Precisionscreen’s expansive range of blending systems is drawing positive reviews from clients around Australia.
40
Steve Franklin explains quarry planning: what works, what doesn’t, and why.
44
NZ QUARRY CONSENT
NZ is considering changes to its consent process, and a leading advocate body is eager to include quarries.
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Screenmasters
22 Terrific tech
John Deere has revealed a new partnership with a leading technology company to bolster its offering for quarry customers.
24 Top-tier training
Komatsu prides itself on providing a first-class training pathway for its workers.
28 Training tailored for success
The Lincom Group has unveiled a new technical institute.
34 KLEEMANN’s cone crusher
The MOBICONE MCO 11 PRO mobile cone crusher has been built with flexibility and sustainability in mind.
36 Pioneering sustainable construction practices
Volvo Construction Equipment has unveiled its first zero-emission machines to the Australian Market.
38 Expertise to depend on Australia Drilling Attachments provides customers with the ideal drilling attachments.
44 Rapid crushing
How Cedarapids’ cone crusher series became a trusted brand in aggregate production.
Ancaro Imparo is an Italian phrase, often attributed to Michelangelo who supposedly said it while working on the St. Peter’s Basilica. In English it means “I am still learning”, a reminder that even the masters are finding out new tricks.
When it comes to quarries it’s even more important to be well informed. This knowledge pays off, as understanding how to make the most out of new (or existing) equipment will allow you to make the most out of the day.
As quarries are often in remote locations, learning how to properly care for and maintain the expensive, vital equipment can also bolster a site’s self-reliance. There is also the matter of safety – if you don’t know what to do, you may be putting yourself or other people at risk.
As technology marches onwards, new skills become relevant.
Learning how to access and use the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 equipment is becoming more important in the modern industry.
The Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA) prides itself on
offering comprehensive courses for the quarrying sector, offering education for all manner of topics, from regulation, to leadership, or emergency management.
In fact, educating and connecting the industry is the IQA’s entire purpose. Companies such as Boral, Hanson, Holcim, Delta Rent, and more have taken advantage of the Institute’s corporate training and workforce development programs. Its training provides technical and non-technical skills, and can help ensure businesses meet their duty of care and competency equirements.
Original equipment manufacturers are also embracing training for their customers. They have an in-depth understanding of their own equipment, letting them provide specialist advice for customers. Some can even tailor make training courses specifically for individual quarries or customers.
Education is a lifelong journey, so embrace the opportunity.
William Arnott Editor
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Registrations for the IQA conference to be held in Adelaide from 15-17 October 2024 have opened.
With the theme of Innovate and Create, the conference will shine a spotlight on new ideas and concepts in the industry including sustainability, reducing operating costs and driving progress through digital transformation.
We have a line up of impressive speakers, including our keynotes Claire Madden, Author and Social Researcher and Stefan Hajkowicz, Principal Scientist in Strategy and Foresight, CSIRO. Early bird conference registrations are available until June 2024.
The prestigious IQA National Awards will be presented at the Conference. I strongly encourage you to nominate outstanding leaders in the categories on the IQA website.
Nominations are open now and welcomed for both IQA members and non-members, excluding the President’s Medal.
It is my pleasure to announce that Jane Schmitt has joined The Institute of Quarrying Australia as our Chief Executive Officer.
Jane brings significant experience from various sectors in addition to a professional background as a lawyer, business strategist, senior executive and board director. Her strong relationship skills, professionalism and commitment to excellence are highly regarded and will be important assets for IQA.
As CEO, Jane will continue our core focus on educating and connecting people engaged in the extractive and associated industries, while ensuring that IQA stretches out into new opportunities to enhance our membership offering.
Jane’s extensive skills and experience will help propel IQA forward through close partnerships with members, stakeholders, and other like-minded organisations. Jane officially commenced in her new role from 1 May 2024. I am delighted to welcome her to IQA team.
A safe industry is a thriving industry –which is exactly why the IQA has long been a champion of supporting safety throughout the sector.
Our vision is to see thriving communities supported by a sustainable industry.
To do that, we need to support industry participants with compliance and regulation, build a diverse and skilled industry workforce, and foster a strong industry connectivity.
To deliver this, we will need to work collaboratively with regulators to develop a coordinated approach to regulation implementation and support bestpractice when it comes to compliance and regulation.
This relies on industry participation –the right outcomes won’t happen without a listening to quarries and engaging with the realities on site.
That’s part of why the IQA, in conjunction with Resources Safety & Health Queensland, will encourage the industry to explore issues relating to safety at this month’s Annual Queensland Quarrying and Mining Safety & Health Conference.
On Friday, 14 June, at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition, the resources industry will come together to discuss the important safety and health issues relevant to the quarrying and mining industries.
A trade exhibition will also be held in conjunction with the conference.
I invite you to come along and trade ideas, learn about the latest safety equipment and regulation, and to keep safety front of mind.
Future events will be hosted in other states to ensure the geographically diverse industry can come together and share their knowledge.
Duncan Harris President Institute of QuarryingAustralia
AS CEO, JANE SCHMITT WILL CONTINUE OUR CORE FOCUS ON EDUCATING AND CONNECTING PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THE EXTRACTIVE AND ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES,
and
www.quarry.com.au
The IQA’s Strategic Plan 2023 to 2026 embodies the following vision, values and strategic priorities:
Thriving communities supported by a sustainable industry
Operational Priorities:
• Deepen industry participation
• Sustainable revenue streams
• Highly capable team
• Technological innovation
• Effective engagement
• Great governance
Strategic Priorities:
• Support industry participants with compliance and regulation
• Build a diverse and skilled industry workforce
• Foster strong industry connectivity
IQA Contacts:
Phone: 02 9484 0577
Email: admin@quarry.com.au
Chief Executive Officer
Jane Schmitt
Deputy President
Sarah Bellman
Company Secretary
Rod Lester
For all education, member and branch enquires please email: admin@quarry.com.au.
We work with quarry operators to maximise the value of their resources through effective quarry planning, conducted by highly experienced, qualified mining engineers. Our integrated team provides an end-to-end solution that results in the highest NPV pit design that is geotechnically and operationally sound. Ask us how we can help with your next quarry design.
CDE has revealed that it will return to Hillhead later this year for a major product showcase that will include a ‘global reveal’.
The sand and aggregate wet processing solutions specialist will deliver the reveal at its stand – A11 –on June 25 at 10.30am.
The company has confirmed it will present the AggMax 252SR scrubbing and classification system and the latest generation of the FreeFlow, the fully-mobile
washing solution for aggregate and sand classification.
“Our plans for Hillhead this year really reflect our commitment to innovation and our desire to elevate the industries and sectors we operate in,” CDE UK and Ireland director of business development David Kinloch said.
“Alongside the AggMax – the backbone of the CDE process and the driving force behind countless natural processing and waste recycling
“OUR PLANS FOR HILLHEAD THIS YEAR REALLY REFLECT OUR COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION AND OUR DESIRE TO ELEVATE THE INDUSTRIES AND SECTORS WE OPERATE IN.”
DAVID KINLOCHsolutions around the world – will be the latest generation of our FreeFlow and the global reveal of our newest product innovation.”
The company will also debut its most efficient water management solution to date, which it says promises greater functionality, improved maintenance access and safety, speed, automation, and material versatility to offer operators the best value per ton processed.
The FreeFlow is designed and built onto the bed of a semi-trailer for optimal mobility, the plant helps achieve maximum in-situ material recovery and boasts integrated water storage and recycling.
The AggMax combines prescreening, scrubbing, organics removal, sizing, stockpiling, fines recovery, and filtrates removal on a compact chassis.
CDE will be joined at Hillhead by strategic partners Molson Washing, the specialist materials processing division of Molson Group, as well as Siemens Financial Services, to provide customers with expert guidance to support their investment in the latest wet processing technology.
The company is encouraging customers who want to know more information about CDE and its wet processing solutions, to visit its stand A11, close to the registration pavilion. •
Holcim has expanded its global portfolio by signing an agreement to acquire Latin American concrete producer Tensolite.
Tensolite specialises in precast and prestressed concrete construction systems, with plants and a distribution network in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
“By acquiring Tensolite, we are further expanding our Solutions and Products portfolio in Latin America and globally,” Holcim regional head for Latin America Oliver Osswald said.
“Due to its leadership in innovative precast and pre-stressed construction systems, Tensolite will be an important part of our continued expansion into the most attractive markets, while offering
synergies with other business units such as our network of yard stores, Disensa.
“I am excited to further grow Tensolite and to welcome all 155 employees to the Holcim family.”
The acquisition forms part of Holcim’s Strategy 2025 to expand its solutions and products business to 30 per cent of Group net sales. The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals and clearance but is expected to close in later in quarter two of this year.
Tensolite was founded in 1979 and has become known for its concrete construction systems and customised projects including large civil works including grandstands and walkways. •
Heidelberg Materials has been given the green light to proceed with its acquisition of Mick George Group after making some concessions to the Competition and Mergers Authority.
Heidelberg Materials announced its intention to acquire earthmoving and demolition waste recycling contractor Mick George Group in 2022 before the CMA launched an investigation last year into whether the deal would impact the building materials market in England’s East and the East Midlands.
Heidelberg Materials had publicly said the acquisition was targeted at its circular economy approach.
“With the acquisition of the Mick George business, we are clearly moving towards establishing a truly circular materials and services offer in our UK business,” Jon Morrish, member of the managing board, said at the time.
The CMA had previously indicated publicly that it would be open to the two companies putting forward a resolution.
“In many areas where both businesses are active, sufficient competition will remain. But in some local markets, where
there are not enough strong alternatives to the merging business, the deal could limit customer choice,” CMA Senior Director for Mergers Colin Raftery said at the time.
“Unless the companies put forward a solution, we will need to take a deeper look into the potential impact of reduced competition in these local areas.”
Heidelberg and Mick George will divest parts of both businesses to Essexbased Brice Aggregates and Peterborough-based P J Thory. Heidelberg Materials and Mick George’s proposal was approved by the CMA, which allowed the acquisition to proceed.
Brice Aggregates will be the upfront buyer of Heidelberg Materials’ Needingworth quarry, while PJ Thory Holdings will buy the remaining divestment sites, according to the CMA report.
This includes readymix concrete businesses in Northampton, Market Harborough, Wellingborough, St Ives (Peterborough) and Ely. Also divested were the Earls Barton Quarry, Watlington Quarry and Kettering’s Ringstead Grange Quarry. •
During planned plant maintenance and shutdowns, conveyor belt cleaners, skirts, impact beds and other conveyor accessory maintenance is often overlooked, or service is performed by people who are not trained to service the equipment.
Unless conveyor accessories perform at optimal levels, belt damage, carry-back and spillage can result.
ESS provides competency-based technicians to specifically monitor and maintain conveyor belt cleaning, sealing and support systems.
ESS technicians inspect conditions and produce a condition report and maintenance plan that can be actioned by plant staff, contracting companies or ESS technicians.
ESS offers a range of flexible maintenance, monitoring and training services to ensure optimum performance from the plants conveying systems.
