Quarry January 2022

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

JANUARY 2022

INDUSTRY LEADERS: 2022 EDITION

KEY INSIGHTS FROM INDUSTRY LEADERS

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16

20

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

WATER LEADERSHIP

ELECTRIFYING ADVANCES

Ben Lefroy forecasts the challenges that await Wirtgen and the industry in general

Brian Krishna discusses Xylem’s holistic solutions for quarrying operations

Komatsu’s Dean Gaedtke talks about today’s exciting innovations in load and haul

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IN THIS ISSUE JANUARY 2022

VOLUME 30, ISSUE 1

FEATURES 26 FOSTERING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONS Grayden Leaver, of CJD Equipment, explains why strong dealer relationships with quarry producers will be as vital as new technologies.

28 ENSURING THE CUSTOMER’S SUCCESS Caterpillar’s Greg Mumford outlines how the company’s sustainability initiatives are contributing to customers’ success.

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OUT OF THE BOX Ben Lefroy, of Wirtgen, forecasts the challenges of 2022 - and beyond.

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WATER MANAGEMENT Brian Krishna, of Xylem, discusses the company’s holistic solutions for quarrying.

32 SMARTER DRILLING, AUTOMATION THE KEY Craig Marsh discusses ongoing innovation and automation in Epiroc’s fleet of smart surface drill rigs.

34 PUTTING AUSTRALIAN MADE INTO PRACTICE Paul Kerr, director of second generation family business Precisionscreen, talks up the importance of homegrown products.

40 CHARTING THE DATA POINTS FOR SUCCESS Dan Barry, of Trimble Loadrite distributor SmartTech, discusses the value added solutions that will benefit quarries in the coming years.

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ELECTRIC DREAMS Dean Gaedtke talks about the exciting developments in Komatsu equipment today.

JANUARY 2022

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

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50 SELF-REFLECTION A WINNER FOR IQA AWARDS DIGITAL REVOLUTION Steve Franklin says that quarries must prepare for digital transformation.

The IQA has a way of finding the industry’s best and brightest, even when they’re as humble and unassuming as Chris Hamilton.

JANUARY 2022

INDUSTRY LEADERS: 2022 EDITION

www.quarrymagazine.com

KEY INSIGHTS FROM INDUSTRY LEADERS

QUARRY

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16

20

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

WATER LEADERSHIP

ELECTRIFYING ADVANCES

Ben Lefroy forecasts the challenges that await Wirtgen and the industry in general

Brian Krishna discusses Xylem’s holistic solutions for quarrying operations

Komatsu’s Dean Gaedtke talks about today’s exciting innovations in load and haul

COVER ADVERTISER: Equipped with industryleading features to assist owners and operators, the Kleemann MC 110 EVO2 PRO jaw crusher is now available to order from Wirtgen Australia.

For more information, turn to page 12 or visit wirtgen-group.com/en-au

EVERY MONTH 04 FROM THE EDITOR 06 FROM THE PRESIDENT 08 NEWS THIS MONTH 52 IQA NEWS 58 GEOLOGY TALK Quarry January 2022 3

EDITORIAL

IS THE INDUSTRY READY FOR A ‘HEARTSTOPPING’ DECADE?

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elcome to 2022! For the first time in two decades, the January issue of Quarry treads new ground as we focus on the insights and views of the many leaders of the quarrying supply chain. The theme is timely – Australia and the world continue to shrug off the COVID-19 pandemic (and its many variants) but can take no respite as other logistical issues rise to take its place.

This edition has almost been a labour of love. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to speak with a variety of experts and leaders from across the supply chain to the quarrying and extractive industries. In fact, I gathered enough material to write a much larger publication than this – and it was a disappointment not to be able to include it all.

What my research implies is that the quarrying industry faces a period of unprecedented trials but also some really exciting advances.

The industry can expect more demand for construction materials as Australia attempts to catch up on an infrastructure pipeline that was trailing on its timelines pre-pandemic. State and Territory governments will be eager to fast-track some of these projects but that will create enormous pressure on the industry to deliver – an industry that is increasingly working with one hand tied behind its metaphorical back as skilled labour shortages bite hard against the disruption of an international supply chain that is heavily relied upon to provide widgets from drill bits to manganese parts. How will the industry meet this demand if it is constrained in resources – of people, plant, equipment, parts and componentry?

Fortunately, the possibilities offered by new technologies could be the answer. After a period of incremental advances, the industry could be on the

cusp of an era of rapid technological transformation. Some of the prospects raised by Dean Gaedtke (page 20), Steve Franklin (page 22) and Dan Barry (page 40) are genuinely exciting and could attract new blood to the industry in entirely new roles. Indeed, the quarrying industry in 10 to 15 years may be unrecognisable to quarry professionals today.

It’s also worth mentioning the importance of reliability innovation, as described by Paul Kerr (page 34).

With the disruptions to the supply of critical componentry and replacement parts from abroad, it is clear that as a nation we need to restore elements of our manufacturing base and create a local supply chain. It’s heartening that companies like Precisionscreen and Pinnacle Hire (page 36) are championing that ideal.

The technological leap, though, is further tempered by the climate change challenge. If quarrying, like many industries, is to dispense with diesel technologies for environmentally friendlier alternatives, including electric power, then how will that transition be managed without great cost and disruption? Again this is another curve ball that the industry will have to contend with as it emerges from the COVID-19 era.

We may only be three years in but the 2020s could well be viewed by future historians as possibly the most impactful decade since the 1980s (for those of us old enough to remember the ‘80s!). They could very well reshape the quarrying industry – and Australia – as we know it.

Hold on to your hats – because it could be a heartstopping rollercoaster ride!

Published by:

MY RESEARCH IMPLIES THAT THE QUARRYING INDUSTRY FACES A PERIOD OF UNPARALLELED TRIALS BUT ALSO SOME VERY EXCITING ADVANCES-

11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au Publisher John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

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DAMIAN CHRISTIE Editor

omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. © Copyright – No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.

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63RD IQA NATIONAL CONFERENCE NEWCASTLE, NSW 29 – 31 MARCH 2022 EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 28 JANUARY 2022 To register or for further information visit the Conference Website https://iqa.eventsair.com/conference

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

LOOKING FOR NEW TALENT IN UNCONVENTIONAL PLACES The Institute of Quarrying Australia

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f you’re still easing into 2022 and on leave, then this issue of Quarry is recommended holiday reading. It focuses on industry leaders and insights from across the quarry-related supply chain. In reading the features – which cover the earthmoving, drilling, crushing and screening, digital transformation, water management, and plant and equipment hire segments – I was struck by some of the common challenges raised by industry leaders and experts.

As we look ahead with more hope and promise of living with – and beyond – the COVID-19 pandemic, our industry must now contend with other constraints. With Australia’s burgeoning infrastructure pipeline and construction materials likely to be in enormous demand over the next three years, how will the quarrying industry cope with disruptions to the international supply chain and with the shortage of skilled labour, particularly in heavy machinery and maintenance?

There’s little we can do about the supply chain – although it’s pleasing to read that OEMs stocked their coffers some time ago in anticipation of disruptions. A couple are also developing their own manufacturing expertise in Australia to offer quarries competitive alternatives and solutions.

However, when you consider the skilled labour shortage, it is inescapable that the industry can no longer wait for our future workforce to come to us. We have to go to the source – into primary and secondary schools – to attract young people from all demographics.

We need to engage young people from an early, impressionable age and explain why quarrying is important and is a worthwhile, rewarding profession.

We also need to scour non-traditional areas of recruitment to find talent.

Addressing the skilled labour shortage will involve a lot of planning within organisations, knowing where the gaps are, knowing the right places to look and taking stock of existing

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skills. It may also open doors for digital and technological innovations.

Could artificial intelligence, automation and big data be a partial solution?

Are there roles for tech-savvy young people in our industry?

While it is incumbent on IQA members and their employers to explore and answer these questions, the IQA will play an important part in devising the educational pathway for newcomers and entrants to the industry. The Institute is keen to expand its educational credentials and “de-burden” organisations of arranging their own training and professional development and is an ideal outlet to guide and grow the industry’s future leaders.

That’s why again I can’t understate the importance of the IQA’s national conference in Newcastle in March.

Some of the industry leaders in this issue – including from platinum sponsors Komatsu Australia and Caterpillar – will be at the conference.

They will talk about their innovations, how they are attracting new talent and educational pathways for prodigies.

If you haven’t committed yourself or one of your workers, peers or colleagues to the event, now is the time. Don’t think about the costs of the conference, look at the educational value. Your organisation will benefit from the insights and networking on offer, and your staff will be richer for the experience. Further, a person’s new ideas and contributions to the organisation may in turn be applicable to the broader industry.

Early bird registrations close on 28 January, so there’s still plenty of time to act. Don’t pass up the opportunity. You may be grooming tomorrow’s leaders.

Until next month, stay safe!

SHANE BRADDY President Institute of Quarrying Australia

Educating and connecting the extractive and associated industries

quarry.com.au THE IQA IS KEEN TO ‘DE-BURDEN’ ORGANISATIONS OF ARRANGING THEIR OWN TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND IS AN IDEAL OUTLET TO GROW THE INDUSTRY’S FUTURE LEADERS

The IQA’s Strategic Plan 2020 to 2025 embodies the following vision, values and strategic priorities: Vision: Educating and connecting the extractive and associated industries.

Values: • A safe and sustainable environment.

• Diversity and inclusion.

• Working, development skills, careers and life-long learning.

• Networking, connection, trust and communication.

Strategic Priorities: • Maximise outcomes for industry through education and sustainable practise.

• Increase our relevance.

• A high performing and sustainable organisation.

IQA CONTACTS: Phone: 02 9484 0577 Email: admin@quarry.com.au Chief Executive Officer Kylie Fahey Company Secretary Rod Lester For all education, member and branch enquires please email: admin@quarry.com.au.

The 2021 IQA Awards will be presented in the following categories: Alec Northover Award

Sponsored by AIQEF

Gold Hard Hat Site Safety Award

Sponsored by IQA

Gold Environment Award

Sponsored by Groundwork Plus

Excellence in Innovation and Community Engagement

Sponsored by Cement and Aggregate Consulting

Quarry Manager of the Year <10 FTE

Sponsored by Metso:Outotec

Quarry Manager of the Year >10 FTE

Sponsored by Metso:Outotec

Quarry Operator of the Year

Sponsored by RTV Training

IQA Conference Exhibitor of the Year

Sponsored by IQA

President’s Medal

Sponsored by IQA

C L O S I N G D AT E All award nominations close 5pm (AEST) Tuesday 18 January 2022 For more information contact us by email: admin@quarry.com.au or by phone: 02 9484 0577 The Institute of Quarrying of Australia • P PO Box 1779, Milton BC, QLD. 4064 • W quarry.com.au

NEWS

QUEENSLAND PLAN FIXES ‘LONG-STANDING ISSUE’: CCAA ‘A BETTER ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK WILL HELP TO MANAGE INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS, AND PREVENT MATERIALS FROM BEING TRANSPORTED FROM FURTHER DISTANCES’ AARON JOHNSTONE QLD STATE DIRECTOR CCAA The Resources Industry Development Plan has outlined a new framework to identify key resource areas within Queensland.

The Queensland Government’s Resources Industry Development Plan has been given the industry’s stamp of approval, as it outlines a new framework to identify key resource areas.

The plan outlines 43 actions to be addressed by 2050 which will address six key focus areas: 1. Growing, diversifying the industry.

2. Strengthening ESG credentials and protecting the environment.

3. Fostering co-existence and sustainable communities.

4. Ensuring strong and genuine First Nations partnerships.

5. Building a safe and resilient workforce.

6. Improving regulatory efficiency.

Action No. 42 is of specific interest to the quarrying industry, as it calls for “a fit-for-purpose framework for extractive industry assessment”.

“The State Planning Policy states that when KRAs (key resource areas) are identified, the relevant local government must protect the extractive resource through provisions in its planning scheme,” the plan reads.

“This framework will balance the impacts of extractive industries with local and state need for construction materials to support infrastructure priorities.”

This framework is to be developed from 2022-23.

Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia’s (CCAA) Queensland state

directorAaron Johnstone said this plan would address a significant issue for Queensland.

“Quarry assessment and approval processes has been a long-standing issue for our industry, and we are very encouraged that this reform area has been included in the draft plan,” Johnstone said.

“A better assessment framework will help to manage infrastructure costs, and prevent materials from being transported from further distances.

“Recent quarry refusals in southeast Queensland have highlighted the need for reform.”

The CCAA estimates that Southeast Queensland’s construction sector requires about 30 million tonnes of locally sourced quarry materials per year, with that number expected to grow along with the population.

The plan is open for consultation until February 2022 with a final plan scheduled for release in mid-2022.

Before then, Stewart said several parties would work to ensure regulatory systems were up to scratch.

“Our government is committed to working with industry to reform processes to provide greater certainty for investment,” Stewart said.

“The Queensland Law Reform Commission will review objections processes in consultation with the community and the terms of reference will be developed in consultation with the Commission and stakeholders.” •

NOVEMBER CONSTRUCTION MAINTAINS SUSTAINABLE GROWTH Australia’s construction industry maintained its buoyancy in November as the country continued its freedom from lockdown lows, according to the Performance of Construction (PCI) Index.

Presented by Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) and the Housing Industry Association, the seasonally adjusted PCI fell by 0.6 points to a score of 57 – where results above 50 points indicate expansion.

Ai Group’s chief policy advisor Peter Burn said construction was playing a significant part in the country’s economic recovery.

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“The strong rebound of the Australian construction industry continued into November with healthy growth in engineering construction and commercial building activity in particular,” Burn said.

Leading the way in November was commercial activity with a score of 68.8 – up 6.3 points from October – and engineering with a score of 66.7.

Housing construction activity was the only sector to fall into decline with a score of 46.6, down 5.3 points on October.

Commercial activity was a headliner in November’s Performance of Construction Index.

Burn said the steadier growth in November tempered the keen recovery seen in the months prior but cautioned that the acceleration of ”an in-flow of new orders” in coming months could constrain capacity. •

CLEAN FILL NEEDED FOR CANBERRA LIGHT RAIL PROJECT

HOW INDUSTRY IS MANAGING MATERIALS FOR CONSTRUCTION SPIKE

The ACT Government is seeking 60,000 tonnes of clean fill for the next stage of the Canberra Light Rail project – two years after contractors trucked more than 70,000 tonnes of spoil from the ACT into New South Wales.

The ACT Government’s intention is to lift and stabilise the national capital’s London Circuit and complete the 1.7km link between Canberra’s civic centre and Commonwealth Park.

The truck movements needed to transport the 60,000 tonnes of fill into the city will cause major traffic disruptions. Some civil contractors have also privately expressed concern that sourcing the quality and quantity of fill for the project may be too difficult.

Clean fill is classified as a virgin excavated natural material. However, Canberra’s most easily accessible fill does not meet the ACT’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) standards.

Contractors will also have to submit a Contamination and Material Management Plan to import material to the construction site.

The ability to freely dump spoil outside Canberra emerged as a contentious cross-border issue in the first stage of the Canberra Light Rail project.

The Australian construction sector has a healthy growth period ahead of it, according to industry leaders at the Commonwealth Bank’s Building through the Pandemic webinar.

Despite building approvals dropping more than 23 per cent from March to September 2021, the 12 months to September still saw a rise of 12 per cent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The centre of Flemington Street, Gungahlin, ACT, during the Phase 1A of the Canberra Light Rail project.

A major rubble site the contractors used is a disused Federal Highway quarry near Sutton, NSW. It is estimated that 74,000 tonnes of excavated ACT light rail spoil filled the large, idle quarry to capacity.

The Commonwealth Bank’s head of Australian economics Gareth Aird said government stimulus had been integral for the construction sector.

The Yass Valley Council’s charges were attractive to the contractors over the cost of dumping fill in the ACT. The local government only charged application fees, a $3000 erosion control bond and a $0.12 per tonne road maintenance fee. If the fill had been dumped in the ACT, the contractors would have been charged at the ACT dumping rate of $11.65 per tonne – an equivalent of $862,100. •

“HomeBuilder has been incredibly successful in boosting commencements for new detached dwellings,” Aird said at the webinar.

“Renovation activity is very strong and the pipeline of work to come is very deep.”

A number of leaders in the construction sector, including Bunnings, Metricon, and GWA Group cited unprecedented lead times as the biggest concern over the past 12 months.

EPA GREEN LIGHTS TASMANIAN WEST COAST QUARRY The Tasmanian EPA has recommended the approval of the Heemskirk quarry expansion in Granville Harbour, affirming the extraction of 30,000 tonnes of dolerite.

were considered by the Board in its assessment, particularly the presence of a threatened orchid species, and roadkill risk for Tasmanian Devils,” Ong said.

The original environmental effects report by Gaspersic Contracting in mid-2017 proposed the extraction of almost 20,000 tonnes of dolerite gravels and aggregates per annum, on a mining lease of 2ha.

“These issues will be addressed through conditions requiring preclearance surveys, and limiting cartage truck movements to daylight hours only, respectively.

Under the proposed 40-year mine life, the eventual area of disturbance will expand to 5ha as the quarry expands off Tasmania’s west coast.

EPA deputy director Cindy Ong said the recommendation had been provided for Gaspersic, pending a number of conditions.

“Various environmental issues

“Other conditions imposed are standard for EPA-regulated quarries, such as waste and blasting management, sediment control and rehabilitation requirements.”

A public consultation period occurred in September,. The proposal will now be assessed by the West Council with the EPA’s recommendation in consideration. •

GWA chief financial officer Patrick Gibson said a number of measures were taken to ensure the growing construction pipeline was matched with enough materials.

The Heemskirk Quarry, December 2020. Image: Integrated Land Management & Planning.

“For us it hasn’t been a capacity shortage, it’s been disruption in freight and international availability of containers,” Gibson said at the webinar.

“Typically, from us ordering a product to receiving it would be about 12 weeks. Today that supply chain is 20 weeks-plus.

