Aggregates Manager November 2019 by Sandy Turner Jr

Lower energy costs PG17 | Increase drill uptime PG22 | The NACCO defense PG28

Lindsey

Aggregates

increases production with a new wash plant

— Bulk material handling solutions made easy

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Cardinal Scale’s new SB6000 remote display can be read from a distance of up to 250 feet.

PAGE 9

On Our Cover: Ginny Vandish is co-owner of Lindsey Aggregates, based in Oswego, N.Y. Cover photo by Kerry Clines.

When reviewing telematics data, include a driller or a shift boss from the pit to discuss and qualify the information.

PAGE 22

TABLE OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2019 |

VOLUME 24, NUMBER 11

FEATURE ARTICLES

10 Thriving in Upstate New York

Lindsey Aggregates ups its game and increases production with help from a new wash plant.

22 Proactive Maintenance Maximizes Drill Uptime

Tracking service meter unit intervals, drill performance, and operating data will help operators tailor a preventive maintenance program that matches both the work environment and pace.

OPERATIONS ILLUSTRATED

Create Energy Efficiencies

Measure your consumption, then manage its use. Start with simple steps such as limiting the use of compressed air and idle time to lower energy intensity.

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 3 Editorial A rocking plan for reclamation. 4 Data Mining The latest financial analysis of issues impacting in the industry and Aggregates Manager’s exclusive aggregates industry outlook. 7 RollOuts Komatsu introduces the WA900-8 wheel loader, and other new equipment for the aggregates market. 28 Rock Law What is the NACCO defense, and when would you want to assert it? 30 Advertiser Index See who’s who and where to find their products. 31 Classified Ads Aggregates industry classifieds. 32 Carved in Stone While the raw materials for steel can be found in the U.S., elements used to manufacture different types of steel are imported from around the world.

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November 2019

EDITORIAL

Vol. 24, No. 11

by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief, tdunphy@randallreilly.com

aggman.com /AggregatesManager /AggManEditor

Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Therese Dunphy Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle

Dalhalla: a Rockin’ Reclamation Project

Senior Editor: Kerry Clines Online Editor: Wayne Grayson editorial@aggman.com

Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Production Designer: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Leah Boyd production@aggman.com

Construction Media Vice President, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com

3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com

Corporate Chairman Emeritus: Mike Reilly President and CEO: Brent Reilly Chief Operations Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Financial Officer: Kim Fieldbinder Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Audience: Linda Longton Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Business Development: Robert Lake Vice President, Audience Development: Prescott Shibles Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Vice President, Marketing: Julie Arsenault

For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: aggregatesmanager@halldata.com.

Aggregates Manager TM magazine (ISSN 1552-3071) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly, LLC copyright 2019. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Subscription rates: $24 annually, Non-domestic $125 annually. Single copies: $7. We assume no responsibility for the validity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Aggregates Manager, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406.

very so often, a reclamation project comes across my desk that simply takes my breath away. Dalhalla, located in a former limestone quarry near Rättvik, Sweden, is one such project. The quarry, formerly known as Dräggängarna, was discovered in 1991 by an opera singer and radio producer named Margareta Dellerfors. Dellerfors was searching for a location for summer festivals when she discovered the perfect setting — an abandoned quarry. The site is renowned for its acoustics, as well as its impressive setting. Over the next decade, an amphitheatre was built and officially opened in June 1995 with a televised concert. Over the next few years, the stage and seating area were rebuilt to increase the crowd capacity from 2,600 to 4,000 and the King and Queen of Sweden attended the re-opening. While the site is best known for opera, classical and jazz are staples in its musical offerings. Dalhalla also attracts a variety of artists including Robert Plant, the Beach Boys, Nora Jones, and John Fogerty. In the United States, a number of aggregate producers have hosted concerts in their quarries, often in conjunction with fundraisers for local schools and other charitable organizations. As a temporary venue, a quarry poses a number of hurdles, including regulatory concerns, transportation of attendees, and weather, and such events have become increasingly rare over recent years. As a reclamation project, however, a quarry could be developed into a unique and striking amphitheatre and park combination. The model offered by Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre comes to mind. In the early 1900s, John Brisben Walker first developed the idea of the site as a music venue and produced a number of concerts there. Later, a former parks manager convinced the city to purchase the property, for a sum of just over $54,000, and to build a more permanent structure there. The 738-acre site’s amphitheatre has two 300-foot sandstone monoliths — known as Ship Rock and Creation Rock — that enhance its acoustics, and it is one of the world’s premier outdoor venues. The park includes two trails and attracts runners who want a unique workout at a high elevation. In fact, the American Lung Association hosted its Run the Rocks event there in October. Having spent more than half of my life visiting quarries, I may be less than objective, but believe many quarries are quite beautiful. Venues such as Dalhalla share that allure with people who may otherwise never see an aggregate operation. Based on its rave revues on TripAdvisor, it’s reassuring to learn that others appreciate that beauty as well. AM AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

mining

Company Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V.

Diesel Fuel

Prices 10/7/19

United States $3.047 One Week -0.019  One Year -0.338

New England $3.047 One Week -0.009  One Year -0.297 

Central Atlantic $3.224 One Week -0.014  One Year -0.307 

Lower Atlantic $2.915 One Week -0.033  One Year -0.328 

Midwest $2.967 One Week -0.020  One Year -0.384 

Gulf Coast $2.804 One Week -0.023  One Year -0.365 

Rocky Mountain $3.022 One Week -0.010  One Year -0.368 

West Coast $3.642 One Week -0.003  One Year -0.224 

West Coast less California $3.215 One Week -0.013  One Year -0.343

California $3.981 One Week +0.004  One Year -0.130  Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (dollars per gallon, prices include all taxes).

52-Week High

$2.82

$6.53

CRH plc

CRG

$32.57 

$23.79

$35.54

Eagle Materials Inc.

EXP

$89.17 

$57.00

$93.18

Granite Construction Inc.

GVA

$31.20 

$26.57

$58.93

HEI

$68.15 

$56.79

$80.55

HCMLY

$9.25 

$7.96

$10.63

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.

MLM

$262.11 

$150.75

$275.99

MDU Resources Group, Inc.

MDU

$27.76 

$22.73

$28.82

Summit Materials

SUM

$22.06 

$11.25

$23.10

United States Lime & Minerals, Inc.

USLM

$75.43 

$68.20

$85.85

U.S. Concrete

USCR

$50.85 

$27.68

$56.22

Vulcan Materials Co.

