Quarry December 2022

THROUGH THE SAFETY LENS

The best approaches for hazard identification and prevention in quarry sites.

MAKING DATA WORK FOR YOU

Eltirus founder Steve Franklin on how quarries can make best use of data.

FUTURE-FOCUSED MACHINERY

Manufacturers like John Deere are rolling out all-electric and hybrid versions of their traditional vehicles.

PRECISION SAND WASHING

Precisionscreen provides an efficient sand washing combo that benefits the environment.

THE SAFETY LENS

Chris Georgiou, Managing Director at TASC Solutions, writes about the best approaches for hazard identification and prevention.

HYDRAULIC HYBRID

Taking a look at the new Volvo EC300E Hybrid excavator supplied by CJD.

34 SMARTER WASHERS

Smart washing solutions from 888 Crushing and Screening Equipment and MWS Equipment.

WATERLESS WASHING

Washing without water seems closer to fiction than truth, but Kayasand is making it possible.

BATTING FOR COMMUNITY

Komatsu has stepped up to sponsor the Scorchers for the 2022-23 Big Bash League.

GOING 42 YEARS STRONG

Groundwork Plus has just celebrated its 42nd year servicing the quarry sector.

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SET UP FOR GROWTH

Thanks to consultancy provided by CDE’s engineers, Walker Quarries in NSW is set to more than double its production.

MDS M515 Track Trommel

IT’S A WRAP

It gives me great pleasure to bring to you our final edition for the year as the new editor of Quarry. Over the years, this magazine has been a valuable resource for quarry operators, recyclers and members of the extractive industry, and I cannot wait to “dig deep” as I learn more about the issues surrounding the sector.

Health and safety is a topic that often emerges as part of conversations within the quarry industry. This edition is no exception.

The Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA) has been promoting best practices in relation to safety management systems through a series of webinars, courses and conferences. In the past 12 months alone, three health and safety conferences have been held in different states to help shed light on the issues relevant to the quarrying, mining, and concrete industries.

The most recent, the NSW 2022 Quarries and Concrete Health and Safety Conference in late October, delivered a powerful program that highlighted the importance of psychosocial safety and the critical role communication, leadership and culture play in keeping people safe.

The highlight of the conference was the keynote address from James Wood, director of CNB Safe, who shared his story and experience of having a workplace injury that left him paralysed and in a wheelchair over 25 years ago.

“If I’d seen or heard how an accident would change my life, I would have put more effort into making sure I did not get hurt,” Wood said.

We also hear from Chris Georgiou, managing director at TASC Solutions, about some of the best approaches for hazard identification and prevention in the workplace.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we learn about a slew of new technologies that are either already introduced to the market or in the pipeline.

Terex Washing Systems, a company

with more than half a century of washing experience already under its belt, shares with Quarry a recent installation at Karreman Quarries, where Terex’s Aggresand 206 Greenline wash plant installation is helping the operation recover up to 95 per cent of its water.

Precisionscreen has combined its SRD180 bucket wheel dewaterer with a Fines Recovery Pod unit to maximise fine recovery, and 888 Crushing and Screening Equipment has a range of tracked wash plants on offer in its Sandstorm series.

In New South Wales, Walker Quarries is preparing to roll out one of the most technically advanced wash plants in the state, thanks to the options and consultancy provided by CDE’s engineers.

Coming fresh from Bauma 2022 in Germany, equipment companies also share their latest innovations for fuel-efficient operations. John Deere’s hybrid 944K wheel loader is being well received in the market, while CJD is out promoting its EC300E Hybrid excavator for the environmentally conscious buyers.

Speaking of quarrying equipment, Tutt Bryant announced that it has expanded its Metso Outotec offering to include the Jonsson range of heavy-duty, track-mounted crushing and screening plants.

Data intelligence is another topic covered in this issue, with Eltirus founder Steve Franklin sharing his insights into how quarry operators can make the best use of data within their operations.

As we wrap up the final Quarry for 2022, which doubles as my first as editor, I’m excited by the prospect of starting a new year leading this prestigious magazine forward –especially at a time when we can finally be out and about and engage directly with the industry.

Tara Hamid Editor

Published by:

STARTING A NEW YEAR LEADING THIS PRESTIGIOUS MAGAZINE FORWARD –ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHEN WE CAN FINALLY BE OUT AND ABOUT AND ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH THE INDUSTRY.

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NEVER SETTLE NEVER STOP NEVER IDLE

It takes a different kind of brain behind the brawn. Fired up like a turbo diesel. Gears constantly churning. Hardwired beneath hard hats to solve problems, or avoid them altogether. With you and your crew at the helm, and Deere at your back. The workarounds, ideas and innovations that move earth, and your business, forward. Because that’s what it takes to win in the dirt. And that’s what it means to be Never Idle.

A YEAR IN REVIEW

As the year comes to a close, it’s a great time to look back on all that has been accomplished this year, both within the IQA and across the industry.

Though I have not maintained this position for long, it’s been heartening to see the continual growth and direction the IQA is taking and the strides we have been making to the future.

Perhaps most importantly, our branches are back to full rosters of events.

The branches and their members are the lifeblood of the IQA, so I’m incredibly excited to see the uptick of events and community that is being fostered by our members.

The events and training offered by the IQA are only going to increase in both number and quality for 2023.

Additionally, this year we boasted record numbers with education programs, courses and trainings offered, with additional headway being made in the digital education sphere.

There are plans to increase not just the training offered, but also the accessibility and diversity we offer as part of the IQA, with digital tools and training being a key focus for 2023.

Similarly, the Diversity and Inclusion day held in September this year proved to be another huge success and something we are planning to hold again and improve on in 2023 to broaden the focus and really

encompass all in the inclusivity we foster within the IQA.

The IQA is reviewing its strategic direction as we head into 2023, as has been the focus previously for this year.

We are actively working to establish national educational content, programs and delivery to hopefully attract employer regulatory support for the essential construction materials sector.

This would help ensure people in responsible roles maintain their competencies and also promote new and younger generations to have the ability to gain qualifications within the industry.

Once again, a huge thanks to our branch members, our committee members and the broader IQA community, without whose support and contributions the IQA would not be as it is today.

We are looking to the future of the organisation, as we head into 2023, with a keen focus on delivering actionable and displayable knowledge and training to a wide group of people, both within the IQA and in the larger quarrying industry.

I hope everyone is staying safe, looking after themselves and their families and I’ll see you all for an ambitious and successful 2023.

DUNCAN HARRIS President

Institute of Quarrying Australia

INTO 2023, WITH A KEEN FOCUS ON DELIVERING ACTIONABLE AND DISPLAYABLE KNOWLEDGE AND TRAINING TO A WIDE GROUP OF PEOPLE, BOTH WITHIN THE IQA AND IN THE LARGER QUARRYING INDUSTRY.”

www.quarry.com.au

The IQA’s Strategic Plan 2020 to 2025 embodies the following vision, values and strategic priorities:

Vision: Educating and connecting the extractive and associated industries. Values: afe and sustainable environment.

• Diversity and inclusion.

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

• Networking, connection, trust and communication.

Strategic Priorities:

• Maximise outcomes for industry through education and sustainable practise.

• Increase our relevance.

• A high performing and sustainable organisation.

IQA CONTACTS: Phone: 02 9484 0577 Email: admin@quarry.com.au

Chief Executive Officer Kylie Fahey Company Secretary Rod Lester

For all education, member and branch enquires please email: admin@quarry.com.au.

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

Educating and connecting our extractive industry

Quarry design services

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.

VIK BANSAL TAKES OFFICE AS BORAL’S CEO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR

In November, Boral announced the formal appointment of Vik Bansal as an executive director to the company’s board, with immediate effect.

This appointment also formalises Bansal’s position as the company’s new chief executive officer and managing director, which was announced earlier this year.

Bansal succeeds Zlatko Todorcevski, whose departure Boral announced in June this year.

“We are pleased to welcome Vik and look forward to working with him to lead Boral through the next phase of the company’s journey, focused on creating value for all stakeholders,” Boral Chairman, Ryan Stokes said. “We are confident that his operational and performance focused leadership will enable Boral and its people to realise the full and exciting potential of the company.”

Stokes also thanked the outgoing CEO and managing director.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Zlatko for his contributions to the business over the past two years. Zlatko has led Boral through a successful transformation period, realigning the portfolio on Australian construction materials and refocusing the organisation.”

Bansal has more than 30 years of

leadership experience in managing complex industrial organisations. Prior to this, he was the chief executive of InfraBuild where he delivered improvements across financial and operational metrics in a

ADDRESSING SKILLS SHORTAGE REQUIRES

SOLUTION: REPORT

Collaborative efforts to create long-term solutions to the ongoing skills shortage are in strong demand. New figures confirm that occupations in the resources and energy sector may remain in short supply beyond 2023.

The 2022 National Skills Priority List has revealed occupation supply shortages in every state and territory, a challenge that has been occurring for the past two years.

Employer surveys, in-depth stakeholder involvement, and thorough statistical research of the labour market are all used to construct the Skills Priority List, which is produced by the National Skills Commission.

Engineers, geologists, drillers, and tradespeople are among the roles impacted by the skills gap, directly affecting industry-

critical production and site work maintenance. These shortfalls make it more challenging to run the energy and resource sector as a whole, and to expand new projects.

According to the Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association (AREEA) director of operations Tara Diamond, labour supply and skills challenges “threaten the continuity of existing operations as well as create headaches for new project development, potentially impacting both the future growth of the industry as well as Australia’s reputation as a reliable country to invest in.”

A report conducted by AREEA found Australia’s resources and energy sector will need an extra 24,000 employees by 2027.

The Skills Priority List found effective

short period of time.

Bansal also worked at Cleanaway from 2015 and 2021, where he implemented the Footprint 2025 strategy, embedding strong financial and operational discipline.•

LONG-TERM

solutions that span a lengthy timeframe are necessary to combat well-known problems across training outcomes, such as vocational education and training (VET), along with labour mobility and skilled migration concerns. Advocation for these solutions requires a strong collaborative effort between the resources and energy industry and the government to ensure the tenure of the shortage is not prolonged. Diamond believes this will be a “longterm, incremental process”.

“AREEA is also working hard with members on initiatives to promote the industry as a desirable, future-focused industry where new generations of skilled people can enjoy long, well-paid careers and be part of innovation and new energy technologies.”

•

“WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT HIS OPERATIONAL AND PERFORMANCE FOCUSED LEADERSHIP WILL ENABLE BORAL AND ITS PEOPLE TO REALISE THE FULL AND EXCITING POTENTIAL OF THE COMPANY.”

RYAN STOKES, BORAL CHAIRMAN

Swedish Engineering for Heavy-duty Mobile Crushing

The Jonsson product range is engineered with e-Power as standard, energised by a diesel generator set onboard or connected directly to the local electric grid when available. The innovative dual power systems of the Jonsson machines make it possible for users to select the most economical power source.

The L120-330 Double Crusher features are truly unique in that it includes a pre-screen, C120 Jaw crusher, 330GP Cone crusher and a triple deck product screen built on one chassis. Jonsson designs and manufactures some of the world’s most formidable heavy-duty, track-mounted crushing and screening plants. With crushing equipment in the 70-180 tonne range, these are the ideal mobile solution for customers with open quarries or mines in high-capacity, heavy-duty applications.

For more information, contact metso@tuttbryant.com.au

Follow us on: brisbane | sydney | melbourne adelaide | perth tuttbryant.com.au 1300 658 888

JONSSON High-Capacity Double Crusher

DYNAMAX: A NEW INNOVATION

DYNAMax

Holcim subsidiary Aggregate Industries has introduced DYNAMax, a high performance concrete with sustainability commitments built into its make up.

In application, DYNAMax offers the same working processes as conventional concrete, promising good pumping properties and high early strength, durability and stiffness.

Easy to lay, it allows for faster and more effective construction

processes with reduced workforce requirements, supporting resource efficiency and reduction of carbon footprint over the whole construction lifetime. It can also be enabled by smart digital technology for end-toend process and product control.

DYNAMax is fully recyclable, contributing to a positive circular economy, and can be produced locally, reducing transportation journey times, helping to deliver on

more environmentally friendly and ecobalanced buildings.

