, like Volvo CE’s L150H.
Cho said that Volvo CE plans to increase its market share of 30-tonne excavators and
Doosan Infracore, the Seoul, South Koreaheadquartered construction and quarrying equipment giant, has unveiled its high-tech ‘Concept-X’ construction jobsite control solution
4m³-bucket capacity wheeled loaders from 25% to 30% in three years through enhancing its sales and service network, along with the company’s extended warranty programme.
Among big Volvo CE aggregatessupplier customers in South Korea is Kun Woo Enterprise (KWO). Due to growing aggregates demand, the firm has been given special permission to operate a quarry from a restricted-access military area on GanghwaGun, an island just off the northwestern-most corner of South Korea, just a few kilometres from the North Korea shoreline. KWO’s Inwha-Li Quarry team excavates and crushes over 1,200,000m³ of rock each year used for civilian projects in nearby cities and towns, such as Incheon and Gimpo.
At Inwha-Li Quarry, KWO’s Volvo CE fleet includes high-performing L250H wheeled loaders and A45G articulated haulers.
The Korean cement industry has a rich outward-looking history. As such, it was no surprise when in late 2019 the Korea Cement Association (KCA) joined the World Cement Association as an affiliate member of its international network.
Korea’s cement industry employs more than 4,800 people and produces around 51 million tonnes per year, and KCA counts nine of the leading players among its membership, including WCA member Sampyo Cement.
“KCA has a long history supporting the advancement of the cement and concrete industries locally, and we look forward to working with them in a global context,” said Ian Riley, CEO of the WCA. “It’s important for us to have a diverse membership that is not just made up of cement producers, and so we’re very keen to welcome other Associations that share our goals and values.”
In 2018 the KCA was recognised for its work in improving the recycling of waste materials in the cement industry and was awarded the grand prize in the category of Resource Circulation at the Korea Environment Awards. The same year, the association organised an international seminar in Seoul, which analysed the durability criteria and the certification system related to cement concrete, calling on the cement industry to improve the durability of construction.
“We share, at a local level, WCA’s global mission of representing and promoting the cement industry, so there is a great deal of scope for collaboration between our two organisations,” said KCA president Hyun Joon Lee. “Through WCA, we look forward to connecting with international peers to stay informed on best practice and the latest industry developments, as well as sharing insights that we have gathered through our own work”.
Construction in South Korea – Key Trends & Opportunities to 2023, published in July 2019 by GlobalData, a leading international business market research consultancy, notes that the South Korean government’s investments in the Renewable Energy Plan 2030, 5G infrastructure development, affordable housing and research and development (R&D) will support the construction industry’s growth until 2023.
In January 2019, the government approved KRW24.1 trillion (US$21.5 billion) to develop 23 projects in the area of road, rail, manufacturing plant and hospitals in the country.
GlobalData expects the residential construction market to remain the largest market over the forecast period and account for 41.5% of the industry’s total value in 2023, supported by the government’s plan to stabilise the housing market by building affordable public housing and increase the supply of rental public housing in the country. In September 2018, the government outlined its plan to build 300,000 housing units, which will be delivered to the public from 2021 onwards, with plans to build 35,000 housing units in the first phase.
GlobalData expects the infrastructure construction market to record a forecast-period CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 4.66% in nominal terms in 2023, driven by public and private sector investments in the development of the country’s road and rail network. In order to develop the Saemangeum region and enhance its connectivity, the government plans to build a new airport there which will be able to handle 670,000 passengers per year by 2025.
The South Korean government has outlawed the use of natural sea sand in residential construction and commercial infrastructure projects. It is also encouraging building companies that place great emphasis on using advanced technology and other
modern methods of construction.
The total construction project pipeline in South Korea – as tracked by GlobalData and including all megaprojects with a value above US$25 million – stands at KRW454.2 trillion ($412.7 billion). The pipeline, which includes all projects from pre-planning to execution, is well balanced, with 50.1% of the pipeline value being in projects in the pre-planning and planning stages as of July 2019.
Yonhap news agency reported in January 2020 that South Korea is looking to green-light private-sector infrastructure projects worth 17 trillion won (US$14.7 billion) this year in a bid to spur an economic recovery through investments.
The country’s vice finance minister, Koo Yun-cheol, highlighted the spending plans at a meeting with infrastructure project officials.
Among the new infrastructure projects under government review are 13.5 trillion won- ($11.01bn) worth of major roads and railways and 3.5 trillion won- ($2.85bn) worth of environment-related businesses, Koo said.
Separately, Koo said that the government will begin 35 private-sector infrastructure projects worth 16 trillion won from this year.
Such numbers quoted in the GlobalData report and by Yonhap news agency offer huge commercial opportunities for domestic aggregates producers and global and regional market quarrying and construction equipment manufacturers. AB
Volvo CE L250 wheeled loaders are a key part of Kun Woo Enterprise’s machine fleet at Inwha-Li Quarry
A Volvo CE L250 wheeled loader at work at Inwha-Li Quarry on Ganghwa-Gun, an island just off the northwestern-most corner of South Korea
Egypt’s New Administrative Capital inching closer to reality
Egyptians have a strong and long-standing track record of building highly efficient cities, and the present government is leaving no stone unturned in living up to that reputation by constructing a new state-of-the-art capital on an area spanning 714km².
V L Srinivasan
reports
Egypt’s “New Administrative Capital” (NAC) was conceived in 2015 with the earmarked five-year $58bn construction works getting underway in 2017. The government decided to relocate the capital from Cairo to a new city, 35km east of the famous metropolis, due to rapid population growth. This growth is turning cities into powerful economic growth hubs, due to their ability to offer people easier access to education, jobs and other infrastructural facilities.
With tens of thousands of workers and hundreds of engineers toiling day in and day out and tonnes of building material, aggregates and cement pouring in from domestic and foreign sources, the new Egyptian capital is expected to be completed in a record time of five years. This compares very favourably with the 85 years that it reportedly took to build the great Pyramids of Giza.
The NAC will include Egypt’s parliament, 34 government ministries and a presidential complex, a new airport, a central business district (CBD), the 385m-high, 80-floor Iconic Tower which will be the tallest not only in Egypt but in the whole of Africa, and a park double the size of New York’s Central Park. Meanwhile, students will benefit from an array of cutting-edge facilities to be found in around 2,000 educational institutions. The new city will also include a technology and innovation park, over 1,000 mosques and 40,000 hotel rooms.
With over 70% of the infrastructure works for first phase of the NAC already completed at the beginning of this year, the government is set to move 34 government ministries —
including the presidential complex — to the new capital in June 2020.
The entire NAC project is being supervised by Egypt’s President General Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El Sisi and other senior officials of the Egyptian Army.
A milestone
Source: Volvo
“Cairo has been Egypt’s capital for more than 1,000 years of the country’s 5,000year history. But it is about to be dethroned from its position.”
Shahir El Essawy project director Volvo Construction Equipment (CE) Hub South (Middle East & Africa)
The China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) is playing a key role in the development of a 20-tower central business district in the NAC. “The underconstruction NAC is considered a milestone in Egypt’s development and modernisation, and the central business district is one of the most important projects of the new capital,” Chang Weicai, general manager of CSCEC Egypt, told the Chinese news agency, Xinhua.
Khaled Al Husseini, a senior government official, said that new-capital-first-phase construction work, including facilities and infrastructure, is set for completion in the first half of 2020. “The water facilities work at the new capital is now almost 95% over, while about 30% of the sewage system work has been finalised,” the spokesperson concluded.
Egyptian prime minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly has been a frequent visitor to the Iconic Tower in the central business district, visiting at least seven times. This indicates the government’s intense focus on the project. The prime minister also witnessed the mass concrete pouring of the Iconic Tower base in late February 2019 and regularly follows up the progress of the Iconic Tower erection, Chang added.
In another interview with the local English daily, Daily News Egypt, Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD) chairman and CEO General Ahmed Abdeen said that the political leadership was keen on moving the ministries and agencies in time.
“The parliament will move in 2021 due to the beginning of its new legislative session
An excavator at work in NAC: Source Volvo
in the same year. The building is huge and still in need of a lot of work. Moreover, the ACUD is preparing designs for Shura Council to be in the NAC,” he said.
Biggest purpose-built capital
Project Director for Volvo Construction Equipment (CE) Hub South (Middle East & Africa) Shahir El Essawy said that the new capital is planned to be the home of five million people - making it the biggest purpose-built capital in human history.
“Cairo has been Egypt’s capital for more than 1,000 years of the country’s 5,000-year history. But it is about to be dethroned from its position. The construction of the new capital began in 2017 and most government buildings started moving there from as early as 2019,” he said.
LafargeHolcim Group, a global leader in building materials and solutions, has supported several of NAC’s landmark projects with a total value of nearly $51 million. These projects include the Iconic Tower, Egyptian Cabinet building in the government district, two new metro lines in Cairo, the new Suez Canal tunnels and several port extensions.
For the Iconic Tower, the company is using an innovative and sustainable cement solution with higher slag contents to meet the contractor’s specifications. The solution is unique to the Egyptian market and provides an extended lifetime of more than 100 years thanks to its higher durability and strength, which are essential for a structure of this size and weight.
It is also the exclusive cement supplier for the tower’s base construction work, and in February this year poured concrete non-stop for 48 hours, the North African region’s longest-ever non-stop concrete pour.
Miljan Gutovic, head of LafargeHolcim Middle East Africa Region, said that to ensure materials were delivered reliably and on-time, a new concrete batching plant was installed on-site. Another one with an expected production capacity of 300,000m³ was opened at the end of Q1 2019.
Gutovic said LafargeHolcim was also taking the lead in quality control with its state-of-the-art local laboratory, where it can test both its own solutions as well as construction materials provided by other suppliers.
“With these important project wins, we continue our successful history of supporting large-scale construction projects across Egypt. These projects improve millions of lives by providing better infrastructure and housing,” he added.
The Egyptian government has not allocated any regular national budget funds to the NAC, instead mopping up resources via the sell-off of open plots. Of the total build area of 714km², the area for sale in the first phase of the NAC project is said to be 101km². Of that, 73.5km² has been sold. The other 27.5km² will be marketed until July 2020.
Leading Africa
In its Africa Construction Trends Report 2019 report, global consultancy firm Deloitte said that Egypt had the highest number and value of construction projects within a single African country in 2018, home to 9.5% of the continent’s builds during the year.
Egypt has 46 projects under construction, valued at $79.2bn, representing 17% of the total value of such developments in Africa. “Egyptian construction companies are the most visible private domestic firms, building 25 of the 35 private domestically constructed projects in North Africa,” the Deloitte report said.
At the end of 2018, Egypt’s population reached 100 million with only 6% of the land utilised. Moreover, Egypt is the most populous country in the Middle East and the third-most populous in Africa, with an annual population growth of 2.45%.
“These projects improve millions of lives by providing better infrastructure and housing.”
Miljan Gutovic regional head for Middle East Africa LafargeHolcim
“When we started planning for the New Administrative Capital, some questioned its importance, and others described it as a failed project, which is incorrect.”
Dr. Assem Abd el Ahmed Gazzar Minister of Housing, Utilities & Urban Communities, The Arab Republic of Egypt
LEFT: Photos supplied by LafargeHolcim which show the works being taken up at different sites in the commercial business district
The Deloitte report added that there is a huge migration out of congested cities particularly in Cairo, fuelling the development of new communities by the private sector. Given the demographic pressure, more than 500,000 new residential units are required each year to keep up with existing demand, with the private sector delivering less than 15% of this figure. Therefore, urbanisation and increased land utilisation is a priority for the government’s New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), which aims to increase the percentage of land utilisation to 14% by the year 2050.
As a result of this current under-supply of housing and over-crowding in many major cities, the Egyptian Housing Ministry is planning to build some 20 new mega-cities covering a total area of 2,436km², with the aim of accommodating 30 million people. The new cities planned are in Cairo, Giza, Dakahlia, Beheira, Port Said, Matrouh, North Sinai, Beni Suef, Minya, Assuit, Qena, Luxor and Aswan, with the largest being the NAC. To overcome the huge shortage of housing in the country, the Housing Ministry will have to at least double the amount of land zoned for construction.
Huge demand
Executive chairman of the Egypt-based Metallurgical Industries Holding (MIH) Medhat Nafei said that they were working with some companies on new NAC contract bids and awaiting the results. He said there was huge demand for building materials for the megaproject which was mostly being
Source: MIH
procured from domestic suppliers.
Once completed, the new Egyptian capital will span an area larger than Madrid or Birmingham and will comprise a central park twice as long as New York’s and three times bigger than London’s Hyde Park. It will boast the tallest tower in Africa, the largest church in the Middle East and the biggest opera house outside Europe and will be home to six million people.
Proving pessimists wrong
Early in January 2020, Egypt’s Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities Minister Dr. Assem Abd el Ahmed Gazzar said that the NAC has become one of the most important cities in Egypt due to the transfer of government buildings and important facilities from Cairo to the new city this year.
“When we started planning for the New Administrative Capital, some questioned its importance, and others described it as a failed project, which is incorrect,” Gazzar told various media.
Referring to a 2010 study, Gazzar said that Egypt’s population may reach 160-180 million people by the year 2050 if current population growth rates continue.
He continued that a major problem lies in providing energy and water, especially since the vast majority of Egypt’s population is concentrated in regions that make up only 6 to 7% of the country’s total area.
As these regions are unable to support their residents economically, the housing sector must be doubled in response, Gazzar said, adding that 26% of land in Egypt can be developed. AB
“MIH, which forms the core of the Egyptian metal industry, did not face any problem as NAC has been one of the biggest construction projects all over the world and well funded.”
US$45-48BN: The initial estimated cost for the entire project
1.5 BILLION: The expected daily water use, in cubic metres in the new area
5,000,000: In the new capital there will be enough housing for over five million people
2022: The year when the project is expected to be completed
2,000: Number of schools and colleges in the new area
1,250: Number of new mosques and churches in the new capital
700: The new capital will stretch over 715 sq km
663:The new capital’s medical facilities
21: Residential districts in the new area
300: Developers working in the NAC
2203:Building permits issued for NAC projects
Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly inspecting works for the implementation of the towers and central business district in the New Administrative Capital Source: Government website www.cabinet.gov.eg
TOP LEFT: Photos supplied by LafargeHolcim which show the works being taken up at different sites in the commercial business district
Emphasis on new equipment at India’s Excon
There were plenty of loading and hauling machine and crushing and screening plant launches at the latest edition of the Excon construction and quarrying equipment exhibition. Partha Pratim Basistha reports
Spread across 300,000m², the 10th edition of Excon, coordinated by the Confederation of Indian Industry, in Bangalore, southern India, drew nearly 70,000 attendees and over 1,250 exhibitors, including more than 390 overseas companies from 21 countries. The theme of the event, which also contained country pavilions from China, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Turkey and the UK, was ‘Smart-I-Tech Next-Gen India@75’. This was said to demonstrate the role of smart technologies and innovative nextgeneration equipment design in ensuring higher model availability and faster project completion.