ESS Maintenance and Monitoring Services Include;
• Installation and Commissioning
• Service and Maintenance
• Inspection and Reporting Services
• On-site troubleshooting
• Site Compliant Vehicles and Equipment
• Maintenance Contracts
• Conveyor Accessory Maintenance Training
Heidelberg Materials had publicly said the acquisition was targeted at its circular economy approach.
Image: Mick George
Martin Engineering has celebrated a major milestone in its history, which changed the course of air cannon technology.
It has been 50 years since the USbased company invented the world’s first low-pressure air cannon.
It launched the Big Blaster in 1974 which was devised and developed by Carl Matson, a member of Martin’s senior team and cousin of the firm’s founder Edwin F. Peterson.
The patented technology was designed to dislodge stubborn material stuck to the inside walls of hoppers and silos by firing precisely timed bursts of compressed air to keep bulk material flowing and preventing the growth of serious build-ups and blockages.
The invention was originally aimed at quarrying applications in the same way the Vibrolator, the Martinpatented industrial ball vibrator, had found success in the quarrying industry since 1944.
Martin air cannons became a key invention for sectors such as cement. It signalled an end to workers having to access the interior of preheater vessels to manually break off hefty material build-ups using a highpressure water jet – one of the most unpleasant and hazardous jobs on a cement plant.
“From the very beginning, our air cannons were specifically designed to produce a quiet but powerful, high-velocity discharge of plant-compressed air to dislodge
“SINCE THE LAUNCH OF THE BIG BLASTER 50 YEARS AGO WE HAVE CONTINUED TO INNOVATE, INTRODUCING SMARTER AND EVER MORE POWERFUL AIR CANNON SYSTEMS THAT IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, PRODUCTIVITY AND SAFETY.” BRAD PRONSCHINSKE
buildups and enhance material flow,” Martin Engineering’s global air cannon product manager Brad Pronschinske said.
“They were developed to be capable of handling the high temperatures, harsh gases and abrasive, corrosive materials associated with heavy industries, and yet have low maintenance requirements and low costs.
“Since the launch of the Big Blaster 50 years ago we have continued to innovate, introducing smarter and ever more powerful air cannon systems that improve efficiency, productivity and safety.”
The company has continuously upgraded and innovated to ensure its air cannons are at the forefront of the industry. By the 1990s Martin Engineering had developed an extreme heat and velocity version of the Big Blaster, the XHV, with an all-metal construction capable of withstanding the harshest of conditions. In the 2000s Martin became the first to introduce safer positive-pressure firing valve with its Tornado air cannon.
“We’re especially proud that Martin air cannons have become so important in reducing the health and safety risks associated with clearing blockages manually – such as working in confined spaces, working at height, falling materials, and working in hot and dusty environments,” Pronschinske said. •
Peter Andrew has announced he will retire from the industry after more than two decades as part of Hills Group and Hills Quarry Products.
The group director of Hills Quarry Products will step down from his position at the end of the year but maintain an advisory role through 2025.
Peter Andrew began his journey with the company in 1999 before becoming the business development manager for Hills Quarry Products’ aggregate and concrete business in 2007.
He is a member of the Institute of Quarrying and the Institute of Waste
Management, represents the company at the Mineral Products Association, and is a representative on the board of QSRMC.
In a statement, Andrew reflected fondly on his time at the company and within the wider aggregates industry.
“It has been an honour and a privilege working with the talented and dedicated team within Hills Quarry Products,” he said.
“With a framework for future growth in place and the team as strong as it has ever been, now is the right time to announce my plans to step down.
“I will be working with my replacement and the wider Hills Quarry
The group director of Hills Quarry Products will step down from his position at the end of the year.
Products team to ensure a smooth handover and seamless transition for our customers. •
Kleemann hosted a successful Wirtgen Group Technology Days, which saw more than 2,000 guests from over 100 countries attend the headquarters.
The two-day event highlighted the Wirtgen Group’s achievements in digitalisation and sustainability through machines and technology for construction projects and industries.
The event had around 70 exhibits from Wirtgen, Vögele, Hamm, Kleemann, Benninghoven, CIBER and John Deere including 11 world premieres.
“Innovation is in our genes. As we are aware from the feedback we receive from our customers, there is increasing demand for smarter, safer
and more sustainable solutions in markets around the globe,” Wirtgen Group chief executive officer Dr Volker Knickel said.
“We have concentrated our efforts on this, and can now present stateof-the-art machine technologies and digital systems with which we support and assist our customers in all aspects of the digital transformation.”
Kleemann presented the new MSS 502i EVO scalping screen with an alternative, fully electric drive option.
Asphalt production offers the greatest potential when it comes to reducing CO₂ emissions. In response to this, the company group also presented the new generation of burners from Benninghoven, which supports the
“INNOVATION IS IN OUR GENES. AS WE ARE AWARE FROM THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVE FROM OUR CUSTOMERS, THERE IS INCREASING DEMAND FOR SMARTER, SAFER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS IN MARKETS AROUND THE GLOBE.”
DR VOLKER KNICKEL
use of up to four different fuels at the same time. This means, for example, that an asphalt mixing plant can be flexibly operated with the most appropriate energy source – including, for the first time, exclusively with green hydrogen.
The event also included several product demonstrations, which showcased technology in action from the Wirtgen Group. The demonstrations highlighted how Wirtgen’s production system solutions, including the use of low-temperature asphalt, concrete, and asphalt recycling, can deliver environmental and economic benefits by ‘doing more with less’ and allow companies to be ‘smarter, safer, and more sustainable’.
“This enables our customers to realise more construction projects with fewer resources, build and rehabilitate more infrastructure and simultaneously increase their profitability,” Knickel said.
He said that digital assistance systems and process automation will also contribute to offsetting the shortage of qualified personnel throughout the industry
“This also means that less experienced machine operators will be in a position to deliver qualitatively identical results to those a skilled specialist would achieve.”
Kleemann hosted the two-day event at its headquarters and conducted a tour of its production facilities.•
• Applications:
•
•
• Grain
•
• High-precision
From left: Kleemann GmbH CEO Alexander Knam and Wirtgen Group CEO Volker Knickel.
across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which process two million metric tonnes annually.
“We are excited that our offer to acquire SMI has been accepted. This transaction, once completed, will significantly strengthen and expand our operating footprint in North America with a resilient, key mineral platform at scale,” Sibelco chief executive officer Hilmar Rode said.
“The inclusion of a major glass recycler in North America into the Sibelco group will be an important step in the development of our activities in this segment outside of Europe, positioning Sibelco as a glass recycling leader in both Europe and North America.
“WE SEE SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THE SMI BUSINESS FURTHER, WHICH SHOULD PROVIDE OUR CUSTOMERS WITH BETTER ACCESS TO
QUALITY PRODUCTS OVER TIME.”
HILMAR RODE
its business portfolio. In 2022, the company spent $49 million via shares and project investment in mineral and silica mines developer Diatreme.
It follows a major shift in the company’s board composition with Depuydt revealed as the new chairman to succeed long-time chairman Bert De Graeve.
De Graeve will end his tenure at the April general meeting after nine years in the position which started in May 2015.
Depuydt, who was previously Ravago Group’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer, has been on the Sibelco board since May 2023.
Sibelco has revealed two key changes to its board and wider business which will form a major part of its strategy moving forward.
The company has recently announced the acquisition of North American-based Strategic Materials Inc (SMI) and the elevation of Paul Depuydt to board chairman.
The acquisition of SMI marks Sibelco’s entry into the North American glass recycling sector and expands its presence beyond Europe in that space. The acquisition includes SMI’s 42 plants and office locations
“We see significant opportunity to develop the SMI business further, which should provide our customers with better access to quality products over time.”
SMI chief executive officer Chris Dods welcomed the move.
“SMI could not have found a better match. Bringing together two longstanding glass recycling leaders from two different continents will elevate SMI’s operational capabilities and product offerings, ensuring continued longevity for our people, partners, and planet,” he said.
It comes on the back of Sibelco spending significantly to expand
The asphalt industry has farewelled Mel Green, a key figure who played an important role in advocacy and business level for the sector.
The Australian Flexible Paving Association (AfPA) advised Green passed away on April 29, 2024, after an extensive career in the asphalt industry.
Green served as national chairman of the AAPA (now AfPA) as well as its council, executive committee and the Victorian branch.
Ray Farrelly OAM, former AAPA chief executive and life member, reflected on their time together with the association.
“During his period of involvement on the AAPA national executive and as vice chair, and chairman, he played a key and passionate role in the growth of the
associations co-operative interaction and influence with governments at national and state level, leading innovating delegations to Canberra and most states, and the hosting in each, of working dinners with government ministers and opposition spokesmen, concurrent with supportive meetings with the heads of key government departments,” Farrelly said.
Green’s extensive career saw him start with Pioneer Asphalt in NSW before moving to Melbourne, where he left a legacy.
Green held senior roles with Readymix Asphalt and was involved in the merger that created CSREmoleum before helping establish Alex Fraser Asphalt.
Several industry figures came forward with public reflections on their time spent
The Sibleco shareholders’ meeting also confirmed Maxime Jadot, Séverine de Sadeleer, Curd Vandekerckhove and Paul Cornet de Ways-Ruart as new board members.
“We are delighted to welcome Paul and our new board members at such an exciting and challenging time for Sibelco,” Rode said.
“I would like to express my sincere thanks to Bert De Graeve and other retiring board members, whose leadership and guidance over the past years have been invaluable for Sibelco.”
Subject to receipt of U.S. regulatory clearances and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close towards the end of Q2 2024 or early Q3 2024..•
with Green with several posting their memories of the industry icon.
“Mel was at the forefront of asphalt recycling in the last century in Victoria and could see the benefits of recycling and as a group, we constructed trial sections of 100 per cent recycled asphalt using both foam bitumen and emulsion technology,” civil engineer Barry Schmidt posted.
“At Alex Fraser he pushed plant mixed recycling to new limits incorporating RAP and glass.”
Skillsy general manager Rachael Rooney posted: “Mel was such a delight to work with. I still remember his tenacity and sense of humour from working with him over 20 years ago. A sad day to lose another great one.” •
THE FACILITY WILL PROCESS HARD AND SOFT PLASTICS INTO RESIN8, WHICH CAN BE USED IN CONCRETE, MASONRY BRICKS, BLOCKS, PAVERS, AND ASPHALT.
operational – transforming used plastic into innovative, eco-friendly building materials for Australia, creating a circular economy solution,” CRDC Australian managing director Shane Ramsey said.
The RESIN8 product is currently being trialled by Hobsons Bay Council as part of its road maintenance project. The trial will see 1,350 kilograms of soft plastics will be turned into asphalt.
The state government is considering potentially incorporating RESIN8 into major infrastructure projects, including roads and buildings.
“This is a major step forward in diverting plastic and e-waste from
The first-ever soft plastics and recycling facility from CRDC Global in Australia has been hailed as a “major step forward” for building materials down under.