In situ, the high durability of DYNAMax increases the technical service life of buildings, as well as minimising maintenance and lifecycle costs.

DYNAmax complements Aggregate Industries’ existing range of low carbon concrete products, whilst opening up a range of application opportunities, such as high-rise and infrastructure projects, residential and commercial buildings, and institutional and special construction.

Speaking on the benefits of DYNAMax, managing director of RMX concrete at Aggregate Industries, Lee Sleight, explained the benefits of the product for new and innovative designs.

“We are committed to delivering multi-dimensional value to all our product solutions and services, which includes contributing towards a more sustainable future,” Sleight said.

“DYNAMax pushes the boundaries of engineering design to help build more for less with clear benefits for clients and designers such as increased design freedom, lower material demand, ease of placement and increased sustainable benefits, all without compromising on performance.”

•

METSO OUTOTEC BREAKS GROUND FOR NEW PILBARA SERVICE CENTRE

Metso Outotec has celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony of the company’s biggest service centre globally to be built in Karratha, Western Australia.

The investment was announced in November 2021. The new centre will offer comprehensive maintenance and repair services for mining and aggregates customers in the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions.

Located in one of the world’s largest mining regions, the centre offers increased productivity and shorter lead times as well as substantial environmental advantages due to shorter transportation journeys.

The new service centre’s lot size is over 35,000 square metres and it will have a workshop of 5,000 square metres and a total of 18,000 square metres of storage

space. The total investment value is approximately $50 million. The centre is expected to be operational during the fourth quarter of 2023.

The centre will be equipped to repair and refurbish, for example, large mining crushers, grinding mills, screens, and car dumpers. Further, it will act as a base for field services, hold inventory for customer critical wear and spare parts, as well as providing a customer training facility.

“By investing in this state-of-the-art service centre, we are demonstrating our long-term commitment to the Pilbara Region and the communities there,” said Stuart Sneyd, president, Asia Pacific market area, Metso Outotec.

“We can offer shorter lead times, and environmentally efficient service and

delivery capabilities. The functionalities of the building have been carefully designed, and we are able to support our customers with a comprehensive service and repairs capability for all their needs.”

•

Metso Outotec.

“WE ARE COMMITTED TO DELIVERING MULTIDIMENSIONAL VALUE TO ALL OUR PRODUCT SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDES CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.”

LEE SLEIGHT, RMX CONCRETE MANAGING DIRECTOR

is a fully recyclable concrete from Aggregate Industries.

Metso Outotec aggregates conveyors. Image courtesy of

Top-class noise reduction

United. Inspired.

Win the battle against noise and dust

Our Noise Reduction Kit reduces noise levels by as much as 10 dB, making it perfect for job sites with noise regulations. The design is lightweight and sturdy with hydraulically operated hatches. Since the Noise Reduction Kit can be controlled remotely from a distance, the ergonomic situation for the operator is enhanced. Add to that, the feed is encapsulated, which contributes to lower dust, improving the working environment for personnel.

CCAA AWARDS CEMENT KEY PLAYERS IN THE INDUSTRY

Celebrating and encouraging innovation within the construction materials industry, the 2022 winners of the Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia (CCAA) Innovation awards for Queensland were announced on 21 October.

The awards were conferred at the W Hotel, Brisbane, with over 215 guests in attendance to celebrate innovations across the heavy construction materials industry in the Safe and Sustainable Workforces, Sustainable Industry, and Sustainable Products and Services award categories.

In 2022, 19 entries were submitted across the three award categories, with the awards being granted in three categories: Safe and Sustainable Workforces; Sustainable Industry; and Sustainable Products and Services.

Hanson Australia was announced as the winner of Innovation Award for Safe and Sustainable Workforces for its northern region quarries. Working in partnership with workplace health specialist company GCG, Hanson has developed a real-time monitoring application for respirable dust assessments. The app provides intelligent dust exposure control management for smarter, faster exposure control decisions.

Hanson Australia’s Glasshouse Mountains Quarry was highly commended for designing and implementing a simple and practical mechanism to reduce hazard exposure for people on site, while Cement Australia’s digitisation of fleet maintenance was another highly commended project.

The CCAA Innovation awards highlighted the strides made within the industry.

The Innovation Award for Sustainable Industry highly commended Boral’s Ormeau Quarry for being able to support, enhance and preserve the very rare Ormeau Bottle Tree, as part of a 30 -year partnership with the NorthEast Albert Landcare Group.

Hanson Australia’s Coopers Plain Concrete Plant was also highly commended for its solution to the issue of diminishing bee species worldwide. Hanson has introduced a colony of native stingless bees (Tetragonula carbonaria) and established a native flower garden at its Coopers Plains concrete plant.

The Innovation Award for Sustainable Products and Services offered high commend to Wagners’ Gold Coast Wonder Reef. Australia’s first floating

ADBRI ADVISES NEW LEADERSHIP

In a leadership transition, construction materials and lime producer Adbri has advised on 27 October that chief executive officer and managing director Nick Miller would be leaving his position, with immediate effect.

The company reported that Miller would also step down as a director, while the board worked with him to transition his executive responsibilities in an orderly manner.

Senior executive Mark Irwin has been appointed as interim CEO.

Adbri chair, Raymond Barro, commented on the contributions of Miller and the change in strategy the company will employ.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Nick for his contribution to Adbri over the past few years, particularly for his leadership through the challenges presented by COVID-19,” Barro said.

dive attraction, the Gold Coast Wonder Reef is also the first underwater attraction utilising Wagners’ Earth Friendly Concrete. This innovative product has saved 100 tonnes of embodied carbon emissions and provides superior durability in the marine environment.

Supported by Impact Drill & Blast, Groundwork Plus, Riverside Industrial Sands, Pickles and Hanson, the awards recognised and celebrated the critical areas of health safety and environmental management.

CCAA congratulated all the award entrants on the efforts presented and continuous contributions to improvement and innovation and thanked its sponsors for supporting the event. •

“We welcome Mark Irwin as interim CEO. Mark brings considerable experience to Adbri from senior executive roles within some of Australia’s leading listed industrial companies, including OZ Minerals, BHP, Asciano, Transfield and GrainCorp.”

Irwin is set to be in the position as CEO for six months, during which time Adbri will commence an extensive recruitment process for a permanent CEO.

•

HANSON AUSTRALIA WAS ANNOUNCED AS THE WINNER OF INNOVATION AWARD FOR SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCES FOR ITS NORTHERN REGION QUARRIES.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT CMIC23

For the first time since 2018, the national construction materials industry will come together once again for CMIC23 in Brisbane across 15-17 March 2023.

Jointly hosted by the Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia (CCAA) and the Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA), the three-day conference program is based around the theme of “Adapting to a New Environment.” The event is set to be attended by more than 600 industry leaders from across Australia as well as international guests. It will include speakers, signature

A list of confirmed speakers for CMIC23 include:

• Chris Richardson – Economist, Access Economics

• Stefan Hajkowicz – Principal Scientist in Strategy and Foresight, CSIRO

• Paul Martyn –Director-General, Department of Energy and Public Works

• Alison Mirams – CEO, Roberts Co

• Adrian Hart – Economist, BIS Oxford Economics

• Ellen Fanning – Award winning public affairs journalist

• Justin Langer – Former cricketer and Australian coach

CMIC

CMIC is renowned for the opportunities that it provides to network with industry colleagues over the three-day conference program. The conference will continue this tradition in 2023 with a social program incorporating the Hitachi welcome reception at the Queensland Art Gallery, followed by the Komatsu Gala Dinner on the Thursday evening at the BCEC Ballroom.

CMIC23 will conclude with a Leadership Breakfast at Victoria Park, featuring an inspiring keynote from former Australian cricket coach Justin Langer and entertainment by comedian Lawrence Mooney to finish off the conference and reinforce the conference theme of “Adapting to a New Environment.”

This event is a must to attend for those invested in the quarrying, cement, concrete, aggregates and construction materials industry.

Full delegate registration will include tickets to all three social events as detailed above. Additional tickets for guests and accompanying partners will be available to purchase separately.

•

Early bird registrations close 16 December 2022. For more information, visit: www.cmic23.com.au

SCHENCK PROCESS SELLS MINING BUSINESS TO SANDVIK

Global company Schenck Process has finalised the previously announced sale of its mining business, SP Mining, to the Swedish engineering group Sandvik AB.

Effective from 1 November, Schenck Process’s mining business is integrated in the Stationary Crushing and Screening division of Sandvik’s Rock Processing Solutions business area.

“As one of the market leaders in screening, feeding, screening media and train loading solutions with a strong aftermarket business, SP Mining will not only complement Sandvik’s existing product offering but also benefit from a greater global reach,” a statement from Schenck Process said.

“Sandvik AB is one of the world’s leading suppliers of equipment, services, and solutions in the area of rock and mineral processing,” said Keith Cochrane, Chief Executive Officer of the Schenck Process Group.

“I am confident that SP Mining has great opportunities for future growth and furthering its potential within the new ownership structure. I would like to thank all the employees of the SP Mining business for their significant contribution to the Schenck Process Group over many years and wish them well and for continued success as part of Sandvik Rock Processing.”

With the sale of the mining business, Schenck Process is now looking to expand its portfolio in other industries, including food, chemicals and performance materials industries, as well as infrastructure and energy.

Sandvik expects to gain revenue growth of “mid- to high-single digits above market growth” through the acquisition.

In 2022, SP Mining is projected to have a revenue of 200 million Euros ($310 million), of which approximately 70 per cent is aftermarket.

•

Process, with Schenck now branching out to other industries.

IS RENOWNED FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT IT PROVIDES TO NETWORK WITH INDUSTRY COLLEAGUES OVER THE THREE-DAY CONFERENCE PROGRAM.

PRODUCT FOCUS

IMPROVING SEPARATION EFFICIENCY

The Eriez CrossFlow Separator is a high-capacity teeter-bed separator used in sand processing and other applications. This efficient hydraulic classifier separates material based on particle size, shape and/or density.

The CrossFlow separates particles based on hindered settling principles, providing an economical and efficient means of classifying materials such as silica and frac sands, mineral sands and industrial minerals. Ores containing a mixture of high- and low-density components can also be upgraded based on their difference in specific gravity. The hindered-settling environment creates the optimum conditions for efficient counter-current washing to rinse, clean, and neutralise ore before secondary unit operations.

AUSTRALIAN CRUSHER

REPAIRS

OFFERS CUSTOMER FOCUSED SERVICE

Australian Crusher Repairs (ACR) has been providing crushing material handling support since it commenced business in 1989.

As the crushing industry developed with more and more mobile crushing and screening equipment becoming available, ACR has grown to support the mobile equipment market.

The mobile crushing portion of ACR commenced with the dry hire of equipment in 2018. Over time, ACR has increased its fleet size on offer and the business has experienced a high demand, not only for dry hire of crushing and screening equipment, but also for contract crushing. With contract crushing, the customer enjoys the flexibility of only payment for tonnes crushed, without concern for the costs of employment and maintenance issues surrounding the equipment operation.

The strength of ACR in the services offered include the ability to service and maintain the mobile crushing and screening equipment supplied, both on-site and in the company’s fully equipped workshop in Berkeley Vale, New South Wales.

After many years of experience, the team at ACR understands the needs and challenges facing their customers and try to excel in providing support.

More information: www.acrpl.com.au

POLYURETHANE MATS, THE WAY OF THE FUTURE

Polyurethane (PU) tension mats are used for impact and abrasionresistant applications, offering longer life, more flexibility and low noise generation during equipment operation.

The water resistance of PU panel, with the taper apertures, allows for high screening efficiency, making it suitable for all types of materials, from limestone to coal and iron ore.

The average life of PU tension mats is estimated to be up to 3.9 times longer than that of rubber mats, and 8 to 10 times longer than conventional steel screens. Therefore, the maintenance cost and downtime can be reduced largely. Red Star offers PU tension mats with aperture sizes ranging from five millimetres up to 120 millimetres. Specific designs can be made to suit different screens.