Targeting the Indian quarrying industry which is enjoying a boom due to the abundance of large-scale national and regional road projects, Indian excavator market leader Tata Hitachi, a joint venture between Tata Motors, the Indian commercial vehicles behemoth, and Hitachi Construction Machinery, launched its new EX 215LC and EX215LC-SLR models.
“The EX215LC has been launched following a detailed study of the unique high levels of productivity required by the Indian quarry sector. This machine has been engineered to perform in tough conditions. Key improvements to the machine include a reinforced heavy-duty boom, a heavyduty arm, a strengthened main frame and track frame and a heavy-duty track link and chain,” said a company spokesperson.
The Tata Hitachi spokesperson continued: “The EX215LC-SLR has been built due to the growing Indian demand for customised and special machines. The super-long-reach machines are very popular in the quarrying industry. In line with this trend, we have developed our very own super-long-reach front attachment on our most popular 20-tonne excavator to create the new Super+ Series model, the EX 215LC-SLR.”
Tata Hitachi also showed its new Shinrai backhoe loader. According to the spokesperson, Shinrai is fitted with the Alicon B60 super rock breaker, which promises higher durability and performance. The machine is also fitted with a mechanical quick coupler which offers fast changeover of multiple attachments, saving costs and time during operations.
JCB India showed its new intelligent ecoXpert 3DX backhoe loader, said to offer 12% fuel savings and 22% lower maintenance costs. According to the company, the new 3DX comes with JCB’s IntelliPerformance and IntelliDig technology which gives customers realtime information about the performance of the machine. The machines come with smooth gear shift, new ergonomic seats and LED lights. JCB also showed the 14- and 24.5-tonne models from its new intelligent NXT range of excavators, and the 14- and 38-tonne units from its robust quarry master range.
Another Excon exhibition launch in the highly competitive Indian backhoe loader market segment was Doosan Bobcat’s B900.
S Manjunath, general manager & sales head, Doosan Bobcat India Limited, said: “The B900 backhoe loader gives superior performance with fine digging depth, breakout force and component durability. The machine also offers a comfortable operator’s cabin and lower total cost of ownership.”
The 7.84-tonne backhoe loader is powered by a 56kW turbocharged Kirloskar Engine. The machine also comes with a two-wheel drive synchro shuttle transmission and a 1.1m³ loader bucket capacity and 0.26m³ backhoe bucket capacity. The unit is being manufactured at Doosan Bobcat’s new manufacturing facility in Chennai, south India. Doosan Bobcat plans to make the site a global manufacturing hub for exports and regional centre of excellence.
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) launched the next-generation Komatsu PC210LC10MO hydraulic excavator. According to the company, the hydraulic excavator is 20% more productive and 20% more fuel efficient. The excavator has been developed especially for the Indian market and designed to perform in the most demanding work conditions. The excavator is manufactured by Komatsu India at its plant in Oragadam, near Chennai, and marketed and supported by L&T.
Sany Heavy Industries India displayed a variety of new models including the SY260BM (breaker) excavator and the SY285C-9LR (long-reach) excavator.
“These excavators are hailed as India’s first customised excavators for rock-breaking applications and 18-metre long-reach applications in this size category. The new excavators come with heavy-duty structures and optimised load-distribution technology, to meet every requirement and provide value for money,” said Dheeraj Panda, Sany Heavy Industries India (Sany HII).
Sany HII also showcased its new 10-Series large-class excavators: the SY380C-10HD, SY500C-10HD, and SY800C-10HD. Panda said: “The 10-Series large-class excavators with advanced technology provide a best-in-class solution to our mining customers. These excavators are powerful, fuel efficient, reliable and specially made for mining applications. They are fitted with advanced technologies including a CRDi [common rail direct injection] engine, pressure and flow-loss reduction technology, a dynamic and intelligent mode control system, and new ultra-silent and dust-proof cab technology. They also come with a world-class design and testing system and offer super easy maintenance.”
Excon was also the stage for Sany HII’s unveiling of its first Indian wheeled loader, the SYL956H5, and wheeled excavator SY155W. Another new model launch was the 9-SKT90S wide-body dump truck. “World-class advanced design and testing methods are adapted to make this product very reliable and economical while working under severe working conditions in mines,” explained Panda. Panda added that Sany HII is looking to invest further in installing an even more fuel-efficient and reliable engine in both its excavator and crane models via its close association with Isuzu, Weichai and Cummins.
CASE Construction Equipment India debuted the CX220C 22-tonne crawler excavator. Targeting the local market, the unit will be manufactured at Case India’s Pithampur manufacturing facility in central India. The product was due to be available in the Indian market from April 2020.
Commenting on the product launch, Puneet Vidyarthi, brand leader, CASE Construction Equipment India, said: “At CASE India we have always endeavoured to provide innovative machines and the new CX220C Excavator is another step in this direction. With our range of compactors, graders, backhoe loaders and dozers, we already have a strong position in the construction segment. The new excavator will help in consolidating CASE India’s position in the crawler excavator segment.”
Vidyarthi added: “The CX220C is specially designed for tough applications. The machine is equipped with a powerful and reliable FPT Industrial engine to ensure high productivity with low fuel consumption. It is highly suitable for stone quarry, road
applications.”
The CX220C excavator is equipped with a FPT six-cylinder, fuel-efficient and electronically controlled 117kW engine.
The model comes with five energy-saving controls and a robust design, while its heavy-duty arm, boom and undercarriage structures are said to improve durability and help lower cost of ownership.
Available with bucket sizes between 0.9m³, 1m³ and 1.1m³, depending on material density, application and customer requirements, the CX220C is equipped with CASE India’s renowned telematics system which provides real-time updates.
KYB Conmat, the Gujarat, western India-based Japanese concrete equipment manufacturing conglomerate, displayed its new 1.2m³ and 1.6m³ wheeled loaders.
“We will be promoting the products through a marketing collaboration. However, in due course we will be manufacturing the machines at our facility, which is currently being expanded to cater for the new manufacturing lines and an
Kashyap, managing director, KYB Conmat India.
The wheeled loaders will be promoted by KYB as a packaged offering to its customers using its other ready-mixed concrete sector and manufactured sand production-suited machines.
Atlas Copco India launched four new-generation portable air compressors. This included the XAWS 550 PACE and XRH 1100 Plus for specialised applications like water well drilling, foundation drilling, coal mining and blast-hole drilling. The XAV 216 Plus portable air compressor with four variants is also a new technology in the 450-600 cfm [cubic foot per minute] range, used for a wide range of applications. The company also introduced its XA 187 Plus portable air compressor and an upgraded version of the current XA 187 model. All these new compressors are said to feature ease of maintenance and have a sleek canopy, a new separator design, single-side service and common drainage points.
“The XAWS 550 PACE enables customers
to pick the pressure using the Pace technology. PACE is essentially pressureadjusted through cognitive electronics. This is the first-of-its-kind technology in the portable air compressor segment, where pressure can be set with the XC 2003 digital controller in three simple steps. The key feature of PACE technology is that the compressor comes with a wide pressure range of six to 15 bars and a highly efficient screw element,” said S. Kumar, business line manager, Atlas Copco Power Technique, Portable Air Division.
Several brands within Terex Materials Processing, a business segment of Terex Corporation, were showcasing new and latest plant. Powerscreen debuted its LL75 23m- (75ft) low-level feeder conveyor. Meanwhile, Terex Minerals Processing Systems (Terex MPS) showcased its highfrequency screen, the MHFS 2618. Terex Washing Systems launched the FM 200DF, a 150 tonnes per hour direct feed model, and Terex Finlay showcased two new electric hybrid track-mounted crushers, the J-1175
Hybrid and C-1540 Hybrid.
Marsman, an Indian mobile and stationary crushing and screening manufacturer, launched its new range of HM 742 and HM 752 tracked screens. Manufactured under technical collaboration with Herbst Machinery of Ireland, the HM 742 comes with a screening capacity of 150 tonnes per hour. The HM 752 comes with screening capacity of 250 tonnes per hour. Both the screens feature a two-deck screen box and will be manufactured at Marsman’s manufacturing facility in western India. They will be branded as Herbst Marsman plant.
“The HM 752 tracked screen is robust and versatile and designed for a wide range of materials and aggregates. Its hydraulically folding conveyor belt and compact build makes it suitable for road and mining contractors working in hilly areas. With its foldable screens, the plant can be tracked directly into standard shipping containers. HM 752 can be adapted for various applications including recycling of
demolished crushed stone, iron ore granite sand and gravel,” explained Ravi Verma, managing director, Marsman.
Marsman states that the HM 742 is also capable of processing a wide range of materials and aggregates. It features a 750mm conveyor belt and comes with a stockpile height of up to 2.08m.
Shell Lubricants India displayed futureready solutions said by the manufacturer to ensure ‘less downtime, more go time’. The major lubricants sector firm presented many of its flagship products in its Tellus, Rimula, Spirax and Gadus ranges, including a special showcase of its premium energyefficient lubricants, the Shell Tellus S4, Rimula R5, Spirax S6, and Gadus S3.
Praveen Nagpal, chief technology officer, Shell Lubricants India, said that the company will soon launch the Shell Tellus S4 VE, a new gas-to-liquid-based energyefficient hydraulic oil which offers up to 6% more productivity, up to 21% less energy loss from hydraulic pumps and up to 5% efficiency improvement.” AB
Turning quarry waste into a saleable product
Quarry waste or “tailings” often represent only a liability item in the balance sheet of companies. Liam McLoughlin reports on how screening buckets are being used to turn such waste into a marketable asset.
At a quarry in Italy, MB Crusher claims to have provided a method of fully exploiting waste and turning it into a resource that produces wealth and value. Material that had been excavated to start the cultivation of a new area of the quarry was being left aside, effectively as waste.
To address this, the Italy-based equipment company has attached one of its MB-S23 screening buckets to a Hitachi Zaxis 460 LCH excavator at the quarry site in Lazio.
The bucket divided the material into two parts. Fines material from 0mm to 100mm was sold for the construction of embankments.
The remaining rocky aggregates over 100mm left inside the screener basket were tipped out directly into a dumper and added into the processing cycle to be transformed into granulates for the building industry.
This simple separation solved an openended costly issue, according to MB Crusher. The presence of clay and soil fractions made the material complicated to crush and therefore it was impossible to market, but by simply separating and cleaning the material it became suitable for sale and reuse.
MB says that the use of its screener bucket units has transformed the material into a “co-product” in a simple way, both from a technical and economic point of view, without risks for the environment.
“Given the simplicity of the operations, moreover, this intervention had a great economic benefit for the company that owns the quarry,” MB Crusher states. “No more storing the excavated material means full
exploitation of the resources and also means fewer safety problems for those operating in the quarry.
“The systematic recovery of quarry tailings, together with a rational approach to the cultivation of the quarry itself, goes from problem to solution, from waste to a source of income.”
Finnish company Metso says that it has helped boost productivity at the Creuzeval quarry in Saint-Didier-sur-Beaujeu, France, by utilising its SiteBooster plant optimisation solution to modernise its ageing crushing plant.
The old plant had been operated by the CBR company for four decades at the quarry in the heart of the Beaujolais Geopark. The modest-sized 17-hectare quarry had an annual production of 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes of aggregates that supplied nearby asphalt plants.
Metso says that the stationary old plant –and more precisely the primary stage - was starting to lose productivity due to repeated stops to adjust settings and perform other maintenance operations. Nicolas Vignon, site manager at CBR, decided to use the SiteBooster solution to modernise the Creuzeval plant.
The maintenance cost of the existing scalper was around €20,000 to €25,000 per year. After an initial audit performed by Sébastien Thévenet, project manager of the SiteBooster team, it appeared that the jaw crusher was also starting to show signs of age.
Based on a budget of about €500,000, the SiteBooster proposal was accepted by the customer. The scalper, a Metso EDB 15-39, has been replaced with a new scalper of the same model “to avoid changing the frame,” and the
jaw crusher, an old VB 1311, was retired and replaced with a new Nordberg C Series C130 jaw crusher, bringing improved maintenance access all around the crusher.
The project started with a preliminary phase, auditing the plant to identify bottlenecks and taking accurate measurements. Jean-Yves Cognard, operations and services director at Metso, says this is necessary as dimensions are standard for the machine, but not for plant.
After this preparatory phase, three months were allocated to the plant redesign and the manufacturing of the two requested machines and ancillary parts. Then, all on-site operations, the dismantling of old equipment, the assembly and start-up of new equipment, took about a month. It was imperative to respect the short deadlines imposed by the customer, whose operations were not reduced during summer, as he had to continuously supply his products to multiple asphalt plants. In anticipation of the one-month plant shutdown, quarry manager Alexis Humbert had to store 50,000 tonnes of primary crushing products before revamping operations.
Commenting on the outcome Nicolas Vignon said: “The big advantage is that the new system is easier to use and more reliable. The primary crushing plant sees less downtime. When you have to tighten the jaws, now it takes five minutes using the hydraulic system, compared to the two hours previously.”
Terex MPS launched its latest crushing and screening solution, the Cedarapids CRH1113R closed circuit impactor crusher/screen plant.
The CRH1113R portable plant – launched under Terex’s Cedarapids brand – features a brand new crusher, screen, and feeder that are designed to maximise the production of the machine.
Designed as a one-piece tow, the portable crushing and screening solution is designed to be easy to transport on highways or to move onsite. Hydraulics on the screen and return conveyor are intended to give quick, easy, and safe set-up.
The machine is self-contained with
An Italian quarry in Lazio is using a screener bucket to enable waste to be processed and sold
on-board diesel power and generator. The 450hp variable speed Scania diesel engine direct drives both the crusher and 150kW generator with a hydraulic clutch. The rest of the plant is electrically powered and designed for maximum efficiency and minimal maintenance.
The plant features a TI4250 crusher which has hydraulic-controlled curtains to make adjustments and maintenance safe and quick. The variable speed diesel allows optimum rotor speed to best match the application and desired product. The 6’x16’ (15.24cm x 40.64cm) two-deck screen dual-slope design features a steeper top deck to handle heavy loads and quickly stratify material.
The lower deck has less slope to increase retention time for maximum screening efficiency. The entire screen can be positioned with more or less slope to optimise production. The new vibrating grizzly feeder is 48” wide x 18” long (121.92cm x 45.72cm) to handle feed from large loaders.