VMC

$147.63 

$82.52

$152.49

Source: Wall Street Journal Market Watch. Currency conversion calculated on date of close 10/7/19.

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

East Coast $3.041 One Week -0.024  One Year -0.319 

52-Week Low

$3.70 

HeidelbergCement AG

U.S.

Current Value

LafargeHolcim Ltd. ADR

On-Highway

Ticker

artin Marietta (MLM) reported revenue of just under $1.3 billion, a 6.4-percent increase, for the second quarter, ended June 30, 2019, compared to the second quarter of 2018. Net earnings were $189 million, up 2.2 percent from the prior year. “We are proud to have established new quarterly records for revenues, gross profit, and adjusted EBITDA, driven by increased aggregates shipments, continued pricing momentum across the Building Materials business, and improved cost management,” said Chairman, President, and CEO Ward Nye, in a news release. “Notably, aggregates shipments increased 10 percent, led by our Mid-America and Southeast Groups, which achieved double-digit growth as these markets benefitted from improving strength in public- and private-sector spending and contributions from acquired operations. Based on these current trends and our strong first-half performance, we are raising our full-year outlook and believe Martin Marietta (MLM) 2019 will be another record year for Martin Marietta.” Second quarter aggregates volume and pricing improved 9.9 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively, while samestore aggregates volume and pricing improved 6.1 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively. In the Mid-American Group, aggregates shipments increased 15.9 percent, or 10.2 percent on a same-store basis. Pricing improved 1.6 percent, or 3.0 percent on a same-store basis. In the Southeast Group, aggregates shipments increased 12.7 percent, or 5.4 percent on a same-store basis. Pricing improved 7.3 percent, or 8.3 percent on a same-store basis. In the West Group, aggregates shipments increased 1.1 percent, and pricing improved 3.4 percent. The average sales price was $14.18 per ton, a 3-percent increase over second quarter 2018 pricing. From an end-use perspective, shipments to the infrastructure market rose by 2 percent, shipments to the non-residential market grew by 25 percent, and shipments to the residential market ‘increased modestly.’ “Going forward, we will continue to build upon our successful approach of price discipline, strategic geographic positioning, and prudent capital allocation,” Nye said. “We remain committed to the disciplined execution of our strategic plan and the world-class attributes of our business — including safety, ethics, cost oversight, and operational excellence — to drive continued profitability growth in 2019 and beyond.” Source: Market Watch

Data

STOCK REPORT

AGGREGATES INDUSTRY OUTLOOK The Aggregates Industry Outlook results bounced back in October to an overall score of 138.10 as the stock prices of several publicly held companies reached new 52-week highs. Strong monthly sales expectations, coupled with a more favorable long-term sales outlook, boosted the month’s overall score. Respondents also gave highly favorable ratings for the outlook for the upcoming year, both for the industry as a whole and their own company.

Aggregates Industry Outlook 150 145 140

138.10 130.68

135

138.10

137.57

136.42 143.33

127.22

130

136.11

125

132.64

120

125.56

125.00

115

120.20

110 105 100 Nov. 2018

Dec. 2018

Jan. 2019

Feb. 2019

Mar. 2019

Apr. 2019

May 2019

June 2019

July 2019

Aug 2019

Sep. 2019

Oct. 2019

September aggregates sales and production were higher than expected or planned for several producers. Looking toward the end of the year, many producers are scaling back and slowing down production due to seasonality and softer demand in the market. — Jason Hurdis, Senior Market Professional, Caterpillar

With civil construction having the highest yearly growth percentage, construction materials — particularly aggregates — should be in direct correlation for the next 12 months. — Jill Shackelford, President, Jill Shackelford Consulting

Editor’s note: To join our panel, email Editor-in-Chief Therese Dunphy at tdunphy@randallreilly.com.

QUARTERLY CRUSHED STONE & SAND AND GRAVEL REPORT Quantity Crushed Stone 2nd qtr. 2019

Percent change

New England

11,800

-5.5

7,810

-4.7

Middle Atlantic East North Central West North Central South Atlantic East South Central West South Central Mountain

44,300

2.3

13,600

4.3

57,000

-1.2

33,600

-0.5

44,200

13.9

34,200

24.1

99,200

12.2

19,000

40,900

8,560

3.6

64,500

-1.6

35,600

2.3

19,600

15.2

56,800

2.2

-13.2

46,300

-3

3.9

273,000

1.9

Region/Division Northeast: Midwest:

South:

West:

Pacific

2,300

TOTAL

406,000

Quantity sand and gravel 2nd qtr. 2019

* thousand metric tons

Percent change

Source: U.S. Geological Survey

* thousand metric tons Source: U.S. Geological Survey

ROLLOUTS

Your complete guide to new and updated equipment and supplies in the aggregates industry.

by Therese Dunphy | Editor-in-Chief | tdunphy@randallreilly.com

Increases trucks loads per shift Komatsu America Corp. introduces the WA900-8, a 256,618-pound loader equipped with a Tier 4 Final, 899-horsepower SSA12V140E-7 engine. Designed to load 70- to 150-ton haul trucks, the loader has a new bucket design which features a modified profile to maximize bucket fill and increase productivity. A variable traction control system and modulation clutch system provide optimal tractive effort for various ground conditions. The Komatsu SmartLoader Logic helps reduce fuel consumption while maintaining production levels. The Advanced Joystick Steering System and Electronic Pilot Control work equipment control levers are said to provide quick and precise response to operator input. Automatic dig system, semi-automatic approach, and dump system help less experienced operators be productive while reducing fatigue for an experienced operator. KomVision with radar obstacle detection, a six-camera system on a dedicated LCD monitor, provides a bird’s eye view around the machine, and an audible alert sounds when an obstacle is detected in the working area.

Komatsu America Corp. | www.komatsuamerica.com

Sensor monitors condition of bearings

Down-the-hole hammer and bits John Deere Construction and Forestry adds new capabilities to its JDLink platform to further drive machine insights and provide a quick and reliable telematics solution. The Notification Center, accessible via JDLink, now includes email alerts. This means a notification can be sent to fleet managers when a machine diagnostic trouble code occurs or there is an upcoming scheduled maintenance interval. Filters can be used to allow managers to ignore trouble codes they do not wish to see. Through updates to JDLink Mobile, producers can use the app to view machine hours of operation, alerts, and equipment location. A new addition, Machine Analyzer, allows fleet managers to view and compare equipment utilization across their fleet.