More information: Donghui Li, call 0401 459 289 or email dhlin@hhjv.com.au or visit www.hhjv.com.au

Traditionally, particle size and/or density cut point have been controlled by adjusting only the fluidisation flow rate and the relative level of the teeter bed. Eriez has engineered CrossFlow to improve metallurgical results by regulating the true density of the teeter bed through continuous measurements of differential pressure.

Unlike traditional teeter-bed technologies, the Eriez CrossFlow uses a unique “tangential” feed presentation system to introduce feed into the top of the separation chamber. This approach provides unit capacities up to three times that of a conventional classifier and eliminates particle misplacement caused by excessive feed volume and plant fluctuations.

More information: www.eriez.com.au

DE-WATERING DELIVERED SILENTLY

The H100 highhead dewatering pump from Selwood is available and distributed in Australia by Toolkwip.

The efficient models offer total heads up to 158 metres, mechanical shaft sealing, unique automatic self-priming and emission compliant engines.

The pump systems are ideal for high head and high pressure applications and are simple to operate and maintain.

The pump is easily repairable and has a versatile use in operations with multiple dewatering needs.

Featuring a canopy built into the pump system, the pump is easily protected from the elements.

Toolkwip offers a number of extra services for the Selwood products, including training, genuine parts, valves/fittings, pump accessories and more.

More information: www.toolkwippumps.com

A HEAVY DUTY ROCK TROMMEL

The M515 Track Trommel is perfect for cleaning dirty material and can handle rocks up to 800 millimetres (mm) in size. This machine comes complete with fold out stockpiling conveyors and is ideal for moving around the quarry from one site to the next.

The fold out stockpiling conveyors come in three sizes: 25-120mm, 120-460mm and oversized (460-800mm). The multiple drum configurations allow for the processing of construction and demolition waste, asphalt, brick, concrete, natural rock and glass, producing a cuboidal aggregate of less than 70mm.

The M515 can process 300 to 450 tonnes of material per hour, with a maximum potential output of 650 tonnes per hour, making it an efficient workhorse on site. The machine boasts a CAT 4.4 engine, with an electronic control system, ensuring maximum safety for your team.

Tricon Equipment has five of these machines ready for delivery.

More information: Visit www.triconequipment.com.au or call 1800 859 885

UNDER THE HAMMER

WASH PLANT FOR SALE

Newcastle Sand is upgrading its wash plant production output due to significant increases in demand for high quality washed sand, which it is supplying to the Hunter and Sydney Regions for construction purposes.

As such, the quarry is looking to sell its existing sand washing plant to an interested buyer.

“The existing plant which we are going to dispose of has not missed a beat in the last 18 months. The plant is producing our medium to fine sand resource (150um – 600um) at the rate of 80 tonnes per hour,” said Murray Towndrow, director of Newcastle Sand.

“The raw resource is typically recording eight to 10 per cent silt content (AS 1141.33) and post washing is consistently achieving two to 2.5 per cent,” he added.

The plant comprises a MQ XL175 fine material washer powered by a 18.5KW drive. A 12 foot by five foot dewatering screen and a 300um deck complement the plant. All of these are mounted on a fully galvanised steel frame with control panel.

“Inspections are welcome at our Williamtown quarry in New South Wales. Alternatively, you can visit Newcastle Sand on YouTube to view the plant in action,” Towndrow said.

More information: Darren Williams, call 0429 877 704

To submit new product and equipment releases, email: les.ilyefalvy@primecreative.com.au

SIMPLE MAINTENANCE AND HIGH DISCHARGE

The redesigned Godwin Dri-Prime HL300M pump offers flow rates to 5550 US gallon per minute (1261 cubic metre per hour) and has the capability of discharge pressures to 235 pound per square inch (psi).

The HL300M can automatically prime to 28 feet (8.5 metres) of suction lift from dry. Automatic or manual starting/stopping is available through integral mounted control panel or optional wireless remote access.

High discharge pressure, dry-running, and portability make the HL300M the perfect choice for mining, industrial and emergency fire backup applications.

Features and benefits include simple maintenance, which is normally limited to checking fluid levels and filters.

Godwin Dri-Prime is a continuously operated venturi air ejector priming device which requires no periodic adjustment or control. It will handle sewage, slurries and liquids with solids up to 45 millimetre (1.8 inch) in diameter.

A close-coupled centrifugal pump with Godwin Dri-Prime system can be mounted to a diesel engine or electric drive. It comes with a dry-running high pressure oil bath mechanical seal, with high abrasion resistant tungsten carbide faces.

The pump has an all cast iron and cast steel construction – with stainless steel option also available – with cast steel impeller.

Standard engines are compliant with regional emissions legislation. Other engine options are available.

More information: www.xylem.com

WASHING WELL WITH WATER SAVINGS

With a vast number of different environments across Australia comes different requirements for quarries. Offering bespoke washing solutions, Terex Washing Systems has worked with Karreman Quarries to create a plant which closely matches the needs of the quarry.

Working with customers to provide an end-to-end washing solution that fits the needs of the operation is an integral part of the role filled by quarry equipment companies.

Factors that range from water accessibility, environmental conditions and average aggregate volume all need to be considered when wash plants are installed.

This attention to detail is where Terex Washing Systems shines.

With the recently completed Karreman installation, sales manager for Terex Washing Systems Ben Willcox said the company was able to provide a sand washing solution with innovative technologies that solve problems, where they may exist.

“We design our plants around the customers’ specific needs, allowing them to process a variety of materials. As such,

the plants are able to take a full range of materials,” Willcox said.

“We pride ourselves on the fact that you can have a 40-tonne articulated dump truck or a vacuum truck or even a full dredge operation dumping material into the wash plant. Our systems are designed to increase efficiency and minimise downtime.”

With over 60 years of experience in delivering washing plant equipment, Terex Washing Systems has the history with not just the quarrying industry, but also the Australian environment, to deliver quality results.

Building and providing in house thickeners and filter presses, such as the TWS Deep Cone Thickener and the AquaClear Filter Press ranges, usable water retention is a factor that Terex Washing Systems values very strongly.

“The AquaClear water management system that we offer includes a closed loop water

system with a Deep Cone system working alongside our filter presses. This allows recovery of 95 per cent of the plant’s water,” said Willcox.

“Karreman is based in Harlin, Queensland a region that has access to water, but also has an interest in preserving that water. With that in mind, we worked with the team to replace their old equipment, keeping in mind their need for water recycling.”

AGGRESAND 206 GREENLINE

The installation at Karreman Quarries includes the AggreSand 206 Greenline that features the ability to double wash sand. Through the use of separators, it can fine tune the screening of the washed material to deliver the maximum quantity of end product: two grades of sand – fine and coarse – and three aggregates.

“We aim to have higher recovery of sand,

with our plants available to recover sand as small as 40 microns,” Willcox said, “We are continually innovating and developing our products to give the best quality end products and efficiencies as possible to our users.”

The FM UltraFines Recovery Unit is one of solutions that Terex Washing Systems offer and it has the ability to recover sand down to 40 microns and prevent the very fine grains of sand from entering into the tailings dams with the unusable materials.

“Ultimately we want our customers to be able to wash more tonnes and spend less time digging out silt ponds, which invariably saves time and money.”

Product waste can be recycled and reclaimed into a saleable product through the equipment range offered as part of the full plant installations by Terex Washing Systems that work to effectively maximise the quantity of product on the ground.

In turn, the systems offered can produce any range of sand, from concrete and asphalt sand, to more specialist sand like golf course

and frac sand. Similarly with aggregates, conglomerated, clay bound material can be scrubbed into clean aggregates usable in high strength and high-rise concrete.

“We don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach. Our solutions are tailored to our customers’ needs with the options available for a full bespoke plant,” Willcox said.

“Any materials that need washing, we can offer a solution for. We offer Hydrocyclones which are the most efficient in the market, that in turn maximise yield and minimise the losses to pond. We can then further customise the cyclone configuration to maximise valuable material recovery.”

THE KARREMAN EXPERIENCE

The Karreman plant was designed with these company values of Terex Washing Systems in mind, with the AggreSand 206 Greenline providing throughput that exceeded initial commitments and the plant being designed with easy maintenance in mind. Australian-owned and operated for 50

Terex AggreSand 206 Greenline allows for more tonnes to be processed, with less time digging out silt ponds.

Terex AggreSand 206 Greenline is a sand washing plant that specialises in recycling applications.

years, Karreman Quarries has been able to live through the benefits of the longwashers and full water management solution, available via the closed loop system that Terex Washing Systems provides.

Quarry had the chance to speak to Ben Karreman, quarry manager at Karreman Quarries, on his experience with both the equipment from Terex Washing Systems and the support from the company.

“The main differences we had from our old plant to the AggreSand 206 Greenline, aside from the obvious differences to be expected from going from old to new, were that the cyclones were much more efficient and there was a definite ease of access for us to adjust the cyclones on the run,” Karreman said.

“Having increased accessibility to the screen decks with the roll-away discharge chute, and the forward thinking shown by Terex Washing Systems for maintenance on the pumps, with their wheel out capability, are things that are going to have long lasting benefits for our operation.”

MAINTENANCE

With the cost of unplanned downtime being a significant loss of profits for businesses, Terex Washing Systems has had maintenance and long lasting parts in mind.

With high quality, long lasting rubber being used in the company’s pumps and cyclones, together with durable components in bearings and connective elements, Willcox said unscheduled maintenance can be kept to a minimum.

“Our machines and their internal components are designed to last and to help our customer base meet the targets that they need to hit.”

Terex Washing Systems is a designated business function within the wider Terex Corporation, with a dedicated team and

factory facility that focus solely on washing. The team can then call on the wider Terex family for crushing, dry screening, staking or recycling equipment.

TAILORED SOLUTIONS

Covering all aspects needed for a sand washing operation, Terex Washing Systems offers has the ability to offer full tailored solutions, or modular solutions for plants, as needed by the quarry.

“Whether it’s the full AquaClear water management system, or just a logwasher, we can provide that and work with previously built and installed elements,” Willcox said.

“Additionally, our Terex Washing Systems’ Logwashers are proven to be able to put more energy into the stone with our shaft and hull design. With consistent innovation and a customer focused mindset, Terex Washing Systems can cleanly and efficiently wash aggregate products whilst holding the

hands of customers to any after service that may arise during and after the installation of a plant. We pride ourselves in our unrivalled service and aftercare support with dedicated Terex facilities across Australia.”

Echoing the commitment Terex Washing Systems has to providing bespoke, purpose-fit solutions for customers, Karreman said that for the installation of the washing plant, any issues faced in the organisational and installation process were accommodated for through constant communication.

“Terex Washing Systems consulted with us every step of the way on the design and build and accommodated any changes as needed. They dealt with all aspects promptly,” Karreman said.

“There is a clear advantage with the Terex Washing Systems plant when it comes to its ability to wash our product to both ours, and our customers’ specifications.” •

Terex’s AggreSand 206 Greenline offers increased accessibility to the screen decks with the roll-away chute.

The AggreSand 206 Greenline plant produces two grades of sand – fine and coarse – and three aggregates.

SAND WASHING WITH PRECISION

Precisionscreen’s bucket wheel dewaterers, combined with the manufacturer’s fines recovery pod, create an efficient combo that benefits the environment.

For over 30 years, Brisbane-based manufacturer Precisionscreening has been serving the Australian quarry market with its range of mobile screening, washing, crushing and recycling equipment.

Notably, the company has been a key player in the industry for manufacturing low power sand and gravel washing equipment.

Precisionscreen’s SRD180 bucket wheel dewaterer is an energy efficient product that can be powered directly from the hydraulic pack fitted to the screening plant, or alternatively use a diesel-hydraulic or electrichydraulic power pack.

More recently, Precisionscreen has introduced a fines recovery pod, or FRP unit, which can be fitted at the end of the sand washing process to help dry (dewater) sand from a previous stage or recover sand from the wastewater before it returns to the pond.

Jonny McMurtry, chief operating officer of Precisionscreen, said the FRP unit allows for quicker dewatering, with a higher recovery rate of fine materials.

The machine also delivers a drier sand

product, allowing the effluent water to be recycled more easily, with less harm for the environment.