Terex MPS product manager Ed Sauser said: “The CRH1113R is the result of customer input and recognising the need for a highly portable plant that offers higher production and greater value than what’s on the market today. The brand new crusher, large screen & feeder, and low-maintenance electrically driven components make this one-piece towable machine great value for processing shot rock as well as concrete and asphalt recycle materials.”
Kleemann showcased four of its latest products at the March ConExpo event in Las Vegas, including three crushers and a screener.
The MC 120 Zi PRO jaw crusher is made for challenging natural rock quarrying operations. The plant has an output of up to 650tonnes/ hour, features a powerful jaw crusher with a feed opening of 1.2m x 81cm (48” x 32”), and is equipped with an extra-long articulated crusher jaw.
To ensure the best possible material flow, the continuous feed system (CFS) adapts the conveying speed to the fill level of the crusher.
Should material bridging occur in the jaw crusher, the crusher can be reversed with the aid of the electric crusher drive to swiftly clear the blockage. The machines of the PRO line can be operated with the simple SPECTIVE control system via a 30cm (12”) touch panel, and all components and functions can be controlled from the ground.
Also on display at ConExpo was the mobile MOBICONE MCO 11i PRO cone crusher, which Kleemann says is the perfect secondary crushing screen of the MC 120 Zi PRO. The MCO 11i PRO has a maximum output of 470tonnes/hour. Also part of the PRO line, the crusher is designed for permanent quarrying operation.
The MOBIREX MR 130 Zi EVO2 impact crusher is designed for flexible use so that it can be transported easily and rapidly made ready for operation. The direct diesel drive concept is designed to ensure a high output while simultaneously keeping consumption low. For better capacity utilisation and productivity, the system widths of the impact crusher plant open in the direction of material flow. The plant is also operated using the intuitive SPECTIVE control concept. The overall system itself has an output of up to 450tonnes/ hour.
Kleemann says the MOBISCREEN MS 952i EVO classifying screen is an ideal support unit for all three crushing systems and is suited for crushing plant contractors in both recycling and quarrying. The MS 952i EVO has a screening surface of 1.55m x 6m (5’ 1” x 20’) and has an output of up to 499tonnes/hour.
The high output is largely attributable to the good material flow through the plant, according to Kleemann. This starts with loading, which can be carried out both by wheeled loader and upstream crushing plant due to the generous feed hopper. The material is then transported on the extra wide feeding conveyor of 1.2m (3’ 11”) to the screen casing.
Powerscreen has launched the new Trakpactor 230 and 230SR impact crushers.
The Northern Irish mobile crushing and screening equipment manufacturer says the Trakpactor 230 and 230SR have been designed to offer both excellent reduction and high
consistency of product yield. The machines can be utilised in a range of applications including aggregates, recycling and mining.
The Trakpactor 230SR includes a postscreen system and recirculating conveyor which allows oversize material to be passed back to the crusher for further sizing.
Powerscreen product manager Neil Robinson said: “The new Trakpactor 230 and 230SR are very welcome additions to our mobile impact crushing range and are the first of many exciting new product development initiatives for Powerscreen this year. Addressing feedback from Powerscreen dealers and customers, both machines are suited to small to mid-sized operations that require a reduced footprint without compromising on output performance.”
He added that the Trakpactor 230SR has the ability to convert to the Trakpactor 230 in minutes thanks to the quick-detach SR section, making it a suitable solution for regions with transport weight restrictions. Robinson said the units have been designed to promote optimal flow of material and offer excellent serviceability to maximise uptime for customers.
The Trakpactor 230 & 230SR crushers both use an 860mm x 720mm impact camber with an output potential of up to 250 tonnes per hour (275 US tph) of crushed material.
The two new crushers come complete with the Powerscreen Pulse remote-monitoring, fleet management system allowing crushing and screening equipment operators and owners to have access to key data via a PC, tablet or smartphone. The system provides information on the GPS location, start and stop times, fuel consumption, tonnages, cone settings, wear ratings, operating hours, maintenance status, and other data.
R Collard’s new fixed crushing line became operational in March. The state-of-the-art plant will allow the Hampshire, south-east Englandbased company to produce 250 tonnes of high-grade recycled aggregates an hour, increasing its current capacity by over 200%.
With an investment of £2 million, the plant manufactured by Duo is bespoke to R Collard, built to the firm’s own specification and design.
The size of aggregates that will be produced by the new plant include -5mm, +5-20mm, +10-20mm, +20mm, and +40mm.
The new plant will not only allow R Collard to increase its production of recycled aggregates already produced by the company’s wash plant. It will also feed its concrete plant in the production of its ready-mix concrete. AB
Powercreen Trakpactor models can be utilised in aggregates, recycling and mining
CAN AN OLD ASPHALT PLANT MEET NEW ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS?
A RETROFIT
In a world where environmental standards are constantly changing, asphalt producers can survive – and even thrive – with the help of a plant retrofit.
A retrofit upgrades an old plant, so it meets new environmental standards – at a fraction of the cost of a new purchase. All projects are managed by the Ammann Retrofit Centre in Austria, which relies on proven processes and experienced technicians to troubleshoot any issues and ensure superior results.
What can you get with a retrofit from Ammann?
• Increased RAP utilisation
• An electrically heated bitumen tank system that is so cost effective it pays for itself in a few years
• Noise levels that are reduced up to 20 dB without an impact on daily production
• An ability to use low-temperature mixes that reduce fuel usage and emissions
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Future-proofing excavators
A major quarrying and construction sector-suited excavator manufacturer is working on an eye-catching alternative fuel project, while other excavator makers are also putting innovation to the fore with their new models and buy-back schemes. Guy Woodford reports
Hyundai Construction Equipment is working on the development of excavators that can use hydrogen as fuel in partnership with Hyundai Motors.
The project is commencing this year with a target date for the machines being ready for market set for 2023. According to the firm, the use of hydrogen for fuel cells suits duties with large construction equipment. This offers easier capacity expansion than for all-electric machines powered by lithium batteries.
The agreement is set to give Hyundai Construction Equipment (Hyundai CE) a leading role in the future hydrogen-powered off-highway equipment market. It will also put the manufacturer in a good position to secure a better place in establishing a global standard.
Hyundai CE signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the joint development of hydrogen fuel-cell construction equipment with Hyundai Motors and Hyundai Mobis at its Mabuk Research Centre in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. Together, the three companies will look to develop medium/large-capacity hydrogen-powered excavators over the next few years.
According to the MOU, Hyundai Motors and Hyundai Mobis will design and manufacture hydrogen fuel-cell systems, including power packs. Hyundai CE will design, manufacture, and evaluate the performance of excavators.
Unlike conventional diesel enginebased equipment, hydrogen-based electric construction equipment uses electricity produced through the chemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen as its power
source, meaning no emissions of toxic gases into the air.
Hwang Jong-hyun, head of the R&D Division for Hyundai Material Handling at Hyundai CE, said: “With this latest agreement, we’ve prepared a foundation upon which we can secure core technology in hydrogen-powered construction equipment ahead of our competitors.
Hyundai Construction Equipment will do its very best to meet the challenges that lie ahead as countries around the world attempt to establish global standards in terms of certifying the performance of equipment and legislating relevant laws for the commercialisation of hydrogen-powered construction equipment, and play a leading role in the market moving forward.”
that its forthcoming EC300E HYBRID excavator can improve fuel efficiency by up to 20%.
The company says that this is achieved through the excavator’s boom-down motion which charges energy-storing accumulators that are used to power the engine system.
It adds that this differs from other systems that capture the swing energy of an excavator’s superstructure to electrically assist the engine. Instead Volvo’s hydraulic hybrid harvests ‘free’ energy generated by the down motion of the excavator’s boom and uses it to supercharge the engine system.
The powerful and regular boomdown motions charge 20-litre hydraulic accumulators, which then deliver energy
Volvo CE’s EC300E HYBRID excavator
Hyundai will offer hydrogen fuel-cell excavators in the future
for enhanced productivity and efficiency in their excavators and, with connected technology like ConSite, Hitachi has been proactive in providing solutions for some time now. By entering into this partnership with Topcon, we are taking our intelligent machine offering to the next level, allowing our customers to choose from a base kit to future-proof their fleets, through to full automation as seen on the ZX225US-6.
power the engine system. Volvo CE says there are the same levels of controllability and performance as the standard EC300E, including the ability to work in ECO mode and hybrid mode simultaneously.
This process is claimed to help the engine deliver up to 20% higher fuel efficiency, and up to 17% less CO2 emissions with no loss of performance. When used in production ‘dig and dump’ applications (especially those within a 90° swing) Volvo CE claims the payback of this approach can be a little less than two years.
It adds that the system requires just a few add-on components that are simple to maintain.
Caterpillar claims that its new 395 excavator benefits from new technology that helps increase productivity by 10% over the 390F model it replaces. Swing torque and stick force have both been upgraded by 10%, boosting cycle times while the larger buckets further increase overall output.
Caterpillar claims that the machine is rugged and durable, featuring a strong chassis design enabling it to compete in the 90-tonne class. Meanwhile maintenance
points are said to be easy to access, reducing downtime when carrying out routine maintenance.
Hitachi Construction Machinery UK (HCMUK) has announced a new partnership with Topcon Positioning GB to provide automated machine control technology.
The partnership will see HCMUK install the Topcon X53-x automated machine control system on its range of excavators. This will give customers access to sophisticated technology that allows for a more efficient workflow, by minimising the risk of over-digging while improving productivity and helping to save time, money and materials.
The Topcon X53-x uses some of the same components as Topcon’s original machine control system but has been designed and developed with the addition of hydraulic, automated control. The system provides automated depth control, meaning digging to a design for flat, stepped or sloped applications is done precisely, even by a novice operator.
David Roberts, CEO of HCMUK, said: “Our customers are increasingly looking
“As well as the many benefits that this technology provides, our customers have the added peace of mind that it is installed by Hitachi-trained technicians at our stateof-the-art preparation centre in Newcastle - supplied as a complete package, ready to go to work upon delivery. We’re excited to work in partnership with Topcon to achieve a common goal of ensuring our customers get the products and support they need.”
MJ Hickey Plant Hire & Contracts, a UK-based operational contract management and plant hire services company, has purchased two Hitachi ZW310-6 wheeled loaders for quarrying and bulk handling projects. Both models were supplied with a buy-back option from Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe).
The first ZW310-6, fitted with a 4.5m³ general purpose bucket, was delivered in 2018 and is working in one of England’s largest limestone quarries, located in Leicester, central England. The second model was delivered in October 2019 with a 6m³ high-tip bucket and is used at a site in Wales.
“We ordered these models specifically for these projects and to meet our customers’ requirements,” said managing director Anthony Hickey. “There is a good residual value on Hitachi machines, so therefore it’s commercially viable for us. If the work dries up, and you’ve purchased an asset, then you have to consider what to do with it. However, this kind of buy-back agreement lends a degree of flexibility and is suitable for short-term contracts.”
As part of the buy-back arrangement, both wheeled loaders are covered by a full package 6,000 hour/three-year warranty and maintained by HCMUK.
The Hitachi buy-back scheme applies to ZW150-6 to ZW550-6 wheeled loaders. The machine must be in good working order, less than five years old and have worked a maximum of 2,000 hours per year.
Doosan has launched the new DX490LC-7 and DX530LC-7 Stage V 50-tonne crawler excavators, said to offer significantly improved performance compared to the previous Stage IV models. These new units are said to supply the strength and productivity needed for heavyduty work such as large-scale earthmoving, moving rock, pulling down buildings, secondary breaking, loading haulers and pipeline projects found in quarrying and mining, highway, aggregates, demolition, utility and general construction projects.
To meet Stage V engine emission regulations, the DX490LC-7 and DX530LC-7
A Hitachi ZW310-6 wheeled loader at work on a UK job site
The Caterpillar 395 excavator on the manufacturer’s outdoor stand at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020
in-class performance in the 50-tonne market.
At the CONEXPO/CON-AGG 2020 exhibition in Las Vegas, USA (10-13 March) LiuGong showcased new and latest machines including new F-Series excavators: the 9018F, 9027FZTS and 922F.
Launched at BICES Beijing in September 2019, the F-Series is the sixth generation of LiuGong excavators. The F-Series platform allows for products to be adapted to suit different markets. It was designed for North America, Western Europe and China but is also suitable for emerging markets and is well suited to a variety of applications from construction and mining to forestry.
excavators are powered by the new Scania DC13 Stage V-compliant diesel engine, providing a higher power output of 294kW.
The Scania engine offers a new solution to exceed Stage V with super-efficient DOC/ DPF+SCR after-treatment technology to ensure minimal emissions. Thanks to the new technology, maintenance of the diesel particulate filter (DPF) has been greatly reduced, with a claimed six-times-longer automatic regeneration interval (60 hours) and an ash-cleaning interval that is twice as long at 8,000 hours, compared with the previous DPF in the DX-3 generation
machines. The operator is now able to see the amount of ash build-up in the DPF from their seat in the cab via the gauge panel and that a regeneration has been successful.
In the DX490LC-7 and DX530LC-7, the enhanced performance of the DC13 engine is combined with a Virtual Bleed Off (VBO) hydraulic system (D-Ecopower+) and the new generation Smart Power Control Technology (SPC3), providing a claimed overall fuel efficiency increase of 11%.
Increased pump capacity and the higher power of the engine produces up to an 8% increase in productivity, said to be the best-
A LONG WAY TOGETHER
LiuGong’s new Stage V 856H and Tier 4 Final 877H wheeled loaders are further new standout models. The Stage V 856H was launched in Europe last April, while the Tier 4 Final 877H completes LiuGong’s wheeled loaders’ bucket capacity offering, making it complete from 1.91m³ to 5.42m³. It is already said to have received positive feedback from both LiuGong dealers and their customers.
Kevin Thieneman, LiuGong vice president and chairman of LiuGong North and Latin America, said: “We want to be the choice for customers who desire construction and material handling equipment that is affordable, reliable and can get the job done with the lowest total cost of ownership.” AB
EARTHMAX SR 41
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Doosan’s new DX530LC-7 Stage V 50-tonne crawler excavator
Efficient hauler support ensures continued business
New haulers and hauling product solutions are helping quarry operators to increase the productivity of their sites. Liam McLoughlin reports
Product reliability coupled with consistent and efficient aftersales support has led to the North Walesbased Hogan Group upgrading its hauling operations.
It replaced an existing Volvo L70 for its asphalt plant and, for the first time, added two new Volvo A30G articulated haulers for its quarrying operations on Anglesey.
Established in 1964, the Hogan Group is a family-run business which provides a comprehensive range of asphalt products, paving solutions, aggregates and concrete throughout the whole of North Wales and beyond.