The facility was opened in Tottenham in Melbourne’s West recently after CRDC Global, in partnership with Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform
Victorian Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos (centre) attended the event.
Sometimes, quarry operators need an extra machine to get a job done without the risk of a full-scale financial investment.
A rental hire can help quarries add the missing piece to their fleet without that risk.
Delta Rent operates one of Australia’s largest earthmoving equipment rental fleets, featuring more than 450 high-performance machines.
The company can provide quarry operators with complete fleet packages comprised of new-generation, low-hour machines with an extensive range of attachments to suit their project specifications. Nothing in Delta’s fleet is over 6000 hours to ensure operators receive the latest and best equipment.
Delta Rent has some of the latest industry machines available for hire, including the HD785 and HD605 Komatsu rigid haul trucks, Hitachi and Komatsu excavators from 60t to 125t, and Hitachi Komatsu and Volvo excavators from 30t to 60t. Delta also has Hitachi excavators from 8t to 30t for smaller-scale jobs.
In line with an industry continuously embracing technology, Delta Rent’s fleet has full GPS tracking and telematics reporting supported by the OEM.
Delta Rent, committed to fast service, offers all customers round-the-clock support and transport and logistics support to relieve the pressure of organising machinery on-site.
Delta Rent operates one of the largest earthmoving equipment rental fleets of more than 450 high performance machines in Australia. It offers:
New generation, low hour machines – nothing over 6,000 hours
Complete fleet packages to suit site production outputs and safety specifications
• 24/7 service 365 days a year
• Fast delivery and rapid response services
• Full OEM GPS tracking and telematics reporting
• Large range of attachments available for hire
• Transport and logistics support
Terex Cedarapids has updated its MPVX cone crushers with a series of new features, including new ACE8 Advanced Automated Cone Controls, a hydraulic clutch and a bowl float monitor, to tackle the challenges quarry operators face every day.
Terex understands quarries are facing increasing pressure to cut costs, increase productivity and meet stringent requirements.
To achieve this, operators need crushers that maintain their productivity and limit downtime.
This is why the MPVX cone crushers have been outfitted with new ACE8 Advanced Automated Cone Controls, a hydraulic clutch and a bowl float monitor for reliability.
The new ACE8 control system will improve the crusher’s performance and reliability, ensuring it lasts the journey. The electronic bowl float monitoring system, which comes standard on the MPVX series, enhances cone protection.
The new hydraulic clutch acts as an anti-spin mechanism. The one-way clutch prevents the cone head from spinning within the empty chamber and prevents excessive wear.
With these features, the updated MPVX cone crushers will keep operators reliably crashing every day.
For more information, visit terexmps.com
To submit new product and equipment releases, email: les.ilyefalvy@primecreative.com.au
Its fleet specifics:
• HD785 and HD605 Komatsu Rigid Haul Trucks
• Hitachi and Komatsu excavators from 60t - 125t
• Hitachi, Komatsu and Volvo excavators from 30t to 60t
• Hitachi excavators from 8t - 30t
For more information, visit deltarent.com.au
Delta Rent operates one of the largest earthmoving equipment rental fleets of more than 450 high performance machines in Australia.
We understand that production is key for quarry owners and operators. In particular, the importance of high optimisation rates for the heavy plant and machines required to process raw materials and meet demand.
24/7 service Australia wide
Our late model, low hour and meticulously maintained fleet – combined with expert 24/7 advice and analysis from an experienced and professional sales team – ensures our clients maximise production output without compromising quality, safety or environmental performance standards. Expert advice and analysisPurpose built fleets tailored
Precisionscreen’s expansive range of blending systems is drawing positive reviews from clients around Australia. Quarry looks at how the Brisbane manufacturer made it happen.
Striking the right balance for blended products can be a tough task for operators.
Blended material needs to suit specific requirements, and in some cases versatile equipment is needed to handle multiple products to produce the final material.
Glencore wanted to enhance its pugmill setup. It was being used for a slurry application but needed to blend three products for cavity filling in its Mount Isa mine. Similarly, Mort & Co was looking to blend a manure product with three additional blend-ins.
Precisionscreen chief operating officer Jonny McMurtry told Quarry the two projects, which deliver vastly different end products, show the versatility of Precisionscreen’s blending equipment.
“Blending applications is a particularly growing field and interest from a couple of different markets including mining and agricultural,” he said.
“There’s also demand from open-cut mines and quarry-based applications as well.
“[Whether] that is blending multiple products, or some customers are just [looking] to blend two to three types of
sand or couple different aggregates. [These projects] are an extension on products that we already produce. It is just updating and adjusting our control systems mechanisms and specifications to match what the market wants and needs.”
Precisionscreen’s blending hopper enables operators to add in extra quality control without creating an operational headache. The
hopper works with Precisionscreen’s pugmills and is operated via the same control system.
In effect, this connection means the blending hopper and pugmill can be operated by just one worker.
“All of those blends are controlled by the PLC system onboard the pugmill unit. It takes the legwork away from the operator as it is all controlled and digitally monitored from the
control system,” McMurtry said. “We design the control systems on the pugmill with the operator in mind. Even though we’re adding on different circuits and extra units to be controlled by the PLC pugmill, it is still that single point of control once it is coupled up to the PLC pugmill unit.
“It will hydraulically and electronically operate off the pugmill powerpack and control system and it will read on the screen as part of the pugmill control system.
“The operator will see how much material is going through the pugmill plant as the main screen and function, but then it will tell them how much material is passing through the hopper bins and how they are being controlled from the pugmill system.”
The Australian company manufactures all its blending hoppers using a robust, heavyduty frame and triple-sealed bearings to withstand local conditions. Precisionscreen can design the blending hopper in various sizes, belt widths and number of bins to match the customer’s volume requirements.
The blending hopper is hydraulically controlled and feeds into the PLC controlled pugmill and enables the blending of multiple products.
For Glencore, Precisionscreen added two additional blending hoppers onto its existing pugmill set-up, which fed onto the pugmill’s main conveyor belt.
McMurtry explained to Quarry that the Mort & Co solution required a tailored engineering approach. Precisionscreen designed and manufactured an independent, three hopper system for the feedstock company which is controlled by the PLC system to blend the three products with the main product.
The PLC system can adjust the blending system’s speed based on the volume of material on the main conveyor belt of the pugmill. The feature ensures Mort & Co strike the right blend for its final product.
“The principles and controls of the pugmill system are essentially the same, it was just the additional controls and communications to these additional hoppers have opened new doors,” McMurtry said.
“We can both manufacture and produce units that are applicable to the applications or industries involved and then be able to service and support in the future as well.
“It is one of the big areas that we focus on.”
According to McMurtry, the company has received positive feedback from its customers about the blending systems.
“They are pretty impressed,” he said.
Precisionscreen has received positive feedback.
“This idea is a much more cost-effective solution than something they were looking to import and implement.
“The main thing that interested Glencore in these units was the adaptability. They were able to specify what they were able to do, and we designed, manufactured, and tailored it to their needs.”
Precisionscreen designs and manufactures its equipment at its Wacol headquarters to serve the Australian market as well as overseas customers.
Since it was established more than three decades ago, the company has refined and updated its product line with the latest innovations and technologies. Its ability to offer innovative design with lower lead times, compared to importing from overseas, has seen it generate a diverse range of clients.
The blending hopper, much like Precisionscreen’s pugmill range, has been upgraded over to time to meet the needs of the Australian market, according to McMurtry.
“We’ve been building blending hoppers for around 20 to 30 years, but the new control systems have been adapted and developed over time,” he said.
“On the new blending hoppers, we offer load cells for material volumes or weights passing over the belt. We can have control systems speed up or slow down to match what’s needed in the blending requirements.”
McMurtry said the technology took away the guesswork from operators needing to monitor the material flow across the blending system.
“As opposed to doing some mental calculations throughout the day, if you’re doing batches or certain runs, the PLC control system will record the volume of material going through the pugmill (and) the volume of material that is coming from other units joined to the pugmill,” he said.
“It will give you better information and better control of what is passing through all these units. It is much easier for the companies to understand what their expected output is each day.”
The Brisbane-based company has a specially trained team which enables it to provide strong after-sales support to all customers.
McMurtry said Precisionscreen has a focus on providing efficient, localised service and support.
“Being able to do that in an effective timeframe is pretty important for all (our) customers. Being able to hear their requirements offer standard products adjust them as needed, and then quickly fabricate and manufacture them is important,” he said.
“(With Glencore) we’re Brisbane-based producing for a Queensland mine so we’re able to service and support them in real-time based on their needs and requirements,” he said.
“Being Australian-made equipment, they know they can have that level of support.”
With its focus on service and support, Precisionscreen has designed systems to strike the right blend for its customers. •
For more information, visit precisionscreen.com.au
New Zealand is considering changes to its consent process, and a leading advocate body is eager to include quarries in it.
Regarding New Zealand, one of the biggest concerns of the quarrying sector is the consent process.
Aggregates and Quarry Association of New Zealand chief executive Wayne Scott, the former president of the Institute of Quarrying Australia, is clear in his concerns for the sector.
“New Zealand is endowed with a lot of rock; the country is covered in it, and we’re lucky to have a lot of it, but access to it is getting more and more difficult,” Scott told Quarry
“New Zealand’s rock and sand has always been pretty accessible, so I think people tend to ignore it, but over time, it has become hard to get developments consented.
“It has had an inevitable impact on construction.”
New Zealand’s geography and aspirations makes it a case study for the use of aggregate. It has an extensive road network and a large infrastructure pipeline worth $210 billion, which means its aggregate demand is set to remain consistently high.
This would mean a strong supply of aggregates is required to fulfil the infrastructure plans, but previously, the consent process has been hard and expensive for operators to navigate.
Recently, the New Zealand Government, led by the National Party in coalition with ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First, has proposed changes to the Resources Management Act, which it says will improve the process.
According to the government, among other changes, it will give priority to regionally and nationally significant projects, list projects that will be first to have their consent approved and conditions set by an expert panel, and allow government ministers to refer projects to the fast track if they meet specific criteria. According to reports, in effect, the new policy would allow ministers to effectively consent to projects themselves while expert panels can apply relevant consent and permit conditions.
“For too long, New Zealanders have had to wait for progress in their towns and cities due to the overly-restrictive RMA,” RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said.
“This situation is stifling economic growth and improvements for the environment and the community.
“We have taken the first steps in cutting through this mess of red tape so we can supercharge New Zealand’s infrastructure.”
Scott and the AQA have welcomed the move but have indicated their desire to see quarries included on the fast-track list. They also hope to see changes in the national policy statements on highly productive land and indigenous biodiversity, which have held up some quarry consents.
Scott wrote a letter to the New Zealand Government in February stating that infrastructure projects would require a consistent supply of aggregate and sand.
“Not only do we need some quarries on the fast-track list, we can’t afford to lose
other nearby sources of good rock supply to competing development,” he said.
“All these projects will require aggregates and sand, so some quarries must be on that list.”
In some ways, it is a situation that New Zealand has seen before. The previous Labour Government introduced a fast-track process for “shovel-ready” projects during COVID-19.