“We’ve had to take actions to order much earlier, to increase safety stocks and work on substituting products.”

Editor’s note: The supply chain is a theme that strongly resonates throughout interviews in this issue of Quarry. • Quarry January 2022 9

NEWS

LEMONT QUARRY WORKERS MURAL RESTORED IN CHICAGO After nearly 50 years, a US artist has returned to the southwest of Chicago to restore her iconic mural Lemont Quarry Workers.

Caryl Yasko’s artwork, also known as The Stonecutters, honours the work of limestone workers in the 19th century, many of whom were immigrants. The mural has become a major tourist attraction for the Chicago suburb of Lemont.

The buff-coloured dolomite limestone sourced from the suburb itself physically and economically laid the foundations of Lemont, going on to form the foundations of some Chicago architectural landmarks.

METSO OUTOTEC ANNOUNCES PILBARA SERVICE CENTRE METSO VP OF AGGREGATES SHAUN FANNING SAID THE NEW SERVICE CENTRE WILL AID THE QUARRIES AND MOBILE CRUSHING CONTRACTORS OPERATING IN THE PILBARA REGION

When reflecting back on the origins of The Stonecutters in the mural’s initial sketches, Yasko envisioned having the workers levering and splitting blocks of stone into an open pit. A former quarry worker posed for her, and she later used that image to become the model for the primary worker within the mural.

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One of the critical aims of building the new service centre is to provide increased productivity, as well as complete tasks within a shorter period within the region.

Metso Outotec’s plan to build a modern training facility is good news for aggregates producers and mobile contractors in the Pilbara region.

contractors operating in the region.

“The more readily available local operational and service support provided by the centre will help these customers in times of need,” Fanning said.

The location of the centre will be able to facilitate agile delivery of equipment, to be the base for the company’s field services. In addition, it will also hold inventory for customercritical wear and spare parts and local support for customer training.

During the construction of the centre, 40 skilled personnel from the local Pilbara communities will be able to employ service engineers and experts as well as handle equipment including crushers, mills, screens, and car dumper repairs as well as a customer training facility.

Fanning said the new centre will be a welcome addition to aid the several quarries and mobile crushing

Once approved, Metso Outotec aims to finish construction of the centre by the end of 2022. •

WAGNERS SHOWS OFF LARGE SCALE EARTH FRIENDLY CONCRETE

An aspect of the mural that deviates from reality was the inclusion of a woman, given there were no women workers on quarries.

The reason for this inclusion was to acknowledge the important roles women had in building the foundations of Lemont.

Caryl Yasko’s The Stonecutters mural in downtown Lemont, Illinois, USA.

Metso Outotec’s vice president of aggregates for the Asia Pacific region Shaun Fanning said: “Our new Pilbara centre will bring us even closer to this important customer base – enabling us to deliver agile, sustainable, and high performance solutions.”

Construction is scheduled to begin promptly after the land is acquired and the planning facility is approved.

Yasko was one of the first female artists commissioned to paint their own mural, starting off her collection in 1972 with her mural Under City Stone. She painted five more murals within the city of Chicago, being one of the only artists to have longstanding outdoor murals.

In 2021, there are no active quarries in Lemont; the former sites have instead been transformed into lakes. •

Metso Outotec has announced it will continue to invest in developing its Australian service capabilities by building a new service centre in the Pilbara region, in Western Australia.

The Wagner Group’s Earth Friendly Concrete (EFC) has been used by GPT Group at a new warehouse development in Wacol, Queensland.

The warehouse development in Wacol, Queensland.

Image courtesy of Wagners.

GPT primary contractor De Luca Corporation poured the 38,000m2 of the EFC for two warehouses, two office buildings and external hardstands.

The use of the EFC saved more than 60 tonnes of embodied carbon emissions compared to traditional concrete, due to the use of recycled materials and an absence of cement.

The absence of cement reduces the embodied carbon emissions associated with the binder content of conventional concrete by up to 90 per cent without the need for offsets.

According to Wagners’ publicity, EFC has many advantages including durability, lower shrinkage, higher tensile strength and increased fire resistance.

Wagners EFC general manager Jason Zafiriadis said this significant project put the product on display in a big way.

“We are reducing the carbon footprint in the construction industry by providing a concrete that has genuine environmental benefits,” Zafiriadis said.

“This project is a great example of how EFC can be used for large scale projects to save significant amounts of embodied carbon while also participating in the circular economy.” •

KOMATSU COMMITS TO FUTURE FEMALE WORKFORCE Komatsu has set strong diversity targets for itself to 2025 while creating a culture of inclusion to rival its peers in the Australian construction industry.

Upon announcing its partnership with the Western Sydney Wanderers Women’s football team in November, Komatsu Australia’s managing director and chief executive officer Sean Taylor highlighted the company’s workforce goals.

“Pleasingly, 38 per cent of the intake into our award-winning apprenticeship program this year is female,” Taylor said. “In this traditionally very maledominated industry, Komatsu and Western Sydney are leading the way on diversity and inclusion.

“We’re doing well, but we’re not stopping yet. Western Sydney has set a high bar, and we’re looking to replicate and extend this successful approach.”

Komatsu aims to reach 25 per cent female representation across the company by 2025.

Taylor said the company’s 100th anniversary had prompted it to “look to over the horizon at the next generation of earthmoving equipment, that simultaneously tackles the challenges

A 460-million-year-old fossil has been donated to UNESCO in a ceremony that celebrated the owner of the quarry in which it was found and the Arouca UNESCO Global Geopark.

Komatsu apprentices joined the Western Sydney Wanderers (WSW) players, along with Komatsu MD and CEO Sean Taylor, WSW CEO John Tsatsimas and WSW coach Cath Cannuli at Komatsu’s Fairfield headquarters.

of safety and sustainability,” Taylor said. “And importantly, we do this with a focus on developing a diverse workforce that faces no barriers to doing the best job they can in an environment that supports them.

Taylor said Komatsu’s sponsorship of the Women’s Wanderers was a step in the right direction.

“The Wanderers’ players will form a key part of our apprentice mentoring program where we seek to inspire, develop, attract and retain more females into our business and our industry,” he said. •

WELLINGTON QUARRY TO DIG INTO NORTH FACE OF HILLSIDE A hard rock quarry in Wellington, New Zealand will soon enter the final phase of quarrying to its north face, atop a hillside, to satisfy the city’s growing infrastructure needs.

The aptly named Kiwi Point Quarry in Wellington’s Ngauranga Gorge has supplied the city with road and construction materials since the 1920s, producing about 300,000 tonnes per annum.

“However, there should be no additional disruptions for residents and businesses in the area.”

The clay removed to access the hard rock will be placed in an existing pit at Kiwi Point, while the hillside will be revegetated and hydro-seeded upon completion of the works.

Valério Quarry – named after the Portuguese family who owns it – was first opened in 1820 to provide high quality slate for roofing and wall tiling around the world.

After the quarry was mothballed for an unclear period of time, Manuel Valério reopened it in the late 1980s and became fascinated with the trilobite (meaning, three lobes) fossils to adorn some of the quarry’s layers.

A UNESCO release recounted the events of the ceremony: “The ceremony was an opportunity to pay homage to Manuel Valério, who was the inspiration behind the Arouca UNESCO Global Geopark.

“His son, Manuel Figueiredo, brought the fossil to the ceremony and shared touching anecdotes of his father’s scientific curiosity and desire to pass on this heritage to the next generations, driving him to protect these fossils, despite the fact that their excavation and study slowed down the works in the quarry.”

The donated fossil is now exhibited at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, France. •

The longevity and location of the quarry has made it a key ingredient to the city’s growth. •

Wellington City Council’s Transport and Infrastructure Manager Brad Singh said this phase of quarrying would open a window for the public to view the operation from a new angle.

“In many respects this is business as usual at the quarry except that people will be able to see work being done on the hillside,” Singh said.

PORTUGUESE QUARRY HANDS UNESCO A PIECE OF HISTORY

Work at Kiwi Point Quarry, outside Wellington, NZ, is set to continue on the north face (or other side) of the pit (pictured).

Arouca mayor Margarida Belém, and quarry owner Manuel Figueired present the trilobite fossil to Shamila NairBedouelle, UNESCO’s assistant director for natural sciences. Image: UNESCO/ Marie Etchegoyen.

Quarry January 2022 11

INDUSTRY LEADERS

BEN LEFROY Wirtgen

THINKING OUTSIDE

THE BOX TO COMBAT COVID-19, FUTURE CHALLENGES Ben Lefroy is the Kleemann National Sales Manager for Wirtgen Australia and New Zealand. He reflects on the ways Wirtgen has navigated the pandemic to continue to provide quality products and services for the quarrying industry, and forecasts the challenges that await both Wirtgen and the industry in general.

How has Wirtgen Australia performed during the COVID-19 global pandemic?

In the past 20 months, Wirtgen Australia has performed reasonably well, particularly in the crushing and screening space. This is largely due to government stimulus and the stock issue that all manufacturers will be currently experiencing.

In general, we can always do better, but it hasn’t negatively impacted the industry as much as initially expected, particularly in quarrying.

A common theme among other suppliers for this feature has been the constraints on supply of stock, and the container shortage.

Have you been able to prepare for it in advance?

We made some strategic decisions in March 2020, as things were getting risky, to ramp up our stock. It was a good strategy because we were able to keep a lot of existing and new customers crushing and screening when they weren’t able to purchase their loyal brand. If they urgently need gear for a crushing contract and you have it then that can be a turning point to assist in getting a project up and running.

From a parts point of view, we’ve had to increase our inventory levels to counteract excessive lead times from our suppliers.

We are working closely with our customers to support them as required.

Has the pandemic dramatically changed the way Wirtgen Australia conducts business with the Australian quarrying industry?

Did the lockdowns, border closures and restrictions on travel impact on the delivery or servicing of machines? Did it mean you were doing more virtual communication?

Absolutely. In the bigger markets on the eastern seaboard, a lot of interaction with our customers has been via email, phone, or videolink of some description, eg Zoom,

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Teams. We haven’t been able to do site visits, we haven’t been able to take new customers to view machines, we had to get creative to allow people to look at machines.

One of our challenges has been in after sales. Because there were border closures, we had to ramp up our service teams in certain states, with a key focus on crushing and screening. From an after sales perspective, a lot of our technical support is done by telephone or email.

It’s been a challenge but we’ve done about as good a job as anyone could have in that space and we’ve explored other means of assistance and interaction.

For instance, service teams going into remote areas are introducing customers to service glasses to allow us to see what the customer is looking at. We can talk our customers through an inspection, we can ask them to open an electrical cabinet, we can talk through what the components are and how they work, and you can basically put up a schematic on the glasses while you’re looking at the screen.

It’s another way of interactive training without being physically present.

What are the most popular mobile crushing and screening products in the quarrying industry today? What are the most popular Kleemann products?

Some of the most popular mobile crusher and screen plants are scalping screens, horizontal screens, jaws and cones. It really depends on the industry. We cover quarrying, mining and recycling, as all our competitors do. Every brand would be foolish to think they have a one-stop shop and the best in every product line but the scalping screens from some of our competitors are good products.

We are now looking to combat that with our new MSS 802 EVO scalping screen. this machine is made in house at Kleemann and can offer the same quality and

reliability of our other products lines.

From our side, the MR 130 EVO2 impact crusher and the MC 110 EVO jaw are very popular products. We’re looking forward to the release of the new MC110 EVO2 into the market. We’ve had the first units arrive in Australia – and the first one went out the door for a valued customer in December.

This machine has industry-leading features to assist both owner and operator run the equipment with ease.

Both the MCO 90 EVO2 cone crusher and the MC110 EVO2 are second generation machines of previous models, and fitted with an updated version of SPECTIVE, Kleemann’s digital operating concept, so it’s a highly interactive, intuitive system, which makes for ease of operation and simple learning for operators. SPECTIVE Connect is a telematics system on the MCO 90 and the MC 110 that allows you to extract live, real time information off the machine, to understand the status of the machine.

We’ve obviously refined the pre-screens on the jaw. We’ve managed to maintain the transport constraints and keep it very close to the older models. The set-up on the MC 110 is all managed via remote control, that’s with hopper extensions, with hydraulic folding and locking from the ground. The pre-screen has been enhanced on the jaw, meaning better throughput and screening efficiency.

The jaw liners and cone liners have remained the same between the old models and the new. There have been changes to the crushers but they have maintained the liners, which is nice for a customer that is renewing its fleet and they have old stock on the ground. They can reuse their current stock of manganese when changing liners.

An option for customers is a new active overload system on the jaw for non-crushables.

It’s a fast opening jaw. As opposed to destroying toggle plates, the system senses

INDUSTRY LEADERS

The Kleemann MSS 802 EVO scalping screen will replace the MS 15 Z.

an overload and opens up the jaw quickly.

Traditionally, where you get an uncrushable piece such as an excavator tooth, there’s always relief systems like toggle plates on the jaw but the active overload system hydraulically opens the jaw and brings it back to its closed side setting.

In addition to the MC 110 EVO2 and the MC 90 EVO2, we’ve received some other new models of machines, including the MSS 802 EVO which is our own Kleemann scalping screen, which will replace the MS 15 Z. They are all available in the Australian market with stock on the ground however some of the products are in limited supply, particularly the MS 1202 and MS 1203 classifying screens.

These larger classifying screens, along with the MSS 952 EVO and MSS 953 EVO, are suitable for aggregate applications, concrete and road aggs. They’re mainly for the quarrying and recycling industries that want to provide a classified product to the market. Our classifying screens can take a feed of up to 150mm, so it’s more for the refining of smaller aggs and separating out finer materials. We have a MS 1202 working in iron ore and a MS 1203 operating in a quartzite quarry in NSW, creating concrete and road aggs, so they cover some different things.

To be fair, we all have some specialty products in our portfolios. There are some customers that have the “lollipop” crushing trains with all different brands which is fine and works for them, others like to stick to one colour! That is the customer’s choice.

Wirtgen offers programs, services and advice beyond the installation of key mobile

products. What sort of programs and services are accessible and why should quarries use them?

We have several handy things. WITOS is a telematics system which monitors machine health and location. You can set up geofence around the quarry and monitor movements of machines when going from jobsite to jobsite.

It monitors service performance and gives users notifications when machines are due for service. We offer fixed price servicing programs through our aftermarket programs.

We can generally accommodate the customer’s wishes regardless of geographic location or preferred service intervals that fall in line with OEM standards. It could be a service only contract and we could also work maintenance into it. We also offer training on our parts systems via WIDOS, an online version of our parts books. We also have a new parts shop online, so customers can directly place orders for immediate delivery.

In-house, we have after sales parts support, with the expertise of an after sales business development manager and a technical products support manager. We offer aggflow assistance to help customers with project setup/advice or changes to finetune an existing plant regardless of brand.

If they’re combined, all these things make it easier for the customer to operate their plant and allow us to assist them at every opportunity. We don’t see ourselves as just a sales business and from the first point of contact like to be considered a solutions provider. We’re driven by ways to improve our after sales service, eg commissioning and training work, and problem solving technical

and application issues with customers. In the past we held face to face customer training and operation, and hopefully we can resume these as things open up.

How advanced is Kleemann in its development of electric power, hybrid or hydraulic engines for its mobile crushing and screening range?

I’d say we’re a market leader in the development and implementation of electric power in mobile crushing and screening plant.

We’ve been doing it a long time and now other manufacturers are catching on that it’s environmentally friendly and economical. For over 30 years we’ve been manufacturing diesel/electric mobile crushing and screening plant and have refined it quite well over that time. In more recent years we have also introduced it into our smaller model variants with the same successful results.

We also have the ability for dual power, so not only are our machines diesel-electricdriven, there is the ability to plug in from an external power source meaning you can plug into the grid or one generator power source once your crushing and screening train is set up. Even our hydraulic variants have a HYBRID electric-hydraulic option, the ability to go diesel-hydraulic or electric-hydraulic.

The positive feedback we’re receiving most from our customers is about the savings in fuel consumption and the environmental benefits which producers can on-sell to their customers as well. Our fuel burn equates up to half that on some hydraulic variant models out there, so that means fewer emissions and a reduced carbon footprint which is

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INDUSTRY LEADERS

more important than ever with Kleemann crushers doing their bit to protect the environment.

What other innovations are your products adopting to save on time and cost, conserve energy, and promote safety?

As I mentioned, SPECTIVE helps to make the Kleemann machines simple to operate. An end user can safely walk up to a machine and turn it on, following step-by-step instructions.

A lot of our new products are coming out with SPECTIVE Connect. You have the ability to have an additional screen inside the excavator or the wheel loader, and it gives you all the machine health data and operation parameters at your fingertips. You can even have camera systems down into the jaw box or cone crusher, which gives you an interactive view of the machine’s inner workings from the loader.

Another innovation is the no backing compound required for the liner changes in our cone crushers. This can reduce a changeout time from 18 hours to five hours and you can be back operating again very quickly. It’s the same with our jaw liners, from how they are held into the jaw box with the wedges/check plate retaining methods, these are innovative and make change-outs or liner flips easy for maintenance staff.

With our classifying screens and our new scalper, the screenbox will move away from the fines discharge conveyor, allowing greater access for changing out screen media, providing easy access and no working from heights risk.

We also have noise reduction kits available for our machines. The noise level operates at 85 decibels at 3.3 metres on a new 110 jaw which has improved noise significantly from the older models. To reduce the need to change out filters as often, the machines now have an improved air intake, in the shape of an air snorkel, which folds for transport. While it’s an optional feature, we see the air intake as a benefit and we’d like to bring it in as a standard feature going forward. It doesn’t matter what brand of crusher you have, if you can suck clean air through your engine, that’s a benefit.

Our machines have auxiliary power outlets, which means you can run another machine off it. Depending on the machine or the model variant, you might be able to run a stacker or – on our bigger machines like the MC 120 PRO – have enough power to run a complete MS 953 EVO screen.