SMT GB markets Volvo Construction Equipment products, together with K-Tec articulated hauler scraper boxes, in Great Britain. There are eight strategically placed Customer Support Centres, a dedicated National Used Equipment Centre and a network of utility equipment dealers to maintain customer support throughout the country.
“We’ve run Volvo loading shovels for many years at our asphalt plant here in Bangor,” said Hogan Group production director Jamie Hogan. “The machines have proved to be very reliable. But of equal importance is the fact that Volvo and SMT have provided consistent and efficient aftersales support for many years, which is vital for our 24-hour, 7-day week operation. The L70H is the optimal sized loading shovel for our plants, which produce asphalt and concrete products.”
He added that the new loading shovel is proving to be very fuel efficient, thanks to the engine’s maximum torque being reached at low rpm.
The L70H features a Volvo-designed and purpose-built powertrain, which includes the
latest 6-litre Stage V 173hp Volvo engine, transmission and axles. Hogan Group has also opted for an optional boom suspension for its new L70H. SMT GB says the benefit of this is that it gives the operator a smooth ride, whilst ensuring full bucket loads are maintained with minimal spillage.
At the business end of the loading shovel, the L70H is fitted with a 2.3m³ heavy-duty, general-purpose bucket to handle the variety of materials destined for the batching plant. Thanks to the hydraulic attachment bracket, the machine can easily alternate between bucket and loading forks to handle palletised material on-site.
For the first time, the Hogan Group has also opted to purchase Volvo articulated haulers, with two A30Gs going to work at the company’s aggregates division, which is located on Anglesey at Gwyndy Quarry.
Both A30Gs are powered by Volvo’s six-cylinder V-ACT diesel engines, which generate 264Kw and comply with all Stage V final emissions legislation. Representing some of the latest innovations in engine design, high torque is delivered at low engine speeds, which is claimed to result in excellent fuel efficiency, high performance, quicker engine response, less wear and a long service life. The efficiency of the V-ACT engine is further improved by being matched to a purpose-built Volvo drivetrain, which is designed to ensure that all available power and torque is put to the best use possible, even in tough working conditions. In addition, a fast and adaptive fully automatic transmission and torque converter, with built in lock-up function, further increase the high fuel efficiency delivered by both A30G haulers. With a carrying capacity of 28 tonnes, both trucks have been supplied with full cantilever tailgates and 200mm side extensions, giving a maximum heaped capacity of 18.4m³. One truck, which is deployed as the prime mover from the face to the crusher, has had optional Hardox 450 wear plates installed to combat the impact and wear from the highly abrasive nature of the granite being quarried at Gwyndy. The second A30G is deployed around the stockyard, rehandling a variety of crushed material. Additional spill plates have been added at the front of the skips, to prevent any possible damage to the cab and hitch areas of the trucks.
The latest solution from Trimble’s Loadrite business offers increased efficiency for materials haulage operations on quarry sites.
The Smart Haul solution means that electronic payload ‘tickets’ generated by loading machines such as wheeled loaders or excavators are automatically shared to the
One of Hogan Group’s new Volvo CE AD30 haulers at work in Anglesey
The site manager can see in real time where each truck is carrying every load and whether it is going to the crusher or a dump pile, for example.
The data can reveal truck productivity and the system will also provide machine health data on each item of equipment. Should a machine need attention, Trimble says this can be identified early or can indicate if additional operator training is required to address any particular issues over how equipment can be used more efficiently.
The Loadrite Payload Management tool is designed to provide all the important data on one platform. Trimble says that operators can access and analyse data more easily than before, providing greater transparency across an operation.
Philippi-Hagenbuch (PHIL), a major global off-highway truck customisation company, has revealed that production of its patented Rear Eject Body will begin in Brazil in the second half of this year.
PHIL’s line of Rear Eject Bodies is said to offer the ideal solution for challenging hauling applications during general construction, road construction and sand/ gravel to mine reclamation, and underground hauling situations where overhead barriers inhibit traditional dump bodies. The US-headquartered firm says the expansion of services in South America will better serve the construction and mining markets in that region.
PHIL’s Rear Eject Body debuted in 2000 as a safer alternative to end-dump bodies for articulated trucks. The patented design eliminates the need to raise the body of the truck when discharging materials. This allows for safer offloading while in motion and in the presence of overhead barriers such as power lines, roof lines or bridges, and in underground mining applications that have low overhead clearance. This versatility is said to increase efficiency without reducing stability by providing a lower centre of gravity and allowing discharge on downhill slopes and in conditions with soft footing.
Like all PHIL products, the Rear Eject Body is said by the firm to be engineered to provide productivity-enhancing solutions for the toughest hauling challenges. Manufactured exclusively out of Hardox 450 steel, the PHIL Rear Eject Body is, claims the company, the most robust ejector body available on the market globally. Additionally, with only one cylinder and no rollers, bearings or required greasing, the Rear Eject Body minimises maintenance while providing the reliability necessary for heavy-duty applications in extreme weather environments.
PHIL’s ejector bodies are currently operating throughout North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Australia.
Josh Swank, vice president of sales and marketing for PHIL, said: “By adding production for our world-class Rear Eject Body in Brazil, we are able to offer the product closer to where our clients need it. This helps reduce import tariffs and freight, while
Other features include a new design for the front frame and bonnet components on the trucks, which Doosan says have been created by its design team in accordance with the latest market trends.
There are also a number of functional changes on the new ADTs to improve safety, comfort and serviceability. These include a new positioning of the diesel and AdBlue tanks. The latter are now much lower than before, enabling the operator to fill both tanks whilst standing next to the machine (groundlevel filling).
The new ADTs are equipped as standard with a real-time payload measuring system with a light indication for excavator operators, which is designed to help them place optimal loads in the ADTs and ensure excellent productivity and low fuel consumption.
providing localised parts availability.”
Doosan Construction Equipment is launching the new DA30-7 and DA45-7 Stage V-compliant articulated dump trucks (ADTs).
The new vehicles replace the previous DA30-5 and DA40-5 Stage IV models, respectively. The DA30-7 has a payload of 28 tonnes, while that of the DA45-7 is 41 tonnes.
The DA30-7 is powered by the new Scania Stage V-compliant DC09 9-litre diesel engine providing 276 kW (375 HP) of power. The DA45-7 is driven by the new Scania Stage V DC13 13-litre diesel engine with an output of 368 kW (500 HP).
The core of the Scania engines has not changed, with the main difference in the new engines from their predecessors being the improved after-treatment system.
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.
The transmission filters have been installed close to the greasing system, and are designed for ease of 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. Doosan says that new improved maintenance access will also help operators to perform daily checks faster and more safely.
Both of the 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.
Metso is now offering tough, long-lasting truck bodies designed to suit any hauler. The Finnish company says that the lightweight and robust design can help to boost payloads and productivity. It adds that its innovative Metso Truck Body can allow customers to haul more with fewer truck cycles. The complete solution is available for all major off-highway truck models used in quarrying and mining operations. AB
Off-highway truck customisation company Philippi Hagenbuch displayed its solutions at ConExpo in March
The new Doosan DA30-7 Stage V-compliant articulated dump truck
The aggregate gains from drill rigs, hammers and breakers
Drill rigs, hammers and breakers offer different means of gaining aggregates material in quarries. Guy Woodford looks at new products and hears how one Italian aggregates supplier is benefiting from one leading manufacturer’s proven breaker solutions
Messapica Inerti operates a limestone quarry in Ceglie Messapica in Puglia, southern Italy, supplying quality aggregates to produce concrete and asphalt at its own and subcontracted production plants. The quarry is characterised by relatively compact limestone (i.e., not highly fractured) and values of uniaxial compressive strength of 30-50 MPa (megapascal) depending on the zone.
Messapica Inerti is one of many companies that has switched from explosives to using breaker attachments to gain aggregates material. Starting in the late 1990s, the firm decided to gradually abandon its use of explosives and transition to quarrying with breakers, carefully weighing which model would guarantee the highest productivity, reliability and profitability. After a set of comparative tests, Messapica Inerti settled on an Indeco HP 7000, a model that over the long term is said to have proven its ability to meet the production demands at the Ceglie Messapica quarry. Given the excellent output of its initial HP 7000 attachment, and a second HP 7000 purchased in the early 2000s, Messapica Inerti recently decided to purchase a further breaker.
“When faced with the need to improve production, we decided to switch to the HP 9000 FS and mount it on a Case CX 490D excavator. This was guided by the fact that the HP 9000 was able to increase our production by 30%, as was demonstrated in the quarry,” said Angelo Elia, purchasing manager at Messapica Inerti. “This new breaker will be added to the two HP 7000s we already own that are also key to achieving our total daily production goals. Based on our use of Indeco
breakers over the last 20 years or so, I can say that the HP 9000 FS possesses all the features that have led to the excellent results we’ve had to now, not to mention the advantages of the latest technology.”
Elia’s thoughts are shared, says Indeco, by many quarry-breaker users around the globe who recognise how the Italian manufacturer’s breakers’ balanced ratio between energy
input and energy output creates optimum application efficiency.
All Indeco HP series breakers are installed with the ABF (Anti-Blank Firing) system, Indeco’s patented technology said to considerably improve breaker performance and durability. In addition to a hydraulic system with improved efficiency, the HP series is characterised by the FS (Fuel
Three Indeco HP series breakers – an HP 9000 FS and two HP 7000s – play important roles at Messapica Inerti’s quarry in Ceglie Messapica in Puglia
Messapica Inerti’s recently purchased Indeco HP 9000 FS breaker attached to a Case CX 490D excavator at Ceglie Messapica limestone quarry
Saving) mark indicating that the breaker needs less hydraulic power to operate, resulting in a significant reduction in the carrier machine’s rpm and a claimed up to 20% fuel saving. While delivering claimed consistently excellent performance and maximum productivity, Indeco breakers are said to require a reduced quantity of oil per minute and a lower operating pressure. This is said by Indeco to be a notable weight and performance advantage against rival manufacturer models of similar size that are gas or diesel-powered.
The latest member of hydraulic hammermaker Rammer’s Excellence Line, the 9033E, was unveiled at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 exhibition in Las Vegas, USA (10-13 March).
Designed for 65-tonne to 120-tonne class carriers, the 7.4-tonne 9033E has all the clever monitoring technology features found on existing members of the Excellence Line, but in a size and format that is said to deliver the extra punch demanded for breaking applications during major quarrying and demolition projects.
A key development within the Excellence Line is Rammer’s purpose-developed RD3 remote-monitoring device, claimed to be the first of its kind for hammers. RD3 is also available as an option for Rammer Performance Line hammers and as retrofit kit for older Rammer hammers.
The RD3 system uses the latest GPS and telematics technology and also offers a new and advanced telematics solution based on customer feedback. It uses the Rammer MyFleet Telematics service to track and monitor fleet equipment usage without the need to go to site to collect data. This will help dealers, rental companies, service managers and contractors and operators keep a remote eye on what is happening on site. The platform uses a cloud-based system to enable the hammers to be viewed and monitored via Google maps.
The design of the 9033E also means that it is able to work quietly, with a guaranteed sound level of 131dB.
The Rammer Excellence Line continues the company’s 40-year tradition of delivering innovative hammers designed to improve profitability, safety and performance. With its new customer-focused features, the line demonstrates Rammer’s commitment to assisting businesses to enhance their performance.
Safety is also said to be at the heart of all Excellence Line breakers, whether they are being used in a quarry, on a demolition project, in a tunnel or on any other application. The 9033E and the rest of the newly updated range now include integrated smart technology for easier fleet management and more efficient processes.
During CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020, Sandvik Mining & Rock Technology demonstrated its expanded high-pressure down-the-hole (DTH) drill rig for Tier 4F and Stage V-compliant countries with the new Leopard DI650i.
The model is designed for large hole sizes, and by balancing proven engineering solutions and innovative new components, it is said to offer excellent fuel efficiency, improved safety and higher productivity in challenging rock conditions.
The Leopard DI650i DTH drill rig is designed for demanding high-capacity production drilling applications in surface mining, as well as large-scale quarry applications. In addition to a powerful engine and compressor, the unit is said by Sandvik to incorporate a highly ergonomic iCAB cabin, excellent serviceability, mobility and fuel economy, along with scalable automation packages to offer excellent overall productivity.
In addition to its proven engine and compressor design, Leopard DI650i comes with a range of new or redesigned components to boost its productivity. The standard rotary head option, HTRH6, is said by Sandvik to have performed successfully on its other DTH drill rigs, whereas the new heavyduty option, MRH6, is a good fit with Sandvik’s powerful new RH560-series DTH hammers.
Pipe sizes range from 89mm to 140mm, depending on the size of the hammer. The maximum hole depth is 53.6m when utilising the carousel option with pipe sizes from 89mm to 114mm. The capacity range of the 403kW Tier 3 / Tier 4F / Stage V CAT C15 diesel engine and reliable compressor is said to be adequate for high-pressure drilling with 101mm to 165mm DTH hammer sizes.
Thanks to claimed excellent visibility of the drilling area and a single integrated touch screen for all monitoring, diagnostics and mining automation displays, Leopard DI650i’s silent, ergonomic iCAB cabin provides the rig
operator with a safer, more productive working environment. The maintenance crew can carry out all daily servicing tasks at ground level on both sides of the machine. The advanced serviceability and reliability features can, says Sandvik, increase Leopard DI650i’s availability by up to 20% compared with conventional DTH rigs at a similar technology level.
Sandvik also claims that intelligent control technology applied to both the compressor and the hydraulic system’s cooler fan can reduce fuel consumption by up to 15% compared with conventional DTH rigs. Leopard DI650i’s fuel efficiency is further boosted by the flow-controlled drilling control system that eliminates fluctuations in airflow, instead allowing the pressure level to fluctuate in response to more difficult ground conditions and increased back pressure (for example, due to groundwater or collapsing holes). This makes maximum flushing pressure and penetration rates available in the most challenging of rock conditions, while still retaining the low fuel consumption of the traditional pressure control approach in easy ground conditions.
The Leopard DI650i joins Sandvik’s other i-series drill rigs in its compatibility with the newest scalable automation solutions. The latest onboard options include TIM3D drill navigation with wireless data transfer, My Sandvik fleet-monitoring system and full-cycle drilling automatics, which merge functionalities such as uncoupling, feed auto-aligning and feed auto-positioning into a single efficient sequence. These capabilities can be further upgraded with more advanced modules such as single-rig or fleet remote-control systems by Automine Surface Drilling. AB
Rammer’s new 9033E hammer was showcased at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 exhibition
Sandvik’s new Leopard DI650i drill rig
Drilling down into Epiroc’s DNA
During the recent CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 exhibition (10-13 March), the world’s biggest construction and quarrying equipment showpiece event of the year, Aggregates Business editor Guy Woodford caught up with Epiroc’s Cetin Kara, the Swedish manufacturer’s North America, Mexico and China regional business manager in its Surface division, to find out more about the company’s current trading and its ambitious growth plans
Cetin Kara is in good spirits when I meet him on the Epiroc stand at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020. It’s quickly apparent why. “The markets, especially the U.S. market, for crushed stone aggregates are really booming. It’s driving our business in the U.S, where we are the drill rig market leader” says Kara. “We are the top company for technology. That’s why we have a lot of innovative products. Our mission in the U.S. is to lead on top-tier products for the market, and help the customer lower their total cost of ownership.”