Caterpillar’s new 6-inch Downthe-Hole (DTH) Hammer is the first to be introduced from the manufacturer’s DTH line for blasthole drilling. Its valved design is said to provide reliable operation, low air consumption, easier maintenance, and cost-effective rebuild. The hammer is rated to run with compressed air systems driving work pressures up to 500 psi. The additional back-head pressure, when combined with the corresponding airflow demanded, generates more blows-per-minute for faster penetration rates in hard materials. Several configurations of 6.75-inch bits are available in both standard and heavy-duty designs to match rock characteristics and job requirements. The bit selection includes a variety of carbide shapes and face shapes. Caterpillar | www.cat.com/requestCatinfo

John Deere | www.johndeere.com

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

ROLLOUTS Stainless steel filters Tekleen says its automatic self-cleaning filters are maintenance-free filters that reduce operational costs associated with cleaning and replacing screens, spraying nozzles, bags, and cartridges. The filters use minimal water to backwash the screen without interrupting the main flow. They are designed for cooling water filtration, aggregate washing, spraying nozzles protection, potable water, and more.

Tekleen | www.tekleen.com

Updated interface for automation platform ABB launches a new version of its Minerals Process Control Library. The updated process control system is designed to achieve the highest plant productivity, availability, and safety, as well as operator efficiency. It offers additional functions that are available with the new version of the ABB 800xA 6.1 automation platform. The version comes with a completely new and intuitive graphical interface for process displays, faceplates, and workplace layout providing operators with relevant process information in its situational context. It also offers an extensive set of options for adapting presentation so the focus can be tailored, and users can navigate to the required information more quickly. A new feature is a unique alarm system which enables plant operators to immediately detect, understand, and resolve process situations and disturbances in minimum time.

ABB | www.abb.com

Tilt level control for hazardous areas Conveyor Components Co. introduces the Model CT, which is comprised of a Control Unit and Tilt Probe which senses the presence or absence of material. Applications include level detection in hoppers, silos, stackers, crushers, and conveyor transfer points. The control unit is enclosed in a rugged cast aluminum housing with external red and green LED status indicator lights and surface mount printed circuit boards. Weatherproof, dust-ignition proof, and explosion-proof models are available. The tilt level controllers (CT-105, CT-106, or CT107) are cULus listed as intrinsically safe when used with cULus-listed tilt probes. The CT tilt probes are available in compact (6-inch) or standard (9-inch) and have 25 feet of electrical cable. Conveyor Components Co. | www.conveyorcomponents.com

Inventory management programs available Haver & Boecker Niagara offers Make and Hold and Stocking Agreement programs for screen media and wear parts. The program offers options for short lead times, pricing stability, and simplified inventory management. Under the Make and Hold program, the manufacturer stocks products in quantities and prices agreed upon at the beginning of the year. Product is produced and packaged in the pre-determined quantity so that it can be shipped on the day the order is placed. Once an order is shipped, the product is automatically replenished for the next order. A Stocking Agreement is available as a one-time annual agreement. Prices are locked in for the beginning of the year for a pre-determined quantity of product. Producers draw on their stock throughout the year as required and pay per shipment with product being shipped on the day the order is placed.

Haver & Boecker Niagara | www.havercanada.com

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

Loader designed to be a workhorse Hitachi Construction Machinery Loaders America adds an updated ZW180 to its Dash-6 lineup of mid-sized wheel loaders. Designed to serve as a workhorse in loader applications, the unit weighs in at 32,100 pounds, delivers 26,530 pounds of breakout force, and is powered by a Cummins 200-horsepower Tier 4 Final QSB6.7 engine. Producers can choose between a 3.4-cubic-yard general purpose bucket or a 4.2-cubic-yard material handling bucket. The loader can lift up to 3,000 pounds with a vertical reach of 12.9 feet. A new Power Mode switch, located on the steering joystick, gives the operator immediate access to additional rim-pull and breakout force for digging into heavy piles or climbing grades with a full load. It produces a 10-percent burst in engine rpm. Technology including ride control, telematics, auto power-up, and an LCD color monitor are designed into the machine. A seamless front window, rounded engine cowling, and redesigned ROPS frame provide 360-degree lines of sight. The ZW180-6 is equipped with a clean SCR system using a simple DEF system that lets the machine run efficiently without high engine temperatures and eliminates concerns about idle times. No DPF or regen cycles are required.

Hitachi Construction Machinery | www.hitachicm.com

Remote display for truck scale readouts Cardinal Scaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new model SB6000 remote display features a high-visibility, full-color graphics display with double-row LEDs in large 6-inch-high characters for use with digital weight indicators connected to scales that need to be viewed from a distance of up to 250 feet. The durable IP66rated stainless-steel enclosure is weatherproof for use in a wide variety of environments. It offers 1,280 RGB high-intensity LEDs for maximum visibility in all lighting conditions and integrated 6-inch-high red/green traffic light standard for directing vehicles on and off the scale. Multiple scales plus total weight readouts can all be displayed simultaneously. The readout can plug and play with any weight indicator and offers optional SnapStream wireless connectivity with Cardinal Scale weight indicators.

Cardinal Scale | www.cardinalscale.com

Tool to avoid distracted driving NexTraq, a Michelin Group company, launches MobileBlock. Created in partnership with SafeDrivePod, MobileBlock ensures that driversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; smartphone and tablet screens are locked while driving. The tool is designed to help managers enforce policies restricting unauthorized use of company-issued tablets and smartphones to limit distractions. It is a small, selfadhering pod that is mounted in the vehicle. An app is downloaded from the App Store or Google Play to the tablets or smartphones used by drivers of the vehicle. The software shuts off access to apps while driving, but emergency call and navigation apps remain usable.

NexTraq | www.nextraq.com

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

PLANT PROFILE by Kerry Clines | Senior Editor

Thriving in upstate

New York Lindsey Aggregates ups its game and increases its production with the help of a new wash plant.

indsey Aggregates, a family-owned and operated aggregate operation located southeast of Oswego, N.Y., has set its sights on major growth. In 2000, Ginny and Warren Vandish bought some property and a haul truck, which they named Old Henry, and set about digging up aggregates at Lindsey Aggregates. It started out with just the two of them, but it has grown from there. Warren had always worked for the highway department or something similar, and had an interest in aggregates, so it wasn’t much of a stretch for him to go into the business. But Ginny had been a music teacher in North Syracuse for 20 years. She gave up teaching to join her husband in running the operation full time in 2016. “This is very different from teaching, but I like it,” Ginny says. “But the way it’s similar is the stress that you have from day to day.” Now, they have more than two dozen employees and millions of dollars’ worth of equipment. During the

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

past year, they invested $2.5 million for a new wash plant and $700,000 in other new equipment. “We’ve had exponential growth really for our company,” says Alan Levine, who handles marketing and public relations for Lindsey Aggregates. “In our first six months of this year, we did what we did in all of last year.” The company was named after the owners’ 20-year-old daughter, Lindsey, who is currently in college studying liberal arts. She and her 15-year-old sister, Emily, share the responsibility of running the scale house in the summer. They weigh all the customer trucks, issue tickets to the drivers, and take care of entering all the information in the computer. They can also generate reports on how much of each product has been sold that day and what products need higher levels of production.