Under that legislation, the then Environment Minister David Parkes could refer projects to be fast-tracked to an expert panel for assessment. At the time, the government said applicants could have a “high level of certainty” that the resource consent would be obtained if the project was fast-tracked to the panel.
When the legislation expired in June last year, 42 projects listed had no expert panels appointed.
Scott urged anyone in the infrastructure sector to be cautious about these changes.
“There could be 100 of these (fast-tracked consents). Each will need to be considered by an expert panel with people with the necessary skills, supported by staff from various government agencies to provide all the required information,” he said.
“Even those projects approved under fasttrack processes which get an expert panel are still likely to be quite some months from go to whoa.”
However, more advocacy groups increasingly highlight a need for further quarry application consents.
The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission highlighted a need for aggregate material in 2021.
According to its Infrastructure Resources Study, the commission found the quarry industry faced “significant challenges” in meeting spikes in demand for infrastructure projects.
This was partly due to quarries’ long lead-in times but also because consent conditions,
including operating hours and the number of trucks allowed in and out of the site, limited quarries’ ability to increase production.
“We have seen examples of major projects causing significant disruption to aggregate supply, such as Transmission Gully in Wellington.
Local quarries are limited in how much they can increase production, causing shortages for other projects and even for ‘business as usual’ services,” the report read.
“These materials are critical for the future of infrastructure. Increased demand transparency, such as Te Waihanga’s pipeline, are critical to ensure sufficient material is available and there are not wider impacts on the rest of the market.”
According to Scott, the lack of support for the quarrying sector, particularly in highgrowth areas like Auckland, has been a long-term issue.
“In some parts of the country, you can’t even lodge a consent for a quarry at the moment,” he said.
“Auckland, our third biggest population market, is also a high-growth area; a new quarry hasn’t been approved there in more than 10 years.
“The material is having to come from further and further afield.”
Consents are being hampered in some cases by community objections, which can be lodged by anyone, even if they are not residents in the quarry area.
In one recent case in Christchurch, a large quarry consent had been approved, but close to 490 objections were lodged, more than 100 of them from people outside of the South Island.
Most quarry consent applications are appealed to the environmental court, which can be a long-term process.
In Australia, some quarries have faced community-mounted campaigns as they seek extensions for extraction consent or to create new quarry pits.
In Victoria’s northeast, one quarry has been subject to a long-standing community
campaign against it despite providing valuable material for the local area.
Scott said Australia and New Zealand shared some of the same circumstances in that respect.
“There’s no impediment to anyone objecting to a resources management consent; it has become very problematic,” Scott said.
“For local councils, there is nothing in it for them to approve it because they’re only going to alienate their residents or get themselves voted out.
“As an investor, who is going to stump up the money when there is so much risk and a diminishing chance of success.”
The AQA hopes the government’s new fast-track process will help the quarry sector mitigate the issues it has seen with consent applications.
“We need to start making sure we secure supply for the long-term,” Scott told Quarry.
“Or at least know where we are going to get it from. Otherwise, infrastructure is not going to happen.” •
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Technology is the way of the future in the quarrying industry.
Companies are increasingly investing in research and development in their technology, offering technology-based services and services to ensure customers are at the forefront of their respective industries.
John Deere has revealed a new partnership with Leica Geosystems to enhance its offering to the heavy construction and quarrying industries.
John Deere’s senior product manager for grade management, Mark Colvin told Quarry the partnership with bring new technologies and services to construction professionals.
“Working with Leica Geosystems is a tremendous opportunity,” Colvin said.
“(Leica’s) advanced technology solutions, paired with the power and performance of the John Deere construction equipment lineup, makes for a highly productive, efficient and seamless jobsite for our customers.”
Leica Geosystems, which is part of Hexagon, has more than 200 years of history and has made its name in positioning technology, sensors, and software services.
The company has worked across a wide range of sectors including construction, mining, and infrastructure with its product offering.
According to the two companies, their combined technology offering will deliver solutions to improve productivity and reduce material costs and the number of passes required.
The partnership will see Leica Geosystems’ technology, software, and services available
for customers to purchase on select John Deere construction equipment.
The technology will be available with John Deere’s SmartGrade platform. The SmartGrade technology is a fully integrated 3D mastless machine control system which was released in 2019.
The company’s SmartGrade machines are fully calibrated at the factory and have no external masts, cables or GNSS receivers to install or remove, which means John Deere machines are ready for work.
The removal of the external technology means operators can spend more time on their passes and grading without the need to mount and calibrate equipment, which eliminates downtime.
The SmartGrade system has an easy-to-use automation suite which operators can access to streamline common tasks to enhance productivity. The machine presets feature enables the operator to access multiple machine functions, features, and positions from one button.
The auto-articulation feature enables operators to combine front and rear steering. The auto-pass feature is one of the company’s newest additions to the automation suite.
It is used at the start and end of grading passes and enables operators to streamline their input. The technology has been a popular addition to John Deere’s motor grader and dozer line-up.
“The availability of SmartGrade with Leica’s solutions allows John Deere and our dealers to participate and support various jobsites
while meeting the technology needs of our customers,” Colvin said.
It comes on the back of recent data which indicates customers are increasingly investing in technology for their businesses.
A McKinsey report, From start-up to scaleup: Accelerating growth in construction technology, showed that the construction industry – alongside architecture and engineering – has spent an estimated $50 billion in technology between 2020 to 2022.
The estimated expenditure is 85 per cent higher than in the preceding three years.
Most respondents to the McKinsey survey indicated they expected to see similar expenditure in 2023 and in the future.
Leica Geosystems vice president for heavy construction in United States and Canada Troy Dahlin said the partnership was a strong combination of manufacturing expertise and technology.
“We are thrilled to be working with John Deere, a company that shares a similar culture and commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction,” he said.
“Together, we will bring new levels of accuracy, productivity, and accelerate the implementation of safe and sustainable workflows to the construction industry.
“This is helping our customers succeed in today’s competitive marketplace and enhancing their resilience for tomorrow.”
To see what automation upgrades are available for John Deere motor graders, contact a John Deere dealer. •
20 June, 2024
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Komatsu prides itself on providing a first-class training pathway for its workers.
Quarry looks at how its award-winning program is supporting quarries.
The quarrying sector has a long list of operators who expect knowledgeable service and strong skills from dealers and original equipment manufacturers.
Yet many industries, including quarrying, face a labour shortage as older workers retire.
That is why Komatsu invests heavily in its next generation. The company has an extensive training program that incorporates two multi-million-dollar training facilities in Brisbane and Perth.
When Komatsu opened its training facility in Welshpool, Western Australia, it increased the company’s annual investment in training past $12 million. The Perth facility includes advanced workshop training rooms, a 30t crane heavy lifting bay, and labs dedicated to hydraulics and electronics.
Quarry spoke to Janine Gurney, Komatsu’s general manager for strategic capability and Matthew Tosolini, national RTO and technical capability manager, who work within the Komatsu Apprenticeship Program, and Komatsu employees.
Last year, the company’s efforts in training and development received national attention at the Australian Training Awards. The event
innovations to their training, benefiting apprentices or local communities.
The company received the prestigious Australian Apprenticeships Employer Award for its apprenticeship program. The program is designed with institutions and industry bodies to ensure the program is at the forefront of any industry trends.
Tosolini said the company wanted its apprentices to learn continually.
“We have a strong focus at Komatsu to actively engage in the development of our workforce, whether that’s through our comprehensive apprenticeship programs, strong industry partnerships, or supportive workplace culture, it’s what sets as apart as a leader in the field,” he said.
“As labour shortages continue to be top of mind for our industry, we are immensely proud to contribute to the development of the next generation of skilled professionals and be recognised at such a high level for our training efforts.
“This achievement would not have been possible without the incredible effort of everyone at Komatsu. Thank you to our apprentices, staff, and all those who support
vocational education and training.”
Komatsu’s program is run by specialised trainers who ensure the company’s apprentices can maintain the customer’s fleet and deliver expert knowledge.
As a registered training organisation, the Komatsu Training Academy is held to rigorous standards to ensure learners receive the best education.
This is why Komatsu has invested heavily in both its Brisbane and Perth training academies.
The Komatsu Training Academy provides a range of training that can be customised to the learner. It provides online, on-site, and facility-based training, from fully accredited courses to short and topic-specific courses.
“We have two purpose-built education training facilities now. One is based in Brisbane, it is one of the most advanced technical training facilities for mining, earthmoving and utility equipment in Australiasia,” Gurney said.
“We also have a second facility based in Welshpool, Perth, where Komatsu has invested more than six million dollars in this state-of-the-art apprentice and training facility.
“It is a highly interactive, technically advanced, and globally connected facility designed to establish career pathways into high-technology areas in autonomous and smart construction.”
The company also conducts upgrade programs to continually upskill apprentices and employees to ensure their skills are among the best in the field. These programs have seen light motor vehicle mechanics become mobile plant fitters or diesel mechanics. Additionally, diesel fitters have been trained in digitisation to conduct remote safety checks and diagnoses.
Apprentice mobile plant mechanic Oonagh Keogh has been part of the Komatsu Apprenticeship Program. She initially decided to pursue the program after hearing “outstanding” feedback from others who had participated.
In her time at the company, Keogh was part of a team of apprentices at the Wacol branch that undertook a restoration of a
1976 vintage Komatsu D10A-1 track loader as part of the company’s 100th anniversary last year.
“I really enjoy the work that I get to do and the fact that I can learn new skills every day,” Keogh said.
“I’ve learnt everything from how to use different types of tooling to how to fix a hydraulic or electrical fault.
“Komatsu have provided me with constant support that goes beyond learning and training.”
Gurney said the program was already having a positive impact.
“The current challenges present an even greater need to create an industry-leading, future-focused training facility here in the West,” she said.
“Our award-winning apprenticeship program aims to deliver not just the technical skills but also gives our apprentices those life and business skills to help them thrive not only within Komatsu but the broader industry.”
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Apprentice mobile plant mechanic Harry Newell said he had no regrets about pursuing an apprenticeship with Komatsu.
“I knew Komatsu was industry-leading with a great apprenticeship program, so it just made sense to apply,” he told Quarry.
“Komatsu show me that they care by
supporting my technical and personal growth. If there’s an area that you’re passionate about they’ll provide you with the training and support to achieve your goals.
“I honestly enjoy that Komatsu encourages us to participate in charity work as a team.• For more information, visit komatsu.com.au
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Screenmasters has delivered the future of mobile crushing and screening with Keestrack’s hybrid and electric crushers and screens.
The quarrying industry is hurtling towards a greener, cleaner future. Many original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and dealers are trying to create more sustainable practices with greater efficiency for their customers.
Screenmasters Australia is at the forefront of this trend through its partnership with European OEM Keestrack. As part of the long-standing partnership, Screenmasters is bringing Keestrack’s ‘E’ range to Australia and unlocking the next generation of electric Impact Crushers, Jaw Crushers, Cone Crushers, Screens, and Stackers.