New and updated Eprioc Surface division machines and technology introduced at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 included the automation-ready updated SmartROC D60 surface drill rig; the newly enhanced DM30 II SP (single pass) blasthole drill rig; the Tier 4 Final version of the PowerROC D60 surface drill rig; and the new My Epiroc digital fleet management solution, available on web and mobile devices with attractive features for increasing fleet efficiency and safety.
Epiroc also showcased HATCON, a remote-monitoring device for breakers and drum cutters that keeps track of location and operating hours to improve efficiency and safety.
The new Epiroc SmartROC D60 downthe-hole (DTH) surface drill rig for quarrying, mining and construction applications has been updated with Epiroc’s innovative automation-ready platform. The robust and dependable SmartROC D60 offers the intelligence and power to consistently and efficiently drill high-quality blast holes with accuracy and precision. It is loaded with smart features such as automated drilling and rod handling that increase safety, efficiency and consistency for a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
The automation-ready platform also includes the new Auto Feed Fold feature. With a single action, Auto Feed Fold enables the operator to fold the feed for tramming or position it for drilling. This also comes in handy when operating one or more drill rigs remotely with the BenchREMOTE option.
“The new SmartROC D60 is designed to offer the customer better efficiency, safety and more sustainability. People visiting our stand this week have really liked the
“Customers found the sophisticated technology a little bit scary at first, but then they saw how it ensured consistent production”
Cetin Kara at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 exhibition
model’s design,” said Kara. “We’ve had our SmartROC machine in the U.S. market for a couple of years. Customers found the sophisticated technology a little bit scary at first, but then they saw how it ensured consistent production, that it was easy to use and how much their operators liked running the machine, as it offered an automatic drilling function. Rock-drilling tool life is also increased,” explained Kara.
“It was the mining customers who were driving the adoption of automation technology, but now the crushed stone aggregates customers want it more and more as they see the benefits. The reduced total cost of ownership gained by using the SmartROC D60, such as up to 20% more fuel efficiency than standard DTH drill rigs, gives customers a competitive edge.”
Available with a shorter boom specially designed for efficient and demanding quarry work, the SmartROC D60 can drill holes of 110mm to 178mm in diameter and to a maximum depth of 55.5 metres (m). All these features and flexibility are packed in a rig that is also more economical to run due to the intelligent control of the compressor and engine rpm. The SmartROC D60 also uses 299 litres less hydraulic oil than previous versions and features fewer hoses and pumps.
“While we are keen to promote the SmartROC technology, we appreciate that other customers prefer other products in portfolio; products that are simple to use and maintain. That’s why we have the widest product portfolio in the market.”
Epiroc’s new DM30 II SP rotary blasthole drill is said to be ideal for quarrying and small mining operations. The crawler-mounted, hydraulic tophead-drive rig offers faster holeto-hole drilling and a lower cost per tonne through single-pass capability.
Built off the same proven platform as the Epiroc DM45 and DML blasthole drill rigs, the DM30 II SP is suitable for a variety of singlepass rotary and DTH drilling applications. The Swedish manufacturer says the model can achieve a clean hole depth of 11m for singlepass applications. The small footprint of the DM30 II makes it easy to manoeuvre on tight benches and simple to transport within the pit and over the road between pits.
Epiroc says its new DM30 II SP rotary blasthole drill rig is well-suited to quarrying and small mining operations
The DM30 II SP offers a low total cost of ownership, with a structure design life exceeding 45,000 hours. The single-pass capability allows for faster hole-to-hole drilling and decreases the cost per tonne. Its design and layout grants quick and easy access to all major service points, simplifying maintenance.
The DM30 II SP is designed to handle 101mm-165mm drill pipes with a hydraulic pulldown of up to 133.4kN and a hole diameter of 140-200mm. An 11m singlepass tower option increases productivity for 8.85m-11m drilling conditions by eliminating the need to add a second drill steel.
Customers can choose a low- or highpressure compressor to create the right configuration for their drilling operation.
Epiroc’s PowerROC D60 hydraulic DTH surface drill rig for mining and quarrying not only drills the largest holes in the PowerROC family, it is now equipped with an engine that meets Tier 4 Final emissions regulations to reduce its environmental footprint.
The straightforward, robust rig can drill large holes ranging from 110mm to 178mm. In addition, the 5+1 rod handling system makes it possible to drill holes down to a depth of 30m. Proven Epiroc technology also helps to ensure that holes are straight and high in quality.
Asked about Epiroc’s approach to drilling rig sales and its aftermarket business, Kara said it varies not only from country to country, but from a U.S. perspective, from state to state.
“We have direct sales and external distributor channels. If you look at America’s East Coast, there’s more quarry, crushed stone and cement applications. Then you go to the West and South-West of America and there’s more mining. It depends on states’ development plans, how much construction works they need and are allocating.”
This interview with Aggregates Business was conducted prior to the public lockdown policy being introduced globally to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. AB
Epiroc’s SmartROC D60 DTH surface drill rig now comes with the company’s innovative automation-ready platform
Trimble LOADRITE’s L3180 SmartScale is now an option on
Weighty matters for quarry operators
Accurate and efficient payload management systems can save your quarrying business big money, while also helping to resolve weighing disputes and to identify and detect material theft issues. Guy Woodford reports
Payload management software has multiple benefits and is evolving thanks to the growing use of cloudbased platforms. Trimble’s LOADRITE business and Hyundai Construction Equipment have announced the availability of Trimble LOADRITE L3180 SmartScale as an option on Hyundai Construction Equipment (Hyundai CE) wheeled loaders across the European Union.
The Trimble LOADRITE L3180 SmartScale uses weighing intelligence and solid-state sensors for more accurate, precise and faster loading. It also connects machines and devices for the collection and syncing
of data via the built-in WiFi to the InsightHQ reporting portal. InsightHQ consolidates live, operational information from Trimble LOADRITE devices on loaders, excavators and conveyors across the site, to provide near real-time productivity and performance reports for extraction, processing and loadout operations.
Reengineered from the ground up, Trimble’s innovative, next-generation loader scale platform features smarter weighing, smarter data management and a smarter interface. Intelligence in the weighing software and new hardware gives operators of all skill levels the ability to load faster and more productively than ever before.
“Payload measurement is a great way to ensure every truck load is optimised,” says Kevin Garcia, general manager of Trimble Civil Specialty Solutions. “Trimble LOADRITE onboard weighing technology on Hyundai loaders enables our customers to maximize productivity and efficiency on every bucket loaded.”
The Trimble LOADRITE L3180 offers more precise weighing than any previous LOADRITE system in a wide range of conditions including adjusting for rough terrain, operator technique and machine movement using new weighing intelligence. The system also features digital CAN-bus sensors for noise immunity and ground-slope compensation as standard.
The L3180 now offers in-cab key performance indicators (KPIs), including tonne/hour, tonnes and truck count to enable operators to monitor performance and achieve daily targets. When using Trimble’s cloud-based InsightHQ quarry reporting portal, personnel can gain access to site production and operator performance KPIs on desktop or mobile devices. Data is presented in dashboard or graphical formats,
including a new loadout performance heatmap, powered by built-in GPS. The system caches data locally and then syncs it with InsightHQ.
The L3180 features a large touchscreen display, twice the size of previous generation displays. Colourful graphics, cleaner interface design and the new touchscreen allow for faster menu navigation and interaction. New loading information detail, including customer and product for each job, can be customized on the interface by each operator to match their workflow and make it easier to see the right information for maximum productivity.
“Scale Watcher also allows loader operators to prepare an order as soon as a customer [collection] truck arrives. It keeps the truck driver happy as they don’t want to be waiting around too long.”
The Trimble LOADRITE L3180 SmartScale is available now as an option from Hyundai Construction Equipment dealers across Europe.
Due to go into production at some stage in Q2 2020, Intercomp’s TS30 CPU (central processing unit) gives users the ability to easily process weight-related data for monitoring and controlling loads. It can interface with static or portable weigh-in-
Hyundai CE wheeled loaders across the European Union
A Trimble LOADRITE L3180 SmartScale eTicket on an iPhone
motion (WIM) scales, automatically classify vehicle WIM, and generate logs of all vehicles or selected datasets.
Sold in a self-contained, weather-resistant hardened case and featuring USB or Ethernet output, the TS30 CPU can communicate with a variety of devices including PCs and scoreboard displays, using RFX Wireless Weighing technology said to save time and improve safety. The solution can show the scale layout or list with weight units, total weight and centre of gravity. Additionally, gross, net and tare weights can all be viewed on the TS30 CPU’s large touchscreen display.
The TS30 CPU’s software allows five configurable user/session info fields and five optional vehicle info fields that are included on the ticket created by the built-in printer.
Command Alkon’s Apex softwarecompatible and web-accessible Scale Watcher system has been installed in 523 quarry and other work sites globally since its introduction in 2006.
The technology’s customers include Australian mining giant Boral; UK independent building materials supply giant Breedon; Lehigh Hanson of Canada, a HeidelbergCement company; Rudus in Finland; the Nigeria-based Azkiel Group and Cementos Progreso in Guatemala and several hundred customers in the United States.
The integrated and recently updated Scale Watcher provides photo verification of the weighing process. When Apex software sends a print signal to the printer, it activates the camera to take a digital still photo of the vehicle on the scale. The ticket information is then superimposed on the captured image which can later be moved to the central office using Apex Data Replication.
Among Scale Watcher’s many features are the easy retrieval of the photos by ticket number; the supply of ironclad proof of vehicle pickup without signatures; optional anti-theft module capturing anomalous events; the ability to print or e-mail photos to customers; single images along with raw video storage for a complete accounting of any incident; and customisable ticket information on the video image. Furthermore, Scale Watcher can utilise multiple cameras, with total site security possible with add-on cameras.
Command Alkon claims that return on investment with the Scale Watcher can be as short as just one year.
The base Scale Watcher system provides hardware, software and one-year software maintenance for one camera and one scale. The base system can accommodate up to four cameras without adding additional PC hardware. Software and hardware upgrades are required if more than four cameras are preferred.
Scale Watcher’s Theft Deterrent Module allows your NVR (network video recorder) to ‘listen’ for when the valve/gates open and close to release your product. If you release product from your silos and no ticket is generated from the software, then a valve alert will be captured with photos of the truck that was being loaded. You can also configure the system to automatically e-mail real-time alerts if desired.
Alert triggers include: No Ticket - Truck was on the scale and left but no ticket was generated; Tare Weight Contamination - Tare weight was above the threshold; Gross Ticket Mismatch - The maximum weight read from the scale was not within a reasonable difference from the actual ticket weight; Overweight - The weight read from the scale exceeds the vehicle’s designated GVW; and Scale Connection Lost/Restored - DVS cannot communicate with the scale indicator. AB
Command Alkon’s Apex softwarecompatible Scale Watcher system has been installed in more than 500 quarry and other work sites globally since its introduction in 2006
Intercomp’s TS30 CPU allows users to easily process weightrelated data for monitoring and controlling loads
CDE has launched the largest version yet of its Combo all-in-one wet processing and water management solution
Much ado about washing
There have been some major new water processing and management plant launches in the first quarter of 2020. Liam McLoughlin and Guy Woodford report
CDE has unveiled the largest version yet of its Combo all-in-one wet processing and water management solution. The new globally available Combo X900 features an increased capacity of 500-tonnes per hour.
Speaking at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 exhibition in Las Vegas, USA (10-13 March), Kevin Vallelly, director of engineering at CDE, said the new plant has been engineered specifically for materials processors in the Americas. “With our new Combo X900, we’ve doubled its capacity and created a next-gen solution for materials processors across North America and Latin America,” he added.
CDE launched the first version of the Combo plant at bauma 2019. CDE group managing director Tony Convery said the company has now sold over 2,000 plants globally and claimed it is the largest wet processing plant provider in the world.
Vallelly said that 15-20% of each Combo plant is customised to meet the requirements of the specific customer.
He added that the Combo X900 can process 500 tonnes per hour (tph) of feed material. This includes natural sand and crushed rock, containing unwanted clay, silt and other organic contaminants to extract quality in-spec washed and graded sand products that are market-ready straight from the belts.
As well as its increased capacity, the control cabin of the new X900 has been repositioned to sit on top of the water tank, a design decision Vallelly says is directly influenced by the North and Latin American markets.
“In these regions, plant and machinery are subject to major temperature extremes and fluctuations,” he said.
“By positioning the control cabin on top of the water tank we’re able to better protect the operational heart of the plant and offer a solution that can be adopted throughout both North America and Latin America where high
and low temperature extremes are recorded.”
CDE says that, while traditional washing systems typically have a separate standalone water tank, the new Combo X900 has integrated this into the design of the AquaCycle thickener tank. It states that this results in a peripheral wall for water storage, which has significantly reduced the overall footprint.
The Northern Irish company says that this provides customers with almost total independence of water supply and minimises the requirements for costly site engineering due to its significantly smaller footprint which is, on average, 30% smaller than other traditional wash plant set-ups.
“Traditional washing systems would typically consume up to 15 times more water than that required for the Combo X900,” said Vallelly.
The X900 enables materials processors to wash more than 500 tph with only 800 gpm (gallons per minute) - about the same amount of water that would be required to wash a truck, according to CDE.
McLanahan has launched its new UltraDRY dewatering screen that can be added to a new
or existing system and is claimed to create a drier, ready-to-sell product.
The US company says customers can achieve moisture content as low as 7% by adding a McLanahan dewatering screen to the end of their screw washer. McLanahan adds that this creates a drier product that is easier to sell and allows better site stockpile management with a shorter inventory cycle, making the customer’s site more efficient.
The Ultra line focuses on a set of standardised units that can be containerised for shipping and supplied quickly.
McLanahan says that its dewatering screens that are part of the UltraDRY system have a high G-force, creating a deeper bed depth, a drier product and with more product processed.
Drive motors on the UltraDRY are oriented to ensure that screens do not need a brake or a VFD (variable frequency drive) to stop the side motion of the screen. Additionally, it can come equipped with a divided deck design so that two separate products can be made on the same screen.