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The new Kleemann MC 110 EVO2 at work in a European recycling operation.

That’s attractive to customers, effectively being able to run one powerpack over two machines.

What do you believe will be major challenges for the Australian extractive industries in the next two to three years?

I would say recruiting skilled labour is the first challenge. With border closures, we haven’t been able to get in skilled labour from overseas, so traditionally we’ve pooled on that resource. I anticipate we are going to get very busy in the next two to three years. There’s been a lot of government stimulus and Victoria and New South Wales will likely be back at pre-pandemic levels of activity in the next six months. A lot of works need to be executed, they all require some form of aggregates, be it road construction or civil construction, and so skilled labour for our customers will be a challenge.

The supply chain is another challenge. We have ramped up our stock to counteract lead times and delays but there’s always the challenge of our suppliers providing to us, particularly when it comes to electrical components.

We’re also offering customers fixed price servicing for 12-month intervals to counteract delays but that won’t last indefinitely because we’re seeing an escalation in pricing. An electrical component that used to cost our factory eight Euros now costs up to 100 Euros. A not quite so significant part on a machine in the past is now crucial to an operation. €100 is not a lot of money but if you start to apply that logic over the whole build of the machine, it’s very costly and out of the

manufacturer’s control.

So the skilled workforce and supply chain shortages are the two priorities for us. I don’t think the story will be too different among other suppliers to the industry.

How can Wirtgen Australia best assist its customers with meeting these challenges?

We’re looking at interactive ways to support training methods, we’re increasing stock holdings accordingly to support the after sales parts market, and we’ve looked at multiple foundaries for manganese supply and of course intend on having machinery on the ground to meet the various project demands. We’re always looking at ways and means of improving our service with our customers’ requirements always a major influence.

What’s does long-term future promise for Kleemann and Wirtgen Australia?

Obviously, we’ll still be selling multiple brands and products. Kleemann is part of our overarching business model, and crushing and screening feeds into our other core products on road construction equipment, be it recycling or the production of raw road aggregates for road construction. We see great opportunities within the crushing and screening space, and it’s at the top of the list as far as getting our products into the market. We believe Kleemann is a prestige, quality product with the right smarts for us to partner with the right customer to get great results.

For more information about the Kleemann mobile range of crushers and screens, visit the Wirtgen Australia website: wirtgen-group.com/en-au

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WIRTGEN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD · National Ben Lefroy +61 448 030 420 · WA Greg Lewis +61 448 033 441 · QLD/NT David Dixon +61 459 031 778 · NSW Linn Smith + 61 418 276 649 · VIC/SA/TAS Kyle Fredericks +61 447 539 302 · sales.australia@wirtgen-group.com · www.wirtgengroup.com/australia

INDUSTRY LEADERS

BRIAN KRISHNA Xylem

TAKING THE LEAD IN WATER MANAGEMENT

Brian Krishna is the Managing Director of Xylem Australia and New Zealand. He discusses the importance of water management in the extractive industry, the robustness of Xylem’s products throughout the pandemic, and how Xylem can offer holistic solutions to quarrying operations that span water efficiency, environmental management and professional development.

How has Xylem in Australia and New Zealand performed in the past 20 months (during the global pandemic)?

We remained focused as a company across Australia and New Zealand to live our tag line: “Let’s Solve Water.” We’re all very driven by our purpose to live in a world where water is not a barrier to human health and prosperity, and that continues to drive us to solve water challenges with our customers and communities. It’s kept us very busy.

Of course, we empathise with our colleagues and customers that have been in lockdowns.

Australia and New Zealand have been in lockdowns in certain areas for extended periods of time but staff have remained very motivated, according to what drives us every day, and that means we have performed quite solidly during the pandemic, engaging with customers and communities.

Has the pandemic dramatically changed the way Xylem now does business with the Australian extractive industries?

Not dramatically. We have been communicating with our customers more on the likes of Zoom and Teams but first and foremost we love to get to our customers’ sites, living and breathing where the quarry is and where the extraction points are. So, having to adjust to a more virtual form of communication has been a challenge.

One of the strengths I’ve seen come out in our business is that the market and the customers are really depending on high quality, reliability, strong service and back-up. That’s what we’ve really been able to demonstrate over the course of the pandemic. We have 13 locations across Australia and New Zealand, they all have service and rental capability, either on-site with the customer or back within our own facilities – and I think that to me that has been the big stand-out. I’ve had feedback from our customers that even though we haven’t been able to be in front of them as much as

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we would like, our quality and reliability has really stacked up. The equipment for them has worked on-site day in, day out. It’s been a challenge but there’s an upside for the market seeing our business in a different light.

What are Xylem’s most popular products in the Australian extractive industries?

It’s certainly our pump brands – Flygt and Godwin. Flygt is our submersible pump and Godwin is our open-pit diesel-driven or electric-driven transfer pump. Why are they so popular? It’s mainly because both brands have more than 100 years of history behind them.

Flygt is Swedish and Godwin is an English pump brand. We have very strong brand recognition with those two brands, and they are extremely robust and reliable, and that’s what customers have seen in the pandemic period – this equipment stays on-site, it’s reliable and it works, and as a result of that quality, it needs less attention for the longer term. What I would like to see us demonstrate in the market is that we have a huge portfolio that treats, measures and monitors water. That is something that we are actively promoting throughout the Australian extractive industries. I think we have a lot more to offer as a complete water management company, not just in the traditional pumping area.

Xylem’s Flygt range of submersible pumps.

How can Xylem best assist quarries and other small mines with their water management challenges?

Xylem is a water technology company, and therefore we have a very full portfolio of solutions and products. The best way we can help our customers is to be a water management partner – and a way we can do that is by coming to site and evaluating every point that water touches the business and offering a “water audit”, ie some inspection advice or site audit advice. We want to track and trace water usage and help customers understand how they can better use water. It may not just be a capital solution. At Xylem, we have a portfolio of rental solutions, so if capital expenditure (CAPEX) is tight, we have operational expenditure (OPEX) solutions as well.

We rent out many of the pumps that you can purchase – which is often a great way to try before you buy. We’re also responsible for the service of that equipment in the hire terms of the agreement. We can also hire out water monitoring equipment. And sometimes we do that for short-term reasons, eg there could have been an environmental issue on a site, and we need to do some monitoring for one to two months to get a

INDUSTRY LEADERS

Xylem’s Godwin trailer-mounted pumps are built for road and highway transportation using standard vehicles.

better understanding of what is going on, and that can be done with a rental solution.

Does Xylem offer programs, services and advice that go beyond just the installation of key plant, equipment and products? Why should quarries utilise these services?

We have a number of key training programs that we provide at Xylem. I mentioned Godwin, which is our diesel-driven open pit pump. Every year, we’ve run a face to face training school called Godwin 101 to teach our customers everything they need to know about how to set up a pump correctly and how to operate and maintain it correctly. It’s not a paid course, we ask people to dedicate their time and we provide that training. Quite often it’s run by an overseas facilitator, one of our Godwin trainers in the US, and we would run courses in Sydney and Perth every year. In the pandemic, we’ve still run them but we’ve conducted them virtually.

It goes for all of our portfolios. Xylem can say “Yes, we want to solve a problem and we want to sell a solution”. However, we’re focused on customers understanding the “Why”. What’s the recourse of the problem we’re trying to solve? And how does the solution address the problem? That comes with training, and how to provide and service the equipment. Xylem provides that to our customers as a must, that’s non-negotiable.

We’re really proud as well to give back on the education side. We have a number of sponsorships that we work with at the moment.

For the Australian Water Association, we are a sponsor for the Young Water Professional, and again we have a good focus on the next generation coming through, how we can bring them into the water industry and become a long-term person working and solving water

challenges. We also sponsor the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in which teenage kids get to solve their own water challenges and develop their own innovations for assessment, and that gets voted on here in Australia – and they can potentially attend the global award ceremony in Stockholm.

Xylem is also the Australian sponsor, and the global sponsor, of the Stockholm Water Prize. The prize is open to high school students and is promoted through the Australian Water Association (AWA). As we continue to do, I encourage the extractive industries to use the AWA as another source to help them to address their water and environmental challenges on-site.

Xylem has committed to 2025 global sustainability goals, including reducing the CO2 footprint of water by almost three million tonnes. What kind of innovations are your products adopting to enhance water systems’ resilience to climate change?

One area in which we can reduce the carbon footprint quickly is in energy efficiency. A lot of pumping equipment on most industry sites is highly energy-intensive. Even with 100-year-old products like Flygt and Godwin, we’re innovating in those technologies rapidly to be more energy-efficient and smarter with our carbon footprint.

So, that’s one area. The other is around what we call non-revenue water. Aided by digital smart water technology, we can deploy equipment in large pipelines of water that are able to undertake leak detection and monitoring and measurement within those pipelines to provide an assessment back to the extractive company and advise that the water line is leaking several thousands of litres of water per day. We can provide the right level

of analytics to make those decisions about repairing pipelines. One of the biggest costs to failed pipelines is: “Where do you start?” It’s all underground, and has often been buried for decades. That’s a big one. A third area is around treatment. How can we better treat and reuse water on-site? What are the options?

Many users don’t even get an option. When you’re talking carbon footprints, the more rivers we have, the lower the carbon output because we’re not bringing more water into the site. We can keep reusing what we have.

What kind of innovations are your products adopting to save water and achieve zero waste in some industrial processes, eg reducing slurries, waste and other byproducts from sand washing processes in quarries? Can slurries, for example, be recycled as a useful by-product in construction materials?

We haven’t specifically researched the byproduct as such but the right technology and the right application with our products has a big saving that comes along with it. If you look at the pumping of slurries, there’s a minimum level of materials that we use in our slurry pump that we are not willing to negotiate on.

Now that comes at a cost but if you look at one of the downsides of the extractive industry, every time you stop the process, it’s costing you money every hour, every day, whatever that time period is. We really try to look at the life cycle costing. What’s your CAPEX versus your OPEX over a certain period – and what does that payback say to you? I think that’s really where our equipment holds up extremely well, and I mentioned earlier that’s where we’ve seen it hold up strongly throughout the pandemic.

I think monitoring and analytics are areas

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INDUSTRY LEADERS

The Godwin open-pit transfer pump can be fitted with diesel-driven or electric-driven engines.

of innovation where Xylem can shine a lot brighter. We need to tell our customers how we can help them in that space. Being able to monitor slurries or reduce waste or understand where waste is going and why is a big part of that analytics, and that comes with a lot of payback and can lead to the development of by-products. We’ve seen in the wastewater industry that there are by-products that can be recycled back into fertiliser, for example.

It’s about being able to do that efficiently and effectively and the potential to create another potential revenue stream is always there.

COVID-19 aside, what do you believe will be major challenges for the Australian extractive industries in the next two to three years?

Energy consumption is a major challenge for the extractive industries over the next two to three years. To elaborate on that, power is expensive, and it comes with the carbon footprint challenge. I think reducing our consumption is vital and, of course, it’s not just changing the way we use power but how we generate it as well.

I think another big challenge is access to capital. We’ve seen that on a local and global scale, and the pandemic has done that more than most other factors. CAPEX isn’t what it was in years gone by, and many businesses

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are more protective of keeping cash on their balance sheet because everyone has to had to face something we didn’t expect. I think access to capital is going to continue to be a challenge over the coming years.

The third challenge is the environmental footprint. It’s again about being responsible for the environmental footprint that is in the extractive landscape today, and how we found it is how we should leave it. The environmental footprint is going to be a major challenge but also a focus – I can see many industry leaders, and juniors and mids, having very good plans for the environmental footprint but I think we have to move faster to make those plans real.

Xylem also invests in solar energy and hydroelectricity projects. Do you see those as also potential solutions for some extractive businesses?

The cost of renewables is becoming more scalable – what’s prohibited us has been the access to capital. I think in the coming years, it will become a reality. We will be able to use renewable energy solutions at the right capital investment that helps the overall environment and helps businesses deliver their results.

How can Xylem assist the extractive industries with meeting those challenges you specify – of energy

consumption, access to capital, and the environmental footprint?

On energy consumption, that’s about using smart water solutions. Xylem’s portfolio has shifted to digital smarter water solutions, becoming more efficient in every day pumping, eg using real time analytics and data to help make better decisions with processes using water. Smart water solutions are definitely the first step connected to energy.

On access to capital, we may have to move from a CAPEX to an OPEX solution, so Xylem is well positioned to support customers with still using smart solutions but on a rental or an OPEX basis. Renting or hiring Xylem pumping, treatment and monitoring solutions for an extended period is a way we can help around capital restraints right now.

On the environmental footprint, I definitely encourage people to talk to Xylem about our water audits. As I mentioned, Xylem wants to be on your site but if we can’t be on-site, we can do that analysis virtually.

We want to know how water touches your business everywhere and how we can develop a solution, not just for the short term but the long term.

In its 2025 sustainability goals, Xylem mentions creating more female representation in leadership positions. In addition to promoting more women within your own organisation, can Xylem play a role in encouraging more women – and younger people, in general – to become more actively involved in the extractive industries?

We certainly do. It’s a challenge – and it’s one that we think about every year. How can we position ourselves to encourage the youth coming through? We do a significant amount of training and mentoring, and a lot of our technical or thought leaders within our business offer a lot of their time to coaching and mentoring. We work with other partners on how to structure that but we would certainly be willing and open to talk to any customer in the extractive industries about how we can become a coaching and mentoring partner, to help encourage either people within their own business to have a more water-based focus, or to attract new talent to come into the sector. I think that’s a continuing, evolving process to which we dedicate a lot of time and support.

For more information about Xylem Australia and New Zealand’s water management solutions, visit xylem.com/en-au

We are a global team unified by a common purpose: creating advanced, sustainable technology solutions to the world’s water challenges across more than 150 countries. Developing new technologies that will improve the way water is used, conserved, and re-used in the future is central to our work. Our products and services move, treat, analyse, monitor and return water to the environment and in public utility, industrial, residential and commercial building services settings.

Sustainability is at the core of everything we do, and we aim to ensure our footprints leave a positive impact on the environment and the wider community as we strive to build a healthier and more water-secure world.

Our commitment to water quality is Xylem’s foremost priority at both an organisational and global scale, with our corporate social responsibility program Watermark aiming to provide education and equitable access to safe water and sanitation to support healthy lives and help build resilient communities around the world.

INDUSTRY LEADERS

DEAN GAEDTKE Komatsu Australia

ELECTRIFYING ADVANCES IN EARTHMOVING TECHNOLOGY –

TODAY AND TOMORROW Dean Gaedtke is the Executive Manager for Construction at Komatsu Australia. He talks to Quarry about the exciting developments in load and haul equipment today – and tomorrow.

How has Komatsu Australia performed during the global pandemic?

Our equipment sales and aftermarket sales have been very good. We saw a real surge in orders. The government stimulus has been good for our customers, it gave them a lot of confidence to invest in assets.

Nonetheless, I know how much pain is out there from a health and safety perspective.

Around the world, COVID-19 has claimed some very dear Komatsu colleagues.

Has the pandemic changed the way Komatsu does business with the Australian and/or global extractive industries?

When the initial lockdowns started, there were restrictions around our people and how they could interact. There were a number of things we trialled, including Facetime-style training.

We implemented COVIDSafe plans for our people, with very dynamic training, and made sure our quarry customers were comfortable feeling safe when we went to site.

What are the most popular Komatsu machines in the extractive industries?

There is a huge demand on wheel loaders, including WA480 to WA500 5-7m3 bucket size loaders. In the cement industry, sales of WA200 and WA320 loaders – 2- 2.5m3 bucket machines – have been high.

In the past six months, there has been a demand for low emissions technology, especially from our quarry customers.

That’s awesome but we’re still some time off putting electric on a commercially scaleable, affordable basis. I’m excited about what Komatsu and other OEMs have in the Tier 4 space now. Tier 4 technology can get you up to a 90 per cent reduction on particulate matter output on an engine – and that’s just changing from a Tier 3 engine. It’s a massive reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) tonnage production.

Why are Komatsu’s after sales programs

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and services so successful with quarries?

Komtrax has evolved into an efficient, easy system to use. It’s invaluable for us and our customers – we see how a machine performs in near real time, how the operators use it, and we can even benchmark it against other machines. That’s valuable for our customers so they can better understand how to operate the machine more efficiently.

In the SmartContruction space, the technology around fleet productivity management is exciting. It will save our customers a lot of time, money and cost per tonne, while helping them monitor safety on the machine. You can watch a fleet in near real time and see where the hazards are coming from. You can monitor the payloads of the trucks for over- and under-loads, as well as where on site you’re getting inefficiencies, over-revving, overspeeds, excess idle times.

Where is Komatsu in the development of electric engines, and autonomous vehicles?

Fully electric is probably not a commercially viable solution for a quarry at the moment – especially in higher horsepower machines. Will we see that in quarries in the future? I think so. The technology will be developed, proven and then we need to make it commercially viable for smaller horse-powered machines in the future. What you will see is power source blends – diesel and electric battery, hydrogen power systems, and kinetic energy systems.

Our customers are driving us hard to devise zero carbon power systems in our machinery.

There’s also competition between the OEMs to devise solutions. Good competitive tension is driving major technology improvements, as well as the customer who is at the centre of it.

We have 400 semi-autonomous dump trucks driving in mines globally without operators. The production is higher and maintenance costs are lower because the computers are driving the machines exactly as they were designed to be operated,. Operations are getting more

production out of them. Semi-autonomous and autonomous machines will expand through the construction/quarry range as the technology becomes more affordable and scaleable.

What will be the quarrying industry’s major challenges in the next three years?

The recruitment and retention of skilled equipment operators is a real challenge. That’s where autonomous and semi-autonomous machines will help in the future.

Our customers have done a fantastic job managing their input costs, but management of these will always be a challenge.

The enormous environmental challenge for many producers will be how to phase out existing machines while adapting to net zero and running sustainable businesses.