Operations “We own three parcels of land that total 230 acres, but we lease the front part where the plant is located and where trucks pick up material,” Levine

notes. “At one of our other locations, we are mining river rock. Right now, we have a fairly sizable contract for that, especially the 1- to 4-inch.” Topsoil is hard to find in the area, so what little is pulled off before they begin mining is sold quickly. Levine says it isn’t that there’s a shortage of topsoil, it’s just that it’s difficult to get permits to take it off

Lindsey Aggregates, in upstate New York, increased its production with help from a new wash plant.

of a piece of property. He says they have a good working relationship with the Department of Environmental Conservation, but it still takes a couple of years from the time property is acquired and a permit request is filed to receive permission to do anything with the property. When they first started mining the property, they took approximately 30

feet of material off the top before they hit the water level. “We were able to get about 30 feet deeper with a good size shovel we had at the time,” Levine says. However, they wanted to go even deeper, so they got a Link-Belt 750 excavator with a 70-foot custom stick that could dig down as deep as 66 feet. “If we hadn’t invested in that machine, we would have lost 30 feet of

material, and that’s a lot,” Levine notes. “That’s made a huge difference, of course. The material that’s coming out is just amazing.” The operation is located on a ridge made up of glacial till that was deposited millions of years ago. There’s a wide variety of rock available, and the material can vary greatly from one location to another just a few feet away. They AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

PLANT PROFILE Lindsey Aggregates uses a special Link-Belt 750 excavator with a 70-foot custom stick to dig down as deep as 66 feet in the pit.

CDE installed a wash plant that allows Lindsey Aggregates to process large amounts of washed material at a rate of 500-plus tons per hour.

might dig up large rocks in one location, while another will have little pebbles or baseball-size rocks. “Our success is based on, to a certain degree, our ability to turn this asset, which is probably in the $40 to $70 million worth of raw material, into saleable material,” Levine notes. “That’s why we’ve invested so much money in our crushing and sand system.” The processing plant consists of three different crushers — one cone crusher and two impactors — along with two wash plants. One wash plant is for one and two size rock, and the other is for sand and mason sand. The material being fed into the plant comes from the pit on site, as

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

well as another location right down the road. Everything from the other location, except for river rock, is processed at the main plant. Levine says the hardness of the rock is good, ranking in the seven to eight range, while limestone only ranks a three. But the red rocks in the mix have been a problem when it comes to soundness. When the state tests the material with freeze/thaw over and over again, the red rocks tend to come apart. So, they’re focusing on the other various materials at the site. “We’re finding a market for our asphalt products, and our concrete sand is high-friction, which is a big deal,” Levine

explains. “We’re still trying to jump through the next hoop to get high-friction listing for our coarse aggregate. That’s going to be a test, again, because of the red rocks, but different parts of our pit and our other locations have different material in them. Our geologist, Tom Giles, is working on that for us. He’s worked with us for years and really is a tremendous asset for our company.” At one time, Lindsey Aggregates only supplied materials to small jobs in the area, but they’re trying to open up their scope to additional companies. Quikrete just recently became a customer. The operation supplies material to a couple of the largest engineering companies in the area. One is using it for a large project in Syracuse, and the other, Onondaga/Allied Chemical, is using it for environmental remediation. The company also sells a few products to some of the local municipalities. Where once they only supplied products to three municipalities, they now supply material to nine, and each one purchases at least two different products. The manufactured sand produced at the site was once considered a byproduct of production. There were mountains of it everywhere. Now, with the wash plant, a market has been found for the sand, so the company plans to reprocess those mountains at some point and turn them into saleable products, including mason sand and C33 concrete sand.

Staying on top

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PLANT PROFILE

Jeff Warner, plant manager at Lindsey Aggregates, walks a portable 1300 Pegson crusher to a new location in the processing plant.

“Washing the product has become a big deal,” Levine says, explaining that some customers had been asking for washed products for a long time before they got the wash plant. “CDE did a great job of putting together a system for us that is producing huge amounts of great material. We’re in the 500-plus ton-per-hour range now. That’s double what we were producing before, and it’s all washed.” In the processing plant, the CDE R2500 sorts the rock and gives the material an initial cleaning before it goes into the CDE M4500 sand plant or into the crusher below. The 4500 produces concrete sand and mason sand. “The product comes off the belt basically dry,” Levine says. “I haven’t figured out how. It’s magic, I guess. It really does work extremely well.” The operation produces approximately 5,000 tons a day at the main pit. That’s not including the river rock that’s being dug up at the pit just down the road. Plant Manager Jeff Warner can run pretty much everything at the plant and is practically a part of the Vandish family. “Jeff knows every single thing there is to do here,” Ginny notes. “He’s 29 and has been working here since he was 15.” “Welcome to my life. Nothing like

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

digging in the dirt,” Warner says. “There’s a hundred things going on all at once. And then, if you turn your back, one of these crushers will stop, and you’re running around shutting

everything off. I put on 7 to 8 miles a day, 42 miles a week.” “The deposit here is pretty unique,” Warren explains. “We produce a high-friction product that can be used in paving or black top, and we’ve been at it for nearly 20 years.” Ginny says everybody at the operation has a job, but they also have a diverse set of skills. The welder who fabricated all kinds of things for the plant and the shop also runs the big Link-Belt excavator in the pit. Another employee who works in the plant is also good with a computer. Having that kind of diversity in its employees is a bonus for the company. Since Lindsey Aggregates is located in upstate New York, the pit can become unworkable in the winter and the plant can freeze up. Warren says they did work all last winter, but it got slow, so they hired out to do some snow plowing. “Snow plowing keeps our key people busy in the winter, so we don’t have to lay them off,” Warren says. “It’s worked out pretty well.”