A slurry pump can be added when pairing the UltraDRY with a screw washer to divert the
McLanahan has unveiled its new UltraDRY dewatering screen
At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020, Terex Washing Systems showcased its Terex FM UltraFines plant
screen’s underflow water back to the screw’s feedwell. McLanahan says this location is ideal for water placement as it limits the system’s water usage and allows material at the top of the screw to stay cleaner and drier. Also available is an optional spray bar, designed to allow operators to scrub away any remaining debris and put the final touches to their product.
Kolberg-Pioneer Inc. (KPI) has partnered with Tecnoidea Impianti to offer water clarification systems in North America.
The clarification systems accelerate the process of filtering fines from dirty water for reuse in the processing plant. These systems are designed to eliminate the need for large and expensive settling ponds by recovering up to 95% of the water that flows to the clarification system. This allows producers to use significantly less water in their system.
“Water clarification systems save producers time and money associated with building, using and maintaining settling ponds. This partnership with Tecnoidea Impianti will allow us to continue to offer a one-source solution for our customers,” said Brett Casanova, washing and classifying product manager for KPI.
The water clarification systems will include flocculation preparation units, static vertical settling tanks, thickened sludge tanks, side and overhead beam plate presses and other accessory components.
At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020, Terex Washing Systems (TWS) showcased its Terex FM UltraFines plant, described as a crucial step in efficient management and recovery of ultra-fines material from wastewater streams, produced from washing processes.
The ultra-fines recovery unit can process up to 450m³ per hour of slurry, recovering material as low as 40 microns, thus reducing the volume of solids reporting to storage ponds or water treatment plant. Bringing together a centrifugal pump, a hydrocyclone cluster and a high-frequency dewatering screen on one chassis, the TWS FM UltraFines also boasts an innovatively designed conical tank and antiturbulence system, which is essential in the process of ultra-fines recovery.
MEKA Global (MEKA) showcased the most recent addition to its compact plant line,
the MCSP 1-150, at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020. The unit has since been delivered to its final customer in the U.S. and was due to be operational from early April.
The MCSP 1-150 plant is the first MEKA compact plant sold in the US market, with the sale said to have followed a lengthy purchase process. Every technical aspect was dissected and discussed thoroughly, with initial discussions focusing on areas including the plant’s components.
Each major component of MEKA compact plant is said by the Turkish company to be chosen in order to offer customers a plant capable of supplying predictable and reliable performance during its working life.
A company spokesperson said: “MEKA has an extensive knowledge base over the performance of its compact plant and we were able to present [to the U.S. customer] final product scenarios over a wide range of product feed distributions. Optional spray bars were added to correct a few fractions which proved to be out of ASTM C33 Specifications.
“Predicting performance on commissioning day when all the equipment is ready, and every parameter is under control is usually the easier side [of a sale]. Keeping the same performance several months or even years later is another challenge. The natural rubber liners in the MCSP 1-150 plant’s hydrocyclone and pump are among the longest-wearing parts available in the industry. Carefully studying the merits
plant to provide maximum wear life. How to ensure the best final product particle shape, particle size and mineral composition of the feed are important parts of our plant design process. We use different wear protectors including AR steel, UHMWPE, polyurethane, and natural rubber depending on the wear area in a MEKA compact plant. All these different wear parts options allow us to provide reliable performance over a longer time for each application.”
MEKA says that the MCSP 1-150 plant’s self-levelling sump tank with low-water sensor, overflow recirculation, high-volume sump tank, and oversized vibrators with bearing lifetime exceeding 20,000 hours all contribute to its long-term reliable performance with minimal supervision.
MEKA said that its range of compact plant displayed at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 received great recognition from the firm’s U.S. distributors. The company spokesperson added: “This recognition has resulted in a new purchase order for a 1250m³ per hour dredge dewatering system to give 450 tonnes per hour of product to be processed as frac sand. Discussions for another three units are continuing.”
MEKA’s sand washing equipment line also includes attrition scrubbing plant, fine material washers, coarse material washers, log washers and water recycling equipment. The range is said to offer a plant solution for most AB
Kolberg-Pioneer Inc. (KPI) has partnered with Tecnoidea Impianti to offer water clarification systems in North America.
KPI and Tecnoidea Impianti’s water clarification systems for North America will accelerate the process of filtering fines from dirty water for reuse in the processing plant
The MCSP 1-150 plant is the first MEKA compact plant sold in the US market
When selecting screen media, factors to consider include the operating environment, material characteristics, wear life and maintenance. Photo: MAJOR
Screens: A cheap media that can prevent expensive problems
How choosing the appropriate screen media for the crushing and screening process can improve production and solve screening problems. Liam McLoughlin reports
Screen media selection is an oftenoverlooked factor in mineral processing that can have a significant impact on overall efficiency. Though relatively cheap compared to the rest of the equipment in a quarry or mine, it could be argued that media has as much impact on productivity and material quality as the vibrating screen. It is important that operations give screen media as much buying consideration as they do the vibrating screen itself according to Lars Bräunling, director of product technology at MAJOR, which manufactures wire screens for the aggregates, mining and recycling industries
For this reason, Bräunling says that a number of factors should influence the choice of screen media.
“Certainly, cost is a consideration, but it shouldn’t be reduced to purchasing price versus wear life,” he says. “A full cost analysis needs to include labour cost for change-outs and cleaning, loss of production during downtime, media performance — tonnes produced, for example — and indirect factors like crusher relief.”
Bräunling adds that thinking only in terms of monetary value can be shortsighted and end up costing an operation more in the long run. The operating environment — including material characteristics and recurring screening problems — should also be considered. From there, look at different media types to find out what fits best, and learn proper installation and maintenance to ensure long term success.
Selecting the proper screen media for an application first involves examining the
screening plant and any issues surrounding it. Bräunling recommends starting by taking a look at the material being processed to get an idea of what the media needs to stand up against. Consider the drop height, material size, abrasiveness, weight and volume. The more impact the material will have on the screen media, the higher durability that media should have, at least at the impact point. Abrasive material like granite calls for resistant screen media, such as polyurethane or high-vibration wire media. Likewise, top sizes of 254mm (10”) or larger demand a more durable screen, including options like double wire screens, perforated plate or rubber.
Operators should also take a look at the flow of material. “A visual check or belt cut of the crusher feed belt is an effective way to see if there is saleable rock being sent to the crusher,” Bräunling says. “This could be the result of carryover or because the deck capacity is exceeded. The solution may be adjusting the cut, improving capacity or fixing screening problems like blinding or pegging with alternative screen media.”
In addition to the deck itself, the pile of discarded screen media can be a good area to look for insight into screening problems. Bräunling says that operators should take note of things like broken wires, wear areas, pegging or blinding to pinpoint problems on their decks. Any of these can lead to material contamination and downtime, making them a significant cause for concern.
Depending on the operation, an hour of downtime could be expensive in terms of lost production, which makes choosing a screen media that maximizes uptime and
efficiency even more critical. Perforated steel plate and heavy rubber panels are, almost by definition, the most durable options. Rubber can be effective for screening material with a top size larger than 12 inches or for openings bigger than four inches, but tends to be more susceptible to pegging.
Perforated plate is an acceptable option for applications requiring a durable screen media with a lot of open area, but is often noisier and heavier, which can cause issues. Both also typically have less open area than wire alternatives.
“Woven-wire cloth has been the traditional option for a long time for a reason,” says Bräunling. “It is relatively inexpensive and effective. But there are a number of advanced options available that offer more durability, throughput and versatility. And purchasing a traditional woven-wire design based solely on price may end up costing more in terms of wear life and more frequent change-outs.”
Synthetic modular media, such as polyurethane or rubber, is typically known for its long wear life and ability to reduce noise levels, but it isn’t without its own challenges. Bräunling says this type of media typically has less open area than wire screens, leading to decreased throughput. This, in turn, also reduces the capacity of bottom decks because the material takes longer to make its way down.
Both synthetic screen media and traditional woven wire are very rigid and rely on the vibrating screen to do most of the heavy lifting. The static movement of the screens limits vibration to 800 or 900 cycles per minute.
“In most cases, this does not hinder the screen media from achieving adequate production and throughput, but it is not fully using screening equipment, either,” Bräunling says. “And often it results in common issues, such as blinding and pegging.”
He adds that high-vibration screen media offers a wear-life compromise between synthetic and woven wire, and often provides the most performance benefits. The media features high-strength wire bonded by polyurethane or rubber strips to hold individual wires. The wires vibrate independently of one another — within opening size specifications — to amplify the screening process and increase throughput by as much as 40%.
Not all high-vibration screen media is the same. Most manufacturers do not customise the media specifically to each application to ensure optimum performance and wear resistance. When properly fitted to an application, Bräunling says that highvibration screen media can amplify the work of the vibrating screen with vibrations of 6,000 to 10,000 cycles per minute — up to 13 times greater than traditional, rigid media options.
“There are inexpensive options for every style of screen media, but operations should hesitate before choosing them,” he says. “The lower price often comes with reduced performance and wear life as a result of poor quality with the material, weaving, trimming and hooking process for wire screens or, similarly, poor manufacturing and material with other styles of screen media.”
He adds that operators should start off correctly with proper installation and then monitor to ensure the longest possible wear life. They should inspect the condition of all components that come in contact with the screen, and replace if necessary.
“Selecting the best screen media involves taking a look at the big picture,” Bräunling states. “While not required, an operation can expedite the decision process with experience-backed recommendations from a screen-media OEM [original equipment manufacturer] or dealer. With infrastructure
It integrates with new MAJOR technologies, including the company’s FLEX-MAT ID-Enabled and the FLEX-MAT Sensor.
Also at ConExpo Durex promoted a number of screen-media options for the aggregates and mining sectors including the Accuslot, Armor and Livewire screens.
Accuslot Wire Cloth is designed to provide the accuracy of square openings with the production efficiency and cleaning ability of long-slot wire cloth.
on the rise, the potential for fewer screening problems, increased uptime and more profit flowing over the screen makes the whole process worthwhile.”
MAJOR launched three new products at the recent ConExpo show in Las Vegas that are aimed at maximising the productivity and efficiency of its popular FLEX-MAT range.
The FLEX-MAT ID-Enabled system has been designed to track and store screenmedia data such as panel dimensions and customer-defined details to offer users information at their fingertips for simple reorders.
The FLEX-MAT Sensor is said to be a valuable and easy-to-operate vibration data-measurement tool with which to review results and fine-tune screen machines without shutting down the equipment.
MAJOR has also launched a new smartphone app to give customers up-todate information and access to advanced digital tools. The MAJOR App is available for aggregates and mining producers and MAJOR dealers, with customisations for each.
Durex says that Accuslot screens help eliminate plugging and/or blinding, while minimising the passing of slivers. Clusters of wires can be spaced to match bucker bars. The screen media is built for processing crushed stone, sand and gravel and materials that have high moisture content.
Durex says its Armor screens protect an operation with a long wear life, high open area and reduced noise. The screen is a combination of high-grade wire cloth and a moulded coating of premium polyurethane. Durex states that this combination of technologies creates screens that have a much higher open area than conventional polyurethane screens and much longer wear life than wire screens.
The Livewire Wire Cloth is designed to boost productivity by reducing costly blinding and pegging problems while also delivering superior wear life. Livewire screens are a hybrid-type screen and available in four different opening styles for maximum output.
US-based Samscreen supplies the KleenSkreen finger deck replacement screen system. The system is made for difficult-toscreen materials where blinding, clogging and pegging cause problems with traditional screening media. The KleenSkreen can be retrofitted to existing portable and stationary screening plants, which the company says provides a viable and economical choice of not having to purchase a new piece of equipment similar to a StarScreen or trommel. AB
Operators should monitor screens to ensure the longest possible wear life. Photo: MAJOR
Durex provides a range of screen media options for the aggregates sector
Mixer helps build massive new Amsterdam lock
are accessible for maintenance work via steps and platforms and are designed to offer sufficient space for tools and working equipment.
An easy-to-install and highly mobile concrete mixing plant is being used in the construction of what is claimed to be the world’s largest lock in the port city of Ijmuiden near Amsterdam. Liam McLoughlin reports
Ahighly mobile concrete mixing plant has been proving its capabilities in the Netherlands.
Dyckerhoff Basal is the Dutch subsidiary of cement manufacturer Dyckerhoff and is a major supplier of readymix concrete and cement in the Netherlands.
In order to make the port of Amsterdam accessible for the new generations of ships with even larger dimensions, what is claimed to be the largest lock in the world will be built in IJmuiden. The port city of IJmuiden is located at the south of the 27km-long North Sea Canal, which connects Amsterdam with the sea.
The construction project comprises an investment volume of around €700m and is expected to take around seven years. The new lock is to be opened for shipping at the beginning of 2022 and requires around 300,000m³ of concrete.
For Dyckerhoff Basal, the most important criterion in selecting the concrete mixing plant was a rapid start of operation and the possibility of a rapid change of location in the future in order to be able to start concrete production at short notice for construction projects with limited time. In addition, a theoretical output capacity of up to 150m³/h was an essential requirement for the mixing plant in order to reliably cover delivery peaks throughout the day.
Dyckerhoff Basal has selected the Liebherr Mobilmix 3.5-C in container design with CSC (Concrete Sustainability Council) approval for cost-effective and worldwide ship transport. The container design and installation on
steel foundations are aimed at making the Mobilmix 3.5-C suitable for quick installation and relocation in temporary construction projects.
The plant can be relocated within four days. Thanks to the already integrated insulation, the Mobilmix 3.5-C is also equipped for winter operation. The mobile mixer is equipped with a Liebherr DW 3.5 twin-shaft mixer, which is designed to enable optimum concrete homogeneity thanks to the three-dimensional mixing principle. In addition, the mixer is suitable for short-term recipe changes.
With the Mobilmix 3.5-C, up to 150m³ of concrete can be produced per hour, and as a double plant even up to 300 m³. The plant is operated intuitively via Liebherr‘s own Litronic-MPS mixing plant control system at a PC workstation. All components
Italy-based concrete machinery design and manufacturing company CIFA has inaugurated its branch office in North America. The CIFA North America facility which is located in Yorkville, Wisconsin, will work as an industrial machinery assembly plant as well as the customer service centre. CIFA says the local hub will provide service in terms of sales, parts supply, technical support, service support and training with high quality and efficiency for customers in the US and Canada.
Marco Polastri, sales, after-sales & marketing director of CIFA, commented: “North America is of great strategic interest for CIFA, and we aim to increase our market presence in the United States and Canada. Being in the area with a stronger local presence is of the utmost importance in order to provide quality products and service to satisfy the needs of our customers.”