“The SRD180 dewatere was one of the first machines we developed around 15 years ago,” McMurtry said.

“It’s designed to collect washed sand particles from a wet screening process and discharge it either to a stockpiler, or alternatively, it can feed the material to the FRP unit for further processing. The plant is designed to allow for excellent settlement time of the finer particles so that the discharge water is as clean as possible,” he explained.

The goal that Precisionscreen has pursued with its products’ designs has been to produce clean and dry sand for stockpiling, while allowing for maximum recycling of the water.

“In previous year, the dirty water that contained all the organic float material would be discharged directly into a pond for recycling. With the introduction of the FRP unit at the end of the sand washing process, the user can achieve multiple benefits. Firstly,

you get drier sand for stockpiling. Also, you can recover the fine sand that’s present in the water before it’s discharged into the pond. This superfine sand can be stockpiled as a separate product. With cleaner water returning to the pond, re-use and recycling is much quicker,” he said.

The fine sand recovery in FRP is achieved with the help of an on-board 250-millimetre cyclone fed by the rubber lined pump that collects feed material from the base of the tank. The cyclone then discharges the fine sand onto the high frequency dewatering screen for draining. The newly recovered sand can then be deposited to the side of the unit via screw or out the front of the pod onto a stacker.

McMurtry said the process has allowed customers to recycle their drain water more quickly, while extending their ponds’ maintenance cycles.

“What we have found in some of the examples in the market is that customers [who used the FRP unit] were able to recycle and reuse their water about 30 per cent

Precisionscreen’s SRD180 bucket wheel dewaterer can be powered directly from the hydraulic pack fitted to the screening plant.

quicker, while utilising a lot of the material that would otherwise be returning to their ponds or settlement dams.”

AUSTRALIAN MADE

Precisionscreen prides itself on being an Australian manufacturer, using only Australian sourced steel for its products, with all design and fabrications done locally.

Where this adds advantages, McMurtry said, was by allowing the company to take onboard feedback from its customers and implementing those into its designs, keeping the end-user in mind.

“We developed the FRP unit with the aim of helping customers reduce their cost for reclaiming super fine material and lowering their operational cost for recycling the drain water,” he said. “We had clients telling us they had a lot of material returning to their dams, who needed to recycle the water more quickly. Those ideas led to the development of the FRP unit.”

The SRD180 bucket wheel dewaterer has

a larger-than-average adjustable 44.8 metre linear weir, which according to McMurtry, gives it its higher efficiency.

“Probably the biggest advantage of SRD180 would be the size of its weir. A smaller weir would let the sandy product return to the pond, whereas our focus was to try to minimise that.”

While Precisionscreen’s dewaterer and fines recovery pond have been designed

to work in conjunction with each other, McMurtry said the FRP unit can also work independently with the other plants available in the market.

“Our products are all about precision, versatility and adaptability. From our factory in Queensland, we can support customers everywhere in Australia and beyond, working around our customers’ problems and offering solutions.” •

The Fines Recovery Pod is fitted at the end of the sand washing process to recover fine sand from wastewater.

THROUGH THE SAFETY LENS

Mining is a hazardous industry, but that doesn’t mean that workers and their families must continue to suffer the consequences of these hazards.

This statement from the Brady Review (2019) highlights the critical importance of hazard identification in the risk management process. The Review recommended changes in the approach that industry takes in identifying and controlling hazards as these were two areas identified as causing incidents.

For most of us working in industry, we have a good understanding that hazards will be task related, that is from the work being undertaken and the skills and experience of those doing that work, as well as situational, associated with weather, ground conditions, environment and surroundings. The challenge is that hazard identification cannot be a ‘one and done’ activity, an essential element of risk management must be the recognition and rectification of hazard controls that have been eroded or have become ineffective.

Actively seeking near-miss signals, on all sites – even those with long-term incident free records – is vital to prevent

tick-and-flick exercise. Ongoing consultation between managers, supervisors and workers is essential to ensure engagement with whatever tool is being utilised to identify hazards in the work site.

The benefits of getting outside of the office and talking with those completing the work cannot be undervalued. Seeking understanding, different perspectives and experiencing the environment creates a greater opportunity to not only identify hazards but determine the best practical controls to manage the risk of these hazards where removal is not a viable option.

Studies have shown that safety training can enhance workers identification of hazards in the workplace. The combination of both formal and informal on-the-job training with practical experience in quarries led to hazard identification beyond that of the managers and supervisors. It is not that managers overlook hazards, but that the intimate experience and knowledge of the working conditions provides a different lens which in turn can be utilised to implement effective control measures.

Actively seeking the near-miss signals, using internal information, or seeking

Hazard Identification – keeping it top of mind for staff

The Brady Review (2019) highlighted failure to identify hazards as a contributing factor to safety performance in the mining and quarrying industry. In 36 per cent of serious accidents reviewed, the hazard which cause the accident was not identified, therefore there was no control in place. The Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA) offers a range of trainings on hazard identification. Training can be delivered virtually via webinar or faceto-face and contextualised around your internal procedures. The training has been designed to examine the processes required to routinely identify hazards in the workplace, so that they can be assessed and controlled. Keep hazard identification current, ensure hazards are not being overlooked, give your team the opportunity to discuss hazards in a safe environment.

The IQA offers CPD hours for this training: The Quarry Manager Certification System: Risk Management. NSW Maintenance of Competence: MiningandWHSSystems(SubjectA:Safety ManagementSystem).

Chris Georgiou, Managing Director at TASC Solutions.

HYDRAULIC HYBRID IS A HELPING HAND

Amore environmentally conscious version of the previous Volvo EC300E excavator, the new Hybrid model operates with a diesel engine that is aided by the innate mechanics of the hydraulic system operating within the machine.

National product manager for Volvo equipment at CJD, Hayden Grant, spoke to Quarry on the new features and capabilities of the Hybrid EC300E excavator.

Apart from Volvo’s well known and standard features, such as the cab design, visibility and comfort, machine performance and safety, the Hybrid system is unintrusive and easy to use, Grant said.

“You need to simply have the ECO mode switch on and away you go,” he said. “All the operators would see on the dashboard is a

HOW IT WORKS

An uncomplicated and reliable solution, Volvo’s hydraulic hybrid harvests the ‘free’ energy generated by the downward motion of the excavator’s boom and uses it to assist the engine.

The result is up to 17 per cent increase in fuel efficiency while delivering all the power and performance expected from a conventional EC300E.

The powerful and regular boom-down motions charge the 20-litre hydraulic accumulator, which then delivers energy to drive the hydraulic assist motor that helps to power or assist the engine.

The new generation of the Volvo diesel engine makes use of Volvo Advanced Combustion Technology (V-ACT) to deliver

REDUCED EMISSIONS

According to Grant, the EC300E Hybrid reduces CO2 emissions by up to 15 per cent, making it a more environmentally respectful choice, especially when working in built-up areas.

The excavator also promises rapid payback when working in dig and dump applications.

There are the same levels of controllability and performance as the standard EC300E, including the ability to work in ECO mode and Hybrid mode simultaneously.

The EC300E Hybrid is only available from CJD and according to Grant, is currently in stock.

“The Hybrid option is also available on the EC250E and EC350E as indent orders,” he said. “As the Hybrid is new to our line up, it is not available for rental at this stage,” he added.

CJD is an Australian company with 20 branches across the country.

“Over 100 field service staff and 150 workshop staff, plus 15 resident field service technicians are available to assist clients any time,” said Grant.

“Our over 20 product support personnel and aftersales support staff are also ready to have afterhours call out services, 24 hours, seven days a week.” •

Employing high pressure fuel injectors, turbo chargers and intercoolers, and electronic engine controls, the engine has tools that deliver benefits to the end user of the machine.

MAKING DATA WORK FOR YOU

We have never had greater access to data than we do now and yet, in many cases, quarry operators either don’t use it at all or don’t make full use of it – why is this and what can be done about it?

Eltirus founder Steve Franklin writes.

Any piece of data generally represents something that has happened (or is going to happen) in the physical universe. Sometimes they denote the quantity of something e.g., 200 litres of oil, and in other cases, they denote a quantity relative to another quantity, e.g., 50 litres of fuel consumed in one hour.

If you think about it, you notice there is

if I spoke to you about 200 units of liquid without mentioning the units involved (litres, millilitres, gallons etc.) you would have no real understanding of what I was talking about. The moment I mention that the quantity is 200 litres, most people would be able to get a sense of what that looked like, if it was a lot or a little and what its relevance was to the discussion.

A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE

Some years ago, I was asked to conduct a load and haul review of a large quarry. The site had a mixed fleet of 50-60 tonne payload trucks of varying ages and manufacture. In discussions with the Operations Manager, he noted that he received a report from the dealer of one of the truck brands each month. The report showed the trucks

payload. I asked him if he was happy with this

Modern machines can produce a wide variety of data that can provide insights into your business.

50 tonne trucks, so that seems about right.”

As many of you will know, two things have happened in relation to truck payloads. The first is that the rated payload of the original Cat 773 (45.4 tonnes) has risen to 56 tonnes for the current Cat 773G, a 23 per cent increase over time.

Secondly, whilst we tend to think of truck payloads in terms of the numbers shown above, the reality is that actual payload is a function of Gross Vehicle Mass, minus Tare. In other words, it depends on what you fit to the truck – e.g., body liners, fire suppression etc. all take away from the payload the truck is actually rated to carry (based on configuration).

In the actual example considered, the corrected payload for the trucks under consideration was actually 58 tonnes (they were 60 tonne class trucks with heavy body liners), meaning that the trucks were underloaded by some 11-14 per cent each haul cycle.

MAKING THE MOST OF DATA

You can immediately see, that if we had some way to show not only the actual data, but what the data should be, we would have a much easier way to grasp it – even if it was a simple as writing say, 52/58.

You could of course say it was 7 per cent underloaded, however this still doesn’t really help unless you know what the correct payload is as you wouldn’t know how much to correct by.

If we extend our example further and say that the underload is 6 tonnes, we could then take steps to work out if the loading tool operator needed to put an additional pass on the truck or improve their bucket fill factor to perform the task in the same number of passes.

Note of course, that we don’t know why the number is out of range – there could be many reasons from poor fragmentation, machine health or lack of operator skill.

The point I am making is that a number, representing an activity on the site, compared to an assessment of what that number should be, can be used as a guide to investigate non-optimum performance.

A further point is that this type of approach helps to determine where management focus is required. By this I mean that if four out of five indicators are within range of their target numbers, the fifth is where a smart manager would put their attention. By this approach, a busy manager can manage by exception.

THE BROADER CONTEXT

Whilst a target (as noted above) can help us better understand what is happening in our business, sometimes this is not enough. By way of example, we recently conducted a review of a site where there was significant haul trucks waiting at the primary crusher hopper.

It was considered “significant” because it was higher than the figure that had been determined as acceptable, however the problem was that to understand the waiting time, we had to understand not only what was happening with the trucks, but also what was happening with the fixed plant.

Whilst we had access to the truck data, the fixed plant data was not easy to access and so the only way it could be resolved was to sit in the control room

Data represents what is happening in the quarry and in our business.

and note what was happening with both fixed and mobile plant (and who’s got time for that?).

The reality, of course, is that busy supervisors and managers don’t have time to sit for days looking at truck movements and crusher performance and so the opportunity for improvement is lost.

What we need is a broader context, that is, the ability to not only see a datum in relation to a target, but to then see data from different systems and how these inter-relate.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? The reality, however, is that this approach is nowhere near as simple as it should be for three reasons:

• There are few (if any) systems that are agnostic (can communicate with any other vendors systems).

• Vendors won’t open their systems to external parties (often to keep the customer completely within their ecosystem).

• Security and access concerns from IT departments (valid but needs to be balanced with operational requirements).

BRING IT TOGETHER

We have been broadly researching in this area for some two years and investigating not only what our clients are looking for but how these issues can be resolved.

We expect to see systems that can both securely and broadly extract data out of other systems for contextualisation and decision making, and use this to form the basis of data analytical approaches, such as machine

learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). An example is the Eltirus Enable system. Such a system would work something like the infographic shown above.