Playing it safe Even though it’s a family-owned business, safety is still first and foremost at Lindsey Aggregates in upstate New York. For the most part, everyone who works at the operation watches out for each other and takes good care of the equipment, but safety meetings and training are a must. “We have MSHA training here once a year for all of the guys who either work in the pit or come to the pit,” says Ginny Vandish, co-owner of the company. “Our head mechanic who comes here from time to time is also required to do the training.” Training is scheduled in February or early March every year. The employees spend the whole day going through the course. In addition, they have a safety meeting every morning before work commences. Any new employees who come in during the year are trained by Warren Vandish, Ginny’s husband and co-owner of the company, or Jeff Warner, the plant manager. “One thing that’s really important is keeping our equipment clean and up to date,” Ginny notes. “We do maintenance in the pit once a week. They change the oil, filters, and do anything else that needs to be done.” She says, if there’s something wrong with a piece of equipment, they won’t run it. “Nothing we do here is as important as everybody going home at the end of the day,” Warren explains. “If something breaks, we could keep running, but we don’t. It’s not worth it.”

Except for river rock, all the material from Lindsey Aggregate’s other location down the road is trucked to the main plant for processing.

Future plans The future holds great growth possibilities for Lindsey Aggregates and for the Vandish family. At some point, Levine says the pit will become a lake, but they’re trying to keep a stretch through

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the middle open, because they might want to go back into that area and continue digging to see how much deeper they can go. The aggregates business is definitely in the family’s blood, because

both daughters plan to join the family business full time in the not-too-distant future. “I’m going to stay in the business,” Emily says. “I’m going to do what my mom does when I graduate.” AM

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AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

OPERATIONS ILLUSTRATED By Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief

Create Energy Efficiencies at Your Operation

Use efficient motors and variable frequency drives.

Use belt scales to measure material flow.

Install sub meters to track consumption.

OUR EXPERTS

Benchmark fuel usage.

Bill Jerald is the chief energy engineer for CalPortland. He served in the navy’s nuclear program for six years before attending the University of Arizona and earning a degree in nuclear engineering. He has spent 25 years at CalPortland, first at a cement plant, then working his way up in energy management.

Sean Smith is the assistant plant manager of CalPortland’s Dupont plant. He grew up in a mining family and initially avoided the industry, earning a logistics degree from the University of Tennessee. After realizing he didn’t care for a career in that industry, he earned a master’s in mining engineering from Virginia Tech. He has been with CalPortland since 2016.

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

Measure, then manage, your energy consumption

arlier this year, CalPortland received the Energy Star Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award for the 15th consecutive year. “Now, we have won more than any industrial program in the country, and we’re talking about companies like Toyota and General Motors,” says Bill Jerald, chief energy engineer for CalPortland. “We’re very proud of that accomplishment.” Energy efficiency is a win-win for many producers. It lowers emissions, but it also can reduce costs. Since 2003, CalPortland has improved its energy intensity by 17.5 percent and saved $123 million. Operators who want to improve their energy efficiency can begin with some simple steps, such as looking at the use of compressed air. “Every plant has a compressor with compressed air for operating gates for material flow, dust collectors, and a variety of tools, but it is one of the most inefficient methods of getting work done,” Jerald says, noting that it takes about seven horsepower of electrical energy to get one horsepower from compressed air. Compressed air is convenient, but also prone to leaks, which makes training essential for an operation’s employees. “If I train a person that, when they hear that hissing sound of air, it’s actually like dropping dollar bills right on the ground, they start to react to that,” he says. At CalPortland’s Dupont, Wash., site, tailoring pro-

duction to meet demand is another way to improve energy efficiency. Belt scales are being used to track the movement of product throughout the fractionated plant. This means better energy efficiency because energy is expended only to create what is needed for near-term sales, says Sean Smith, assistant plant manager. “Now, we can say ‘we’ve used this much energy to move this many tons of material,’” he adds, noting that the next round of improvements will likely target motor sizes and the use of VFDs. Diesel fuel use offers another opportunity for efficiency gains. CalPortland now electronically tracks and benchmarks fuel consumption. Jerald says it allows him to visualize where fuel is going and look for opportunities, such as reducing idle time or adjusting equipment size, to improve. Alternative fuels are also being used. In the Los Angeles market, CalPortland converted 118 ready-mix trucks to natural gas and applied for and received grants from California to help defray the capital costs involved in converting the trucks. “Once we got the system going, we began to save a lot of money,” Jerald says. “It’s cheaper than diesel fuel and, from an environmental perspective, it has less greenhouse gas emissions. It’s just been a super successful program. We’re looking at other operations to expand it, but it’s very capital intensive. It works in California because of those incentives.”

End air leaks

Compressed air provides convenient, but inefficient energy, so consider other ways to power material flow gates, dust collectors, and other items. It is also prone to leaks, so be sure to train personnel to turn compressors off when the plant is not in operation and to investigate any signs of leaks.

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

Install sub meters

While utility bills provide an overview of energy consumption, they provide little insight into areas of an operation that are not running efficiently and none into the consumption of energy at co-located plants, such as aggregate operations with a readymix or asphalt plant on site. Sub meters can help isolate portions of the plant for relevant data collection.

Track material movement

Installation of belt scales at a fractionated plant helped the operation identify what products were being produced and sold each day and allowed it to align production with demand. By making the right product at the right time, it was able to reduce manhours, equipment wear, and energy costs, as well as prolong the lifespan of the deposit.

Focus on fuel usage

Electronic tracking â&#x20AC;&#x201D; whether through proprietary data collection or telematics â&#x20AC;&#x201D; allows operations to identify usage trends and benchmark performance. In addition to focusing on fuel consumption, consider the use of alternative fuel options such as natural gas. Some states have grant programs that help defray the initial investment.