CIFA has also been promoting its presence in the Gulf region, which it says is a strategic market for the company with the potential to increase in the forthcoming years. It adds that the Gulf is an advanced market with very well-organised groups, dealers and end users that will keep pushing towards the latest technologies and high-standard products.
CIFA is a main sponsor of the Big 5 building and construction show that was
CIFA exhibited its new K61L truck pump at the Big 5 show in Dubai
The Liebherr Mobilmix 3.5 mixing plant has been deployed by Dyckerhoff Basal in the Netherlands
staged in Dubai from November 25 to 28. The company also exhibited at the event, where it presented for the first time the new K61L truck pump, which is suitable for markets requiring long, tough truck pumps with high performance. It features a pumping unit with 25.4cm S valve and 260mm concrete cylinders that are designed to provide lower cycles per minute, low wear and low noise level during operations. The K61L features CIFA’s Smartronic Silver machine management: LCD monitor, user-friendly interface with counters, pumping unit management and advanced diagnostics.
In Austria, the Fröschl Beton company has been supplying construction sites in the Innsbruck area (Austria) with ready-mixed concrete for many years. Its 45-year-old mixing plant was technically obsolete and no longer met current standards. The company wanted to replace it with a set-up that covered the entire concrete logistics chain and delivered flawless concrete efficiently and flexibly.
After an extensive planning phase, the Betomat concept from Liebherr was chosen. It enables the operation of two completely separate mixing plants within one mixing tower, and incorporates a compact design of the two weighing and mixing lines.
The Betomat holds up to 600m³ of stone in nine silo chambers. The mixing tower is fed with aggregates via two charging hoppers and a powerful bucket elevator with an hourly output of 200m³/h. The plant has seven silos for a binder supply of around 840 tonnes.
The new mixing plant is equipped with two mixer systems: a ring-pan mixer with agitator system and a double-shaft mixer. Liebherr says this means that normal standard concretes as well as high-performance and special concretes can be produced very efficiently. When in operation with both mixer systems, the plant achieves a possible output of around 160m³ of compacted fresh concrete per hour. The tower is equipped with two lanes, and the separate weighing lines mean that two vehicles can be loaded simultaneously with different types of concrete.
Northern Ireland-based Rapid International has re-entered the concrete truck mixer market with the launch of its sister company Rapid Tumbler which supplies premium lightweight truck mixers.
Fröschl Beton’s new mixing tower is fed with aggregates via two charging hoppers and a bucket elevator
Rapid Tumbler’s first product to market is the RTM89 8m3 capacity truck mixer. The mixer’s 8m3 mixing drum is manufactured using long-life, high-strength Arcelor Mittal steel. The truck mixers feature premium components from Bosch Rexroth, Arcelor Mittal and ZF Germany. Rapid says the range is set to be expanded in 2020 to include other size options. The official launch of Rapid Tumbler took place in December 2019 at an open morning at Rapid’s headquarters in Tandragee, County Armagh. The event was attended by many local and national readymix concrete companies, as well as members of the Mineral Products Association Northern Ireland (MPANI).
Rapid International MD Mark Lappin expressed his delight that the company was re-entering the truck mixer market with the launch of Rapid Tumbler. “Having celebrated our 50th anniversary last year, it seems fitting to re-introduce one of Rapid’s original iconic products,” he added.
Garten Richter, a German company involved in construction work and concrete projects, has acquired a Carmix 3.5 TT concrete mixer truck for the production of
eco-friendly blocks from recycled materials that are in the shape of LEGO bricks.
The LEGO blocks the machine produces have enabled Garten Richter to easily build compartments for different aggregates, while at the same time optimising site management and material organisation.
Carmix claims its machines reduce concrete costs compared with existing mixing methods, have a greater capacity than screw mixers combined with tractors or other miniloader machines, and also simplify the mixing and unloading phases for more efficiency. In one working cycle, the Carmix 3.5 TT concrete batching plant chosen by Garten Richter produces concrete for five cement blocks, whose mixture is composed of 5,580kg of recycled material sized 1 to 12mm, 410l of water and 920kg of cement, to a final concrete resistance of C25/3 kp.
SBM Mineral Processing presented its EUROMIX 3300 SPACE mobile mixing plant for the first time at bauma 2019. Stephan Godel, MD and founder of German concrete producer GODEL-BETON, purchased one of the plants after seeing it at the construction and quarrying equipment event in Munich last April.
A few days later the machine was in operation at the GODEL location in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and has since then been producing up to 1,000 m³ concrete per day.
Zacharias Funk, head of systems engineering at GODEL, set up the plant with his team in less than two days. “I think that under optimum conditions it is possible to produce concrete in only three days after the first transport,” said Funk.
The EUROMIX 3300 SPACE is provided with an insulated cladding as standard to ensure better production and operating conditions. AB
An SBM Mineral Processing lorry that transports the new EUROMIX 3300 SPACE mobile mixing plant
Rebuilds an increasing option for vehicle operators
Popular for many years in Western Europe and North America, quarrying machine rebuilds are now showing growth in Russia, Africa and the Middle East. Liam McLoughlin reports
Quarrying vehicle operators around the world are increasingly looking into whether a rebuild is a viable option economically as an alternative to buying a new machine.
That is the view of Andrew Walker, certified rebuild specialist covering Europe, Africa, Middle East and Eurasia at manufacturer Caterpillar.
Rebuilding refers to a machine rebuild or a component rebuild (of a powertrain or engine). This is distinct from remanufacturing (or ‘reman’), which refers to the remanufacturing of parts, where customers have the choice to buy new parts or remanufactured parts.
Walker says that the ‘certified’ portion of a rebuild means the programme is endorsed by Caterpillar, although it is performed by dealers. The rebuilds take place in the dealer’s workshop and follow a set process that is defined by Cat. The dealer’s technicians are all trained to certain standards and its workshops are equipped with the relevant equipment in order to be able to perform the certified rebuild.
There are different levels of certified rebuilds. The CCR (Cat Certified Rebuild) involves the complete machine, where the machine is stripped down to its frame and everything is rebuilt around the frame. Every part is inspected, and Cat has re-use and salvage guidelines for dealers for more
or less every component.
On average there are about 7,000 parts (from washers to cylinder heads) that are replaced as part of a CCR rebuild.
The next level is the CPT (Certified Power Train Rebuild) which is engine, torque conversion, transmission, and final drives. Then below that there is the CMCR (Caterpillar Machine Component Rebuild) where a customer can choose to rebuild only, for example, their engine, transmission or final drives.
In terms of the current major trends in the rebuild market, Walker says that these are taking place more frequently in customer behaviour rather than in the rebuilds themselves.
“More and more customers globally are looking into whether a rebuild is a viable option economically as an alternative to buying a new machine,” he says. “We see many customers target increased machine hours, multiple machine lives and lowering the total costs of ownership. We work a lot with customers to put together maintenance plans and rebuild strategies, and we find that those customers that are most successful in lowering total cost of ownership have those fleet management plans in place.”
He adds that medium to large wheeled loaders is where Cat sees the greatest demand for rebuilds among its quarrying and aggregates customers, followed by quarry trucks. When Cat machines are
initially designed, part of the remit for the engineers is to make sure that the machine can be rebuilt for second or third lives.
“A lot of factors contribute to how long a machine life can be, including the application, the operator and the harshness of the environment,” says Walker. “I’ve seen engines rebuilt three or four times.”
There are two types of updates in rebuilds - required updates that are safety related and also productivity upgrades. A 20-year-old machine will not be compliant with the latest emissions standards, but it will be upgraded with all the available updates for the age of that machine. This effectively takes the machine back to ‘as new’ status. Typically, regulations such as the European Union’s Stage V engine emissions standards only apply to newly built machines.
The Cat Certified Rebuild programme was introduced nearly 35 years ago.
Going back ten years, Walker says that the programme was most successful in the more developed markets such as North America and Western Europe. Take-up has continued in those markets, but over the last five years there has been growth in other regions, particularly Russia, Africa and the Middle East.
He adds that cost is a big advantage for customers who opt for a rebuild. A complete rebuilt machine is typically between 50% to 60% of the cost of an equivalent new machine.
A Certified Power Train H (cylinders) rebuild of a Cat wheeled loader
“There are other benefits,” says Walker. “Last week one of our dealers in Africa told me that their customers love the fact that they have 25-year-old machines that their operators know how to operate. They don’t need to buy the latest emission-compliant machine so, from an operator’s standpoint, they essentially get their old machine back but in brand new condition with all the product upgrades that have been required by Caterpillar for increases in productivity and fuel efficiency.”
The time a CCR rebuild takes depends on the size of the machine, but for a medium wheeled loader it can typically be anything from four to eight weeks.
Walker predicts that the rebuild market will continue to grow, as many customers are seeking to get more out of their existing fleet without having to invest in new equipment. He adds that fleet operators are looking to implement strategies in terms of maintenance and rebuild that will lower the operating costs over the life of a machine.
“In terms of innovations, we have leading-edge technologies today that will help our customers decide when is the right time to rebuild a machine,” says Walker. “We have our well-established S.O.S services programme that helps identify early signs of failure through routine fluid analysis, we have telematics, and have introduced more recently remote troubleshooting that analyses real-time asset data so the dealer can run diagnostics testing on the connected product and pinpoint potential issues. Condition monitoring and digital data give Cat dealers and customers more insight into when a machine might be ready for a rebuild, and planning is key with a rebuild.”
Telematics can be used to give
information to Cat dealer product specialists. This can be warning signs – or ‘repair indicators’ – such as higher than normal oil consumption or fuel burn, and various other things that give an indication that a machine might be ready for a rebuild.
The number of certified rebuilds Cat does globally is in the thousands per year and are designed to essentially reset the machine’s life to new. If the machine had 20,000 hours on it at the first rebuild, the second life would be similar to that.
“The number of hours really varies by product type and application, but the point is that once you reset it to new you get the same life as you did the first time,” says Walker.
“When remanufactured parts exist they can use these as parts of a rebuild. That will be a discussion between the dealer and the customer as to what is the best option for a particular rebuild.”
On a CCR machine rebuild there is a one-year ‘like-new’ warranty, and on a CPT there is a one-year warranty on the whole powertrain.
Cat rebuilds have supporting Equipment Protection Plans (EPPs) that give the option to extend the standard one-year Certified Rebuild Warranty. These are plans that can be extended from 12 to 60 months and from 1,000 to 10,000 hours, depending on the machine, and are intended to give customers peace of mind. AB
A Cat 988H loader after undergoing the Cat Certified Rebuild Programme. Image courtesy of French Cat dealer Bergerat Monnoyeur
A Cat 988H loader prior to being rebuilt. Image courtesy of French Cat dealer Bergerat Monnoyeur
HXCS’s plans to modernise the site include a state-of-the-art production factory, homes for quarry workers and other local people, parkland and lakes
CHINA’S GREENERQUARRYINGTOMORROW TODAY
China’s green quarrying revolution is underway, and a few sites have already built up a strong reputation for their eco-friendly operation. Guy Woodford visited one of them
Akettle partly made with purple sand mud is among ceramics in a special exhibition building within the grounds of Huzhou Xinkaiyuan Crushed Stones Company’s quarry (Xinkaiyuan Quarry) in Huzhou, a city 150km north-west of Shanghai in the north of Zhejiang province. Purple sand mud and other mud generated by production at Xinkaiyuan Quarry has been used to make many other ceramics onsite thanks to the quarry’s kiln. The ceramics are sold to customers all over China and are an example of why Xinkaiyuan is known as a Chinese green quarry. Indeed, in 2010 the site, managed and operated by Huzhou Xinkaiyuan Crushed Stones (HXCS), a subsidiary of Shanghai Jiangong Construction Materials Company (SJCM), became one of the first quarries in China to be officially recognised by the Chinese government as a green quarry.
“China’s president Xi Jinping said in 2005 that ‘lucid waters and large mountains are invaluable assets.’ Our quarry embodies that sentiment,” explains Zou Caichao, Xinkaiyuan Quarry vice-manager. “Xi made that observation in Huzhou when he was secretary of the Provincial Chinese Communist Party Committee of Zhejiang. Its sentiment has been acted on all over China since he became president.”
Zou says Yao Shao Wue, Xinkaiyuan Quarry’s current general manager and vice president of China Aggregates Association, has been the big driving force in turning the site into a green quarry. “He studied at China University of Mining & Technology and was always interested in green quarrying. He worked for our parent company [SJCM} and was sent here in 2001, initially to do some building materials research. He stayed and worked his way up to become deputy quarry chief in 2007, with the green quarry upgrade starting the
following year. He was then promoted to site general manager in 2013.”
Opened in 1995 after the merging of two smaller HXCS quarries, Xinkaiyuan Quarry currently employs more than 400 staff. The site produces four million tonnes a year of andesite aggregates and manufactured sand, up from 1.5mn tonnes/year produced in the quarry’s early years. The quarry can produce material between 4pm and 8am, six days a week (Monday-Saturday). However, production hours are restricted by local government regulations. Hours outside the permitted 4pm to 8am production window are dedicated to machine and site maintenance. HXCS is licensed to quarry at the Xinkaiyuan site until at least 2035.
A total of 18 different aggregate products and manufactured sand (classified in China as -4.75mm product) are produced at the quarry – with 5-10mm and 10mm-20mmsized aggregate the most popular and commanding the highest sales price.
To make its aggregates and manufactured sand products, the quarry uses a Lippman 5628 jaw crusher, Terex MVP 450 and Terex MVP 550 cone crushers, a vertical shaft impactor (VSI), and a washing plant from Chinese firm NKM (Nanchang Kuangshan Machinery Company). For loading and hauling work, the quarry uses eight 2018-purchased fully-electric-drive Microvast rigid haulers and six Volvo crawler excavators. Quarryface blasting to gain aggregates material takes place every two days. Blasting noise is limited and quality enhanced thanks to a bespoke ‘Middle & Deep Hole Blasting’ solution developed by the quarry in co-operation with Nanjing University, China University of Mining & Technology in Xuzhou, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
“When we blast, we use water mist to suppress the dust, and our materials production facility is completely enclosed,” says Zou. “Any dust generated in production is sucked into a giant bag, with particles above 0.075mm extracted by a hydracyclone and stored in a tank prior to being used to make manufactured sand. We also reuse the water mist after its been processed in a purpose-built onsite facility. In addition, we use soundproof panels to reduce production noise.”
The andesite aggregates at Xinkaiyuan Quarry have been used to help build many famous Shanghai sites including Shanghai Pudong Airport, Shanghai Tower, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, and Nanpu Bridge, a giant 7km-plus, cable-stayed bridge over the Huangpu River linking Puxi and Pudong. The quarry also supplied aggregates for the 2007 high-speed upgrade of the ShanghaiHangzhou rail line.