If you have 200 machines in a fleet across the country, and you want to reduce your GHG emissions by x, you’ll have to replace a significant percentage of your fleet. How do you do that? A key part of meeting the the 2030 50 per cent reduction target will be staged replacement of the fleet with lower GHG emitting machines and operating current machines to achieve optimum efficiency.

How can Komatsu assist quarries with meeting these future challenges?

We can help our customers today with their skilled workforce challenges through our Komatsu Training Academy. We also have great people on the application engineering side and very good operator trainers that can go to site and run courses with customers to get the best out of their equipment.

We’re doing work with augmented reality, whether for machine operator training or fitter guidance for the future. Layer this onto our Komatsu Training Academy, Technology Solutions and our Support Team, we are creating more value by helping our customers.

For more information about Komatsu Australia’s earthmoving products, visit komatsu.com.au

Smart Construction offers interconnectivity and streamlines the construction process.

Komatsu Smart Construction offers a suite of products, services and digital solutions.

Call us today on 1300 566 287.

1300 566 287 | komatsu.com.au

INDUSTRY LEADERS

STEVE FRANKLIN Cement & Aggregate Consulting

SUSTAINABILITY IMPROVEMENT VIA

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Steve Franklin, the Principal Consultant for Cement & Aggregate Consulting (aka Cemagg), based in Brisbane, says that quarries must prepare for the impending wave of digital transformation.

Has the pandemic changed how Cemagg works with the quarrying industry?

In general, no, we’ve worked on projects from Tasmania to Far North Queensland across to New Zealand. We set up our business for remote working from day one and empowered our clients to work with us remotely. Our staff can work securely anywhere and interact with all of our clients.

What digital transformation challenges await quarries in the next three years?

The quarrying industry hasn’t had a large focus on technology, which makes it difficult to attract new skilled people. We see some smart, tech-savvy people coming through, however, who are starting to make a real difference. The mining industry, with its focus on technology, is where people are going.

The quarrying industry needs to portray a more technical and technological aspect to attract the sort of people we will need to bring about these valuable changes.

Most sites lack IT bandwidth. Quarries large and small must invest in better infrastructure to improve their communications.

How can Cemagg best assist quarries with these technical issues and challenges?

By putting better decision-making tools in the hands of people on the ground because then they’re more engaged and can make the correct choices. Cemagg came into being because in a previous mine manager role I was frustrated that there was nothing I could use for planning and I had to ask a consultant. I’d ask specific questions, and wait for an answer, and I kept wondering: “Why can’t I have the planning and geological information as a starting point for my own analysis?” So we’ve focused on pulling together technologies (geological modelling, quarry design, etc) to provide user-friendly information.

You describe Cemagg as an “outsourced technical services department”. Who do you count among your client base?

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We deal with some of the smallest and largest quarrying operations in Australasia.

We work for two out of the three majors, and several large industrial mineral operations.

We have 12 people in our technical team, focusing solely on the quarrying and mineral materials industries.

What is most pleasing is where we are achieving technology transfer and our clients are moving up the technology curve, eg Mawsons started out with a small-scale drone program and we worked with them to transfer that knowledge across their entire business and now into the Milbrae addition as well.

Which digital programs can assist quarries to be more efficient and productive?

There are three facets – sustainability and efficiency improvement, and cost of production reduction. You also gain better collaboration and decision-making and a reduction in costly mistakes. As one client put it: “It is better to make your mistakes on the computer than in the quarry.”

Sometimes the benefit is in the elimination of a hazard, eg by using drone face mapping and not having a geologist against the face to measure structures, you completely eliminate the hazard of a rockfall on that person. In developing this technology, we wanted to not only drone face map, we wanted the site to do it with a simple DJI drone. So we devised a method to put the flight plans on the drone remotely, have the site fly the drone, and then send that data back to our office for analysis.

Cloud-based geotech monitoring, which consists of compact sensors mounted around the site to monitor rock movement, provides valuable insight and 24/7 monitoring of potential hazards. With direct block scheduling, we can work out what the most valuable materials are to extract and the sequence to extract them to maximise the NPV of the resource. Machine guidance ensures that loading tool operators are not digging toe (and potentially harming themselves) nor leaving behind material on the floor that needs to be re-blasted.

We’ve also worked with Trimble on a system that uploads up to date work designs onto machines remotely (rather than send the site a file by email and then have them manually install it on the machine). At Mawsons Lake Cooper, we can create a new design, have it approved by the site, it’s automatically uploaded to the machine, and the operator sees it next time he starts the machine.

What planning should quarries do to keep up with technological change?

You need to have a digital transformation strategy and put in place the communications bandwidth, the tech-savvy people and the tools to make it happen.

Does digital transformation enable quarries to reduce their Scope 1 and 2 emissions?

We’ve identified areas in which you can reduce emissions. The first is resource optimisation work – don’t extract material that isn’t viable. That’s why our work on direct block scheduling and optimisation is important. The second is optimising your operations through systems that collect key performance indicators and provide actionable insights. Most quarries have multiple systems that don’t talk to each other.

We have an agnostic system that can draw data into a cohesive, actionable platform for better decision-making. Once you have comprehensive data, it opens up tremendous opportunities for machine learning and AI. Do you have any final words about digital transformation?

My advice is the savings are real ($0.5$2.50/t operating cost reduction) and this approach will change your business for the better. And it can be fun! I get a buzz out of our clients reducing risk and their costs and up-skilling their team. I’m at the phase of my career of enjoying giving something back to our industry, just as I had some tremendous mentors and others guide me along the way.

To learn more about Cement & Aggregate Consulting, visit cemagg.com

Improving Quarry Sustainability

We work with quarry operators to reduce CO2 emissions, improve efficiency and drive down production costs through digital transformation

info@cemagg.com +61 7 3051 0606 L2, 127 George Street Brisbane Q 4000 Australia cemagg.com

Know what’s in the ground | Extract it sustainably | Ensure compliance

INDUSTRY LEADERS

PAUL DORAN Tutt Bryant Equipment

METSO MOBILES:

PROVIDING AN ACCURATE GUIDE TO QUARRYING PRODUCTIVITY Paul Doran is the business development manager for Metso mobile crushers and screens at Tutt Bryant Equipment. He provides insight into which Metso mobile products are popular, when some of the latest machines and innovations will be available in Australia, and how Metso’s after sales programs and services can benefit quarry producers.

How has Tutt Bryant Equipment (TBE) performed during the global pandemic?

Lead by multiple territory infrastructure project deliveries, increased focus on waste management and funding grants, TBE has performed well. Being an essential service enabled us to be almost business as usual with some process modifications.

Has the pandemic changed the way TBE conducts business with Australian quarries?

As an essential service supporting the construction, waste and mining industries we have maintained most business operations but we are ensuring we get our money’s worth from Microsoft Teams!

Which of TBE’s mobile products are most popular in the quarrying industry?

The Metso Lokotrack LT120 is a large, portable jaw crusher with sizeable feed rock capacity.

The LT220D is two machines in one, with a cone crusher and a triple-deck screen on the same chassis. It promises half the transport cost and up to 40 per cent less fuel than two comparative units.The LT1213S is a higher volume seller product. Its high reduction is ideal for roadbase construction from quarry rock or recycled concrete.

New machines have joined the Lokotrack range. Are they available in Australia?

The LT200HPX and the LT200GP are in production in Finland and we are developing a marketing campaign for their release in Australia. They fill the gap between 149kW and 223kW cones and provide a pure secondarytype cone with or without a pre-screen.

Does TBE offer programs and services beyond key mobile plant and equipment?

TBE offers a comprehensive start to finish service on equipment selection, based on

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application data which provides key inputs into a Bruno simulation. Many customers are surprised that the Bruno software can simulate almost all of the machine adjustments that can be made in the field. It provides them with an accurate guide to productivity, product gradings and the footprint required for their chosen configuration.

Our crushing and screening account managers can show the customer the theoretical energy usage (diesel or electricity for e-units) and regularity of wear component change-outs. We regularly demonstrate to the customer the dollars per tonne cost of wears.

When you add the energy usage, finance costs and productivity rates, the customer has most of their production costs estimated.

We can provide scheduled servicing solutions in the form of service contracts to the customer, serial number-specific, well out to several thousands of hours of operation.

When the machines are delivered and commissioned, our specialised service technicians show the operators how to use and maintain them properly. This encompasses fault-finding and maintenance practices to ensure the operators know how to optimise the machine or who to call if they need a hand.

TBE can provide a one-stop shop. We have a wide range of excavators, loaders, skid steers and cranes, and can support our customers with undercarriage, GET and wear products.

What innovations in your products can save time and cost and achieve zero waste?

All of our equipment has fleet management capability in the form of Metso Metrics. It enables owners to monitor the performance and servicing of the machine which hones their management of the asset to reduce costs and energy waste, like unproductive fuel usage.

This is reinforced by the lean toward electricpowered machinery that will become more common place in the next few years.

How advanced is Metso Outotec in developing electric power solutions?

We have e-units in Australia (eg the LT120E, LT130E and the LT330D) and we expect this to expand with the ongoing development of the portable Metso NW Rapid (wheeled) range.

The industry is striving to be more efficient and cost-effective which will lead towards either hybrid or fully electrical units in the near future.

What will be the quarry industry’s major challenges in the next three years?

The lack of skilled labour is the most common complaint of our customers. The borders coming down may ease this constraint marginally but it could take a long time to train people to fill that gap. Several customers have ample work opportunities in front of them and could buy more gear but just don’t have the staff to look after the additional equipment.

Our partners and suppliers are also of the belief that the container deficit could take some time to correct. The cost and timeframe of components and parts shipped by containers is likely to be affected for some time to come.

How can TBE assist with these challenges?

Tutt Bryant is developing an Academy where we will have an active apprenticeship and training program to further support our customers.

We are also extensively reviewing our parts stock nationally to rationalise the location of parts, relative to the mix of units in the market.

We have a significant parts holding in country and extensive parts orders being processed by our OEMs to do all that we can to make sure we have stock when our customers need it.

For more information about Tutt Bryant Equipment’s Metso mobile range and other services, visit tuttbryant.com.au/tutt-bryantequipment/metso

Lokotrack® LT300HP™ mobile cone crusher, or crushing plant as it is also called, is an efficient and flexible secondary and tertiary mobile crusher. As track-mounted crushing machine, Lokotrack® LT300HP™ is easy to move at the production site or transport from one site to another.

High-capacity crushing

Versatile with options for different applications

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Crushing unit

Nordberg® HP300™

Weight

43,000 kg

Feed Opening

230 mm

Width

3,500 mm

Engine

CAT® 15, 403 kW (540 hp)

Height

3,800 mm

In Operation

10,000 Crushers Globally

Length

17,300 mm

brisbane | sydney | melbourne adelaide | perth tuttbryant.com.au

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Safe and easy to operate

INDUSTRY LEADERS

GRAYDEN LEAVER CJD Equipment

FOSTERING STRONGER, COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OEMS, PRODUCERS Grayden Leaver is the Director of Sales & Marketing at CJD Equipment, the Australian dealer for Volvo Construction Equipment. He contends that strong dealer relationships with quarry producers will be as vital to the industry’s success as new technologies.

How has CJD Equipment performed during the global pandemic?

We’ve performed well but we’ve been fortunate because of our involvement in various segments that are vital to the economy.

The quarrying and mining segments are strong, and government stimulus packages have created opportunities for our customers.

First and foremost, we had to ensure the health and well-being of our staff and customers. We had to change the way we were operating in many areas, due to various lockdowns and the evolving situation.

Has the pandemic changed the way CJD Equipment does business with the quarrying industry?

There’s been more remote communication.

We’ve relied on more data when talking about new technologies, and had to supply more information to customers who can’t experience it for themselves.

We were fortunate with the servicing of customers during lockdown periods at various sites. The size of our network assisted us, with field service technicians and resident fitters based in regional locations.

The biggest challenge in the past 12 months has been in managing customers’ expectations. We’ve remained transparent with customers, particularly on issues around stock and rapidly changing shipping times. We’ve managed these challenges as best we could while keeping our customers informed.

With parts supply, we carry a lot of stock in our national warehouse in Melbourne. That gave us redundancy if one of our branches had to close because of a COVID case.

What are the most popular Volvo CE machines in the quarrying industry?

It’s the L150H to L350H size wheel loader. In the past 18 months, the L260H has been very popular. We believe our articulated haulers are world class, and so do many of our

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customers because the A40Gs and A45Gs are popular. The A60H articulated truck has also become a “must have” vehicle. The EC950E excavator has had a lot of traction since its arrival in Australia, and our EC480E, EC750E and EC950E excavators are popular in the quarrying application.

In 2022, we will be launching our 50-tonne EC530E digger. It’s exciting to step into that 50-tonne size class.

CJD Equipment offers after sales programs and services. Why are these programs successful with quarrying customers?

All of Volvo CE’s programs and services dovetail into pillars of safety, productivity and uptime.

Volvo’s Co-Pilot platform was launched for excavators with Dig Assist, and it’s now in the loader and the hauler, which come with Load Assist and Haul Assist. The applications are designed for improved production volumes, fuel efficiency, reduction in operating and maintenance costs, and ability to upgrade.

With Dig Assist, we’ve implemented boundary limits for slew, height and depth control. Once the machines reach the customer with Co-Pilot installed, current or future software updates can made by our technicians on-site. It’s a future-proofing technology. Co-Pilot is well accepted and we’re looking forward to the next iteration.

How far along is Volvo CE in developing electric engines or alternate fuels for quarrying vehicles?

Volvo has a target by 2030 that 35 per cent of its output is electric machines, and by 2050, they are targeting a large number of fossilfree machines. In terms of electric offerings, there’s the ECR25 excavator and the L25 loader. They’re not available in Australia but there is a lot of work behind the scenes and that technology will eventually filter through the range over time.

How advanced is Volvo CE in bringing autonomous vehicles and automation to the quarrying market?

Volvo run pilots globally in this space. There is semi-autonomous operation in the Dig Assist program with some excavators and in future there will be mapping functions which will make all the machines visible to each other. That will be a huge safety feature; the software will know when machines need to slow down or pick up speed, and it will warn all the operators when passing can be done.

What will be major challenges for the quarrying industry in the next three years?

There will be challenges around the pace of change of technology, and how to support those new technologies, from a dealer perspective. The industry has moved at a certain pace for the past 10 years but the rate of change has increased.

There will be challenges around power sources for electric products. Challenged supply chains in the next 12 months will make life more difficult.

How can CJD assist the extractive industry with meeting these future challenges?

Through transparency, ensuring we maintain meaningful relationships with our customer base, and we become a partner of choice to them. We need to continue to supply world class product and technologies, support levels, information and ensure our network has quality people.

As dealers we have to be more intimately involved in our customers’ businesses. The OEM/customer relationship is no longer a transactional one, the relationship is now very collaborative and project-based.

That’s something Volvo wants to lead on.

For more information about Volvo CE products and CJD’s programs and services, visit cjd.com.au.

the ultimate hauler

Haul heavy loads in the A60H from Volvo CE.

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Images are for illustration purposes only.

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A25G

25,000kg / 234 kW

A30G

29,000kg / 264 kW

A35G

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A40G

39,000kg / 347 kW

A45G

41,000kg / 347 kW

Visit cjd.com.au for more information or call 1300 139 804

enquiries@cjd.com.au | Find us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

BIG ENOUGH TO TRUST SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE

A60H

55,000kg / 492 kW

INDUSTRY LEADERS

GREG MUMFORD Caterpillar

THE MISSION IS ENSURING THE

CUSTOMER’S SUCCESS Greg Mumford is the Sales, Service and Marketing Manager for the ANZP division of Caterpillar Global Construction and Infrastructure. He briefs Quarry on how Caterpillar has fared over the course of the global pandemic, and how the company is promoting new technologies to reduce carbon emissions, further customers’ success, and overcome the industry’s impending challenges.

How has Caterpillar performed in the pandemic?

The pandemic has presented us with many challenges. It was essential we keep our people safe, given the virus has affected so many people globally. There have been flow-on effects of the virus such as logistics issues and the supply of raw materials to build our machines and provide service has been challenging. However, Caterpillar’s financial performance has been very strong. Quarter on quarter, we’re seeing big growth on 2020. So we’ve weathered the pandemic quite well.

Has the pandemic dramatically changed the way Caterpillar now does business with the Australian and/or global extractive industries?

It hasn’t dramatically changed what we do, there are some subtle changes. We have done more online marketing of our products and services. We’re doing a lot more training online, due to COVID restrictions in particular areas. That’s really the extent of it.

What we’re doing now is a lot more online communication with our dealers and with customers than we did previously.

Lockdowns didn’t really impact us. Cat dealers have extensive distribution around Australia, working locally with quarrying companies. The end users were largely unaffected in terms of the support the Cat dealers were able to supply.

What are some of the most popular Cat earthmoving machines in the Australian extractive industries at present?

The most popular quarry machines for us are our off-highway trucks, and our loading tools are medium and large wheel loaders primarily. So they are the main products we sell to quarrying companies.

Does Caterpillar have any new products planned for the quarrying industry in 2022?

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Quarry January 2022

We’re launching our 980 and 982 next gen wheel loaders. They will be at the IQA national conference in Newcastle in March 2022, incorporating several technologies to improve productivity for quarry customers. There will also be a session that will inform the audience about the machines and our other projects.

The company offers programs and services – Cat Productivity, Cat Command, Cat Payload, Cat Equipment Management, and Cat Detect – that go beyond just the installation of key plant and equipment.

Why should quarries utilise these services and products?

With our product and service development, we’re always working to identify our quarry customers’ needs, and making the product and service better for them. Ensuring their success is really our mission.

We meet with a quarry customer, we work out how they can be more successful, and then we create products and services that will achieve that goal. So we’re heavily focused on creating new technologies that enable a customer to become more productive, to reduce their costs, to work in a safer manner, based directly on quarry customer feedback.

What kind of innovations are your products adopting to save time, cost, energy and achieve zero waste?