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

Voices of Experience Bill Jerald

he Peter Drucker guidance, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” is apt when it comes to achieving energy efficiency, particularly at CalPortland where energy measurements have been elevated to an art form. “Any energy consumption that I look at deals primarily with metered energy,” explains Bill Jerald, chief energy engineer. “We’re able to look at electrical consumption through kilowatt hours and diesel fuel, which we track quite a bit. A dozen years ago, Jerald began to develop methods for tracking data and putting it into a more visible format. He compared energy consumption against production data to determine kilowatt hours per ton of aggregate or per yard of concrete. “We had to collect the data and visualize the energy intensity per unit of product,” he says. “Once we got that energy per unit of product, we began to look at all of our plants and benchmark them against each other so we could figure out who was the best, who was the worst, and who was in the middle. Then, we could figure out why a plant had higher energy intensity and how to make it better.” Early iterations of data tracking were fairly crude, he says, with spreadsheets full of invoice data that was manually entered. Data was inconsistently entered and didn’t provide a live perspective on energy consumption, so the next step was to hire a third-party data entry company. It scans invoice data and enters it into a cloud-based database that allows Jerald to access data from every site. “Now, every single plant is visible to me in live data with a great amount of detail,” he explains. “I can go online, download the data, manipulate it, and create charts and graphs. It’s been a huge step forward. I can use that information and look for opportunities to create a better operating facility.” For example, data may indicate that energy is being consumed on a day the plant is shut down. The root cause can be something as simple as a compressor that wasn’t shut off prior to the weekend. By identifying unnecessary consumption, practices can be changed and operating costs can be lowered. The installation of sub meters also plays a critical role in capturing useful energy data. Typically, utility bills capture the total energy consumed at a site, but many CalPortland operations have co-located production facilities. By installing a sub meter, Jerald can differentiate between the amount being used at each part of the site rather than relying on a percentage estimate. “People love it,” he says. “It actually makes their job easier because they can see this energy data and know how to properly charge different business units.”

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

Sean Smith

ne way to lower energy costs is to simply mine what product is needed, when it is needed, says Sean Smith, assistant plant manager of CalPortland’s Dupont, Wash., plant. To accomplish this, the fractionated plant invested in belt scales for 20 of its more than 50 conveyor belts — in addition to the eight belt scales it already had. The scales provide insights into material flow throughout the plant that it previously did not have. “Now, we have a really good idea of how material moves,” Smith says. As soon as material comes out of the pit, a loader scoops it onto the belt, where it becomes trackable. The plant can measure material going into the crushing circuit in real time, and product inventory is measured rather than estimated based on stockpile height. “We have real numbers,” he explains. “We know what’s in every pile every day and what we’re selling each day.” This knowledge translates to energy savings, because only what is needed is being produced. “We know what our sales are, and we produce only that,” Smith says. Production can be stretched to achieve economies of scale, but operations then shut down rather than continuing to produce a mix of products that may or may not be needed. “We run the plant only as long as we need to — that refines our forecasting to the point where we know how we have so many sales of these products, and then we’re able to shut down and not run 50 some belts. We can mine less, and we protect our resources for the long term,” Smith notes. The idea was an easy one to pitch to management. Smith says he noted that it required fewer man hours, less wear on equipment and components, less fuel and, yes, less electricity, to produce product the plant didn’t need. “Leave it in the ground until we know the sales are in the immediate future,” he says. “In my mind, that’s the lowest cost way to operate.” This approach works on all fronts: energy is conserved, production is tailored to sales, and the long-term health of the asset is protected. “What we’ve done with a little over a year’s worth of data is, in my mind, pretty incredible,” Smith says. In addition, it has created a sense of ownership among the plant employees. “We’re running multiple shifts, particularly in the tower. It kind of brings out a competitive edge in that they’re not just seeing how many tons they can pump through the plant, but how many of the right tons per hour they can produce,” he explains. “It’s got some healthy competition going there.”

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EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT by Greg Scott

Current drill models put drilling parameters at the driller’s fingertips.

Classification systems pose a challenge for predictive maintenance. This primer explains how to keep material in spec with both wet and dry processing.

Having the right number of drills — along with an optimal mix of feed force, torque, air, and cutting tools that match ground conditions — help operators achieve high production rates.

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

Proactive maintenance maximizes drill uptime P

roduction at a mine site begins with drilling, and every process downstream — blasting, loading, hauling, processing — is dependent on maintaining consistent production by the drilling crew. To help ensure that drilling operations maintain their pace, a solid maintenance and repair program must be in place to deliver the drill uptime required by the site. A drilling program’s complexity most often corresponds directly to ground conditions at the mine. Achieving high production rates and service life with lowest total cost of ownership from the drill fleet requires the right number of drills configured with an optimal mix of feed force, torque, and air — and equipped with cutting tools correctly matched to ground conditions. Based on the size of the drill fleet and production needed, we can estimate the scope of the maintenance department, budgeting, and schedule. But how many drills are truly the right number? There is no one-size-fits-all for drilling programs

given variability in geology and the need for linear production from drills. Still, from a general fleet perspective, the rule of thumb is that a site needs at least one drill per primary loading tool. Of course, actual production needs and many other factors must be evaluated to determine optimum drill fleet size. Those factors include the all-important geologic conditions, mine layout, blending or mixing requirements, specific needs for loading and hauling tools, and needs and capacity of downstream fixed plant assets. Other key drivers for fleet size and maintenance programs are mine location and infrastructure, plus the mine’s and local vendors’ capacity to support the drills. Mines with smaller fleets may require premium drilling products working constant duty cycles with a minimum of downtime allotted for preventive maintenance and repair. Customers with larger fleets may have the luxury to schedule downtime for repair/rebuild while using a swing unit to fill production gaps.

In all cases, the entire enterprise needs to be taken into consideration when evaluating drill fleet numbers and working arrangements. Consider that equipment management and field-service effectiveness can actually drop over time if swing or standby units become the norm, creating a reactive network focused primarily on the downed unit rather than a proactive network attending to the fleet of drills in production. The result could be increased costs, such as additional capital equipment expenditures and higher frequency of component failures, which bring the higher costs of collateral damage, expedited parts supply, increased downtime, and more.

Structuring maintenance programs All considerations must be put into the context of the specific operation when structuring a maintenance and repair program for drills. Of course, safety is first and foremost in all plans and processes. The human element also brings varying training and skill levels, and there are AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT

Use telematics information for planning.

differing cultural and ideological perceptions from site to site. To help guide drilling support personnel, Caterpillar develops a library of technical publications for each drill delivered to a mine. People on the ground have technical reference material at hand

to help them evaluate and execute their tasks. Technical guidance focuses on best practices and recommendations that will keep machines running with a manageable amount of downtime for preventive maintenance, repairs, and

planned component replacements. Aside from troubleshooting manuals, repair and rebuild manuals, systems operations, plus test and adjust guides, the documentation consists of preventive maintenance recommendations primarily scheduled on service meter unit (SMU) intervals — though application, environment, and other operational influences must be considered. To supplement written documentation, onboard computer monitoring can be leveraged for both drill operation and tracking drill health and duty cycles. Recent generations of drills enable tracking machine data in fine detail — bringing that data back to planners and managers to process, analyze, and execute preventive maintenance strategies and programs that suit the specific operation. This feedback loop helps both the maintenance program and the operations side. It helps maintenance teams prepare and schedule, and gives operations baseline information to tune-in drilling parameters, such as feed force, RPM/rotational torque, and