A common material in Zhejiang province, andesite aggregates are highquality aggregates used in concrete making. Indeed, since 2017, Xinkaiyuan Quarry has also operated six concrete plants which produce up to two million m³ of concrete a year.
Although Xinkaiyuan Quarry had elements of a ‘green quarry’ as far back as 2003, a major increase in its green operating practices began in 2008 with the installation of a 1km-long conveyor belt to transfer aggregates and sand material from the quarry to a material-processing yard at a nearby harbour. There, HXCS-appointed contractors use wheeled loaders and crawler excavators to load stockpiled aggregates and manufactured sand products onto boats. Each boat then transfers its up-to-1,400tonne cargo by riverways to customers
“Cake generated by the materials washing plant is used to help make bricks for local construction works”
waiting with their own or contractor on-highway trucks at various stopping points. After unloading the boat’s cargo into the appropriate trucks, the aggregates and manufactured sand products begin the final leg of their delivery journey.
Xinkaiyuan Quarry is split into four sections, each with a manager responsible for ensuring high environmental and health and safety standards. Dust-level monitoring technology used by quarry bosses is also linked to the Zhejiang government’s environmental health department, which is keen to ensure all quarries and other businesses in Zhejiang province are keeping work-site dust levels within permitted levels. If the quality of air in Huzhou falls below a legal level, local government officials advise that the quarry’s management and materials production stops until air quality improves.
Xinkaiyuan quarry
Ceramics and bricks made out of quarry waste
Electric-powered haul truck
Scores of trees were planted, and other green habitat installed around the edges of Xinkaiyuan Quarry in 2008 in order to encourage biodiversity. It is a decision that has paid off given the abundance of wild animals and insects found onsite. The sensitive replanting of trees to allow for previously unworked areas of the site to be quarried is another feature of the quarry’s green focus.
As well as the quarry’s mud being used in ceramics created onsite, cake generated by the materials washing plant is used to help make bricks for local construction works. Chickens, ducks, pigeons and fish are bred onsite to feed quarry staff. Staff also have access to an onsite sports park, with basketball and table tennis the most played games.
Furthermore, a new building materials research centre in the quarry is due to open before the end of 2020. Research is already being conducted onsite into using production waste to create ceramic foam tiles for insulation and decoration.
HXCS also donates funds to local Huzhou schools and has supported relief work following natural disasters that have affected the city and wider parts of Zhejiang province.
Xinkaiyuan Quarry’s exhibition building includes a large model of HXCS’s plans to modernise the site. It includes a state-ofthe-art production factory, homes for quarry workers and other local people, parkland and lakes. HXCS is currently in talks with Zhejiang government authorities about how and when the plans can be implemented.
Given its eco-minded operation and its management’s ambitious site development plans, it is no surprise that Xinkaiyuan Quarry has won a variety of national and
“Xinkaiyuan Quarry has won a variety of national and regional business worker and environmental best practice awards”
regional business worker and environmental best practice awards. In 2017, Xinkaiyuan won High Quality Aggregates Awards and Innovation Enterprise Awards in the second National Aggregates Competition held by China Aggregates Association and Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. In 2019, several new Xinkaiyuan-utilised technologies were listed in the Catalogue of Advanced and Applicable Technologies for Mineral Resource Conservation and Comprehensive Utilisation issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources. This included technology for the efficient recovery of fine sand and fine powder, wastewater recycling technology, production technology for manufactured sand, digital intelligent blasting technology for open pits, and an intelligent monitoring system for mobile equipment in mining.
Such is the rapid progress with which the Chinese government-led and national aggregates industry-supported green quarry revolution is being executed in China, that the abundance of eco-friendly working practices evident at Xinkaiyuan Quarry is set to become the norm at quarry sites across the vast country within the next five years. Given that Chinese annual aggregates demand is 20 billion tonnes a year – around 40% of the world’s annual demand – the scale of the country’s green quarry uptake is already attracting significant global attention. I look forward to returning to Xinkaiyuan Quarry to see what is already being described as ‘China’s tomorrow green quarry today’ becoming even more cutting edge in its embrace of ecologically-minded, large-scale aggregates production. AB
35000 tonne aggregates storage house
Chickens, ducks, pigeons and fish are bred onsite to feed quarry staff
Quarries should seriously consider load-weighing technology to improve operational efficiency and eliminate waste.
Keeping loads under watch
Given that the precise determination of the weight of products carried at quarries is a crucial parameter of the daily functions of the industry, it is essential for every operation that carries and transports payloads to adopt efficient and accurate on-board weighing technology.
Munesu Shoko reports
The quarrying industry has a dynamic operational environment that makes it absolutely essential for the sector to deploy the right tools and systems to raise the bar of performance and efficiency. One of the most critical tools that must form part of every quarrying business is the on-board weighing technology. This technology has the power to directly affect the output and profitability of any quarrying business.
Ivan van Heerden, MD of Dynamic Weigh Systems (DWS), the sole distributor in southern Africa of the VEI Group’s line of on-board weighing and payload management systems, says it is extremely important for quarries to install these systems on all load and haul equipment. “Without this technology, there can be huge losses in time and money with trucks arriving at the weighbridge either overor underloaded, resulting in bottlenecks or returns to stockpiles,” says Van Heerden.
Christiaan Luttig, marketing director at JBI Industrial Solutions, the sole distributor of Pfreundt’s range of load-weighing solutions in sub-Saharan Africa, says quarries should seriously consider load-weighing technology to improve operational efficiency and eliminate waste. He believes that load-weighing systems with smart technology and software are the best method of controlling these parameters.
“Having a live feed of what is currently taking place in the three main areas of any quarry – extraction, processing and loadout – is something any quarry can’t do without. Apart from basic day-to-day weighing data, weighing systems give quarry management new insights into exact return on investments on capital equipment, machine utilisation and performance, bottlenecks in operations and more accurate stock control. These are some of the new parameters our quarrying customers are considering when buying weighing systems,” says Luttig.
Luttig adds that African quarries have been using weighing equipment to measure production and productivity in the processing part of their operations for many years. However, utilising weighing technology to improve operational efficiency in other parts of the operations is a necessity.
Commenting on the uptake of the technology in Africa, Van Heerden says it is generally not as fast as it should be. “Many quarries have become over-reliant on the weighbridge and are ignoring the hidden costs incurred through losses in time and money as a result of trucks arriving at the weighbridge with incorrect payloads,” says Van Heerden.
However, Luttig notes that the demand for mobile weighing equipment has increased substantially within the past five years. “On
a product adoption curve I would say we are entering the late majority stage of this type of technology. However, with regards to full utility of these products, we are in the early adopter stage in Africa,” he says.
Commenting on the significance of load-weighing technology for quarries, Glen Webster of Loadtech, the authorised distributor of Loadrite in southern Africa, says while savvy operators know that total cost of equipment ownership is more important than just the purchase price, what most don’t know is that they could actively reduce their total cost of ownership across earthmoving equipment and trucks by using load-weighing systems’ monitoring and alert features to set benchmarks and measure productivity.
Webster reasons that total cost of ownership includes everything from the original purchase price to the daily running and maintenance costs, depreciation, finance and even ‘hidden’ costs like insurance and employee wages.
“A machine that appears to be competitively priced may end up costing many thousands more than a higher priced machine because it may deliver lower productivity, increased fuel and maintenance costs and a lower resale value,” says Webster.
Webster reasons that one can measure total cost of ownership based on the number
moved. By basing total cost of ownership calculations on the amount of material moved, operators can get a clearer picture of the machine’s actual cost of ownership, since a machine that moves more material in less time is likely to generate more income, as well as using less fuel per tonne of material moved.
“While it makes sense to choose a fuelefficient, highly productive machine, it is also possible for smart operators to proactively reduce the machine’s total cost of ownership by reducing the running costs,” says Webster. “There are a number of steps that can achieve this, such as improving efficiency to reduce fuel usage, optimising the loading process and improving the maintenance scheduling so that all machines and vehicles are up and running when you need them to be.”
Webster says the first step is to understand how productive your machines are, including how much fuel they use and how much material they move. “The next step is using that information to make changes where necessary to improve efficiency and reduce costs.”
By tracking the amount of material moved per hour to measure productivity and set benchmarks using loadweighing systems, operators can identify underperforming machines and make appropriate adjustments to ensure all equipment is working at its optimum efficiency.
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weight of material in an excavator’s or loader’s bucket, relay this information to the operator and record the weight for later use.
“Being able to track the amount of material moved per hour can then be used internally as part of an overall business analysis to measure productivity and set benchmarks,” says Webster.
equipment that is underperforming, which sets off a trigger for an investigation into the underlying causes. These causes can vary widely, from operator error to equipment failure.”
Once productivity benchmarks are set, fleet managers can customise their systems to capture a wide range of other data such as
pg cycle times, which can then be used to identify process bottlenecks and inefficiencies. By resolving these issues, managers can improve productivity and reduce operating costs
By loading trucks correctly from the outset, unnecessary truck movement is reduced.
“The Loadrite system can also measure the cycle times between each loading event, which can show how efficiently material is being moved. Shorter cycle times generally point to a more efficient and therefore more profitable operation,” says Webster.
The system actively helps reduce fuel use. By using an accurate on-board weighing system, operators can ensure trucks are filled correctly the first time, with no productivity lost due to underloading or overloading.
em can also measure en material is nt and therefore more Webster. ly ing an ighing d , ost r s
“By loading trucks correctly from the outset, unnecessary truck movement is reduced as there is no need to turn around for either a refill or a removal of material once the trucks get to the weighbridge,” adds Webster.
Luttig says apart from the basic function of weighing loads accurately using Pfreundt’s load-weighing technology, monitoring production and productivity live through a cloud-based software platform is a big plus. In a typical quarry application, orders can be sent via the weighbridge which, in advance, captures key information such as company, truck registration and product to be loaded.
“The information is sent directly to the operator of the loader who has to load according to the specifications as captured. The technology allows the operator to identify product type, and loads according to the target weight stipulated by the weighbridge.
Fleet managers can customise their Loadrite systems to capture a wide range of data, including cycle times.
The data is returned to the weighbridge prior to the truck’s arrival, for confirmation and release, thus reducing downtime related to truck-loading on site. The technology also allows customers to monitor machine utilisation and performance during a shift,” says Luttig.
Being able to measure the time between replacing consumable parts, operators can establish the most efficient and convenient maintenance and replacement schedule. Webster says this can be done by measuring the amount of work done in terms of material moved, rather than simply by working hours.
“The system can record how much material has been moved since the last time
the bucket edge was replaced, for example. This data would allow different brands to be benchmarked on how long they last, another critical factor in calculating total cost of ownership,” says Webster.
Tyre damage on trucks can also be reduced. Providing accurate and consistent weight measurement from the outset allows operators to set the correct target weight for the loader bucket to accurately load the truck.
“Because truck tyres are inflated correctly to carry a certain weight, they can be damaged when carrying too much weight. So once the loader is set for optimal efficiency, you can potentially prolong the life of the tyres,” concludes Webster. AB
Various VEI models from DWS can be fitted on any machine with a lifting piston – from small forklifts to the largest rigid dumpers and excavators.
The Pfreundt systems from JBI are integrated with up-to-date software solutions that assist with production and productivity analysis.
Terex MPS plant aids limestone production for JSW Cement
Dubai, UAE-based mining, crushing and logistics operator Minerals Technocom
Contractor FZE has recently installed and commissioned a Terex MPS 1,200 tonnes per hour plant in Ras Al Khaimah to support the production of steel-grade limestone for JSW Cement FZE.
JSW Cement FZE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Indian company JSW Cement. The produced limestone will be used as a by-product in its UAE plant and also as a raw material for its steel plant in India. This material will also cater to the requirements of the local market.
Minerals Technocom turned to Terex after being impressed by the professional approach and expertise provided by the Terex MPS team to deliver a solution that would produce six million tonnes a year. Following a consideration of options, they decided on a Terex MPS plant consisting of a primary jaw crusher— the Cedarapids
JC5460 (the biggest jaw crusher offered by Terex), a secondary cone crusher— Cedarapids MVP 550 X, a tertiary vertical shaft impactor—Canica 2000, with multiple screens in the process including the MTS 6204, Cedarapids TSV8203, a dual mechanism screen from the USA and torrent offerings from Malaysia. In all, the impressive set-up produces 20,000 tonnes per day ranging from 0-5mm, 5-10mm, 10-20mm, 20-40mm, 40-80mm.
With the support and supervision of the Terex MPS team members, the plant was commissioned earlier than the committed timeline. Sundar Rajan, Terex sales director – Middle East & East Africa explains: “We offered this plant to Minerals Technocom because of its relatively simple offering— with limited units delivering the best output and minimum fines generation. We were delighted to support the customer from the early planning stages right through to the
KPI introduces FT4250CC hybrid impactor
American manufacturer Kolberg-Pioneer Inc. (KPI) is introducing its first hybrid FT4250CC horizontal shaft impactor plant equipped with a pre-screen.
The new two-deck pre-screen is said to minimise the amount of undersized material that passes through the chamber, reducing wear costs and increasing the amount of final product by up to a claimed 30%.
supervision, erection and commissioning of this large-scale plant.”
JSW Cement’s head of operations said: “Having a solution that satisfies our strict requirements in terms of consumption and productivity was of utmost importance to us and we are delighted that the Terex 1200 tonnes per hour plant is producing the output as committed. In addition, Terex was a terrific support to us throughout our site planning, preliminary engineering layout, support to our Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor on layouts and planning for our site operations.”
Rajan concluded: “We have no doubt this plant chosen by Minerals Technocom will continue achieving ultimate efficiency and production output and we look forward to supporting the ongoing relationship between Minerals Technocom and JSW Cement in the future.” ww.terex.com/mps
“Several of our customers are trying to produce products that have a significant amount of fines in the feed material. The prescreen allows producers to remove those fines while also minimising the amount of rejected in-spec product,” says Tim Harms, crushing and screening product manager at KPI.
The flagship plant features KPI-JCI (Johnson Crushers International) and Astec Mobile Screens’ patented hybrid power. Hybrid equipment gives operators rugged, high-performance machines with flexible power options in one convenient package. With the patented hybrid solutions, producers can operate using either line power or genset, or use traditional diesel power when electric power is not available.
The most ecological source, line power, offers producers several operational and environmental benefits. Reduced noise levels, no engine emissions, the ability to run indoors and not having to refuel the equipment create a cleaner atmosphere for communities, while decreased operational and maintenance expenses create opportunities for producers. The patented hybrid option can also increase production in dirty and dusty environments, while lowering the processing cost per tonne. www.kpijci.com
The Terex MPS 1,200 tonnes per hour plant in Ras Al Khaimah is supporting the production of steelgrade limestone for JSW Cement FZE
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