In this example, we see the integration of inputs from a range of different API’s, spreadsheets and manual data entry through forms on ruggedised tablets, validated and brought together with plans and budgets to provide a contextualisation of the data, ultimately resulting in actional data and improved outcomes.

Note that the range of inputs is growing rapidly, particularly as we see more and more environmental type sensor systems (wind, dust, moisture, noise etc) and an everincreasing number of performance systems such as the Orica FRAGTrack fragmentation analysis system, Propeller DirtMate, etc.

One thing worth noting is the need for validation of data. Once you start looking at the same data from different sources, the need for this becomes even more apparent.

By way of a simple example, fixed plant output minus sales should equal the stocks produced in the period. However, for a variety of reasons, it rarely does.

As a last note, you will see that I have deliberately identified “Plans” and “Budgets” in the infographic. I have done so to ensure that there is a clear understanding that it is not enough to just have a budget by which performance is to be judged.

There also needs to be a plan as to “how” the budget is going to be enacted. In essence, I am talking about having

Conceptual data collection and contextualisation framework.

both financial and non-financial metrics to measure against.

For example, if we said that the production of concrete aggregate was going to be 0.75 million tonnes this year, you would need to have a sense of where the material would come from in the quarry, what stripping and development might be required, the crushing yield for this material type and the equipment and resources available.

From this we could then create a plan that detailed exactly how we were going to move this material in the most efficient way and the metrics we would use to measure actual performance (and correct where necessary).

SUMMARY

If we say that we need to improve our business, whether it be in terms of maintaining/improving margin during an inflationary period or working more broadly towards decarbonisation of our businesses, technology is a vital part of those processes.

Likewise, if we are to attract new people to our industry, we need to show that we are a savvy, technical and contributing industry –the old ways won’t cut it.

To make the most of that technology, we need to become more effective at collecting and making sense of the data these systems produce and attracting and training the next generation who can make the most of it for us – the future is bright!

•

This article was contributed by Eltirus founder Steve Franklin.

ENGINEERED FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE

Unlock the potential of your quarry materials with our advanced wet processing and water management technology.

We deliver proven wet processing solutions to maximise your natural resources sustainably –with greater efficiency and less waste than ever before.

SMARTER WASHERS FOR TOUGHER ENVIRONMENTS

How 888 Crushing and Screening Equipment is supporting smarter washing solutions from MWS Equipment across Australia.

Offering Australia-wide coverage for one of the most comprehensive sand and aggregate washing portfolios in the industry, 888 Crushing and Screening Equipment (888CSE) has expanded its product line to include stock from MWS Equipment.

One of the world’s leaders in sand and aggregate processing solutions, MWS Equipment’s offerings include the Sandstorm 620, CSP200 (CSP-20), CSP120 (CSP-12), and MWS S190 tracked wash plants.

The above plants are currently available for purchase through 888CSE and are ready for immediate delivery to sites across Australia.

Offering flexible purchasing options, 888CSE has plants available for sale, hire and hire-buy options. Low-cost finance options are also available through the company’s approved third-party finance brokers.

To deliver on the Australia-wide promise, MWS Equipment has stocks on both the east coast and the west coast of Australia, where plant viewings can be arranged by appointment.

The company says through this arrangement, a complete sand washing plant can be delivered to site within realistic timeframes, decreasing the time between purchase and the initial operation of the plant.

SANDSTORM UNITS

Further enhancing its offering for customers, 888CSE provides the option for polyurethane screen decks to be selected and fitted to the Sandstorm to suit the specifications of the site. This ensures the end-user can immediately use the plant after installation. The Sandstorm has been developed with features for optimised production, easier maintenance access, reduced servicing

intervals and with the intent of meeting Australian energy standards. The plant is also fully electric powered.

With the option to provide a split sand product, the MWS Sandstorm modular washing solution can make both coarse and fine sand product, depending on the suitability of the feed material. It can handle up to 450 tonnes per hour (tph) of mixed sand or aggregate.

Alternatively, the plant can also be set up to provide high capacities of a single sized sand, with 150-200tph of sand production as standard. Outputs as high as 400tph of washed sand are achievable with additional 888CSE upgrades to the standard plant.

PRODUCTION CAPACITY

A large 20-foot-by-six-foot triple deck screen with five conveyors allows the production of up to three separate aggregate sizes, as well as one or two sand products.

The MWS Sandstorm modular washing solution can make both coarse and fine sand product.

The capacity of the Sandstorm 620 varies depending on feed material and the required product sizes. The team at 888CSE can assist in the selection of equipment, with consideration for specific performance requirements.

the tracked S190 rinser and the CSP-12/CSP-20 (CSP120/CSP200) plants offer the flexibility of quicker set-up and easier portability. Standard woven wire

mesh decks can also be fitted to the S190 tracked rinser for faster set-up.

INSTALLATION HISTORY

Previously, 888CSE has installed Aggstorm plants in Australia. The plant is equipped with built-in log washer technology to produce scrubbed, clean aggregate from high clay content feed material. The Aggstorm can be configured to handle construction and demolition, as well as quarried aggregate materials.

A large MWS Aggstorm plant has been successfully installed by 888CSE in one of the country’s leading skip bin and recycling companies.

If required, both the Sandstorm and Aggstorm plants can be equipped with a complete water treatment package with thickener tank, automated floc dosing system and freshwater storage. The addition of a filter press can, in certain cases, reduce water requirements by up to 90 per cent. •

The MWS CSP-12 wash plant is supplied and supported by 888CSE in Australia.

Smaller Sandstorm plants are also available with lower capacities through request. Where required,

SWEDISH ENGINEERING FOR HEAVY-DUTY MOBILE CRUSHING

Metso Outotec’s subsidiary, Jonsson, a Swedish manufacturer of heavyduty mobile crushing and screening products, now has a home in Tutt Bryant Equipment, Australia’s exclusive distributor of Metso Outotec mobile products.

Earlier this year, Tutt Bryant signed a deal with Metso Outotec to distribute Jonsson’s products in Australia, which adds to a broad range of fixed and mobile equipment already represented by Tutt Bryant.

Tutt Bryant is Metso Outotec’s leading distributor for mobile equipment sales globally, including Metso Outotec Lokotrack, Nordwheeler and Nordtrack product lines. As of April 2022, they also have a distribution contract for the sale of Metso Outotec’s fixed plant crusher wears, spares, and service support for customers in Australia.

Paul Doran, Tutt Bryant’s business development manager for Metso Outotec products, said the latest deal builds on the long-term relationship between the two companies.

“Due to our continued excellent performance in the sale and support of Metso Outotec mobile equipment and spares, they have facilitated the extension of our coverage to include Jonsson, one of their subsidiaries,” he said.

FIT-FOR-PURPOSE PLANTS

Jonsson designs and manufactures some of the world’s most formidable heavy-duty, track-mounted crushing and screening plants. With crushing equipment in the 70-180 tonne range, these are ideal mobile solution for customers with

open quarries or mines in high-capacity, heavy-duty applications.

The Jonsson product range is engineered with e-Power as standard, energised by a diesel generator set onboard or connected directly to the local electric grid, when available.

“The innovative dual power systems of the Jonsson machines make it possible for users to select the most economical power source. That gives users a flexible and very costeffective solution,” said Doran.

According to Doran, Jonsson’s highcapacity L130 jaw crusher could be particularly interesting for the Australian market. The L130 features Metso Outotec’s C130 bolted jaw crusher for aggressive crushing along the whole length of the cavity.

“Transportability is another feature that makes Jonsson plants suitable for the Australian market,” Doran said. “The L130 jaw crusher weighs about 110 tonnes, which usually requires physical disassembly and reassembly using cranes on site. Jonsson’s innovative chassis design allows the heavy component of the machine to separate into smaller, hydraulically-propelled components for transport.”

Jonsson’s L120-330 double crusher featuring Metso Outotec’s C120 jaw and GP330 cone also has Doran admiring the Swedish engineering genius.

“This one’s truly unique in that it includes a pre-screen, C120 Jaw crusher, 330GP cone crusher and a triple deck product screen built on one chassis. The beauty of it is you’ve got one engine/generator driving all the equipment on board,” he said.

“Where a normal provider would give you three diesel hydraulic machines in a jaw crusher, a cone crusher and a screen, Jonsson can provide all of that on one chassis, so you’re only fuelling one generator or plugging it into one mains power. Once again, Jonsson’s design genius enables easy transportation of the L120-330.”

JONSSON CONTROL SYSTEM

All Jonsson crushers come equipped with a fleet management system referred to as the “Jonsson Control System”, or JCS for short. This system, Doran said, “sets Jonsson apart when it comes to fleet maintenance and management.”

“This is the best fleet management system I’ve seen,” he said. “JCS allows for multiple different uses. The operator can use cameras mounted on the machine to monitor the material coming into the crusher and going into the screen on a monitor mounted inside the excavator cab.”

Similarly, the system monitors the machine’s performance and enables adjustment functionality, such as stopping the feeder or changing the crushing parameters.

“You can even view manuals that stay updated via the JCS cloud server or check the list of spare parts from inside the cab using JCS,” said Doran.

Another feature Doran believes operators will appreciate is the real-time ability to monitor productivity and generate daily reports and invoices from inside the cab.

“Using the belt scales, you can look at the monitor in the excavator and see how much of each material you are getting through the

Tutt Bryant has expanded its Metso Outotec offering to include the Jonsson range of heavy-duty, track-mounted crushing and screening plants.

day. With live monitoring, you can even see the bearing temperatures or how much fuel you are using. It’s incredible how much data is available in the JCS,” he said.

Ultimately, the data feeds into more efficiency and profitability, he explained.

“If you have a couple of these machines, and you’ve done a couple of projects, and say you were pricing another contract, you will know very accurately how much it will cost to crush that material. So, you’ll accurately know your production costs before putting your price in for the next project. This makes our customers more competitive and therefore more profitable.”

The JCS system also comes in handy for maintenance.

“If there’s a problem with the machine, the operator can ring the Tutt Bryant Equipment service guys, and they can look at the machine virtually through this system and see what alarms have come up and what the sensors are telling them. The technician can analyse diagnostic data to help the operator get the machine back to running.”

CUSTOMISED OPTIONS

The ability to customise the plant as per customer requirements is a bonus, according to Doran.

“Another exciting aspect about Jonsson is that their experienced engineering team can tailor the plant to your specific requirements, even changing the colour to suit your company’s branding,” he said.

“Jonsson has come up with some smart, simple design features based on customer feedback about how to make these machines high capacity, but still transportable. The

machinery’s built-in transportability reduces the time required for shifting between projects sites.”

Doran said Tutt Bryant was excited about the new opportunities presented by the partnership.

“These are arguably the best crushers in the world, particularly for the serious operators at the big end of town. Having extended our partnership with Metso Outotec, we plan to continue our great performance in serving customers with this innovative range, with an eye on operational sustainability.” •

Jonsson’s L130 jaw crusher is suitable for aggressive crushing along the whole length of the cavity.

WATERLESS WASHING IS THE WAY FORWARD

Kayasand’s aggregate washing plants are not only waterless, but they also bring multiple savings and environmental benefits.

For many quarries, high water usage and the associated hassle of processing the runoff are seen as unavoidable parts of the process.

The team at Kayasand is chasing a vision of enabling quarries to “turn off the water” by producing clean aggregates, using a novel dry processing technology.

Water management is a growing concern for quarries as they adapt to changing legislation around water management, coupled with more extreme dry and wet periods.

Kayasand offers waterless options for washing aggregate, from the four deck RCAS range of screens to the V7 sand manufacturing plants. RCAS screens are an alternative tertiary screening process to sort and de-dust coarse aggregates for concrete and asphalt. The V7 sand manufacturing plants shape and grade crusher dust to produce the “perfect” concrete sand (Kayasand) in a single process.

BEYOND WATER

Talking through Kayasand’s novel method of washing sand, the company’s national sales

manager Frank Grech spoke on the benefits of waterless wash plants for the quarrying and aggregate industries.

“Cleaning sand and aggregates for concrete and asphalt uses a process that, in many cases, has traditionally required water. Yet water is increasingly becoming a limiting resource, especially in Australia where consistent access can be a challenge, and its availability drastically impacted by environmental conditions,” Grech said.