Sustainability is a really important part of the future of the quarrying industry and Caterpillar’s product development.

We have made several announcements recently that are aligned to our sustainability message, eg Cat Command which provides autonomous solutions to customers, the development of electric drive dozers and large wheel loaders, which reduces fuel consumption significantly, the development of engines that burn alternative fuels such as hydrogen, landfill gas, and biogas. All of these initiatives illustrate our

commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.

Where is Caterpillar positioned in the development of electric or alternate fuel engines, as well as autonomous vehicles and automation?

Some of the electric drive products could be introduced to the quarrying market but the autonomous products are still on the larger trucks in the mining market. However, in the future, we will develop products that will be targeted at our specific customers.

At this point Caterpillar is very focused on reducing carbon through reducing fuel consumption by making all of our existing products more efficient and using more technology.

What do you anticipate will be major challenges for the Australian and/or global extractive industries in the next three years?

I think the number one challenge will be hiring and developing skilled people to work in the industry. With the forecast growth in infrastructure projects and civil projects in Australia, the demand for quarry products will be significant. The quarrying industry’s ability to meet that demand efficiently and profitably will be another challenge. Third, being able to respond to the sustainability demands imposed by various stakeholders.

How can Caterpillar assist the extractive industries with meeting these future challenges?

Caterpillar can help by providing new cutting edge technology in our products that will help reduce costs and increase productivity. We can provide first class product support to ensure our products are reliable, and partner on training opportunities where gaps exist relating to our product performance.

For more information about Caterpillar GCI’s products and services, visit cat.com/en_AU.html

JOHN ANDERSEN

INDUSTRY LEADERS

Crusher Screens Sales & Hire

NATIONAL SALES AND HIRE BUSINESS PARTNERS WITH LOCAL SOFTWARE AUTOMATION EXPERTS John Andersen is the co-owner of Crusher Screens Sales & Hire, based in Yatala, Queensland, but whose service is nationwide. He discusses the products and services unique to his business, including Australian designed and manufactured software and automation systems for local conditions. operator-friendly plant and services that provide an advantage for the client to improve their productivity and product quality, which will improve their advantage in the market.

Automation of plant offers a big step in that area of reducing human error and improving product quality by producing a constant product for their clients which at times may prove the difference winning a contract from their competitors.

CSS&H co-owner Chris Wong (centre) with two of the IMS directors in front of a BP1200-9TB track blender at Hillhead.

How has Crusher Screens Sales & Hire (CSS&H) performed in the past 20 months (during the global pandemic)?

Our sales and hire business has held up well but missed a couple of opportunities through a lack of machines arriving on time. This is due to the pressure the manufacturers are under, waiting for parts and shortage of employees in the UK. Shipping delays are still causing problems and shipping costs have increased dramatically, adding to large increases coming through on all new plant.

Has the pandemic dramatically changed the way CSS&H now does business with the Australian extractive industries?

Not really, it is still about having plant the clients want in a strong market, offering service and back-up. The pandemic has affected at times the ability to have fitters on site due to travel restrictions.

What are some of the most popular mobile crushing and screening products in the Australian extractive industries at present?

There is a shortage of mobile crushers and screens in Australia, with pre-owned units

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Quarry January 2022

obtaining top money due to new ones not being available. This won’t come right for some time with the pipeline of projects coming on stream.

What would you consider are some of CSS&H’s most popular products?

Our company is the Australian distributor for IMS from Ireland which specialises in pugmills, blenders and support plant such as feed hoppers, conveyors, etc. Regulation requirements have tightened up on material product specifications and IMS offer a range of pugmills and blenders, both mobile and fixed electric, that produce accurate product and moisture control to main roads specs for the construction and remediation industries.

We offer the option of fully automated plant with Australian designed and manufactured PLC and recording systems.

Does the company offer programs, services and advice that go beyond just the installation of key plant, equipment, and products? Why should quarries utilise these services?

Our company is always looking to offer

What kind of innovations are your products adopting to save time, cost, conserve energy and achieve zero waste?

As mentioned, we are putting a lot of time and resources into automation, by having an Australian-developed software automation company not only offer local support but adapt the software to better suit Australian conditions and specifications, along with any specific requirements the client may require to achieve the best result of their plant.

What do you believe will be major challenges for the Australian extractive industries in the next two to three years?

If you are lucky enough to be in a demand area, you may have the lack of skilled operators, plant availability and handling of inflation costs that is flowing through the industry at present.

How can CSS&H best assist the extractive industries with meeting these challenges?

Automation will help reduce labour shortages and can support the development of unskilled operators by reducing errors while still producing a specified, essential product.

Good times are often more difficult to manage than slow times, due to the pressure on cost increases and shortage of experienced employees and resources.

For more information about Crusher Screens Sales & Hire’s products and services, visit crusherscreen.com

CRUSHER & SCREEN SALES PTY LTD

IMS DISTRIBUTOR

crusherscreen.com

Australia and Papua New Guinea

Specialist Manufacturers of Quarry, Mining & Recycling Equipment Irish Manufacturing Services Ltd www.ims-ltd.ie

Crusher & Screen can offer in stock IMS PM1050-16TB Track pugmills and mobile 40 tonne silos. The Pugmills are available in manual adding water only or fully PLC automated control and recording system for adding powders and liquids to main road specs, including controlling the 40 tonne silo. The pugmill is loaded with features, high production, fully hydraulic from operation to transport mode, pughead lowers to the ground in a vertical position for ease of cleaning. The manual pugmill can be upgraded to the automated vision at a later date, the pugmill PLC control system can also operate with extra IMS feed hoppers from single to double track mounted and electric modular mobile pugmill blenders offering four different feed hoppers and two powders all remotely controlled.

Crusher & Screen can also offer in stock for sale or hire the IMS – BP1200-9TB high production track blender with two large feed hoppers with gear drive hydraulic motors with variable speed conveyors feeding a stockpile conveyor remotely controlled. There is a mixer between the feed hoppers which is ideal for improved product mix with top soil and compost that hydraulicly moves to one side when blending road base and aggregates.

John 0424 181 056 | Chris 0424 180 860 Email: info@crusherscreen.com | www.crusherscreen.com Crusher & Screen Sales Pty Ltd | Yard: Unit 4, 181 Sandy Creek Road Yatala Qld 4207

INDUSTRY LEADERS

CRAIG MARSH Epiroc

SMARTER DRILLING PRACTICES, AUTOMATION KEY TO BLASTING Craig Marsh is the Business Line Manager for Epiroc’s Surface Division. He talks about ongoing innovation and automation in Epiroc’s fleet of smart surface drill rigs which are replacing more manual-style rigs.

The SmartROC T40 is counted in the 93 per cent of sales of Epiroc drill rigs to the Australian quarrying and mining industries.

How has Epiroc’s surface drill division performed in the global pandemic?

In general, the industry itself has done well. Quarrying has remained stable. We haven’t lost anything, and that’s a credit to the industry.

Has the pandemic changed the way Epiroc does business with Australian quarries?

We had people in the west and the east, so we could cover our client base. Our business consists of technical support, sales and management. Our technical support hasn’t changed much, and during the pandemic, we had to move people around to problem solve. There was less impact on the marketing team because a lot of the communication was virtual.

When the pandemic changes, my team and I will go back to face to face meetings with customers. Technology has helped us through the pandemic but we’ll return mostly to what we were doing before.

What are some of the common challenges quarries are experiencing in the drill and blast process?

On the drilling side, it’s skilled people. As rigs

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Quarry January 2022

move into automation, it’s to train people how to use them more efficiently and understand the need to move to automation. Major quarry owners and Tier 1 contractors are driving that.

How can Epiroc help address these challenges?

We can demonstrate the advantages of using our rigs’ single hole autonomy. That takes out some of the skill set requirement from a drilling perspective.

We also promote the digital information the rig collects, how that benefits customers and helps them make decisions. A lot is being driven in the data area, eg checking on the rig for faults or alarms via mobile phone.

If the rig is connected to 3G/4G, problems can be addressed in real time. There are different layers of platforms to how much information you get, when you get it and what you do with it. That’s entirely up to the customer.

What are Epiroc’s most popular drill rigs in the quarrying industry?

About 93 per cent of the rigs we sell to the quarrying and mining markets are SmartROCs. We sell the PowerROC rig but many small contractors are migrating to the SmartROC rigs because the quarry owners are demanding that technology for their jobs.

More SmartROC C50s are also operating in quarries that require larger hole sizes than a traditional quarry, eg 115mm.

The SmartROCs are simpler to operate because they have semi-autonomous drilling.

There’s the fuel burn ratio, the amount of fuel burned in metres used. These are some of the lowest fuel burn rigs on the market.

We’ve slashed the number of hydraulic hoses on the rig by 50 per cent, reducing the amount of oil circulation. From our data collection, we can design patterns remotely and send them wirelessly to the rig. The ground in front of the operator can be bare but the screen will specify where the ground should be drilled, what depths should be drilled, at what angles they should be drilled, and the rigs will automatically drill. The rig will

know how far to drill and how far to stop.

What programs does Epiroc offer beyond installation of plant and equipment?

We’re trying to integrate more data processing and reporting. We have different layers of automation, communication and digitalisation – Surface Manager, Rock Manager and Surface Manager report data from the rig and you can send information back to it. We’re pushing for single hole automation.

What innovations are your products adopting to save time, costs and energy?

We’re constantly innovating on fuel burn and oil. In 2007-08, our rigs were burning up to 24 litres of fuel per hour, now it’s 14 litres per hour. A hydraulic oil tank back then held 400 litres, now it’s 100 litres. Hosing has dropped by 50 per cent, electrical cables by 60 per cent.

We’re talking with quarries about BenchRemote, where if a quarry has three rigs, it can run a third remotely. To be effective, all three rigs should be operating in the one place. As rigs move around sites, it’s more difficult for customers to justify the investment.

What will the quarry industry’s major challenges be in the next three years?

Access to labour and different emissions regulations will be a focus. Some quarries may have to consider how to reach zero emissions by 2030. That work has to start now.

Larger quarry owners will set the standard and that will filter down to smaller quarries and contractors.

How can Epiroc assist the extractive industries with meeting these future challenges?

The equipment the majors use is available for smaller contractors, along with packages to support them with technology advances. We need to assure the industry of our expertise to support them through that change.

For more information about Epiroc’s products and services, visit epiroc.com/en-au

The Future of Smart Mining is Already Here

SmartROC D65

United. Inspired.

Leading through innovative technology As a leading supplier of rock excavation equipment for more than 145 years, we believe that innovative mining technologies such as automation, interoperability and battery are the future of our industries. We boldly drive a vision for a future of digital automation, as this will enhance productivity, energy efficiency and safety for customers.

As such, we are investing in making mining smarter.

epiroc.com/en-au

INDUSTRY LEADERS

PAUL KERR Precisionscreen

HOMEGROWN MANUFACTURER PUTS AUSTRALIAN MADE CREDENTIALS INTO PRACTICE Paul Kerr, General Manager of second generation family business Precisionscreen, talks up the importance of homegrown products as the international supply chain experiences unprecedented constraints.

How has Precisionscreen performed in the global pandemic?

We’ve performed well, we’ve had lots of interest in our Australian Made products.

Overall, revenue has been up, and the percentage of our Australian Made product has increased. It’s been a really good story for employing people locally, including trade apprentices.

With the delays in overseas supply chains, we’ve ramped up our bespoke and reverse engineering facilities and our storage of spare parts and component parts, raw steel, seals, rams, all of the sub-componentry we need.

Our principle has been to satisfy emergency client breakdowns first, at the sacrifice of anything we’re doing ourselves. So if we’re building a machine for our rental fleet, we will sacrifice that build to keep the client running.

Having that ongoing manufacturing has enabled us to pull items out of production to satisfy client demands.

A lot of our product is specialised so we’ve had to increase cross-collaboration with key clients, and draw on our manufacturing expertise knowledge.

We’ve had to put on extra staff and double the amount of hours on procurement because of the nature and difficulty of finding parts.

But we’ve done it to manage production and client expectations.

Which of Precisionscreen’s products are most popular in the quarrying industry?

In 2021, we saw significant interest in cone crushers being matched with blue rock, and increased demand for vertical shaft impactors (VSIs) and horizontal shaft impactors.

I think as quarries and contractors have commenced work on sites that are further away or have less high quality resources closer to metropolitan areas, they have turned to value added and specialised products, ie increasing quality via a VSI, washing to clean aggregates, or pre-coating or OMC or additives with a pugmill, which ties in nicely

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with our homegrown product. Our client base is adding value to their supply chain, looking at new markets and products, and chasing a high value dollar per input.

In the past three months, as the labour shortage started to bite, there have been inquiries from the quarry, sand and soil markets about larger, 80- to 100-foot (24m to 30m) high end conveyors. As people struggle to find skilled labour, they’re investing in materials handling. So for us, conveyors are a huge change in interest.

We’re also seeing increased demand for pre-coating units and older style semi-mobile plants, as opposed to tracked plants. More local producers are investing in these for works in their expanded local government area rather than contract work.

Does Precisionscreen offer programs and services beyond its plant and equipment?

We’re currently developing a first engineering service, in which we can reverse engineer difficult to find components, eg drums, gears, shafts, rams, screens, full screenboxes.

That’s across all models, even competitor models. We can remanufacture parts for the supply chain shortage.

If you manage a mobile fleet, getting utilisation uptime is a big concern and the last thing you need is a machine out of train because of insufficient parts. There will likely be a 15-month delay to the availability of critical components – so the best way we can help someone’s fleet is by developing our own reliable, simple and robust products and offering clients the ability to do reverse engineering of components.

What innovations are your products adopting to save time and cost?

Rather than technological innovation, we’ve focused on reliability innovation – developing products we can manage as much as possible within our internal and local supply chains. We’re taking the approach

of simplicity without compromise. If this pandemic continues, we want to develop and offer robust machines that clients can run reliably and profitably on an ongoing basis.

What will be the quarrying industry’s major challenges in the next three years?

It will be finding skilled labour across industry, particularly blue collar work, drivers, loaders, operators. This shortage has been coming, it’s forcing all businesses to rethink how they use technology and systemisation to reduce the reliance on skilled labour. We won’t have a shortage on all labour forever but skilled labour will be a problem for up to 10 years.

How can Precisionscreen assist the industry with meeting this challenge?

We will offer specialised knowledge that comes out of manufacturing from the ground up, building internal knowledge with our employees and sharing it with our clients, along with making reliable, user-friendly machines that are simple enough for less skilled workers to operate and robust enough to deal with shutdown scenarios.

We’ll keep driving home Australian Made.

My narrative has for a long time been that we should manufacture as much as possible in Australia. I believe from a reliability, skill set and environmental perspective, it’s nonsensical to be fabricating Australian iron ore into wear products in some of the most inefficient manufacturing facilities in the old Eastern European bloc before shipping those products to another facility, and then shipping 40- and 50-tonne machines back to Australia.

It’s environmental vandalism! The best thing we can do is make more product locally and bring in critical componentry we need. We’ll be doing the environment and our country a favour, and creating highly skilled job possibilities for young people.

Precisionscreen is a partner of Australian Made.

For more information, visit precisionscreen.com.au

PRECISIONSCREEN SCORPION PUGMILL PLC « Produce up to 300tph « PLC control system allows the ability to select different product mixes at the touch of a button « Clam Shell Design Pughead – for easy access, cleaning & maintenance.

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sales@precisionscreen.com.au www.precisionscreen.com.au

INDUSTRY LEADERS

JIM GARRETT Pinnacle Hire

HIRE SOLUTIONS IDEAL

FOR WATER MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES Jim Garrett is the Product Development Specialist for Pinnacle Hire, an industry newcomer which manufactures, hires and sells advanced water treatment, storage and pumping systems for the quarrying and mining segments. He relates how the combined effects of COVID-19 and the weather have grown the company.

How did Pinnacle Hire perform in the pandemic?

Pinnacle Hire was born out of COVID. We’ve traded for the past nine months and we’re pleased at how quickly we’ve grown. La Nina has definitely helped us and we’re benefitting from strong mining and infrastructure sectors in Western Australia and on the east coast.

We started in a sister company’s offices in Corio, Victoria and now have a new head office in Rowville. We also have branches in Burnie and Hobart (Tasmania), Karratha, Kalgoorlie, Albany and Perth (WA), and a sub-branch in Armidale (New South Wales).

What water management challenges are quarries encountering?

There’s two things. There’s La Nina, which has resulted in extra rainfall in some pits, so we’ve had to dewater them quickly. We’ve worked closely with clients to capture and store run-off water from small one-off dams and pump it to main holding dams.

The Victorian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also stepped up requirements for water discharging from site.

For quarries with excess water, it has to be cleaned to meet EPA criteria before it can be discharged. The regulations relate to Victoria but similar regulations will be introduced by other EPAs across Australia.

Most commonly, the water has to meet a turbidity reading of 30 NTU (nephelometric turbidity), and this is where our range of water treatment and lamella clarifiers come into play. The water starts as dirty and brownlooking, with a high turbidity of up to 600 NTU, and we reduce it to 30 NTU so we can safely discharge it off-site.

What are Pinnacle’s most popular products in the quarrying industry?

We have more than 100 pumps in the fleet, from small pumps to large pumps powered by 27-litre diesel engines, with the largest capable of heads to 200 metres. The most

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popular is our high head dewatering pump, with heads of up to 200 metres. There are also standard 152mm (6”) pumps with stand pipes for filling water carts, that’s an indemand product in the summer months.

Clarifiers can be used across quarries to remove turbidity, suspended particles and discolouration from water, but if there’s higher sand loadings, we use a special model with a rake bottom. We have storage tanks, so if clients want to store additional water, we can assemble tanks on-site (up to 100,000 litres).

Can quarries buy as well as hire plant?

The water treatment gear, and clarifiers and storage tanks are available for hire and sale.