“The strong focus by Keestrack on mobile electric-plug-in and hybrid-driven crushers and screens, to reduce emissions and operating costs, is a big plus for end users and the Australian environment,” Screenmasters Australia general manager Andy Blythe told Quarry Fundamental to the ‘E’ range are Keestrack’s innovations in load-sensing hydraulics and drive options.
Keestrack first introduced the hybrid and electric drive options in 2012 and has continuously developed its drives to be among the “greenest” options available. The manufacturer developed the concept further to include a ‘ZERO-drive’ across all of its impact crushers and many of its Screeners, Stackers, Jaw Crushers and Cone Crushers.
This makes the Keestrack ‘E’ range ideal for businesses that want to lessen their environmental footprint regardless of
“A focus on sustainability is at the core of our company as this is the origin of our business,” Keestrack vice president for sales and marketing Frederik Hoogendoorn said.
“As these heavy-duty industries need very powerful drive systems, Keestrack kept on searching for alternative drive systems.
“From load sensing hydraulics, to e-drives and now we are going to ZERO drives. This way, we want to protect the planet and save money at the same time.”
ZERO-drive machines use an electric motor to power most of the mobile crushing and screening equipment without a combustion engine onboard. The electric drive has been developed so it can power some of the necessary hydraulic systems.
“At this point, electric drive systems are the greenest and most effective options on the market, as they are more efficient than conventional hydraulic systems,” Keestrack group president Kees Hoogendoorn said.
“It also makes the end-user less dependent on a specific engine supplier. If there is no electric plug-in available, the end-user can choose his own gen set or select one of the Keestrack (tracked)engine/gen-set units.”
Keestrack’s equipment features loadsensing hydraulics. The hydraulics can sense when a load is present and idle when not required, which saves fuel from being wasted. Keestrack’s internal data indicates this can save four to six litres of fuel per hour, a 25 per cent saving over conventional drives.
Keestrack designed the R5e Impactor to
The R5e has a fully electric version with an electric-driven motor and a conventional hydraulic mode with low fuel consumption.
The K8 Screen is one of the most versatile scalpers on the market due to its big screening area; according to Keestrack, it can make four products in one pass. As part of the ‘E’ range, the K8 screen is available in hybrid electric drive and full electric options.
The screen can perform heavy-duty scalping through to ultra-fine screening, and operators control the equipment with userfriendly controls.
“One of the big elements is that we believe Keestrack equipment is as good, if not the best, in respect to maintenance and service accessibility. The access [for maintenance on the machines] is as good as it gets and sets the standards,” Blythe said.
“In the grand scheme of things, not all machines are equal when it comes to maintaining them. Even simple things, like accessing a bolt to adjust belt tension— there’s nothing worse than taking 30 minutes to do a two-minute job.“
As Keestrack’s Australian dealers, Screenmasters can provide customers with complete support for its equipment across the country.
The company has offices in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria while its Wetherill Park office in Sydney stocks an extensive range of wear and spare parts.•
For more information, call Screenmasters on 1800 571 464.
CHe conducted a worldwide search by attending training courses to understand the best practice approach.
“We were told there would be a new refurbishment of the workshop, and as part of that, we would end up with space for a training institute,” he told Quarry
“Stephen Watterson, our CEO, had a clear and ambitious vision for this space and he gave me carte blanche to design a training facility that could support both new and existing customers.”
The company officially opened its new technical institute in April at its Narangba facility in Queensland. The institute will be a key part of Lincom’s offering and aim to help customers understand and utilise their equipment safely and efficiently, as well as troubleshooting any issues they may encounter.
thorough understanding of the equipment’s fundamental systems, coupled with practical tips and techniques for maintenance.
This dual focus helps to ensure that each participant can operate their equipment safely, efficiently, and at peak performance, instilling a sense of confidence in their abilities.
The facility itself consists of two parts: a computer-equipped training room and an interactive room that allows participants to get hands-on with the equipment. The idea is to allow those in training to identify faults, and there are plans to include cutaways to help visualise what is going on inside the equipment.
Evans said training can also take place in the nearby machine depot to help trainees get acquainted with the company’s range of equipment.
to apply what they have learned in a controlled, realistic environment, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.”
Lincom offers training for all brands within its portfolio, including Powerscreen, McLanahan, Morbark, Thor Global and more.
Evans said different customers have different objectives and requirements, so the company has avoided taking a “one-size-fitsall” approach.
Instead, the company offers a range of flexible training programs, designed to align with the client’s specific goals to ensure that each training session is relevant and effective.
“From refreshing the skills of experienced technicians to foundational training for new hires, the technical institute’s tailored programs
cater to a broad audience, accommodating their individual skill set,” he said.
“I get in contact with our customers and find out what skills and training their fitters might be lacking. Then, we provide specific training, from the very basics all the way up to advanced techniques.
“Everything is based on the feedback we get from our clients, and we use this to design a training plan.”
Each session starts with a discussion on safety. Evans ensures the topic is included in everything related to the training courses. It’s part of the company’s push to ensure the trainees are as safety conscious as possible.
almost 30 years ago, provides specialised equipment for a range of sectors – including quarrying. It has operations throughout Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands, with its head office based in Southern Queensland.
Many of the company’s customers are in remote areas, where telephone reception is poor and downtime costs are high.
Evans said if the company’s fitters are confident with the equipment and know how to fix it, they’ll be back in business much faster.
“This facility is industry leading,” he said.
“There’re no other players offering this sort of training. The commitment we have put into
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Seven Group Holdings and Boral have been locked in takeover negotiations since the start of the year.
If the mark of being truly famous is to be known by one name than few names are more recognisable than Boral in Australian quarrying.
The company attests to being one of Australia’s leading quarry operators, with around 76 quarries, sand and gravel pits in operation.
So, when Seven Group Holdings announced its bid to complete a total takeover of Boral earlier this year, it is fair to suggest it was news that rocked quarrying.
The bid was an extension of Seven Group’s efforts, which commenced in 2020 when the investment group, majorly owned by the Stokes family, acquired shares in Boral. After starting with around 20 per cent, Seven Group built up its stake to around 72 per cent and was the majority shareholder by the time of the new takeover bid.
“As a major shareholder in Boral, I can assure you that our priorities are aligned,” Ryan Stokes told shareholders in 2020, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“My role on the Boral board is to represent the interests of all shareholders. I am fully cognisant of the time demands to be a strongly contributing board member. And I can assure you that I have the time and energy to commit to make a valued contribution.”
In parallel to the boardroom maneuvers at the time, Boral had shifted its focus back to its Australian operations in this period. It happened first under then-chief executive Zlatko Todorcevski and later under current chief executive Vik Bansal.
It sold its overseas business ventures across 2020 and into 2021, including its North American fly ash business. The sale of the fly ash business for $755 million to Eco Material Technologies in 2021 was one example of this shift, while the sale of its halfshare in joint venture USG Boral to Germanybased co-owner Gebr Knauf KG for $1.015 billion was another. Some reports have put Boral’s divestment of its overseas assets at $4 to 5 billion.
“Our reshaped portfolio allows us to focus on strengthening the performance and profitability of our core Australian construction materials business,” Todorcevski said at the time.
When Bansal took over from Todorcevski in 2022, Seven Group were Boral’s majority shareholder and Ryan Stokes was chairman of Boral’s board. Bansal had previously been the chief executive at Cleanaway Management, but his start at Boral saw the company become the second largest contributor to Seven Group’s earnings, with only WesTrac
doing better as of earlier this year. As of earlier this year, Boral shares surged 64 per cent.
Seven Group’s faith in Bansal, which they made public on his appointment, had been rewarded.
“Vik is a seasoned leader with extensive experience and has a track record of instilling discipline and efficiency in complex businesses to create value for all stakeholders,” Stokes said in a statement.
“He is the right leader to guide the company into a new era.
“Vik has the passion, commitment and strategic leadership skills required to drive a performance orientated culture with a focus on productivity, stakeholders and leveraging Boral’s competitive advantages.”
In February of this year, Seven Group made it clear it was returning to buy up the remaining shares. It could be seen as a sign of confidence in the Australian construction market and Boral’s performance.
The original bid was a minimum of A$6.05 per Boral share, consisting of 0.1116 Seven Group shares and A$1.50 cash. The price was to rise 10c a share if Seven Group secured over 80 per cent and the Boral board recommended the offer, and a further 10c if it was past the compulsory acquisition threshold. Under this arrangement, the
maximum consideration would have been $6.25 per share, which Seven Group stated was its “best and final” offer.
Seven Group made it clear that if compulsory acquisition were not achieved, it would appoint a “majority” of Seven Group nominees to the board to be “proportionate” with its interest in Boral.
Boral initially advised its shareholders to take “no action” in response to February’s takeover bid.
The Australian quarrying giant organised a three-person independent bid committee to assess the offer before advising its shareholders.
Eventually, the committee urged shareholders to take no action after an independent expert, advisory firm Grant Samuel, assessed the offer as “not fair and not reasonable.”
However, its finding was “delicately balanced.” It noted that there was a case for accepting Seven’s offer if shareholders had a low tolerance for risk.
The assessor’s report, which came out in March, believed Boral’s price was closer to $6.50 to $7.13 a share due to a strong turnaround in performance and its surplus property portfolio, which the independent expert valued at around $1.4 billion and $1.6 billion.
Boral has joined forces with property developer Logos to transform part of its 1105-hectare former quarry in Deer Park,
Melbourne. At an investor meeting earlier in February, it was explained that the aim of the Deer Park plan was to generate a “long-term recurring earnings stream for Boral.”
However, Seven Group disagreed publicly with the independent assessor’s report.
“While we respect the work that the bid response committee has put into arriving at this recommendation, we obviously disagree with their assessment strongly,” Stokes said at the time, according to AFR.
In the background, Seven Group and Boral went back to the drawing board, and a new deal emerged in April.
Since its takeover bid in February, Seven Group’s stake in Boral had grown from 71.6 per cent to 78.8 by this time.
The deal was now comprised of 0.1116 Seven Group shares and A$1.70 per share in cash, as well as dividends for the stake it did not own in Boral. It was an increase from $1.50 and would see Boral shareholders receive A$6.16 to A$6.39 per Boral share, including dividends from both companies and $A0.13 per share in franking credits.
The independent assessor Grant Samuel revised their opinion as the deal being “reasonable” due to the new conditions presented by Seven Group, which was critical to the Boral independent directors backing shareholders to accept the takeover bid with the offer period extended to May 15.
After three months of negotiations, Seven Group has won the battle for Boral. •
The MOBICONE MCO 110 PRO mobile cone crusher has been built with flexibility and sustainability in mind.
The topic of environmental protection is of great concern to KLEEMANN – and to many of its customers as well. They want to be able to operate plants with as few emissions as possible.
Many regions and municipalities impose strict environmental regulations, which is why the company has designed the MOBICONE MCO 110 PRO mobile cone crusher.
For years, KLEEMANN has been working on developments and innovations to not only make the operation and performance of its machines a key focus, but also to provide an environmentally friendly solution.