In extreme cases, he noted reliance on water for washing aggregates can cause quarries to temporarily shut down during draught periods.

There are also hidden costs that come with water management, he explained. “These vary from one quarry to another, depending on the water quality and the water management solutions they use, as well as their environmental conditions.”

“With Kayasand technology, we offer options for blending water with the final product. But there is no need to use water when making it,” he said.

“One of the big selling points of the V7 plants is that you don’t need a water

management system in place other than for such activities as washing down. All you need is the raw material,.”

Due to the fully enclosed nature of the V7 plants, an installation also limits unnecessary exposure to dust. The negative pressure of the machinery, from the built-in dust extractor, keeps dust contained and away from operators.

“The plant takes out the good dust and fines that may otherwise be lost as silt in the washing process, and turns them into a usable product,” Grech said.

“Through repurposing dust and other materials which would otherwise be wasted in the process, we can reduce the environmental impact and also provide the quarry with more saleable products.”

MANUFACTURED SAND

According to Grech, the adoption of the waterless wash plants worldwide is growing. Not surprisingly, so are the number of quarries producing manufactured sand.

The V7 plants produce a unique manufactured sand, known as Kayasand, with clear benefits in concrete production.

“One of the advantages of Kayasand is that it takes a low value crusher dust and manufactures a concrete sand to the customer’s required specification in terms of shape, grading and consistency,” Grech said. “This allows the consistent production of a concrete with consistent predetermined performance.”

SUSTAINABILITY

With a pathway to net zero emissions for carbon in concrete by 2050 set out by the Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia, a key change in the value chain is the improvement of the mix design for concrete. This can be achieved by optimising the packing density of concrete.

According to Grech, the equipment provided by Kayasand directly improves the design mix of concrete, because it precisely shapes and screens sand during processing.

No reliance on water for screening enables plants to stay operational in the face of water shortages.

“The V7 plants can facilitate better packing density by including concretesuitable materials throughout the entire product curve,” Grech said. “This enables manufacturers to optimise the packing density of their concrete to require less cement in the finished product, resulting in a lower-emission concrete.”

This has implications beyond just the quarrying industry, particularly as pressure mounts on the wider aggregates and construction industry to reduce their CO2 emissions.

“At many of the V7 plants installed across Asia, the manufactured sand product is used as a 100 per cent replacement for the

natural sand in concrete,” Grech said.

He used an example to demonstrate the savings.

“Mix designs vary, but assuming you have 860 kilograms of sand per cubic metre of concrete, and a 100 per cent replacement of natural sand with Kayasand, a V7-240 Kayasand plant producing 600,000 tonnes per year produces enough sand for 700,000 cubic metres of concrete annually.

Dependent on the plant and the material being processed, the V7 plants can process a nominal 240 tonnes of material per hour.”

The technology used by Kayasand was first developed by Kemco in Japan. There are now 320 plants operating across Asia. The

growth is driven by changing regulations and availability of natural sand, with about 40 built in the last 12 months.

“The plants are not just benefiting the environment, but also the quarries themselves,” Grech said

The Kayasand V7 plants give operators the ability to grade material and receive a consistently shaped end product, even with varying feed consistency.

“Water is not the only way,” Grech said. “New processes are now available that enable quarries to turn off the water, while at the same time reducing waste and producing a higher quality end product with great sustainability credentials.” •

graded to specific sizes through the screens within the Kayasand V7 Plants.

BATTING FOR THE COMMUNITY

Supporting the community, Komatsu has signed on as the official partner of the men’s and women’s Perth Scorchers cricket teams for the 2022-23 Big Bash League.

Through heightening awareness and supporting one of the leading sport teams on the western coast, Komatsu is bringing apprenticeship and career opportunities to Western Australians.

Extending the pre-existing partnership with the Scorchers, Komatsu will once again feature on the uniform of the team, seeking to heighten the connection of the construction equipment company with the fans of the team.

Employing over 3,400 people with workplace diversity, innovation, health and safety and corporate social responsibility being key drivers for the business, Komatsu has plans to further support communities and provide equal employment opportunities.

WA regional general manager of Komatsu Australia, Glenn Swift, spoke on the benefits of the partnership and how it reinforces Komatsu’s commitment to becoming a leading advocate of diversity, inclusion, and equality.

“With 45 years’ history operating in Western Australia, Komatsu is proud to be once again partnering with the Perth Scorchers as they represent Western Australia as the champions of both the Women’s Big Bash League and the Big Bash League,” Swift said.

“Komatsu’s partnership with the Women’s and Men’s Scorchers teams reflects our focus on developing a diverse workforce and forms a key element of our apprentice mentoring program, as these amazing women and men cricketers inspire the next generation of Komatsu’s team,” he said.

“Komatsu is known in our industry for developing our people to be the best they can be, so it makes sense that we partner with the Scorchers who share these values.”

CONTINUED SUPPORT

The partnership makes up one of the many efforts and contributions that Komatsu has made to local communities, with previous support ranging from a three-year

sponsorship with the Queensland Lions Football Club to sponsoring the Komatsu Challenge Series for women’s cricket.

Reinforcing their values in the community, Komatsu has a vested interest in diversifying talent at all levels in the company, to broaden and benefit the communities where Komatsu employees work.

With a strong, active role in the community, Komatsu has additionally put into effect the ‘Say again?’ campaign in workplaces, an initiative to call out inappropriate comments and behaviour.

LARGE EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

According to Swift, ongoing training and learning opportunities within the Komatsu team are structured to not just allow the company to work better as a global team, but also to better serve the diverse customer base within Australia.

“This committment,” he said, “also includes providing equity and equal opportunity to all

members of the Komatsu team.”

This commitment to training, recruitment and equal opportunity, has recently seen Komatsu be named as ‘Large Employer of the Year’ in the October 2022 NSW Training Award, with the company recognised for its focus on innovative apprentice training and employee recruitment methods.

This award comes off of the back of the Apprentice Intake Open Day held by Komatsu on 6 July. The event was an opportunity for new and prospective hirees to speak to current apprentices and staff from Komatsu, as well as tour the facilities and better understand the work being done by the company.

There are plans for future collaborations to tie together Scorchers’ fans and Komatsu’s customers, with a draw in the works to win a Scorchers’ jersey and hat when spending 500 dollars or more in the online Komatsu parts portal. •

Komatsu has stepped up to sponsor the Scorchers for the 2022-23 Big Bash League.

FUTURE-FOCUSED MACHINERY

As part of the effort to make quarrying more sustainable, heavy machinery manufacturers like John Deere are rolling out all-electric and hybrid versions of their traditional vehicles.

Low-emission driving and working is currently one of the main development goals of the heavy machinery industry, with an international focus on all-electric and hybrid drives.

This was evident at Bauma 2022, one of the world’s leading trade fairs for construction machinery, which was held in Germany in October this year.

Amy Asselin, John Deere’s Manager for Aggregate and Material Handling Solutions observed that development of electric construction machinery was on the rise.

“It’s exciting to see so many electrification options coming to market. A lot of it, of course, is still at prototype and concept stages. But it’s interesting to see the approaches and the types of vehicles that are coming to market with different solutions.”

John Deere has experience innovating in this space with products like its hybrid 944K wheel loader. The hybrid wheel loader was

introduced in 2015, and as Asselin observed, has been gaining traction among John Deere’s customers.

A HYBRID WHEEL LOADER

The 944K wheel loader uses a hybrid-electric drivetrain, consisting of the John Deere 13.5L engine, gearbox, two three-phase Alternating Current (AC) permanent magnet generators, power electronics or inverters, four threephase AC Switched Reluctance (SR) motors, four two-stage reduction final drives, and two brake resistors. The electric drive components are backed by an eight-year, 20,000 hour warranty.

According to Asselin, the 944K is the most fuel-efficient machine in its size class; meaning that it can move more material while burning less fuel.

“This loader is unique in that it runs four electric wheeled motors, which allows the system to recover energy and send to the

power electronics to manage where the most efficient path for energy to go. This allows the machine to be highly productive in the pit face while managing wheel slip. This means operations can process more material while burning less fuel. It also helps reduce the 944K’s overall environmental impact.”

Apart from productivity benefits, Asselin said the 944K loader offered advantages in terms of serviceability and lifecycle costs.

“The hybrid electric drivetrain on the 944K helps prevent excessive tire spin resulting in increased tire life. This means the 944K will require less tire changes over its life also contributing to reduced environmental impact,” she explained.

To put that into perspective, one less set of tires prevents over 90,000 kilograms of CO2 from entering the atmosphere that would have occurred through the cost of manufacturing and disposing of the extra tires.

From a maintenance perspective, the 944K requires lower volumes of oil and fluids when performing recommended preventative maintenance translating into 11,000 kilograms of CO2 less over the life of the machine when compared to a traditional drive loader. There is also a six per cent reduction in global warming potential impact related to manufacturing when the machine undergoes a mid-life and re-life servicing.

SUSTAINABILITY VISION

The 944K wheel loader will be showcased at CONEXPO in Las Vegas in March next year, along with a suite of new products from John Deere. The focus for these new machines will be on hybridisation and electrification of the company’s traditional fleet, with roll-outs expected in the next couple of years.

More broadly, Asselin said the journey to hybridisation and electrification was part of John Deere’s multi-faceted approach to achieve 30 per cent carbon emission reduction by 2030. The journey also includes focus on improving diesel engine and vehicle efficiency, as well as technology to

John Deere’s hybrid 944K wheel loader comes with exclusive and customisable features.

support use of renewable fuels.

One of the challenges, she noted, was getting the required infrastructure in place to support low or zero emission equipment.

“As we go down this journey, whether it’s in a quarry or a construction job site, we will work with our customers on the infrastructure needed to get the required power to charge the machines at the right time, in the right place,” she observed. “John Deere has already made investments in some of those technologies. We recently purchased a battery company called Kreisel Electric, which produces innovative battery technology for e-mobility and stationary systems,” she said.

RETROFIT OPTIONS

While the full-battery driven options have proven their lifecycle benefits for smaller machines, Asselin noted that the diesel and hybrid versions remained a feasible choice for the larger machines relevant to the quarry industry. As such, she said John Deere was looking at adopting technologies to allow diesel engines

to work with renewable fuels that emit less harmful gases.

“Additionally, we’ve also made investments in a company called ClearFlame Engine Technologies, which is an Illinois-based startup dedicated to the development of clean engine technology. ClearFlame’s solution enables low-carbon fuels such as ethanol or other renewable fuels to be integrated into compression ignition engines, offering a sustainable solution without compromising engine performance.”

Realising that many quarry and construction companies already have a large fleet of

machinery, Asselin said part of John Deere’s focus was on bringing options to the market that allowed for existing machines to be retrofitted to reduce carbon emissions.

The investment in ClearFlame Engine Technologies was in line with that strategy, she said.

“We’ve made good investments in this space, and we’ll continue to work with the likes of ClearFlame to see what options we can make available over the near future, allowing existing machines to run on renewable fuels with lower carbon emissions.” •

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Our vibrators are designed for industrial applications in all sectors, from the most extreme environments such as quarries, mines and foundries to the food and pharmaceutical.

The hybrid 944K wheel loader runs four electric wheeled motors.

GROUNDWORK PLUS, 42 YEARS STRONG AND STILL EVOLVING

Founded in 1980 by David Kershaw, Groundwork Plus has just celebrated its 42nd year servicing the quarry sector.

Groundwork is headed up by joint directors Tegan Smith, Rod Huntley and Clayton Hill, with James Rowe appointed in 2020 as a co-director of the South Australian entity.

Over recent years, the company has also promoted associates, Jim Lawler, John Taylor, David Doolan and Mathew Jones, who have brought additional capacity, skills and drive to the business at a senior level.

“Groundwork Plus’ services have grown over the years, with an ongoing focus on ‘whole-of-life’ development,” said Smith. “These services now include resource identification, quarry development planning and modelling, town planning, environmental management and monitoring, aerial and bathymetric survey, health and safety and operations. The newest additions to the team are a number of site senior executives, who are working in operations across the country.”