Most of our customers hire, and some go with our rent to buy package, where they rent the gear over a set period then pay a small fee to take over ownership of it. With our pumps, an agreement could be as long as a week, or up to several months. For water treatment plant, the hire period could be up to three years.

Why should quarries hire from Pinnacle?

Pinnacle is unique because we’re not just a hire company. We engineer and design the water treatment equipment in Australia, using Australian engineers and Australian steel.

We’re designing the plant to suit Australian conditions and specific site conditions.

Whether it’s corrosion resistance, high slurry loadings, or salinity, we can fully customise the treatment set-up and build it to a size that accommodates a specific footprint.

Does Pinnacle provide training?

We offer full product training on the pumps and water treatment equipment. It’s popular in remote locations as the client can hire the product at a lower price but doesn’t have to absorb travel costs for servicing, etc.

What innovations are your products adopting to save water and promote sustainability?

We offer full online monitoring and control of pumps and water treatment equipment 24/7, including despatch of alert emails based on flows and parameters. We can remotely monitor various factors – eg a high pH, high salt content, the water is too dirty – and shut the system off to stop the discharge and send an alert to the customer.

We can also dose our stand pipes with dust suppression additives for water cart filling. We also have a remote control start/stop for the pump set, so that when an operator pulls up under the stand pipe, he/she is not climbing out of the truck and manually starting the pump. They stay in the cabin of the truck, hit the start button on the remote, and once the tank is full, hit stop and drive off.

We’re putting into the fleet new pump sets with Tier 4 Final engines, which means fewer emissions. We’re not tied to any one brand, so we’ll choose the most efficient pump set for the application, with preferably the lowest fuel consumption and reduced emissions.

We also have new products being launched in our EnviroHub range in 2022, including concrete washout units.

What are the industry’s major challenges in the next three years?

There will be strict quality control for discharging of water off-site, as per EPA directives. Quarries will have to be compliant.

The industry should prepare for the next weather pattern, from La Nina to drought.

How can we harvest and retain water now, so we have storage? With drier seasons, how cost-effectively can we use that water? Where we’ve typically used water and let it run offsite and evaporate, we’ll have to harvest the water, put it through clarifiers, and put it back into sealed storage to reuse it again. If we plan effectively, future drought won’t have the same harsh impacts of the past.

For more information about Pinnacle Hire’s products and services, visit pinnaclehire.com.au

INDUSTRY LEADERS

JIMMY MURPHY Porter Group

PROACTIVE APPROACH, COMMUNICATION KEY TO

POST-PANDEMIC RECOVERY Jimmy Murphy is the Sandvik Product Specialist for national construction and hire company Porter Group.

He summarises how Sandvik mobile products fared in 2021 and advises that forward planning will be critical to the industry’s post-pandemic recovery.

How has Porter Group performed during the pandemic?

We’ve been Sandvik’s national distributor since early 2019. During the pandemic, our business increased its presence in the extractive industries. There’s several reasons for that, eg infrastructure spending, stimulus measures, customer-centric solutions. 2021 has been our strongest year. We’re looking at strong demand for 2022.

Has the pandemic changed the way Porter Group works with Australian quarries?

As the pandemic has evolved, so have our measures to offer best service. When faced with a border closure, we’ve drawn on resources from a branch which wouldn’t typically have the same level of support.

We’ve implemented remote commissioning plans and set up virtual sessions where there has been zero ability to attend a site.

From a group perspective, we’ve laid strong foundations with branch networks and infrastructure across all states and territories.

We have service and parts capability, so having that strong basis pre-pandemic made the challenges less severe.

What are some of Porter Group’s most popular Sandvik products?

From a pure sales volume, the QE442 scalper and the QJ341 jaw crusher. We’ve seen an increase in the Sandvik CH430 and CH440 cone crushers on the mobile chassis.

The feed openings on those machines are versatile, there is a range of chamber options, and the gradation and shape the cone crusher can produce, especially in tertiary stage crushing applications, is fantastic.

Is Sandvik adding new quarry spec products to their tracked plant range?

The QA442 and the QA452 doublescreens will arrive in 2022. The triple-deck unit has

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a 10 per cent extra screening area, with a 25mm top/bottom middle deck. It also has an independent, angle adjustment from primary to secondary box. These models offer operational and maintenance benefits, so hydraulic oil changes are going from a recommendation of 2000 to 4000 hours.

The QI353 impact crusher was launched in November. It is a ground-up design model, with the largest in-class feed acceptance and the largest in-class rotor diameter, with all the benefits of the Sandvik Prisec chamber. The QI353 also has an intuitive Optik PLC system.

Its fuel consumption is 16 per cent lower than the previous model. The hydraulic system is more efficient, the servicing recommendation again has jumped from 2000 to 4000 hours for oil changes – equating to a 64 per cent reduction in maintenance costs in the machine over 10,000 hours. The QI353 comes as a stand-alone unit or with a twodeck pre-screen hanging module, as well as a closed circuit for one, two or three products.

What programs and services does Porter offer beyond mobile plant and equipment?

We can offer plant and process optimisation and wear analysis, a range of measures from a basic plant design, or focus on existing circuit bottlenecks. We can also collect rock samples from a quarry for testing in Sweden and use that data for wear analysis prediction to recommend the best optimised circuit. We also offer a stand-alone service agreement or a Sandvik Security Plus agreement which offers up to three years or a 6000-hour warranty on a crusher or a screen.

Sandvik has introduced the Optitooth profile, which offers reduced CO2 per tonne, fuel savings, and maximises wear life by up to 30 per cent from the traditional corrugated profilers that were on the QH341 and QJ241.

MyFleet telematics can diagnose plant issues and assist with troubleshooting. We

can speak with the client via phone and take them through simple tests and instigate remote checks, which offsets the need for an off-site visit and gets the client running as quickly as possible. A range of automation features in the process include remote visual support as well as augmented reality.

How advanced is Sandvik in the development of electric power or hybrid engines for its mobile plant range?

The wheeled range is electrically driven, offering a lower cost per tonne. Our U series crushers have electric-powered versions; the operator can select between an on-board generator or electric mains supply as well as diesel-hydraulic. The Q series scalpers and doublescreens have a dual power or a hybrid variant. They have on-board diesel engines and can also connect to an external threephase electric source.

What will be the quarrying industry’s challenges in the next three years?

We’re recovering from the fallout of the pandemic so everyone in the industry – suppliers and quarries – is facing supply and logistics challenges. Equipment orders and maintenance planning are being all impacted by global shipping delays. With that, unforeseen issues like AdBlue shortages appear to be with us for some time.

How can Porter Group best assist quarries with meeting these supply challenges?

A proactive approach and open communication is key. There will be a worldwide shortage of equipment for the foreseeable future, forward planning will be required to secure machines. The Porter Group can facilitate needs with early open communication.

For more information about Porter Group’s products and services, visit porterce.com.au

INDUSTRY LEADERS

DAN BARRY SmartTech Australia

CHARTING THE DATA POINTS TO TRANSFORM THE QUARRYING SECTOR Dan Barry is the General Manager of SmartTech Australia, the largest Trimble LOADRITE distributor for on-board weighing technology globally. SmartTech offers software, wireless and hardware solutions for a range of applications in the extractive industries. Dan discusses the value added solutions Trimble and SmartTech are developing – and how it can benefit quarries.

How have SmartTech Australia and Trimble performed during the global pandemic?

The past 20 months have been challenging logistically but it’s still been a great period for SmartTech. We’re lucky to be in an industry that is quite insulated from the pressures of the pandemic and our national footprint has allowed us to adapt organically to help our customers operate with greater profit and certainty during this time of uncertainty.

Trimble and other tech manufacturers have endured different challenges due to the shortage in micro-chips and microprocessors worldwide. Fortunately most of the manufacture of the LOADRITE product in Auckland has not been significantly impacted.

Has the pandemic changed the way you do business with the quarrying industry?

We’ve had challenges in regional areas, with limited or restricted access to customers.

Fortunately we’re spread far and wide across the country, with 14 branches, 60-plus staff, 14 service trucks, and surplus components.

Customers are interested in how other people are operating, where innovations are being deployed, and examining solutions to impacted production margins. Metro-based quarries, for example, are questioning the costs and real estate of a weighbridge. They want to know if there’s billing alternatives, how they dispense with weighbridges and switch to on-board weighing solutions that measure the loading of different material types and invoice directly from the loader.

What are some of Trimble’s most popular measurement and mapping solutions?

Trimble Insight gives customers adaptability to identify all data points in an operation.

Quarries continue to evolve their operations by adopting customisable solutions which provide a high level of dashboard information so they can scorecard their operations. We’re going to see more of those individual point solutions adding value and transparency

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to that dashboard, eg a crushing plant that operates comparative to another crushing plant. That’s why the Trimble solution will be pivotal in the next few years. It will be about the data which guides a lot of quarrying businesses’ decisions.

What programs/services do SmartTech and Trimble offer beyond their key products?

We’re seeing more quarries taking on Legal for Trade certification to track material to a higher level of accuracy. Legal for Trade certifiable scales need to be approved by the National Measurement Institute (NMI), and we’ve spent five years developing our certified weights, staff and heavy vehicles to meet the NMI certification standard.

That ties in with our service component.

While there are technology solutions in the market, few providers like SmartTech do the entire end to end process of installation, warranty, support, etc. We call ourselves a “self-performing” technology provider.

Is Chain of Responsibility (CoR) an ongoing concern for quarries?

Our safety business has flourished because we’ve combined end to end solutions for CoR. Overloading prevention is a huge client focus. It’s a challenge because you’re loading out material and you’re liable for the amount that goes into a truck, even if it’s not your vehicle. An exact record of the total weight allocated per off-road vehicle is key.

We’ve worked with civil contractors and quarries on the SmartTech Virtual Superintendent (VS) app as an overloading solution. It’s a powerful tool for managing construction materials loads that go from the quarry to the construction site. VS goes hand in hand with Insight, requiring an API to provide combined information of onhighway vehicles’ mass so you can have portfolios focused on fleet management, production KPIs, and individual assets while monitoring CoR liability.

What innovations are your products adopting to save time and costs in the quarrying environment?

Actionable insights are key – customising parameters for what is actionable for a business. A platform like Insight gives us potential to add more information from point solutions across a site – so we can build the dashboard that helps the customer manage particular parts of their operations, driving greater efficiency and profit.

What will be the quarrying industry’s major challenges in the next three years?

CoR is ongoing, safety is key – it won’t just be overloaded machines but best practice operations on-site to tackle risks such as exposure to respirable crystalline silica. It will be part of a real shift in coming years to ensure proactive safety measures.

Another motivator is smarter, sustainable ways of extracting information. Customers are asking suppliers about ways to offset the carbon footprint to the tonne. We don’t have the solution now but the information is becoming more valuable. It will be a big development area in the next five years.

How can Trimble and SmartTech Australia assist the industry with these challenges?

Our focus is continuing the work with our clients to identify and comprehend their pain points, providing end to end solutions in timely, competitive and efficient fashion.

We feel proud and privileged to have created a national business whose backbone is the Trimble LOADRITE product, an Australian and New Zealand brand that continues to be best in class due to its rugged pedigree and ongoing engineering.

We’re excited to continue to offer this solution to the market for many years to come.

For more information about LOADRITE and Trimble, visit trimble.com For more about SmartTech Australia’s products and solutions, visit smarttechaustralia.com.au

Actionable Insights

See us at the IQA Conference, booth 42 Experience the power of Insight Book your IQA test drive now

SmartTechAustralia.com.au

ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS | DASHBOARDS | NOTIFICATIONS Trimble Insight provides real-time operations visibility to improve performance and productivity.

See target vs. actual production, delays, downtime and more, so you have the confidence to make more informed decisions.

Insight supports a mixed fleet of all your loaders, excavators, haul trucks, and conveyor belts to track productivity from the pit to stockpile.

To learn more visit smarttechaustralia.com.au/insight-test-drive SmartTech Australia | 1800 655 860 | smarttechaustralia.com.au

©2021 Trimble Inc. PN TC-329 (12/21)

for LOADRITE scales

INDUSTRY LEADERS

JOHN FLYNN Terex Jaques

MAINTENANCE, MANUFACTURING EXPERTISE VITAL TO

DRIVING INDUSTRY FORWARD John Flynn is the Australian and New Zealand business manager for Terex Jaques, the local arm of Terex MPS. He talks about the importance of plant and equipment maintenance skills and expertise as the industry navigates its way through the post-COVID-19 era.

How has Terex Jaques performed in the pandemic?

Business has been consistent. It slowed for us but the aggregates and sand industries were consistent markets for us. Due to the global supply shortage, we’ve found it’s taken more time and effort to get the same outcomes. It means we’re working harder to provide the services that our customers need. It’s been a challenge to maintain overheads without passing on extra costs to the customer base.

Has the pandemic changed the way Terex Jaques does business with quarries?

Probably better than most. It’s highlighted the importance of regional support when borders are closed. Although we’re part of the global Terex business, within Australia we operate with a high degree of independence.

We have local engineering, applications and product support expertise, so we’re set up to work independently and also from a regional perspective. Although we haven’t been able to cross borders, our branch offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with their own parts warehouse and service teams, have been able to support regional areas. The pandemic reinforced the importance to us of having a regional support structure.

What are some of Terex Jaques’s most popular products?

Consistently, our Cedarapaids TSV horizontal screens have been a strong product. These robust machines operate with high G-force for high efficiency screening and can incline at up to 10 degrees to minimise bed depth and prevent pegging in large apertures.

Within our Terex Washing Systems (TWS) range, our Finesmaster compact units are popular. The FM Compact range of static washing and classifying units are cost- and energy-efficient, combining a collection tank, centrifugal slurry pump, hydrocyclones and a

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dewatering screen on a compact chassis to produce up to two clean sands.

The Cedarapids screen and FM Compact range will have new features in 2022.

How can Terex Jaques assist quarries with their crushing and screening challenges?

Terex Jaques sells a broad range of equipment which allows us to provide many options for the end user. The industry applications are quite varied, and the more options you have to come up with the best solution, the better advantage for the end user. The best way to approach the industry is to have numerous options to find the best fit. No two applications are the same.

The end user is increasingly asking for something “standard”, targeting best cost and availability, which aligns with our modular equipment range. By the time you get to the final design, some customisation is generally required but we can accommodate this with our experienced engineering team.

Operators are more aware of the cost of downtime. Often when they buy a new piece of equipment, the purchasing decision will be based on a small saving on capital cost. But that saving can be eaten up by one episode of downtime. You have to look at the longterm costs of your operation when making decisions about the equipment you install. The independent, family-orientated operators are pretty good at that because they look at the long-term impact of their decisions.

Does Jaques offer programs and services beyond the key plant and equipment?

Regular equipment inspections, oil sampling and screen vibration analysis are preventative maintenance activities that we provide to assist our customers to minimise their downtime and operate with certainty. We have trained service teams, an engineering support team, and product support personnel that can assist.

What innovations are your products adopting to save time, cost and energy?

Innovations are most prevalent within water management systems and washing processes. TWS is focused on recycling water in washing applications to save energy and reduce waste. It offers complete tailored solutions for water management and treatment, including a full range of flocculant dosing systems, thickener tanks and a full range of filter presses. Combined, this equipment can remove the need for settling ponds.

What will be the quarrying industry’s major challenges in the next three years?

It’s the skills shortage, particularly for maintenance. In the fixed quarry game, there’s a reliance on a small number of experienced independent service providers to provide equipment maintenance, and in the long term, these personnel won’t be replenished. We have to service our customer base as well as we can on an ongoing basis.

How can Terex Jaques best assist quarries with meeting these challenges?

If we can build on the expertise we have and even broaden that maintenance and after market support, that’s how we can best do it.

For us, it’s about utilising Terex Jaques’ 135 years of history and ensuring the service personnel in the field get the benefit of the knowledge and the experience we have. We currently have four apprentices in our service system. Our aim is to maintain a flow and continue and improve the number of high quality service personnel that we have. We service non-Terex equipment as well as Terex equipment, so maintenance is a potential growth area for our business and the industry.

For more information about Terex Jaques products and services, visit terexjaques.com

Power Precision Performance

E: jaques@terex.com www.terexjaques.com © 2021 Terex Corporation. All rights reserved. Terex, the Terex Crown logo and Terex MPS are trademarks of Terex Corporation or its subsidiaries.

JEFF GRAY

INDUSTRY LEADERS

Superior Industries

SPREADING THE WORD OF WASHING,

CRUSHING, SCREENING

PRODUCT LINES

Jeff Gray is the International Sales Director of Superior Industries, which is renowned worldwide for its conveying, washing and material handling solutions. He tells Quarry about the constraints of navigating COVID-19 abroad and the company’s enthusiasm to promote its washing, crushing and screen product lines in the Australian market.

How has Superior Industries performed during the global pandemic?

For most of 2020 there were constraints on spending in the industry by the end users, and dealers were cautious about taking new inventory. But there was a strong push for new machinery as we entered 2021, and as the markets in North America and overseas began to open, we’ve seen optimism growing for products in 2022.

Does Superior offer programs and services beyond its key plant and equipment?

We use our product line managers in different ways, including customer training on machine applications. That’s mainly in North America but we can partner with our dealers around the world and offer end user training in equipment application and utilisation, and improved efficiencies and maintenance, which we can tailor to a region’s need.

Has the pandemic changed the way Superior does business with its customers?

I think Superior, like many OEMs, has reinvented its interaction with customers.

Supporting customers globally is a different business today. It takes more pre-planning and you have to understand the constraints of different countries, eg an international plant start-up that might have taken four to five days now may have wholly different constraints ahead of time.

What innovations are your products adopting to save producers money and time and conserve energy?

The common thread between Superior and many OEMs is picking one automation platform and applying it to multiple product lines. So, on jaw, cone and impact crushers, the interfaces look alike but they are tailored to specific machine parameters. That’s an emphasis for Superior going forward but you’ll also see it across the industry.

What are Superior’s most popular products in the extractive industries? Have these products been of interest in Australia?