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EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT flushing air. It also guides deployment of the cutting tools used for various ground conditions. For most drilling programs, the biggest challenge isn’t capturing maintenance and repair costs. It’s correlating those costs directly with performance data and clearly understanding drilling costs and how they relate to ground conditions. Along with tracking SMU hours, a mine can benefit from including drill performance and operating data to tailor a preventive maintenance program that best matches the environment and operational pace. A simple example of the environment directly affecting service intervals is the underfoot conditions on the drill bench. Crawler undercarriage service intervals are directly tied to travel surface conditions and travel distances. For drilling components, service intervals should be adjusted based on the duty cycle. For example, a rotary blasthole drill’s pulldown and hoist cables, as well as wear guides for the rotary head assembly

Work with drillers to determine maintenance needs.

and traveling sheaves, will wear at rates correlated directly to the duty cycle. Multi-pass drilling in softer ground will see higher cycle counts when compared to hard rock applications. Grease intervals and wear parts replacement cycles will

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EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT the driller sees and feels changes that may indicate slight differences in the formation being drilled that could affect overall performance and alter service life of the machine. The driller can also help clarify data conundrums, so if there is a problem, the root source can be identified and acted upon. It’s best practice when reviewing the numbers to include a driller or shift boss from the pit to discuss, explain, and help classify and qualify the data. It’s critically important to take a methodical approach to collecting data and formatting it so it gives solid feedback. It’s also vitally important to gather different perspectives. These inputs should help ensure evaluations dig deep enough to identify root causes and enable proactive maintenance programs and drilling operations.

Communicating gets results Open communications between the operations, planning, and management teams

helps achieve good drill performance. For example, routine inspections and tracking operating hours categorized by task can help predict potential failures, but those same inspections and analyses are much more effective with open feedback from drillers in the pit. Similarly, engine SMU hours give planning and management personnel a guide to preventive and predictive maintenance, while drill performance and drill health data help shape a picture. But beyond what the computers record, input and discussion from the operator behind the controls bring the cycle full circle to help ensure maximum uptime. For example, the data from onboard computing systems may not accurately capture wear and tear on components as ground conditions change and the drill powers through it. With good communications, potential issues can be identified and adjustments made, such as shortening the time between planned component replacements.

In addition to communicating with drillers, communications directly with the machines themselves is a growing consideration. As blasthole drills move toward higher levels of automation, there will be increasing focus on correctly defining drilling parameters for the drill rig. The task will be capturing and evaluating both drill performance and drill health data, and then adjusting working parameters as ground conditions change or as a bit reaches the end of its service life. With a proactive management style and good data, drilling program managers will be able to take steps to adjust and adapt maintenance schedules, as well as drill rig working parameters and cutting tools to give the mine optimum drill performance. AM

Greg Scott is applications specialist, Surface Drills, for Caterpillar Inc.

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by Karl F. Kumli

ROCKLAW The NACCO Defense What is it, and when would you want to assert it?

e all know the old joke, “he’s the best quarterback in the league, during Monday night games, on the road, in the rain, in the red zone, against teams not named after animals.” After piling so many qualifiers into the second sentence, it becomes clear this guy is not your go-to QB. Over the years, a similar number of qualifications, caveats, and exceptions have been piled on top of the NACCO Defense in Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) enforcement cases so that it has become an unreliable defense to call on in most situations. So, like our quarterback, why is it still around? Because sometimes you are on the road on a Monday, and it starts to rain.

Background In general, the negligent conduct of an agent of the mine operator is attributable to the operator when a citation or order is issued. However, in 1981, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (the Commission) found that the negligent actions of a supervisor should not necessarily lead to a finding of negligence on Karl F. Kumli is an associate the part of the mine operator, NACCO Mining. in Jackson Kelly PLLC’s Specifically, where the supervisor was appropriaDenver, Colo., office where tely trained and experienced and did not expose he practices in the Energy, anyone else to risk through his actions, the suManufacturing, and Mining Law industry groups, focusing pervisor’s misconduct would not result in a higher primarily on workplace health negligence citation issued to the operator. Sec’y and safety and litigation. of Labor v. NACCO Mining Co., 3 FMSHRC 848 He can be reached at 303(April 1981). In NACCO, a foreman was supervising 390-0026 or karl.kumli@ two miners. The foreman told the two miners to jacksonkelly.com.

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

stay back, and he walked out past the last row of permanent roof supports. A large rock fell on the foreman. Because the foreman had been thoroughly trained on NACCO’s roof support plan, and because he effectively excluded the other miners from potential harm, the Commission found that the supervisor’s negligence was not the operator’s negligence. In the years since this decision, utilizing supervisor misconduct to lower negligence against the mine operator has become known as the ‘NACCO Defense.’ When a violation is caused by a supervisor’s actions, operators will regularly rely on NACCO to challenge any finding of negligence. At the time, the decision seemed to be strong protection for operators who ensured that their safety programs were well established and enforced. In fact, the Commission stated in the NACCO decision that finding operator negligence in such situations would discourage appropriate safety training because operators would be penalized regardless of what an operator did to ensure worker safety. However, as the NACCO Defense has been raised over the years, the Commission and judges have created exceptions to the defense, narrowing the type of situations where it would apply.

Unwarrantable failures The first hurdle for an operator looking to use the NACCO Defense is that the supervisor’s conduct cannot have created an unwarrantable failure

violation. Basically, the supervisor has to have acted in violation of the standard, probably negligently, but the action cannot have been found to be more than ordinarily negligent. Importantly, MSHA defines the type of acts that could give rise to an unwarrantable failure finding in many ways, including ‘intentional misconduct.’ If an inspector agrees that training programs were appropriate and enforced and that the supervisor should have known better, the violation may be sited as intentional misconduct or ‘reckless disregard’ for that training, resulting in an unwarrantable failure and destroying the operator’s NACCO Defense.

Particular class of accident In order for the NACCO Defense to apply, the mine operator must be able to show that it has taken reasonable steps to avoid the particular class of accident involved in the violation. In the original case, the foreman had been trained on the roof support plan, and the failure to follow that training led to the violation. In this instance, it is not sufficient to show that a supervisor had received safety training. Judges are looking to task training or specific hazard training related to the violation. In other words, the operator needs to be able to show that the supervisor knew exactly what he was getting himself into.

anyone else. Currently, judges and the Commission ask if any other miner could have been put at risk by the supervisor’s action. Would someone try to rescue the supervisor and be put at risk? Could the situation spiral out of the supervisor’s control? These types of questions push back the boundary of endangerment, making a NACCO Defense even harder to establish.