Groundwork Plus is also proud to have formed Traffic and Transport Plus (TTPlus) with co-director Bryce Trevilyan, a traffic engineer and court expert with over 25 years’ experience in traffic engineering.

The success of the company is accredited to good people attracting good people, Hill explained.

“Our aggregates testing and petrographic laboratory based in Brendale is an example of the right people in the right roles,” Hill said. “The success of the laboratory has been driven by Dave Gregson whose experience and high standards have assisted to create a very solid enterprise.”

Groundwork Plus has also recently opened a Melbourne office, to continue to support the construction materials sector in servicing both new and existing clients.

Speaking on her 21st year with Groundwork Plus in 2022, Smith told Quarry that the key to longevity and resilience in the sector comes from frequent adaption and catering to the unique needs of the industry.

“Remaining flexible and progressive in uncertain times is essential,” Smith said.

Johannah Mannix, Environmental Consultant at Groundwork Plus, sampling a stream’s water quality in situ, using an iPad to log results straight into GPlus Live.

According to Smith, development of GPlus Live was a good example of the company adapting to change.

Groundwork Plus has designed and built GPlus Live, which is an online platform to control data and to proactively manage compliance via a simple interface from any device and location.

“We originally developed GPlus Live to manage information internally after being

Five years on and with the benefit of feedback from on-ground trials, Groundwork Plus is formally releasing GPlus Live to the industry.

“Specifically built by industry for industry, we now have a designated team of programmers, data managers and trainers to assist users in tailoring the platform to suit site-specific requirements and business preferences,” Hill told Quarry.

• Digital document management and audit management

• Contractor and employee management

• Plant and equipment maintenance; and

• Testing and quality

“Whether you are an operator, supervisor, quarry manager or executive, GPlus Live is a proactive tool designed to manage compliance and performance in every facet of operations,” Hill said. •

GPlus Live is an online platform that can control data and manage compliance via a simple interface, from any device and location.

WALKER QUARRIES SETS UP FOR GROWTH

Walker Quarries is about to roll out one of the most technically advanced wash plants in New South Wales, thanks to the options and consultancy provided by CDE’s engineers.

In 2018, when Trevor Hoffmann, operations manager at Walker Quarries, approached the team at CDE, he was looking for a sand washing solution that could be tailored to the specific requirements of their operation.

Located near Wallerawang, just west of Lithgow in New South Wales, Walker Quarries mines hard rock quartzite, which is then crushed on-site to make construction aggregates and manufactured sand, among other products.

Having commenced production since 2015, Hoffmann said Walker Quarries was looking to expand its production level.

“We’ve been making very consistent quality sand with our basic sand plant at Walker Quarries for the past seven years. Our current capacity is between 50 to 60 tonnes per hour, but we knew that if we wanted to commit to new clients and expand our market, we needed to get bigger,” said Hoffmann.

The team at Walker Quarries conducted an exhaustive vetting process, which included Hoffman taking a trip to the Bauma 2019 exhibition in Germany. Having reviewed multiple options available on the market, the best solution for the quarry came through collaborative work done by CDE.

“When we started researching plants, we went across the country looking at all different brands. The CDE ones were the most impressive and, from our experience, very well constructed,” said Wayne Chapman, mine manager at Walker Quarries.

After the initial consultation, Hoffmann said CDE and Walker Quarries embarked

on a journey to design a sand washing plant specifically tailored to the quarry’s needs, which included working on all aspects of the process, from hopper feeds to tailings management and even the final product stacking. The plant also includes a filter press to help the quarry increase its water retention.

“We currently have water stored in our storage dam with reserve capacity. But we wanted to add a backup system. With our filter press and our water system in place, I think we’re going to be reasonably drought proof for the years to come,” Hoffmann said.

TAILORED DESIGN

Daniel Webber is the CDE regional manager who has been working on the project with Walker Quarries. He explained some of the aspects considered in the design.

“One of the big issues for the site was water scarcity and space available for settling ponds. If Walker Quarries was going to increase production, then they would need to find more water and more space to settle out fines if they were to use their old method of washing,” said Webber.

“Being experienced operators, the team at Walker Quarries wanted to make sure they could sustain the next drought, given their relatively limited footprint for catching rainwater. As such, they wanted to reduce their dependence on water harvesting and maximise their water recovery,” he added.

To this end, CDE did a lot of work around tailings management, including press testing. The plant has been designed with a filter

press to help increase water recovery and treatment. The fines from the process are thickened into a sludge and treated with the filter press into dry tailings, allowing the treated water to return to the system.

The material gathered from the filter press that has been developed also ensures that the maximum amount of saleable product is obtained from the processed quartzite.

Webber said product quality and adaptability were other key aspects to consider during the design.

“The main sand wash plant will produce coarse and fines washed sand, which can be made independently or blended via CDE’s Dual Sliding Product Conveyors. This will give Walker Quarries a lot of flexibility and the ability to make spec products,” he explained.

“Also included in the plant is an AggMax scrubbing module, which will recover clay bound sand from the dirtier feed materials. It will also produce scrubbed construction aggregates and, from time to time, round pebble. Since the scrubbing plant isn’t always required, we’ve designed it so that the module can be can be taken offline by radially moving away it’s feed conveyor so you’re not getting undue wear and tear from materials that don’t need to be scrubbed,” he added.

A STRONG RELATIONSHIP

According to Hoffmann, the support from the CDE team has helped Walker Quarries not only overcome some of its earlier “setbacks,” but also to add new potential sources of revenue.

Walker Quarries will be expanding its capacity with the new wash plant, designed and supported by CDE.

“The filter press is going to eliminate some of the risks and environmental setbacks we faced with the basic sand washer. It’s also going to eliminate a lot of the maintenance costs. Another big bonus is that we’ll now have a very good supply of materials for future processing.”

With a name plate feed rate of over 200 tonnes per hour, the new Walker Quarries’ plant will be one of the most technically advanced wash plants installed in New South Wales when it starts operation in January next year.

Hoffmann said the support received from

the CDE team was instrumental in developing a fit-for-purpose solution.

“They’ve been very informative and providing us consultation right from the start. And once we signed the contracts, an engineer from CDE was assigned to work with us on a weekly basis,” he said.

According to Webber, the relationship has only grown over the past few months.

“We’ve certainly come a long way since that early enquiry from Walker Quarries in 2018. With the plant getting ready for commissioning, there’s been a relatively seamless handover from CDE’s regional

sales team to the local project manager. The next phase will be handing over to our aftersales customer care team for the lifetime maintenance of the plant,” he said.

CDE has also equipped the plant with a remote monitoring system to facilitate fault diagnosis by CDE’s engineers in the event they can’t be on site.

“CDE is extremely excited that this project is approaching commissioning and completion,” said Webber. “It has been a pleasure to work with Walker Quarries and both parties can’t wait to see sand rolling out the gate.” •

IQA NEWS

OUT AND ABOUT WITH THE IQA BRANCHES

WORKSAFE MONTH IN TASMANIA

WorkSafe Tasmania implemented a twoweek delivery of events to promote WorkSafe Month (October 2022) in Tasmania. The aim of WorkSafe Month was to get people talking about and acting on work health and safety issues, which are everyone’s responsibility.

The IQA has a strong branch in Tasmania and is working hard to deliver more training and events to the industry. The IQA was pleased to be involved with the WorkSafe Month initiatives in the state.

The IQA was a key part of the WorkSafe TAS program and presented two webinars:

•

Introduction to Safety Management Systems

As all quarries are required to establish a safety and health management system which effectively addresses the risks associated with site operations, this webinar provided the 70 participants with an introduction and overview into safety and health management systems for small quarries that can help minimise the risk of injury and illness from workplace operations.

Note: This course is mandatory for Queensland’s Senior Site Executives (SSEs) on sites with five or less employees.

What participants said:

“Great webinar. Really enjoyed the tip about handling fatigue of staff in a holistic approach.”

“Good representation of Safety Management Systems.”

“Informative and refreshed current knowledge.”

• Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS)

With the introduction of new Workplace Exposure Standards on the 16 December 2019 by SafeWork Australia, the IQA delivered detailed training to provide participants with an understanding of the risks associated with RCS, and the requirements for protecting workers from exposure.

What participants said:

“Really interesting and well presented.”

“Very relevant and well presented.”

“Great information on silica exposure.”

If you would like the IQA to be involved in any safety initiatives or to deliver workplace training, please contact the IQA on (02) 9484 0577.

SA YOUNG MEMBER NETWORK

Nine South Australian attendees recently convened on 14 October for the IQA Young Member Network (YMN) Austral Bricks’ Golden Grove plant tour.

The group enjoyed an informative tour through the Austral Bricks plant which covered the entire brick manufacturing process; from quarrying raw materials, to crushing, mixing, forming, drying and firing these raw materials into bricks.

Attendees enjoyed seeing a close-up view of the process, with the clay extruder being the highlight for the group, where clay was being mixed and then pushed into a die, making a continuous column of perfectly formed clay.

The tour proved to be a very educational, with attendees learning the importance of bricks as a building material, and the sustainable, durable, and cost-effective benefits that come with the use of this material. The tour was followed by a networking event, which provided an opportunity to connect and grow professional relationships.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ON SHOW AT THE QUEENSLAND BRANCH GROUNDPROBE TOUR

Following on from the success of the Queensland Diversity & Inclusion Conference, on September 1 the Women in Quarrying (WIQ) Queensland Branch hosted an interactive presentation at the GroundProbe’s office in Brisbane.

This inspiring day showcased GroundProbe’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and team members from across the world were also invited to attend and present virtually.

The highlight of the day was hearing from one of Australia’s most influential leaders, Dr Sue Keay, who presented on robotics in the extractive industry. Dr Keay is working closely with global organisations for women in technology and shared her insights into the challenges facing diversity and inclusion in the field of robotics.

Women in Quarrying Queensland Branch hosted an interactive presentation at GroundProbe’s office in Brisbane.

IQA EDUCATION: 12 MONTHS IN REVIEW

Over the past 12 months, the IQA has achieved:

• Hundreds of industry personnel trained;

• Three courses reviewed and updated;

• 30 individual courses delivered;

• Five corporate training programs delivered – the most in IQA history;

• Two webinars delivered in WorkSafe TAS Safety month;

• Over 300 industry personnel in attendance across three Safety & Health Conferences;

• Approved provider of the ‘Learning from Disasters’ mandatory course, which is required under the Maintenance of Competence scheme for those holding a NSW Practicing Certificate – Quarry Manager [without conditions]. (IQA’s Approved Training Provider Number: 0004206);

• All courses aligned to the NSW Maintenance of Competency Scheme;

• Commenced scoping of the IQA Personal Learning Cloud;

• Implemented corporate Training Needs

Analysis (TNA);

• Launched the IQA Competency Framework aligned to five identified key areas.

The 2022 NSW Quarries and Concrete Health and Safety Conference delivered a powerful program that highlighted the importance of psychosocial safety and the critical role communication, leadership and culture play in keeping people safe. Numerous speakers addressed the critical importance of ensuring workers feel safe to report hazards. Silence can be deadly, and often hazards can be normalised as part of the day to day. Delegates were reminded to have processes to draw out hazards and a culture than encourages people to speak out and intervene when something is not safe.

The highlight of the day was the keynote address from James “Woody” Wood, director CNB Safe. Woody shared his story and experience of having a workplace injury that left him paralysed and in a wheelchair over 25 years ago.

Have you planned training for your teams in 2023? Contact the IQA today to help plan the professional development for you and your team.

Woody spoke about his early career as a diesel mechanic, his ability to fix all types of equipment and how he was at a great stage in his life, living independently, great job and career options, a nice car and motor bikes. Before his injury he had good friends and a steady relationship.

He spoke candidly about the choices he made and the truck accident that occurred which broken his back, damaged his spinal cord and left him paralysed. In his words his life changed because of some wrong CHOICES while doing a simple job at work! The job wasn’t something new, but the outcome for him was devastating.

The impact of hearing James Wood speak was powerful as he openly shared the real impacts of getting hurt at work, including the impact on his family and friends.

“If I’d seen or heard how an accident would change my life, I would have put more effort into making sure I did not get hurt,” Wood said.