Superior’s legacy is in material handling and conveying equipment but we’ve really focused on the addition of our crushing, screening and washing product lines. The specific products we want to promote in the Australian market are our cone and jaw crushers, and horizontal screens.

What is Superior’s position on electric and alternate power engines?

The predominant use for diesel power in our products would be on the conveying/handling side of the business. Superior doesn’t supply diesel-powered tracked or portable crushers and screens. Even on wheel-mounted chassis, they are mostly electric-powered. An electric crushing plant would be connected to a diesel generator or commercial power.

You have a couple of distributors down under. How are they faring?

They’ve been with us shy of a year but Tricon Equipment in eastern Australia has had success in the highly engineered conveyor stackers and our low water washers. On the west coast, 888 Crushing & Screening Equipment has had success in the conveying and material handling product lines.

What will be the quarrying industry’s major challenges in the next three years?

The challenge, like in any country, is to attract young people to our industry, making them aware that they can receive a good salary and create a good living. People don’t understand that as they drive on our roads and enjoy our infrastructure. They don’t realise that it’s possible to work for a long time for one

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company in the aggregates business. It’s disappointing that so many educators in our pre-college education system don’t talk about the opportunities and the lifestyles the quarrying industry offers. Many educators consider the industry as a fall back position to college when it should be viewed as an equal career choice.

How can Superior Industries best assist quarries with meeting these challenges?

We need to help our end users share the technology on our equipment in the classrooms to catch young people’s eyes, to see the independent, stand-alone automation systems and the touchscreens we use in not only our crushing, screening and washing equipment, but in our loading fleets and trucks. The technology is impressive and would appeal to young people.

Will Superior be working with its dealers on campaigns in Australia in 2022 to raise the profile of its product lines?

Going into 2022, we more than doubled our stock order intake from previous highs of our crushing/screening and washing product lines in North America. We’re keen to take that enthusiasm and success to other parts of the world.

We’ve been itching to visit Australia to get the word out about our crushing and screening products. Our partners do a great job on the washing, material handling and conveying launches but we need to work with them to visit as many customers as possible to share the word about Superior’s crushing and screening products. We are chomping at the bit to be face to face with the customer base in Australia.

For more information about Superior Industries’ product lines, visit superior-ind.com

DAVID SMALE

INDUSTRY LEADERS

Astec Australia

ONEASTEC:

CONNECTING PEOPLE, PROCESSES, PRODUCTS David Smale is the General Manager of Astec Australia. He explains the thinking behind Astec’s new business model - OneASTEC - and what it means for the quarrying industry.

In September 2021, Astec announced a major restructuring of its business model – called OneASTEC. In the previous model, 16 companies operated on a range of different systems. Under OneASTEC we are already seeing huge benefits from working together under common operating systems across the entire business.

Simplifying our internal structure makes for greatly enhanced information transfer between different parts of the business, no matter where

we are in the world. And that gives us the ability to meet and respond to our customers’ needs.

What does the new business model mean for Astec Australia’s operations?

As part of the restructure, Astec Australia has taken over its dealer networks. This will open up new market segments for Astec and expand our product offering. It’s about giving customers more options to add portable equipment to their existing facility in peak production periods.

How can OneASTEC assist quarries with solving challenges over the next three years?

Our company is “Built to Connect” – that’s our purpose. We’re committed to connecting people, processes and products, and advancing innovative solutions from rock to road. OneASTEC helps us achieve that purpose.

For more information about Astec Australia’s construction materials solutions, visit astecaustralia.com.au/materials-solutions

BUILT TO CONNECT

Astec - Connecting People, Processes and Products With unmatched strength from rock to road, connection is at the heart of everything we do. At Astec we design and manufacture products used to build the infrastructure that physically connects the world, but it’s the connections we make with people that drive us forward. Our company was founded on innovation and we’re committed to helping our customers succeed. Astec, we are Built to Connect.

astecaustralia.com.au

INDUSTRY LEADERS

DEBBIE MACDONALD Polo Citrus

CONNECTING ON A

COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF QUARRYING Debbie MacDonald is the National Business Development Manager of Polo Citrus. She outlines how the company has worked closely with quarries to improve their dust emissions and water management.

How has Polo Citrus performed during the global pandemic?

The pandemic has had mixed results. In early 2020, people were gun-shy about spending.

Since late 2020, when quarries became drier and dustier, our business hasn’t stopped.

We couldn’t visit customers but the pandemic gave us time to focus on our online coverage and build relationships through social media, blogs, phone calls and email.

What are your most popular products?

Polo BDS is number one for crushing and

screening applications. Our other dust suppressants include Haulage DC, Road Con for roads and Dust Bind.

What support does the company provide beyond your core products?

Our focus is on our customers, building relationships and connecting on a common understanding of quarrying. We have a comprehensive servicing option with minimal costs and our reporting system provides an emailed record showing before and after results and completed repairs.

What innovations are your products adopting to control dust and save water?

We’ve monitored water consumption through our foaming unit, minute by minute. It has been extremely successful with a consistent approach to dust control. To complement our improved equipment, we are commencing an R&D project to assess if we can change our concentrated Polo BDS to a superconcentrate, thus reducing product usage.

For more information about Polo Citrus and its product range, visit polocitrus.com.au

Unlock your ability to control dust on your site!

Scan the QR code to see our products Phone (03) 9364 9700 www.polocitrus.com.au admin@polocitrus.com.au

PHILLIP AGIUS

INDUSTRY LEADERS

Delta Rent

A ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR

SITE, PROJECT MANAGEMENT Phillip Agius is the General Manager of Delta Rent, Australia’s largest supplier of modern, low hour hire plant and equipment. He predicts rental plant and equipment will play a vital role in assisting quarries to meet future construction materials demand.

How has Delta Rent performed during the global pandemic?

While Delta Rent was affected by state and industry shutdowns, the demand for rental equipment did not decrease, due to equipment shortages.

What are Delta’s most popular products?

Delta Rent provides a variety of machinery across numerous applications. In the past 24 months, we have seen increased demand for larger rigid trucks and excavators.

Why should quarries hire plant and equipment rather than “try and buy” gear from OEMs/dealers?

The deployment of heavy plant and equipment is high risk and capital intensive.

It also requires specialist skills, logistical systems, insurance, and operating licences – all of which Delta Rent can provide.

Our extensive experience and specialised focus in providing a one-stop option for site and project management is what we aim to pass onto our customers.

What will be the industry’s major challenges in the next three years?

It is likely to be the sourcing of qualified key personnel/skilled workers as well as acquiring new plant and equipment due to shortages and shipping delays.

Using our vast network across Australia to access skilled personnel will enable us to provide the goods and services the quarrying industry needs to address this challenge.

For more information about Delta Rent, visit deltagroup.com.au/rent

2021 FLEET OVERVIEW MAJOR OEM RELATIONSHIPS Delta Group enjoys long standing relationships with all heavy machinery OEMs and operates Australia’s largest privately owned fleet of specialist construction plant and equipment.

RIGID REAR DUMP TRUCKS + HD785 Komatsu Rigid Haul Trucks + 773 Series Rigid Caterpillar Haul Trucks

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EXCAVATORS + Hitachi & Komatsu 60t - 125t + Hitachi, Komatsu & Volvo 30t - 60t + Hitachi 8t - 30t

DOZERS + CAT & Komatsu D6-D11 Dozers

WHEEL LOADERS + Hitachi, Komatsu & CAT Loaders ZW150 (up to) WA600

GRADERS + John Deere & CAT Graders 14-16m

SITE & ROAD WATER TRUCKS + Bell & CAT Rigid & Articulated 24,000L - 40,000L + Fuso Road Registered 13,000L

COMPACTORS + CAT 815 & 825

CONTACT US TODAY ON 1300 793 071

INDUSTRY LEADERS

CHARLES PRATT Kinder Australia

GROWING WITH THE PANDEMIC Charles Pratt is the Operations Manager at Kinder Australia, a national supplier and manufacturer of conveyor and bulk materials handling products. He outlines why Kinder has grown in the pandemic.

How did Kinder Australia perform in the pandemic?

We grew our business throughout COVID. Our biggest change was going paperless.

The warehouse remained open but the rest of the business became more efficient.

Another reason we grew our business is because Kinder has a high profile and excellent visibility across internet platforms.

Has the pandemic changed the way Kinder now does business with quarry customers?

It has changed the dynamic. However, we’ve adapted. Teams and Zoom have made it easier to communicate. We’ve set up virtual showrooms – and a display in the office with cameras, so we could conduct training and other sessions remotely.

Which of your products are most popular in the quarrying industry?

Our slip, slide and flow shield range of products, including anti-wear products. Our belt cleaning and belt tracking products can

reduce waste by cleaning conveyors better – and also by keeping belts tracking straight.

What programs and services does Kinder offer beyond the installation of key plant?

We offer conveyor maintenance training, and conveyor safety training. Kinder customers have access to training, either on-site at Kinder, via webinar, or at the customer’s site.

For more information about Kinder Australia’s products and services, visit kinder.com.au

Innovation is our

Motivation...

find out more @ kinder.com.au

IQA NEWS SELF-REFLECTION SEES EVERYONE A WINNER AT IQA AWARDS The IQA has a way of finding the industry’s best and brightest, even when they’re as humble and unassuming as Chris Hamilton. As a winner of not one but two IQA Awards, he is just one example of the industry’s quiet achievers.

Chris Hamilton (right) receives the 2015 Weir Minerals Young Members Award.

W

ith the annual IQA Conference and Awards on the horizon – in Newcastle, New South Wales on 29 to 31 March, 2022 – nominations will close for all eight awards on 18 January.

Once finalists are locked in, the winner will be announced in front of hundreds of industry peers and mentors, which Chris Hamilton knows to be an honour and a privilege.

He was lucky enough to win Awards in consecutive years – the 2014 Caterpillar Continuous Improvement Award, and the 2015 Weir Minerals Young Members Award, both of which recognised his mountains of work.

Both Hamilton’s awards – and indeed all current IQA Awards – recognise a unique set of attributes in their nominees, making them all the more important to those holding the certificate on stage.

The Continuous Improvement Award was bestowed for an individual’s contribution to improving an Australian extractive business through continuous improvement.

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At the time of the awards, Hamilton was one of Holcim’s operations improvement managers for national aggregates and was in his ninth year with the company.

It was a role that led Hamilton to spearhead a major heavy mobile equipment fleet management program which saw his team shuffle 100 pieces of equipment across Holcim Australia’s quarry portfolio. The process took about 12 months and involved 40 different sites across the country.

Hamilton explained the process required a number of different pieces to come together, including telemetry, on-board information and right-sizing fleets through a holistic approach.

“Typically, a site has a number of loaders, a digger and a couple of trucks, and each quarry seems the same as the next,” he told Quarry.

“But upon a closer look, you realise if you swap a digger from here and a loader from there, you can find benefits for several sites at once.”

The year-long program involved several onsite, physical reviews for Holcim’s larger sites.

Hamilton said the program found multiple benefits for the company by the time he and his team were through with it. “We performed activity cost analyses to understand where we were struggling, where we had high idle time versus high utilisation, and then implemented the program to improve costs and productivity across the business,” he said.

Of course, as is his nature, Hamilton said no such program or resulting award could be accomplished without a supportive environment and capable colleagues.

“A lot of the awards look like and are individual awards per se. But to execute anything to win an award – be it in management, safety, continuous improvement or whichever – it is a team effort,” Hamilton said. “It involves working in an industry and for an organisation that believes in continuous improvement. You can’t execute projects if the company doesn’t believe in it.

“Then, to be successful you have to earn it in showing that those initiatives are working and making a positive difference to the business.”

‘NO SUBMISSION IS A BAD ONE’ To make a strong submission for the IQA Awards, and to show your work in the industry is worthy of recognition, a suitable amount of effort should be spent, according to Hamilton.

While the 10-plus hours he spent working on his submission may not be viable for some, he stressed the importance of putting your best foot forward.

“You don’t want to submit something that took 45 minutes to type up. You should want to submit something you’re really proud of because you’re representing yourself and your organisation,” Hamilton said.

Also important to consider, for those unsure whether to nominate themselves – or indeed others – is the experience of recognising the

IQA NEWS good work being done throughout the industry.

Hamilton said this part of the process was a real highlight for him. “Even if you don’t win, it’s still quite rewarding to have some inward reflection on what you’ve accomplished personally and within your team,” he said.

“If everyone goes into it with the view to just enjoy pulling the information together and have some self-reflection, everyone’s a winner.”

But in 2015, there was one official winner of the Weir Minerals Young Members Award, and Hamilton was called on stage again.

YOUNG MEMBERS NETWORK The IQA’s Young Members Network was established in 2012 to provide the association’s members under the age of 35 – and all those that are interested in the quarry industry – with guidance, support and an opportunity to develop their quarrying careers.

Having been supported through the industry for almost 10 years to 2015, Hamilton saw himself fit and willing to impart a thing or two upon the next youth in line.

Hamilton and others from around the country and the industry were tasked with forming a committee to align some ideas which would benefit their peers and pupils.

Hamilton speaks at the IQA National Conference in 2015.

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

“This was an opportunity for us to reflect on what it was like as we grew through the industry,” Hamilton said. “There’s not often a lot of young people at IQA events, so it was a good opportunity for us to share our experiences while providing mentoring and contacts within the industry.

“We hosted a couple of New South Wales events every year as I thought the social element was as important as the professional element. The latter involved tours of sites, such as the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation and the Newcastle coal handling facilities.”

Once again, Hamilton credited Holcim for supporting him in his time on the Young Members Network committee. “They’re the small things that really matter because without that buy-in from your company it just undermines how much people are willing to put in and give back.”

Hamilton receives the Caterpillar Continuous Improvement Award in 2014.

DON’T DOWNPLAY YOURSELF For both awards, Hamilton received some prize money to be used on training and selfimprovement within the industry.

True to form, he took the opportunity with both hands and used his winnings to take a tour of Caterpillar’s founding facilities in Illinois, USA. “We saw a lot of their manufacturing facilities, including their R&D and training centres,” Hamilton said. “It was great, we got a look into their whole world from design to manufacturing, and how they put out a very high number of quality products every year.”

Hamilton used proceeds from the Weir Minerals Award to cover an all-expenses paid trip to attend the Construction Materials Industry Conference in Melbourne in 2016 – a joint event with the IQA and Cement, Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA).

Hamilton said it was yet another chance for him to continue his ethos of continuous improvement. “I got to attend all the presentations, the dinners, the awards, all the plenary sessions and all the keynote speakers,” he said. “You come away from those events with a whole host of new information and about half a notebook of notes and ideas to dive into over the next 12 months.”

These were just some of the experiences made possible by a submission to the annual IQA Awards, with eight categories of varying criteria up for grabs in 2022. Study tours,

networking opportunities and a lot of selfreflection are all available to those willing to take the time to submit or nominate their peers.

Hamilton said there is no use in doubting yourself or your capabilities, and he takes every chance he can to uplift his peers at Holcim and in the wider industry.

“I think most people – me included – are their own harshest critic and sometimes we don’t realise how much of a positive impact we’re having on others,” Hamilton said. “So don’t hold back if you’re umming and ahhhing about what you’ve done and whether your efforts are good enough. Don’t question if you’re wasting your time submitting and just have confidence that you are doing good things.

“And if you recognise those around you are equally worthy of an award, take some time out to pat them on the back and help to compile their submission,” Hamilton added. “Personally, I’ve felt that supporting someone to submit for the awards is just as rewarding, if not more so.

“The kinds of conversations you can have when you tell someone they’re worthy of submitting and watching them do some internal reflection is super rewarding for everyone.”

The submission deadline for the IQA Awards is 5pm AEDST on Tuesday, 18 January, 2022.

The Awards will be presented at the IQA Conference in Newcastle, from 29 to 31 March, 2022. For more information about the Awards and to apply, visit quarry.com.au •

Quarry January 2022 51

IQA NEWS

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

NEWCASTLE 2022 – THREE MONTHS TO GO!

The new year 2022 has arrived and we are looking forward to coming together in Newcastle in March for the 63rd IQA National Conference, from 29 to 31 March.

T

his year’s conference will see the largest number of exhibitors to date with representation across all aspects of the extractive and associated industries.

Incorporating three zones, the exhibition will feature 62 booths showcasing the latest products and services.

The exhibition will complement a comprehensive program (see right) and some fantastic networking events. If you are yet to register for in Newcastle, take advantage of the early bird rates and book now at iqa.eventsair/conference Early bird bookings close on 28 January, 2022. Other highlights of the conference will include: • Two keynote speakers in Michael McQueen and Rachael Robertson.

Michael, a renowned futurist, will provide an insight into the future of work and skill requirements for the extractive industry while Rachael will focus on demonstrating big leadership in small moments.

• Victoria Sherwood, executive general manager of recycling and growth for Boral, who will provide a presentation on sustainability and the social licence to operate.

• A leadership panel featuring industry leaders from Adbri, Boral, Hanson and Holcim. In the history of the IQA national conference, there has never been the opportunity to welcome all four industry leaders to the stage.

• The Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia Welcome Function, at the Newcastle Museum on the evening of Tuesday, 29 March.

• The Komatsu 100th anniversary dinner, at Newcastle Racecourse on the evening of Wednesday, 30 March.

• The Caterpillar Gala Dinner at The Arena at NEX, on the evening of Thursday, 31 March. •

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The abbreviated program for the IQA Conference. To see the full program, visit iqa.eventsair/conference

IQA NEWS WA BRANCH NEWS WA branch golf day Surfing Santas and designer tie dye were spied, along with floral leis and even a flamingo at the WA IQA Branch’s Hawaiianthemed annual golf day in November at the Joondalup Resort.

Competition played second fiddle to fun on the day, but 18 players “beat the pro”, three were awarded for shooting nearest the pin and the longest and straightest drives also attracted prizes.

WesTrac Team 2 won gold again this year with a score of 58.37, following their victorious 2020 outing. The Equipment Placement team was second on 59.18 and the Rudd Industrial-Sheffield Group team took out third on 59.34.