These developments directly impact the environment and quarry in a positive way by lowering fuel costs and making operations more economical. In addition, efficient noise protection and dust-reducing concepts protect employee health.
As a specialist original equipment manufacturer in mobile equipment for mineral processing, the company has made a commitment to both people and the environmental technologies.
Sustainability also means optimising processes. After all, if components wear quickly, new components must be produced with a high material and energy input.
Kleemann’s application technicians keep a close eye on consumption, wear and tear, as well as the protection of employees, to make its machines not only more efficient, but also safer and more sustainable.
The mobile cone crusher has an extremely robust design and very high performance, making it ideally equipped for versatility across most quarrying applications. The combination of the large-stroke cone
crusher, powerful crusher drive and sturdy crusher design ensures maximum crushing performance. High throughput is generated thanks to the three-arm design and large passage area. Optimum loading of the crushing unit guarantees a high final grain quality.
The MOBICONE MCO 110 PRO’s continuous feed system ensures the feed material is always conveyed with maximum efficiency through the machines. The filling level of the crushing chambers is monitored continuously, and the feed is adapted to the process. This optimised process ensures that material wear is as low as possible. Furthermore, fuel consumption is also reduced.
It is always crucial to find the right machines and solutions to meet a job’s specific requirements. KLEEMANN designs its machines to operate in a way that is material- and fuel-saving with low wear. To be effective and therefore resourcesaving, the system should be neither too small nor oversized.
Wirtgen Australia’s staff help customers plan all processes in great detail, simulating the process in advance via the support of its local and factory Aggflow support teams. This is how KLEEMANN, together with its customers, makes a valuable contribution to protecting the environment. •
For
With people, machines, and budgets all depending on your excavator, you need to know you can depend on it. And with John Deere’s E380-II Excavators, you more than can. Built tough to deliver excellent uptime with heavy-duty booms and arms, a robust electrical system, and optimized hydraulic routing, they provide the exceptional performance and fast work cycles you need to deliver the job on time, every time.
Volvo Construction Equipment has unveiled its first zero-emission machines to the Australian Market.
In a strategic move towards sustainable and efficient equipment solutions, CJD Equipment has expanded its range of electric machines to align with growing demand for sustainable construction practices.
While these compact electric wheel loaders and excavators are not commonly used for quarry applications, CJD Equipment sees this as a pioneering step towards a greener and more technologically advanced future for the industry.
“We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Volvo Construction Equipment’s Electric machines in the Australian market,” Grayden Leaver, CJD Equipment’s executive general manager – sales and marketing, told Quarry.
“Volvo CE’s commitment to leading the industry in this space reflects their proactive approach to meeting market demands. Our partnership underscores a shared pride in leading the transition towards sustainable equipment, marking a pivotal step in shaping a more environmentally conscious future for construction.”
“We are confident that the success of these compact zero-emission machines will pave the way for the introduction of larger, more powerful machines in late 2024, specifically designed to meet the demands of the quarry sector.”
Volvo CE is focused on the need for collective action to combat climate change and reduce its and its customer’s environmental footprint. The company has set an ambitious goal to achieve net-zero value chain greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, with significant emission reductions as early as 2030. This goal reflects its dedication to addressing climate change and promoting sustainability throughout its operations and supply chain, research and development of sustainable machinery—hybrid and electric—and embracing the circular economy principles with its Reman Parts program.
Volvo CE’s introduction of zero-emission construction machines in Australia marks a significant milestone in the industry’s transition towards sustainability. By embracing electromobility, construction, quarrying, mining, and waste, companies can reduce their carbon footprint, comply with emission regulations, and contribute to a cleaner and greener future.
Volvo CE’s zero-emission machines introduced into Australia perform the same as their diesel counterparts but have
additional advantages such as near silence, reduced vibrations, and a more comfortable work environment. These electric machines enhance the overall work experience, open new business opportunities, and help companies adhere to emission regulations.
All Volvo CE’s zero-emission machines in Australia have charging solutions, allowing quick and efficient charging to ensure seamless operations. These machines are fast-charge ready, where an off-board solution can allow a complete charge in around one hour, enabling construction companies to plan their activities effectively. CJD Equipment collaborates with customers to calculate the expected operating time and provide the optimum charging solution tailored to their needs.
“The launch of Volvo’s emobility construction equipment in Australia marks a significant step forward for sustainable construction practices in the country. We believe these machines will be a gamechanger for the industry, and we’re excited to see how they will transform construction projects across the country,” Reid Gibson, CJD Equipment’s product manager – electric and sustainable technologies, said.
The 23-tonne EC230 Electric is the first medium-size in-house-designed electric excavator in the industry. It has already proved successful in a variety of commercial applications in Europe and Asia. The machine has already shown significant progress as a versatile machine designed to operate in various applications comparable to those of a similarly sized diesel excavator.
The knowledge gained from utilising the EC230 Electric will play a crucial role in Volvo CE’s efforts to construct a desirable world through its electric solutions. This data will encompass aspects like productivity, cost,
and scalability, facilitating the creation of additional electric models. This endeavour will enhance the company’s offerings and support its partners and customers in achieving their continual goals of minimising climate impact.
By investing in the development of zeroemission construction equipment, Volvo CE aims to demonstrate its dedication to environmental stewardship.
For many years, CJD Equipment and Volvo CE have been supplying premium construction equipment tailored to the specific needs
of Australia’s diverse industries. Their collaboration over thirty years has ensured the delivery of high productivity, fuel efficiency, and safety solutions, enabling machines to operate at peak performance.
CJD Equipment has an extensive national support network, guaranteeing comprehensive assistance regardless of location or time. •
For more information, visit cjd.com.au
CJD Equipment collaborates with customers to calculate the expected operating time.
Volvo CE is focused on the need for collective action to combat climate change.
Australia Drilling Attachments has a wealth of experience supporting it to provide customers with the perfect drilling attachment.
Field knowledge is key to being successful within the drilling industry and vital in informing fit for purpose product and machinery choices.
Australian Drilling Attachments (ADA) understands the value of experience. The dealer has the backing of three leading companies to help provide customers with the ideal drilling attachment and solutions for their business.
ADA is the Australian distributor of USbased and made TEI Drilling Attachments and ChemGrout Inc. The two businesses have more than 40 years in manufacturing products for the American and international markets.
The US-based TEI was started in 1980 by Bill Paterson and developed a reputation for its quality drilling attachments. Since it was established, the company has specialised
in rock drill components, rock drill excavator attachments and limited-access drill rigs. All TEI products are designed and manufactured in-house by its own team of engineers at its ISO certified facility and are “uniquely patented”.
ChemGrout has been a long-standing presence within the grouting sector since being established in 1963. The company has sold and rented out its unique ChemGrout equipment to contractors and customers since 1969 and has specialised equipment production since 1978. With more than 60 years of experience, ChemGrout is known for its expansive portfolio of stock and custom grouting equipment solutions.
The ChemGrout mixing plant range covers paddle and colloidal mixing equipment, grout pumps, agitators, all their associated
accessories, and other specialty equipment.
The company focuses on ensuring its products are safe and cost-effective solutions for customers working on projects delivering high-spraying works and other applications to soil and rock.
Together, the TEI and ChemGrout products can create the ideal solution for drilling and installation. As the Australian distributor for the US brands, ADA has sold these solutions in the Australian tunnelling, mining and heavy construction industries.
One of ADA’s points of difference is that it has the backing of Quarry Mining Construction Equipment, as a subsidiary of the well-known Australian business.
Quarry Mining which has been working within the Australian quarrying and mining sectors for more than 40 years since it was established in 1983. The company has a proven track record in providing customised drilling attachments and related equipment to Australia as well as Asia, South America, and New Zealand.
Supported by the knowledge of Quarry Mining’s technical team, ADA can supply and customise TEI Drilling Attachments and ChemGrout products to create the perfect solution to suit the operation’s requirements.
“We know that every project has its own specific solution, so we offer more than just ‘off-the-shelf’ solutions,” the company said.
“Our team of drilling experts and engineers work together to design and develop drilling equipment to get the best results specific to the ground conditions and drilling challenges you face.
“It’s one way we make the drilling process safer, more productive and cost efficient for you.”
The ADA workshop, in Beresfield in NSW’s Hunter Valley, can design, commission, test, and fabricate custom-made hitches, bracketry and other components.
The CNC multi-tasking machining facilities enable ADA and Quarry Mining to make attachments as required by the customer.
“Our in house manufacturing facilities are state of the art and allow us to respond quickly to customers’ requests and to adjust workflows to meet changes in demand, so the customer can always be sure they will get the exact part they want, when they need it,” the company said.
When it comes to acquiring the best product, experience is the asset to depend on. • For
Steve Franklin, founder of Eltirus, has been active in the quarry planning space for some years now. He reveals the success factors relevant to this type of work, what works, what doesn’t, and why.
Anatural deposit such as a sand and gravel or hard rock deposit is a diminishing resource and it is up to the senior management of any construction materials business to maximise the financial value of that deposit (and minimise the environmental impact of operations), whether it has a projected life of one year or one hundred.
In looking at how to maximise value, the four things you most need to understand are the market, the competition, what it costs you to produce and the nature of the deposit itself. From a sound understanding of these four aspects, you can then think strategically and with a clear idea of your objectives, create the budgets and related plans needed to realise the maximum value. But how do you do this and what should you consider?
If you were to talk to the technical services manager of a large mining operation, they would tell you that there are generally three planning horizons:
• Long term
>5 years – Also called strategic planning and generally carried out at head office.
• Medium term
1-5 years – Normally conducted at regional office level
• Short term
< 1 year – Generally conducted at site level.
While the time horizons will vary business to business, these sub-divisions of time generally don’t and are as relevant for us in quarrying as for mining and generally accord with most quarry companies budgeting time periods.
When we talk about long term planning, we are talking about a strategic view of the deposit and the market around it, with the view to maximising its financial value.
The mining industry approach to this is to use optimisation tools (Whittle, Pseudoflow, GO) to determine the correct pit size and staging coincident with revenue, costs, environmental and capital inputs and constraints. This process is not a ‘once off’ activity, but one that is conducted whenever there is a major change in the inputs.
A good example of this would be the drastic change in nickel prices that would be forcing all the miners in this space to re-run their optimisations to determine what the correct approach is to the change in price (and perhaps if they even have a business worth keeping).
Remember this is a strategic exercise and one that often involves the consideration of not just a single deposit, but multiple ones that all interact/impact a single market.
Too often we see quarry operators with a fast-diminishing reserve, in a sold-out market, ‘following’ the price lead of others (who also have a similarly fast diminishing set of reserves) rather than taking a strategic look and realising that they could be better off to dramatically increase the price (and slow sales) to reflect the diminishing lack of supply into the market and maximise the value of what they have left. To do this, you need to have a very clear view of what your resource and reserves actually are (please note that resource and reserve are not interchangeable words).
Once it’s gone its gone, you can’t sell it again and not considering the position of your competitors reserves and your own is failing to think strategically.
Importantly, this process must be run and managed at a corporate level and must regularly review the medium-term planning to ensure alignment and identify possible value destruction before it occurs.