IQA COMMITEES

IQA BRANCHES CONNECTING YOU TO INDUSTRY

The IQA has a long and proud history of connecting the extractive industry and supporting the professional development and careers of those in the industry. This is largely delivered through the connectivity, networking and support provided by IQA’s Branches and Sub-Branches.

IQA branches facilitate the networking and camaraderie that sets the IQA apart. It is through Branch events that lifelong friendships are made and strong connections with all parts of the industry are forged. Each branch focuses on events that are relevant to their local area and in line with industry and member needs. IQA branches have a strong relationship with the local industry and focus on education and working closely with suppliers.

Branches bring our industry together and being involved through the committee and Branch events is extremely rewarding and will grow your networks, share ideas and innovation across quarrying and associated industries.

Introducing your committees for 2022/23:

ACT BRANCH

Chairperson: Adam Bertram

Deputy Chairperson: Jason McCamish Secretary: Phillip Messenger

ILLAWARRA SUB-BRANCH (NSW)

Chairperson: Shine Summerfield

Deputy Chairperson: Paul Arnold Deputy Chairperson: Matthew Banks Secretary: Nicholas Vrontas

Treasurer: Shine Summerfield WIQ Coordinator: Deborah MacDonald YMN Coordinator: Jordan Bertucci Committee Members: Brett Jarvis

Todd Kalajzich Andrew Kemeny

HUNTER SUB-BRANCH (NSW)

Chairperson: Gregory Dressler

Deputy Chairperson: Dayne Steggles Secretary: Gregory Thomson Treasurer: Bradley Brown WIQ Coordinator: Jaimi-Lee Borrow YMN Coordinator: Joel Fleming Committee Members: Matthew Frost Michael Todd Muhammad Yunusa

CENTRAL WEST SUB-BRANCH (NSW)

VICTORIA BRANCH

Chairperson: Michael Oppedisano

Deputy Chairperson: Chris Prowse Treasurer: Alastair DeLooze WIQ Coordinator: Joanne Murray

YMN Coordinator: Samuel Powell Committee Members: Warren Colbert Bradley Dawson

Tylah Drochmann

Michael Ewing

Tony Ferrazza

Mark Ho

Stephanie Mathews David McMahon

Tejinderjeet Panesar

Beau Patton Jason Rudge

VICTORIA SUB-BRANCH

Chairperson: Adrian Bourke

Secretary: Craig Staggard Treasurer: Craig Staggard Committee Members: Leigh Vaughan Damian Eastman

Jarrod Flint

John Miltos

Andrew Fowkes

NSW BRANCH

Chairperson: James Collings

Deputy Chairperson: Angus Shedden Treasurer: Christopher Hamilton YMN Coordinator: Shane Andersen Committee Members: Paul Chenery Michelle Grady David Kelly

NORTHERN REGION SUB-BRANCH (NSW)

Chairperson: Christopher Brown

Deputy Chairperson: Jason Williams

Secretary: Matt Kelly

Treasurer: Thomas Sherd

WIQ Coordinator: Jade Chappell

YMN Coordinator: Rhys O’Brien

Committee Member: Rawdon McDouall

Chairperson: Mitchell Bland Deputy Chairperson: Daniel Lythgo Secretary: Mitchell Bland Treasurer: Mitchell Bland Committee Members: Andrew Commins Christopher Cooke Alasdair Webb

TASMAININA BRANCH

Chairperson : Ben Palmer

Deputy Chairperson : Nicholas Palmer Secretary: Nicholas Armstrong Treasurer: Douglas Fulton WIQ Coordinator: Marie McDonald YMN Coordinator: Samuel Benson Committee Members: Stephen Duggan Dean Maxfield

David Morrison Wayne Newitt

Leigh McClure Ian McCartney Alister Shaw

Alan Tapping Adrian Bull Brad Godden

WESTERN

AUSTRALIA

Chairperson: Tinus Nagel

BRANCH

Secretary: Steven Della Bon

Treasurer: Damon Case WIQ Coordinator: Jordan Pedley

YMN Coordinator: Johan Barnard

Committee Members: Nic Castle

Phillip Hope

Scott Langford

Reece Naylor

Neil O’Connor

Edoardo Sommacal

SOUTH AUSTRALIA BRANCH

Chairperson: Andrew Wilson

Deputy Chairperson: James Rowe

Secretary: Todd Threadgold

Treasurer: Kevan Barrie

WIQ Coordinator: Mikayla Schwarz

YMN Coordinator: Andrew Britton

Committee Members:

Michael Close

Irene Harasymyszyn

Rodney Kazem

Susan Lewis

David O’Farrell

Colin Stormonth

Mark Taylor

Michael Williams

Paul Thompson

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND SUB-BRANCH

Committee Members:

David Burey

Brett Evans

Sam Hill

John Sherbud

FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH

Chairperson: Gary Battensby

Deputy Chairperson: Keoni Kidner

Committee Member: Christopher Nussey

Committee Members: Kate Pemberton

Donella Taylor

NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH

Chairperson: Lawrence Fahey

Deputy Chairperson: Tim Lowy

Secretary: Michelle Lergessner

Treasurer: Michelle Lergessner

WIQ Coordinator: Megan Kernan

YMN Coordinator: Paul Hooton

Committee Members:

Dennis Marchant

Troy Newman

Gregory Rains

Scott Simpson

QUEENSLAND BRANCH

Chairperson: Blake Ardrey

Deputy Chairperson: Jason Egan

Secretary: Carl Morandy

Treasurer: Carl Morandy

WIQ Coordinator: Jenny Krasny

Committee Members:

Ajith Dissanayake

David Dixon

Brett Evans

Francis Grech

Alec Harries

Robert Hemming

Clayton Hill

Karen Poulton

Allan Schoenfisch

David Smith

Lionel Smith

Tamara Undy

Events are held regularly across all IQA Branches and Sub-Branches. These events are open to both members and non-members and serve as a great way to network, share ideas and stay connected with our extractive and associated industries.

Forafulllistofevents,visit:www.quarry.com.au/ Public/IQA/Events/Branch-Events

IQA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

PAYING TRIBUTE TO A PASSIONATE INDUSTRY LEADER: MIKE CAMERON

21 MAY 1942 - 26 SEPTEMBER 2022

Mike Cameron was born in England on 21 May 1942. He migrated to Australia in the early 1970s after working for several years with Val De Travers Asphalte in the UK on various projects within the highlands and islands of Scotland and gaining experience with the asphalt and quarrying industry. Upon arriving in Australia, Mike continued working with Pioneer and later, with Farley & Lewis which was acquired by the Ready-mix Group.

He then moved from working directly in the quarry and asphalt industry to become an ICI Explosives technical services representative, servicing the Hunter Valley coal mines. ICI became Orica in the late 1980s and Mike was instrumental in introducing the coal mining industry to new blasting explosives, which made a positive change for the industry. Mike was involved in establishing ICI’s ‘Rock on Ground’ services in Australia.

To demonstrate his versatility, he started his own executive recruitment business, acquiring clients such as the Quest Apartment Group, as a consultant. He was directly responsible for recruiting 60 staff for that company along with many successful appointments for other organisations.

Mike made quite the impression at IQA conferences, which in those years, were held annually. He would put so much energy and passion into making sure the partner’s day was a memorable experience for everyone.

Not many know that Mike helped progress what was a relatively brief IQA Victorian Branch newsletter into a substantial monthly newsletter, which later developed into what we all know today as the Quarry magazine.

Mike’s vision in the early 1980s was to expand the newsletter to contain much more informative and educational information, including articles advocating for the industry.

The Victorian Branch newsletter went from a single page to a much larger newsletter that initially was printed at Yooralla Society of Victoria. This required Mike to spend long hours writing articles, editing, and critiquing the newsletter to ensure its accuracy and value to members.

Mike was determined to keep improving the standard of the newsletter and needed funds to have it professionally printed. Therefore, he sought support from the quarry industry suppliers in the way of advertising.

These much-needed funds helped transition the newsletter from being printed by the Yooralla Society of Victoria, to a magazine published by Morgan & Lane. It was eventually sold out to Gunnamatta Media and it was acquired by Prime Creative Media four years ago.

The funds started to accumulate and later were transferred from the Victorian Branch to help establish the Australian Institute of Quarrying Education Foundation (AIQEF). Today, the AIQEF is a committee of the IQA and oversees the management of the fund to invest in education for the industry.

Mike edited and managed the newsletter until the late 1980s. At this time, the national body of the Institute took over the management of the newsletter, which became ‘The Magazine for the Institute of Quarrying - QUARRY.’

Mike’s professional involvement with the Institute started when he joined the Institute of Quarrying (UK) as a member in December 1975, which was extended to the Institute of Quarrying Australia after arriving. As such, Mike was a member of the Institute for approximately 47 years, leading and contributing at the branch and national levels. He was awarded the highest membership grade as Fellow.

quarry management training and various aspects of his technical knowledge and experience from 2010 onwards. Here too, he found a way to make a difference, mentoring and helping people in the industry.

Mike gained his management training qualifications with a focus on training industry people to manage in a workplace. Mike also set up his own company and website called “Strategically Yours.”

As a business coach and coming out of his management training, Mike published two management books: Effective Leaders and The Emerging Leader.

Mike had a passion for promoting and developing student training and in so doing, passing on his knowledge and experiences. His books reflect this passion.

Besides all that Mike did for the industry, he still found a way to connect with people outside in his leisure time, riding motorbikes with various quarry related people. His passion for large motor bikes, such as his 1200cc Triumph Tiger created many stories that his motorbike mates will testify to.

There are few people in the industry who can claim to have contributed to our great industry as much as what Mike has done. His legacy lives on with the educational material on his website – which will be maintained in perpetuity, through his leadership books and his mentoring of so many people.

May he rests in peace.

This article was contributed to by Chris Terry, Shane Braddy and Shane Turnley.

Mike Cameron was a Fellow member at IQA.

Cameron helped progress the IQA Victoria Branch newsletter to what’s now the Quarry magazine.

Training is one way to give your team the opportunity to discuss risk, controls and hazards in a safe environment and allow time to reflect on areas that can get missed in the day to day. The IQA is a leading provider of training for the extractive and associated industries. Contact us today to help you plan cost effective training for your teams. Email:

The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) marked its 60th anniversary in November this year by announcing a list of 100 “geoheritage” sites that have substantially influenced understanding of Earth’s deep history.

The global list, released in collaboration with UNESCO, is meant to foster conservation and tourism. The sites include familiar ones, such as the Grand Canyon’s “great unconformity,” a billion-year gap in the rock record erased by erosion.

More exotic examples include limestones in Germany that preserve Archaeopteryx, a feathered fossil that links dinosaurs to birds, and the Canary Islands’ Taburiente Calderawhich gave such volcanic formations their name.

An IUGS Geological Heritage Site is defined as a key place with geological elements and/or processes of scientific international relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history.

WHY IS THIS INITIATIVE NECESSARY?

The scientific community has long

demanded the establishment of a global program with global standards for the recognition of geological heritage sites of high international importance.

This program will be of great help for many other national or international initiatives based on the recognition, conservation, geotourism and educational activities related to geological heritage.

This project will also define a new methodology and criteria towards an effective procedure where the acquired know-how and experience will be sharedw and put to work.

WHAT KIND OF SITES?

All kinds of geological sites of international relevance: tectonic, stratigraphical, sedimentological, petrological, mineralogical, hydrogeological paleontological, geomorphological and those related to the history of geological sciences.

MAIN GOAL:

Definition and implementation of a global program led by IUGS -International Commission on Geoheritage for the recognition of geological heritage sites of high international scientific significance (IUGS Global Geosites).

More than 200 specialists from almost 40 nations and ten international organisations, representing different disciplines of Earth Sciences, have participated in the selection of sites.

A total of 181 candidate sites from 56 countries were proposed and were evaluated by 33 international experts. The result of this challenging and collaborative process is the list of the First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites.

For more information, visit: www.unesco.org/en/iggp/igcpprojects/731

The village of Zumaia, on the Basque Coast (north coast) of Spain, hosted a meeting for the 60th anniversary of the International Union of Geological Sciences.

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