The course lit up with long drives, marshmallow hit outs (IKR) and 18 players successfully ‘beat the pro’ with drives that shot balls way into the distance. The fashions on the field were proudly won

by Charles Paraka, Jordan Pedley and the RUD Chains team, as players and sponsors gathered for poolside drinks as the sun sank.

A brilliant IQA turnout of 178 players was the venue’s biggest function on a busy Friday. All players bested the course, ably assisted by the rather marvellous Joondalup Golf Club volunteers.

A gorgeous Perth day delivered mildly warm weather on a course that beautifully demonstrates how an exhausted limestone quarry can be redeveloped with a golf course design that’s both brutally difficult (I’m looking at you, sand bunkers) and breathtakingly beautiful.

The stellar sponsor list was warmly thanked for support throughout the day and the WA industry looks forward to doing it all again next year.

The IQA WA Annual Golf Day was held at Joondalup Resort on Friday, 19 November.

The 176 players enjoyed ideal conditions on the course. Thank you to over 35 sponsors who supported this year’s event.

The winners were: • 1st Place Team - Westrac Team 2: Brad Lecocq, John Connell, Jaysen Taylor, Jake Taylor • 2nd Place Team - Equipment Placement:

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

Guest speaker and former Australian Olympian Jessica Stenson with SA branch chairman Andrew Wilson.

Brian Bondi, John Bondi, Jason Bondi, Lindsay Price • 3rd Place Team - Rudd Industrial – Sheffield Group: Dean Talbot, Kelvin Andrijich, Matt McLachlan, Martin Cant • 4th Place Team – Blast It Global: Drew Martin, David Camm, Daniel Tuffin, Tony Hadley • 5th Place Team – RUD Chains: Novak Anfuso, Eugene Chai, Scott Melvin, Marcus Haines The NAGA went to the Construction Equipment Australia team of Sheridan Dillon, James Daffin, Renahy Van Der Meulen, and Neil Stagg.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH NEWS SA branch dinner The SA branch always strives to keep a fresh format for our meetings so for the 12 November dinner meeting we ventured to the Adelaide’s Western Suburbs for the first time and held the function at the newly refurbished Kooyonga Golf Club. The new location proved a huge hit and was topped off by an informative and entertaining presentation from our guest presenter, Commonwealth medallist and Olympic Games participant, Jessica Stenson (nee Trengrove). Jess’s story gave an insight on her journey from the primary school

Andrew Wilson presents a Membership certificate to Matthew Renton, of Hallett Resources.

Quarry January 2022 53

IQA NEWS playground to dreaming big and ultimately standing on the world’s stage as one of Australia’s top marathon runners.

SA branch chairman Andrew Wilson presented a Membership certificate to Matthew Renton, of Hallett Resources.

The SA branch again thanks its sponsors for their continued support which goes a long way to ensuring that the branch remains relevant, vibrant and effective for its members. In particular, appreciation and best wishes are extended to Paul Magarey from Groundwater Science, who has been a long-term sponsor and supporter of the branch as he commences new employment in 2022.

“The first thing that is noticeable is that the mining and quarrying industries are not improving. There have been 12 fatalities in any five-year period over the past 20 years, resulting in an average of 2.4 fatalities every year.

“The Brady Report suggests this is due to the industry’s increasing and decreasing

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

periods of vigilance and that’s why the key recommendations from the report are to adopt the key principles of high reliability organisations,” Goodall said.

The key principles stemming from HROs that Goodall felt would best aid quarrying businesses were the management of critical risk, the development of pre-emptive

QUEENSLAND BRANCH NEWS Health and safety workshop highlights proactive, preventative approaches to safety The Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA) Queensland branch held a follow up health and safety workshop in Brisbane on 11 November. The aim was to provide an opportunity to update knowledge on key safety topics raised at the Queensland Safety & Health Conference earlier in the year and promote further dialogue about ways to improve the industry’s approach to work health and safety issues.

After the positive feedback received at the mid-year health and safety conference in Brisbane, the Institute (IQA) brought in three experts to educate members on how they can improve their safety standards, as well as educating them on their liabilities in the event of serious accidents or fatalities.

One of the presenters was Jodie Goodall, Brady Heywood’s Head of Organisational Reliability.

Goodall’s primary philosophy stems from seeing through the implementations of positive strategies within high reliability organisations (HRO). She explained how quarrying businesses could implement more pre-emptive strategies to keep their employees safe and avoid the damning statistics around employee safety outlined within the Brady Report prepared last year for the Queensland Government.

“There is this outstanding pattern that continues to happen,” Goodall explained.

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Harold Downes presents to the IQA’s health and safety workshop.

Alan Girle, Special Counsel of Macpherson Kelley Lawyers, provided advice on how to make the legal process smoother after major incidents.

IQA NEWS

Jodi Goodall, expert in HRO, Brady Heywood, spoke about the notion of chronic unease.

systems to capture warning signs of failure, and having a chronic unease mindset.

Through these strategies, Goodall believes that businesses within the field will be able to build proactive cornerstones within their organisations that will try to the best of their abilities to prevent fatalities.

They would also help businesses form and solidify clear and concise processes if fatalities were to occur.

After Goodall’s presentation, the conference turned its focus to the legalities within the extractive industries.

Harold Downes, Partner at Mills Oakley, made a poignant observation that in the past the quarrying industry had been “two steps ahead of the regulator” but today its members are more likely to be “three steps behind”. He urged every member to be up to date and familiar with extractive regulations in Queensland or the other jurisdictions in which they operate.

Downes added it is evident that in the past there was not as much administrative paperwork and compliance that needed to be done, compared to the present time.

Due to this added complexity, combined with the inclusion of the Industrial Manslaughter charge in Queensland, Downes said quarries need to be more vigilant on their sites than ever before.

Downes was joined by Alan Girle, Special

Counsel of Macpherson Kelley Lawyers.

He provided insight and advice on how to make the legal process run more smoothly after major incidents.

“When you have a good communication process, you will do everything you can to have the [victim’s] family on side,” Girle said.

“For any given situation you need to think about how carefully you are going to manage the situation,” he added.

Overall, the workshop provided a great opportunity for attendees to learn new techniques on how to make its businesses safer, and in turn, avoid serious injuries and fatalities.

The workshop was sponsored by Phoenix Occupational Medicine. A networking sundowner, which followed the workshop, was sponsored by Health Surveillance Australia.

Jodie Goodall’s thoughts on chronic unease appeared in the December 2021 issue of Quarry.

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

IQA NEW MEMBERS GRADE

NAME

BRANCH

TMIQ

Hayden Mark Johnson

ACT

PMEM

Niall Ivory

NQLD

MIQ

Niall Horan

NQLD

AIQ

Ross Carter

NSW

MIQ

Charles Villiers Stuart

NSW

TMIQ

Andrew John Lawrence

NSW

AIQ

Abdul Nasir

NSW

AIQ

Michelle Grady

NSW

TMIQ

Ryan Stacey

NSW

TMIQ

Dave Lide

NSW

TMIQ

Glen James Storey

NSW

AIQ

Trevor Robert Stride

NSW

TMIQ

Keelan McNulty

QLD

TMIQ

Sam David Hill

QLD

TMIQ

George Kenneth Watson

QLD

MIQ

Kerryanne Tawhai

QLD

MIQ

Ethan Matthew McPhail

SA

TMIQ

Luke Curran

SA

MIQ

David John Schwarz

SA

The Central West sub-branch gathered in Orange on Thursday, 25 November for an afternoon meeting followed by a networking dinner.

AIQ

David Barry

SA

TMIQ

Andrew Brasser

VIC

TMIQ

Rachel Louise Dillon

VIC

Chairman Mitchell Bland and a group of 20 attendees welcomed Andrew Palmer, the Manager of Mining Competencies and Authorisations, Russell Wood, Principal Inspector of Metex and Petroleum, and Ron Dillon, Mine Safety Officer from the NSW Resources Regulator Department.

A presentation was delivered on the framework for quarry manager competency requirements, the different practicing certificate tiers, and the Maintenance of Competence scheme.

The IQA’s education co-ordinator Emily Logan joined the meeting to present an update on the suite of professional development courses on offer via the IQA. Emily also presented the group with an update on IQA’s logbook product that has been developed to support the industry in tracking their CPD hours to comply with the NSW Maintenance of Competency Scheme.

MIQ

Mathew Lees

VIC

TMIQ

Jayden Bosch

VIC

TMIQ

Bradley Connolly

VIC

TMIQ

Daryl Ford

VIC

MIQ

Morgan Day

VIC

TMIQ

Luke Webb

VIC

AIQ

Rodney Mark Kuzma

VIC

AIQ

Nishant Mohan

VIC

MIQ

Luke Campbell

VIC

TMIQ

David Kevin Miller

VIC

MIQ

Alex F Carlin

VIC

TMIQ

Allan Gibbs

WA

MIQ

Benjamin John Suda

WA

MIQ

Johannes Hendrik Barnard

WA

TMIQ

Kyle Matthew North

WA

NEW SOUTH WALES CENTRAL WEST SUB-BRANCH NEWS Evening Meeting & Networking Dinner

Quarry January 2022 55

IQA NEWS

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

Further details on the education opportunities available and the new IQA Logbook product can be found via the IQA website: quarry.com.au

TASMANIAN BRANCH NEWS WorkSafe Quarry Improvement Project Andrew Tunstall, the Tasmanian Chief Inspector of Mines and Major Hazards, spoke to the members of the Tasmanian branch on the third and fourth phases of WorkSafe Tasmania’s Quarry Improvement project. In 2019, Andrew spoke to the Branch about the projects first two phases.

• Phase 1: Plant guarding.

• Phase 2: Other hazards.

At the meeting on 10 November, Pam Atkinson, WorkSafe’s senior WHS consultant spoke about the changes to the exposure standards for respirable crystalline silica (RSC) soon to be introduced in the state.

Andrew provided a detailed update on: - Phase 3: Dust control and health monitoring.

• Phase 4: Safety Management System (SMS).

The IQA will be working with the regulator to deliver specific training on RSC and the SMS in the new year, and ensure the industry has access to resources and training to support quarries looking to align their SMS to current requirements or improve their overall SMS. IQA CEO Kylie Fahey presented Sam Benson with his membership certificate and welcomed him to the role of Young Member Network Coordinator. Sam outlined his plans to increase the number of younger people engaged in events, especially training and will be launching a number of activities in 2022.

After the workshop, members and nonmembers enjoyed a social networking dinner. The Tasmanian branch thanks Maxfield Drilling for its generous support of the workshop and dinner.

QUARRY ROADS & ONSITE VEHICLES WEBINAR Following on from a recent campaign by the NSW Resources Regulator Vehicle

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IQA CEO Kylie Fahey presents Sam Benson with his Membership certificate at the Tasmanian branch day on 25 November.

Incidents - Heading in the Wrong Direction, and continued high frequency of incidents involving vehicles both light, heavy, and mobile plant in our industry, the IQA developed the webinar “Quarry Roads and Onsite Vehicle Safety”.

This facilitated online webinar is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the safety, efficiency, and productivity considerations for managing haul roads and transport in quarries and improving collision avoidance.

The IQA launched the first webinar on 12 October, which sold out swiftly, resulting in a second session being delivered on 25 November. David Eckford was pleased with the learnings from the webinar stating: “The webinar was well presented, the content was interesting and I got a lot out of it.”

For those that missed out, registrations are open now for the next Quarry Roads

and Onsite Vehicle Safety webinar, to be held on Thursday, 7 April. For more information, visit the IQA website: quarry. com.au/events

GET INVOLVED IN THE IQA Quarry Magazine Content Advisor – contract role The Quarry Magazine Content Advisor is responsible for supporting the technical accuracy of articles in Quarry magazine (print and electronic). They are responsible for providing advice to help with factually correct technical information. The contractor will collaborate with the editor of Quarry, the IQA CEO and the magazine’s editorial panel to identify relevant news stories and support editorial content.. For more information, download the EOI form from the IQA website: quarry.com.au (> Extractive Industry > Our Partners).

IQA NEWS

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

REAFFIRMING THE INDUSTRY’S

COMMITMENT TO MORE SUSTAINABLE OUTCOMES Significant action is occurring to address climate change and build a sustainable future for our industry and future generations. Across the sector, and as members of the Institute, we acknowledge that our industry is instrumental in delivering the built environment. Equally, it is at the forefront of solutions that will support outcomes for decarbonisation and sustainability.

All parts of the industry are delivering innovations and new ways of working to support a more sustainable future. The IQA will be looking to support the industry and the agenda to reduce emissions, use primary materials more efficiently, improve the use of recycled materials and enhance restoration.

We will be partnering with other peak bodies and the IQUK to offer a number of resources addressing a range of sustainability issues and projects and share best practices in this space.

As the sector continues to innovate to deliver

Membership Review Committee nomination The IQA is seeking an EOI for up to five additional representatives from industry, branches and sub-branches, and suppliers to join the Membership Review Committee (MRC). The MRC’s role will be to: i) Determine applications for member status, where applicants do not have a formal or exempting qualification. ii) Determine applications for membership that are referred to it by the National Office staff or Chair of the Committee. iii) Determine applications for membership that are referred to it by applicants that are not happy with the decision of the National Office staff or Chair of the Committee. iv) Review and provide recommendations to the Board via the Chief Executive Officer on all nominations for Fellowship. v) Review and provide recommendations to the Board via the CEO on all nominations for Honorary Fellowship.

products in ways that minimise carbon emissions, we are adapting and delivering real change. Much of the change in delivering more sustainable outcomes is reliant on the adoption and development of new technologies.

As industry professionals, these changes for the sector will drive the need for developing new skills and job roles. It will require us to align our traditional core skills with new techniques and processes. Managing the workforce of the future is here to stay.

Proudly, the IQA’s 2022 conference will host the largest exhibition of any IQA conference of the last 64 years. Many of our exhibitors and sponsors will be showcasing innovations, products, equipment and services that focus

vi) R eview and provide advice to the CEO on all membership matters. vii) Review and provide advice to the CEO on strategies to sustain and grow membership. viii) Refer matters of Committee composition, membership guideline amendments, membership grades and annual membership fees to the Board via the CEO. For more information, download the EOI form from the IQA website: quarry.com.au (>Membership Review Committee).

on sustainability and improved environmental outcomes. Equally, the program will address sustainability, future challenges and the engagement of the workforce.

KYLIE FAHEY Chief Executive Officer Institute of Quarrying Australia

EDUCATION EVENTS – EARLY 2022 - The first two webinars on the Victorian Earth Resources Regulation Update on annual reporting requirements were recently sold out. Watch this space for more details on another webinar.

- The Slope Stability virtual workshop will proceed on 24 February, 2022.

- Quarry Products Technical Training virtual workshop will proceed on 22 March, 2022.

- The Electrical Awareness virtual workshop will be conducted on 6 April, 2022. •

UPCOMING BRANCH EVENTS - EARLY 2022 • 11 February, 2022

NSW Student Presentation Night, Sydney.

• 21 February, 2022

NSW YMN Site Tour and Lunch, Albion Park.

• 24 February, 2022 SA Diversity and Inclusion Conference, Adelaide, brought to you by the SA division of the Women in Quarrying Network.

The full calendar for 2022 branch events is available on the IQA website: quarry.com.au

Quarry January 2022 57

GEOLOGY TALK

STONE TOOLS DISCOVERED WITHIN FORMER ROMAN ENCLAVE IN MOROCCO

Stone utensils, including millstones, presses and mixing vats, have been recovered from the ruins of Volubilis, in Morocco.

A reconstructed Roman olive press in Volubilis.

An analysis has been conducted of the stone tools recovered from a former outpost within the Roman Empire. The discovery highlights how ancient bakers and millers relied on the local geology to acquire the correct tools.

compared to being sourced from different places around Volubilis.

Overall the study has been a great example of collaborative research,.

“It is hardly the only collaboration between geologists and archaelogists, but an excellent one,” Roman settlements expert Elizabeth Fentress said.

“The key is, as here, that the archaeologists ask the right questions and use their knowledge to interpret the answers.”

The research paper on the stone tools of the Volubilis stones can be found in the latest Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.2 •

T

hrough an analysis of the tools, scientists and archaeologists at the Austin geology lab of the University of Texas were able to identify dough mixing vats and millstones that linked the city of Volubilis, Morocco.

Volubilis has been known to be the site of previous Roman-era ruins which were made from specific rock types which would have aided the tools’ function.

A continual analysis conducted by the researchers discovered that the stones were sourced locally, a discovery that challenges a theory that some millstones had been imported from afar.

The discovery also highlighted how the craftspeople who made the tools may have received input straight from the workers who used them.

The study’s co-author, Assistant Professor Jared Benton of the Old Dominion University, said that “it is interesting because it is a very local source and

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seemingly from one source”.

“One wonders if there’s not a group of bakers that are coming together and saying let’s buy our stuff from this one quarry, or maybe there’s just one guy who [sells the stones], and that’s it,” he told the UT News website.1 The research was also able to identify the original tool for each rock type.

Grains millstones were made from vesicular basalts (a volcanic stone full or sharped-edged pores) and olive mills were made from clastic, fossiliferous limestone (a limestone containing fragments of other rocks and small fossil shells).

The study also notes how the rocks’ attributes relate to each tool’s function.

This can be seen in the pores of the basalt, which may have helped provide new edges that could help grind wheat into flour as the stone was worn down.

In addition, the research found that each rock type came from one location

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING UT News, University of Texas. Roman-era mixers and millstones made with geology in mind. news.utexas.edu/2021/09/21/ roman-era-mixers-and-millstones-made-withgeology-in-mind/ 1

2 Weller D, Orlandini O, Benton J, Schirmer C, LoBue L, Culotta S. Provenancing the stone tools of Volubilis, Morocco: A Socio-economic interpretation of stonework lithologies. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports; Vol 38, August 2021. doi. org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103105

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