Other key factors to consider at a strategic level would be the need to ensure that the primary data that resource planning relies on is complete and accurate. This would include having an effective geological drillhole data base, geological model, long term schedule, pit plans.
At this level we would expect to see highly experienced principal geologists and mining engineers leading this process.
Your medium-term plan is designed to ensure that as the business and market change, this is reflected in how you run your quarry.
This would fit with the budget model that works on say two years of detailed planning and a further three years of less detailed information for a rolling five year look at the business.
This certainly makes sense, but what fascinates me is that companies generally prepare budgets in the absence of a mediumterm plan (or strategic plan for that matter) for the deposit. By way of example, many years ago I stepped in to help a site who had lost their mine manager and in short order was presented with the ‘budget’ for the site. My question was “where is the plan that the budget is based on?”. To which I received a whole range of blank looks and “what are you talking about” type answers. But here was a site that was waste bound (can we
strip ourselves or do we need a contractor?), had high hour equipment in need of repair (do we refurbish or replace) and a budget that in reality was just a ‘fiddle’ of the previous year. There was not even so much as a two-page memo on “these are the key things to consider”.
So while this article primarily considers the need to have a plan for your resource, I would suggest that a strong, activity based costing model that helps predict future maintenance costs and actions would also be a part of that planning process – certainly to help you understand the cashflow requirements.
More than anything else though, I would urge you to ensure that there is some write-up that reflects how the budget was arrived at – e.g. “these were the key things we were thinking about that need to be addressed and we have put aside this much money for them”.
This type of work would generally be conducted at a regional / state level and would
primarily be focused on ensuring alignment of the business plan with the market and resource plan and be focussed on an effective extraction schedule that would ensure that there was a clear understanding of what could be extracted from each deposit, how fast, in what quality and with a clear understanding of how much development was needed to achieve the plan.
It also needs to be conducted by experienced, competent, and qualified professionals who have the tools to really make this type of planning a reality. This is not the place for a graduate geologist or mining engineer and hope for the best. If this sounds harsh, I note a CEO who once did just this and then was quite critical of the young engineer and their lack of ability. “I sent them on a two-week training course, didn’t I?” was his justification. Frankly, you don’t do junior staff any favours by putting them into roles like this unless they are within a well-defined system with good mentorship and support.
• Heavy duty, apron or incline belt feeder with hydraulic folding hopper sides
• Jack up screen facility to aid mesh changes
• Hydraulic folding conveyors with excellent stockpiling capacity
• Hydraulic load sensing on under screen conveyor circuit and fines circuit
• Heavy duty triple shaft screenbox with adjustable frequency, timing, and amplitude
This type of planning is generally the preserve of the quarry manager and a good, experienced manager will have this in hand. The only real issue here is that when they leave the knowledge of the business leaves with them.
This is where things tend to go awry and why it is so important to have a documented plan and one that aligns with the mediumterm plan.
Interestingly we regularly see sites who will have gotten themselves in a pickle, needed help to get out of it and then stopped the thing that was successful – a good short-term plan, only to get themselves right back into trouble within a few short years. Things going well is generally indicative a good planning process – don’t stop.
Having a good strategy based on the market, the competition, what it costs you to operate and the deposit itself is vital.
To make the most of the deposit, you must have accurate information about it - survey, geology, geotechnical, and environmental information and this information must be available to the people who need it for decision making.
Management must insist on the level below them having a plan that is in alignment with the planning level above and it must be broken down into ‘bite sized’ chunks that are relevant to that part of the business. Managers must also review the lower-level plans for alignment.
A key problem we see is that for lack of a strategic plan, failures and errors in medium term planning are missed by senior management, often with significant consequences. There must be a review and feedback loop at this level.
Medium term planners creating schedules must be able to produce clear plans showing material movement, suggested blast blocks and designs that can realistically used in the field. People on the ground must have the tools to get the plan into the field and to monitor it. It is of absolutely no use to have a detailed pit plan and then not have the survey equipment to mark the plan out on the ground. Tools such as GPS rovers, drill rig hole navigation systems and loading tool machine guidance are not luxuries, but critical to ensuring that not only is the plan implemented, but that it is well implemented so that all the downstream savings that accrue from that can be realised.
Lastly, there must be a continual feedback loop between operations to ensure that as additional knowledge is identified in the field, it is fed back to the geologists and engineers to update and refine their models to ensure a more and more accurate planning process.
The short story is if you don’t really know the geological and geotechnical factors, don’t have an extraction schedule nor the survey tools to accurately place things, you are winging it. That’s possibly ok with a simple deposit but where the deposit is challenging and in with increasing regulation, operating this way is really exposing yourself to risk.
Have a strategic resource plan. If you don’t, work out what needs to be done to create
one, knowing that in many cases (for a large company) it can take years of work to collect up all the data, validate and collate it and bring it together into a cohesive system.
This might sound expensive and time consuming, but it is what is needed and the want of it is real expense.
To quote Oscar Wilde “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
There really is good value in effective strategic resource planning – if for nothing else than providing you a clearer view of the future to budget against and can help prevent some awfully costly mistakes.•
For more information, email steve.franklin@eltirus.com
for Aust ralia, Papua N ew Guine a and South East Asia
The New IMS-BP1200-48TB Track Blender, with four five-meter-long feed hoppers holding 12m3 each with separate feed hopper conveyors with attached belt scales and fully automate with a PLC control and recording system that can be operated with an iPad from a loader or site office. Powered by a Cat C7 Generator that can be connected to mains power, driving Nord Electric motors with variable speed and feed hooper stop/start sensors with remote. The genset can also drive a 24-meter radial conveyor. The BP1200-48TB can produce up to 1000 tonnes per hour.
IMS have added the new BP1200-48TB track electric twin power blender to its impressive collection of blenders and pugmills, the new BP1200-48TB has four separate feed hopper each five meters long holding 12m3 each. All feed hopper conveyors are fitted with belt scales and controlled by a PLC control and recording system that can be operated from an iPad or phone from its own Wi-Fi system from a loader or site office. A Cat C7 Generator powers the Nord electric motors all fitted with invertors offering variable speed to each feed hopper conveyor. The generator can be connected to mains power and could power an extra 24-meter radial stacker increasing the stockpile capacity.
A new IMS-PM1200-20TB Track Pugmill with twin 10m3 feed hoppers has just commissioned to Braeside Quarry on the New England Highway Warrick in Qld, the options the PM1200-20TB offered Braeside improved product management with the twin feed hoppers blending fines into roadbase to make spec or having two different products available ready for moisture control and CTB. The PLC control and recording system can be operated from an iPad in a loader managing all aspects of the operation including loading trucks and multiple trailers stopping when the required weight has been reached for each unit and recording the ID number of each load.
The BP1200-48TB can also work in conjunction with the IMS modular electric pugmill on skids producing up to 500 TPH of water or powder blended material and stockpiled with an IMS 24-meter radial conveyor with auto radial return.
IMS – PM1200-20TB Track Pugmill with two separate five-meter-long feed hoppers holding 10m3 each which can be extended to 12m3, the feed hoppers have the option of fitting vibrating hydraulic tipping grids. Both feed hoppers have front of hopper adjustable flow gates, variable speed, and belt scales with the option of being fully automated. There is the option of adding two powder hoppers and two liquids.
Quarry finds out how Cedarapids’ cone crusher series, which is built to last, has become a trusted brand in aggregate production.
With over a century in the business, Cedarapids knows how to design a crusher to last the journey.
The brand, part of Terex Minerals Processing Systems, has seen its crushers and pavers used in everything from expanding the United States roads in the 1920s to the war effort in World War II, building roads and landing strips for the military.
As an enduring name in the aggregates business, few are more trusted to build and manufacture crushers that deliver quality material and last the distance.
Cedarapids, celebrated 100 years last year, remains as prominent today as it began in 1923 under Howard Hall and John Jay.
Today, as part of Terex, Cedarapids crushers and equipment are used to support infrastructure projects globally.
In Australia, Cedarapids MVPX Series Cone Crushers support various infrastructure projects from state governments to local governments and private contractors.
The MVPX cone crushers are regarded as versatile equipment, as Terex designed them to withstand high production and negate downtime.
The series has three models in stationary or portable configurations ranging from 220 to 375kw. According to the company, these cone crushers can process up to 740 tonnes per hour, depending on the aggregate, with the capability to handle hard rock or recycled materials.
“Each machine offers you an array of competitive advantages from improved product quality to higher throughput
capacities to lower operational costs,” the company said.
This is achieved through several key features that are fundamental to the MVPX Series.
The cone crushers have a full-sized feed entry that can handle large slabs of feed. The head and chamber design, combined with the frictionless roller bearing, ensures the cone crusher can carry the load without material hang-ups. The roller bearings are frictionless, which, according to Terex Cedarapids, means they generate less heat and preserve the crusher’s service life.
tandem with the MVPX’s rotating wedge plate design to enable operators to crush more products on their first pass.
The anti-spin mechanism Terex built into the MVPX Cone Crusher to protect the wear liners further extends this service life.
The mechanism prevents the cone head from spinning when it isn’t under load, which saves excessive wear and extends the life of the liners.
The cone crusher is manufactured with a heavy-duty base frame that can withstand even the harshest Australian conditions while producing material. Terex’s designers have optimised the design via computer and equipped rugged frames and nut castings to handle high-force crushing applications.
“Whether it’s a matter of capacity, quality, yield or efficiency, the Cedarapids MVPX will take you to high levels of performance,” the company said.
“Every aspect of the MVPX design was engineered to provide reliable operation day after day.”
The heavy-duty frame encases the patented ElJay Rollercone design. This works in
The wedge plate design transmits a very high percentage of the input energy to direct crushing power. Riding the wedge plate with an eccentric motion, the cone head squeezes rock between the mantle and stationary bowl liner.
Rock is crushed on the closed-side setting and simultaneously discharged on the openside setting.
According to the company, the wear plates’ roller bearings further enhance productivity. Their tight tolerances reduce oversize to about 15 to 20 per cent instead of the 30 per cent-plus typical for bronze-bushing cones.
As a result, more feed material is in the circuit with less recirculation.
“(It) has proven itself for decades, and with each succeeding generation, the MVPX has advanced the technology,” the company said.
“The Cedarapids MVPX offers power, capacity, quality and ultimately, profitability.”
The Cedarapids MVPX Series Cone Crushers are supported by Terex’s full range of support services. The company has offices and staff in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth, which can access spare and wear parts through Terex’s global network and conduct field services, including maintenance, repair, and refurbishment.
“We understand your key focus is delivering your operational and financial goals,” the company said.
“By combining our global service network and proven, in-depth industry knowledge with your operational expertise, we’re able to provide you with the right solution to deliver a quality end product – with increased productivity.”•
For more information, visit terex.com/mps
800i crushers are ready to be connected to the SAM by Sandvik cloudbased digital assistant, our ever-evolving data capture and analysis service. Look at the status of your connected equipment, communicate across teams, view alerts and notifications, pro-actively order spare parts and much more.
SAM is the digital assistant supporting operational excellence in crushing and screening plants, that makes working with your 800i series crusher even more of a pleasure.
New IQA Chief Executive Officer Jane Schmitt sat down with Quarry to discuss her vision for the institute.
relations, undertaking advocacy on behalf of the sector, and introducing new and innovative ways to improve member offerings. The team plays a part in improving the sector and the work lives of individuals working in it too.
Most recently, I spent over three years with Mater Group in Queensland as their group chief of corporate affairs and growth. This was another fabulous role in a mission-based organisation with 10,000 staff providing highlevel healthcare to Queenslanders.
At the end of last year, I moved into consultancy undertaking interim executive roles. I was introduced to IQA, acting as their interim CEO which has led me to taking the role up on ongoing basis.
What interests you about the quarrying industry?
How do you intend to help engage the extractive industry?
Getting out to our branches and sub-branches and our member’s workplaces is what I am doing and will continue to do with the team. I want members to know who their IQA team is and to feel very comfortable in sharing their ideas and vision for the industry with us. We are holding our IQA conference in Adelaide from 15-17 October 2024 with the theme of Innovate and Create. The conference will shine a spotlight on sustainability, the circular economy, operating cost reduction ideas and digital transformation. The conference will be a great opportunity for me to engage with the industry, but more importantly the industry to come together away from their busy working week to think, consider, learn and celebrate. Early bird registrations are open now so pop onto our website to register.
What were your roles before joining the IQA?
I started my career as a lawyer specialising in personal injury law and then moved into an executive leadership and board roles. It didn’t take me long to realise that how much I enjoy growing positive, thriving, and high performing teams. Teams with these attributes are much more likely to achieve strong operational results, even in complex and challenging environments.
My foray into membership organisations began when I took up the role of chief executive officer and company secretary at the Australian Medical Association Queensland, one which I stayed in for over 10 years. Member based organisations are very satisfying places to work, supporting members throughout all stages of their career, developing beneficial stakeholder
I have worked across several different sectors over my career, including in construction (for Master Builders Queensland) and energy (for CS Energy as their interim company secretary). I see lots of similarities in the quarrying sector. I was attracted to IQA and the industry due to the opportunities that it presents, particularly to further broaden our education offerings, member benefits and attracting and retaining people in the quarry industry workforce.
What are you excited to see in the role?
I think there many opportunities to support members and the industry some of which I have mentioned above. One key one is promoting the sector to the community to grow and diversify the workforce. We can do much in this space, so I’m looking forward to engaging with the membership to do so.
What do you hope to bring to the role?
I hope to bring fresh ideas and energy to our small professional and capable IQA team and in collaboration with our members, deliver a supportive and innovative place to come together, deliver high quality education courses and provide a solid and valuable suite of member benefits.
What has your first week been like?
As I’ve been lucky enough to test the waters as IQA’s interim CEO and can say that the industry and members have been very welcoming. I could not help but be impressed by the high level of enthusiasm of the membership who provide their time and ideas to support their IQA colleagues and work to promote and improve their industry wherever they can. •
The Lokotrack® LT220D™ is a highly efficient mobile crusher and screen unit, featuring a unique combination of a cone crusher and a screen on a single chassis. This model, integrating either the HP200 or GP220 cone crusher with a precise ST4.8 screen (18’ x 5’), boosts operational efficiency and simplifies transportation.
The unit is designed for rapid setup, taking less than 20 minutes, and emphasises safety and ease of maintenance with its ground-level service points, making it ideal for a wide range of crushing applications.
Contact us at metso@tuttbryant.com.au to find out more information on the full range of Metso mobile plants today!
The Adelaide Convention Centre will play host to IQA2024.
The IQA has a clear am in mind as it looks forward to holding its 64th national conference – IQA2024 – in Adelaide in October.
“IQA2024 aims to strengthen the IQA’s vision of fostering thriving communities through a sustainable industry, aligning with its purpose of educating and connecting
individuals involved in the extractive and associated industries,” the IQA said.
The theme of this year’s conference, ‘Innovate and create’, is designed to integrate the key lessons the industry can take from new or improved concepts.
“The industry is actively looking to drive progress to reduce operating costs
through digital transformation,” the IQA said. “This approach creates opportunities for industry growth, employment, training, and overall development.”
The conference program has been designed with a focus on the future, recognising innovation as a key strategy that will help to create growth opportunities.
IQA2024 will be full of great networking opportunities for quarrying professionals.
“IQA2024 will provide an excellent opportunity for your organisation to gain insights into evolving customer requirements, engage with key decision-makers and industry professionals, and showcase your organisation’s products and services,” the IQA said.
As always, the IQA conference provides attendees with opportunities to engage and connect with industry leaders, representatives from peak bodies, and various professionals working in the quarrying, extractives and construction materials sectors.
IQA2024 retains the successful format of previous years while implementing some exciting new initiatives, including:
• a combination of field trips to incorporate the unique opportunities available for site visits within the Adelaide region
• a light-filled main exhibition space where breakfast, lunch, and refreshment breaks are held
• a three-day comprehensive program that will bring people together to explore the key innovations in our industry
• a fun and enjoyable social program that will provide opportunities for all conference delegates, sponsors, exhibitors and partners to re-connect.
The conference will also feature the 2024 IQA Awards, which recognise outstanding
achievements and contributions in the quarrying industry.
“The awards are a fantastic opportunity to honour and celebrate the outstanding individuals and organisations that contribute significantly to the quarrying industry across various categories,” the IQA said.
AWARD CATEGORIES:
• Alec Northover Award (sponsored by AIQEF)
• Gold hard hat site safety award (sponsored by theIQA)
• Gold environment award (sponsored by Groundwork Plus)
• Excellence in innovation and community engagement (sponsored by Eltirus)
• Quarry manager of the year <10 FTE
• Quarry manager of the year >10 FTE
• Quarry operator of the year
• IQA conference exhibitor of the year (sponsored by the IQA)
• President’s medal (sponsored by the IQA; open to IQA members only)
Nominations for the awards are open and will close on August 7.
The 64the IQA national conference will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre from October 15–17 •
Asphalt versus concrete is a tale as old as time and recently came into the spotlight of America’s favourite motorsport, NASCAR.
It’s the debate that’s had American motorsport fans revved up for debate. When it comes to asphalt and concrete, which surface makes for a superior racetrack?
While some may dismiss NASCAR as driving in circles for hours on end, it’s important to note that the format is the United States’ most popular racing series. As of the 2023 season, NASCAR beat Formula One and IndyCar as the most-watched motorsport in the United States.
In the main format of NASCAR, drivers compete in stock cars across 31 tracks. Speeds can range from 90 mph to 200 mph, and thrills, spills, and crashes entertain the fans.
The majority of the series’ speedways are asphalt, with only three of the 31 concrete: Bristol, Dover, and Martinsville. It is worth noting that Martinsville is a hybrid, as it has concrete corners.
All three tracks are shorter than comparable asphalt tracks and have significant banking. The degree of banking is partly why concrete was chosen for those raceways instead of asphalt. It offers NASCAR drivers unique characteristics to contend with as the grip
levels vary between the two surfaces. Due to concrete being laid in sections, drivers have also spoken about the joints between concrete sections bowing on race tracks.
It would appear for all intents and purposes that the race had been run on the asphalt and concrete debate. Until legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr got his motor running recently.
Earnhardt Jr is one of NASCAR’s most famous personalities and prolific drivers. The hall-of-famer completed 631 NASCAR Cup series races over 19 years and is a two-time Daytona 500 winner.
He also famously said, “Asphalt is for racing, concrete is for sidewalks”.
So, it was perhaps no surprise when Earnhardt Jr took issue with NASCAR’s continued use of concrete raceways on his podcast, Dale Jr Download.
“I hate concrete. I don’t think concrete should be surfaced on any of the race tracks we run on. I would dig up every concrete track right now, even the corners of Martinsville, and pave them. No hesitation,” he said.
“When I would run at Dover, my tires would get hot and they would build air pressure and
they would feel like basketballs, like they were literally bouncing across those joints.
“Massive build-up in air pressure and temperature and they felt like they were literally leaving the surface of a race track as they were jumping these joints and so, I just don’t love the way concrete feels, I don’t love the way it reacts to the tires, and I don’t love the way it’s unpredictable in terms of the groove.”
Luckily for Earnhardt Jr, asphalt, the common aggregate for most roads and raceways, has become the series’ preferred material over time.
NASCAR converted the famed LA Memorial Coliseum into a short track early last year. The work began in December 2022 and ended in February 2023.
The 100-year-old stadium, which has hosted two Super Bowls and one World Series, shed its turf for the track as NASCAR built a three-lane raceway with 2.5 degrees of banking.
The entire process used 500 loads of dirt starting at about four feet deep and then 1,560 tonnes of “special asphalt”. NASCAR requires asphalt tracks to use Hot Mix
Asphalt, which consists of a fine gradation of sand, stone, gravel, and no large or polished aggregate.
So at the chequered flag, it is asphalt that takes the race.•
At the IQA, we are committed to providing educational training and workshops held both onsite and online.
Explore a snapshot of what’s coming up.
Chain of Responsibility (CoR) Online Workshop
Managing Performance and Behaviour Online Workshop
23 July 2024
25 July 2024 – Southern Region Learning from Disasters | Marulan – Northern Region Quarry Materials Production & Quality Management | Teven QLD
14 June 2024 – QLD Quarrying and Mining Safety & Health Conference | Brisbane
12 July 2024 – NQLD Safety & Health Conference | Townsville VIC
05 June 2024 – Contractor Safety Management
“I was totally engaged and learnt a huge amount of information to take back to the workplace and quarry sites under my control.” — Workshop Participant
FEATURE WORKSHOP: CONTRACTOR SAFETY MANAGEMENT
Contractor management involves the management of an external third-party resource working for a company. It encompasses the establishment and implementation of a system that is responsible for handling contractors' health and safety records, insurance information, training programs and specific documents that pertain to the contractor and the business.
The Brady Review revealed that, of the serious accidents examined which occurred in quarries, the number of accidents involving contractors was nearly double the number of accidents involving employees. Contractor management can be a very challenging area and is one often overlooked. Just because a company hires a contractor, doesn’t mean its safety responsibilities are absolved or that the contractor has the correct compliance documentation in order.
This workshop will look at what must be considered when engaging contractors with regard to pre-qualification, onboarding, performance monitoring and performance review.
Workshop Highlights:
Legislation: Understand the legal obligations for contractor safety management
Due Diligence: Understand how to demonstrate due diligence when engaging contractors
Inductions: Understand what a contractor induction should cover
Monitoring: Understand when and how to undertake effective contractor safety monitoring.
This half-day workshop is being delivered as follows: 5 Jun in Melbourne, VIC 25 Oct Online Visit quarry.com.au for more details. IQA education programs may be claimable as CPD under the NSW Maintenance of Competence and QLD Practising Certificate schemes. NSW
For more information on IQA Education and Training: Please call 02 9484 0577, email: education@quarry.com.au or visit: quarry.com.au