So why keep NACCO around? These are big holes in the defense, which make it difficult to apply, so why is NACCO still important? Operator negligence is a significant part of any MSHA penalty structure, and safety professionals, compliance officers, lawyers, and anyone else who is responsible for interacting with investigators owe it to the company to use every tool in the tool box to minimize exposure. Over the years, the NACCO Defense has become a more specific tool than it was in 1981. But sometimes, it is raining on a Monday night, and when you’re in the red zone you still want to have your best quarterback. AM

Unforeseeable Based on all of the training and experience that the supervisor has, his violation of the standard must have been unforeseeable to the operator. Interpretations of the NACCO Defense focus on a history of similar violations or other evidence that MSHA can use to show that the operator was aware or should have known that this kind of violation was a possibility. If similar violations had occurred in the past or if interviews by investigators show that the violative conduct was a common or accepted practice, the NACCO Defense will not protect the operator. Training, experience, and culture must support the idea that no one would have guessed that the supervisor would violate a standard this way.

Endangering other miners Lastly, we return to one of the standards set out in the initial case. When the NACCO foreman told the other miners under his supervision to stay back, he ensured that his conduct did not endanger anyone else. In the nearly 40 years since the NACCO decision, the definition of ‘endangerment’ has become increasingly broad. Simply excluding other miners from the immediate risk is no longer sufficient to show that the supervisor did not endanger

Experience: Retired November 2011 following 41 years with the U.S. Geological Survey • USGS Aggregate Resource Geologist 1977-2011 • Past Chair and Distinguished Service Award recipient, Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Industrial Minerals and Aggregates Division • Author of ASBPE award-winning columns - Carved In Stone, Aggregates Manager, 1998-Present

Services Offered: Applied geology and geological research for construction rocks and minerals, with an emphasis on aggregates. • Resource evaluation • Expert testimony

• Technical writing and review • Lecturer

Contact me at:

Bill-Langer@researchgeologist.com www.researchgeologist.com AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

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The Historical Construction Equipment Association’s 34th Annual

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AND OLD EQUIPMENT EXPOSITION The Largest Earthmoving Show in North America! Over 200 Vintage Construction Machines and Trucks! Sept. 13–15, 2019

National Construction Equipment Museum 16623 Liberty Hi Road • Bowling Green, Ohio Hosted by the Museum Volunteers

EVENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS Live demonstrations and daily parade of dirt-moving, ground-breaking, earth-shaking antique construction equipment. The convention will also feature historical displays, memorabilia vendors, the world’s largest sandbox for kids, and the Saturday night HCEA member’s banquet on the Museum grounds.

Visit www.hcea.net • HCEA 419-352-5616 • Fax: 419-352-6086 email: tberry@hcea.net

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

$10.00 daily, or $20.00 weekend pass. Under age 16, vendors and exhibitors free.

VENDORS: $40.00 for first 8-foot table, additional tables $35.00 each. Limited tables available for $10 each to HCEA members for historical displays only. Call the HCEA office at 419-352-5616.

CAMPING:

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

ADMISSION:

Saturday, Sept. 14. Social hour at 6:00 PM, dinner at 7:00 PM. Order tickets through the HCEA office at 419-352-5616. Adults, $25, 12 and under, $15.

Equipment built or powered by International Harvester will be featured. Stationary and operational equipment in any condition is welcome. Also hosting the Power of Yesteryear’s annual agricultural tractor, farming and threshing show. Vintage trucks displayed by the Black Swamp Chapter of the American Truck Historical Society.

Friday, Sept. 13: 9:00 AM to dark Saturday, Sept. 14: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Sunday, Sept. 15: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

HCEA BANQUET:

FEATURING INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER!

ALSO FEATURING…

SHOW HOURS:

Limited primitive camping available. $20.00 fee per site for show. First come, first served.

GOLF CARTS: Golf carts will be available. Reserve them from Welch’s Golf Carts Inc., 888-310-9333 or welchsgolfcarts.com, and mention HCEA and the show dates. $5 one-time fee payable at gate for all personal transport vehicles, except for mobility scooters for the handicapped.

CARVED IN STONE

Bill Langer is a consulting research geologist who spent 41 years with the U.S. Geological Survey before starting his own business. He can be reached at Bill_Langer@hotmail.com

Steel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Global Product While the raw materials in pig iron can be found in the U.S., elements needed to manufacture different types of steel are brought in from around the world.

nless you have been hiding under a rock (there are worse ways to spend your time), you probably have heard about tariffs on steel as one way to boost the American economy and bring jobs back home. But is steel really being made in America? Well, yes, but many of the ingredients that go into steel are mined elsewhere and still have to be imported. The three raw materials used in making pig iron (the material needed to make steel) are iron ore, coke (residue left after heating coal in the absence of air), and limestone (CaCO3) or burnt lime (CaO). Approximately two tons of ore, one ton of coke, and a half ton of limestone are required to produce one ton of iron. The United States has plenty of those three basic ingredients to make all the iron it needs, but there are other mineral elements that are sometimes used to manufacture steel from pig iron. One of those elements is silica (Si - quartz). The silica dissolves in the iron and increases the strength and toughness of the steel without greatly reducing ductility. Generally, the silica gravel (also known as metallurgical gravel) has to be of high purity, free of specific deleterious elements, and of a proper size and strength. Fortunately, we also have plenty of silica to make steel. There are a number of other basic mineral elements that are required to manufacture different types of steel. Unfortunately, the U.S. is not self-sufficient for most of those elements. Take a look at the map. It shows some of the elements that are imported for use in steel and their sources. The abbreviations for the elements shown on the map, and their uses in steel, are shown below. Co (Cobalt) is used in making cutting tools; 61 percent of the cobalt used in the U.S. is imported. Cr (Chromium) is added to steel to increase tensile strength, hardness, toughness, resistance to wear and abrasion, and resistance to corrosion. The U.S. produces some chromium through recycling, but imports all the chromium ore it uses. Mn (Manganese) removes unwanted oxygen and control sulfurs, which makes steel brittle. The U.S. has not produced high-quality manganese ore since 1970. We import all we use. Ni (Nickel) increases the strength and hardness of steel, as well as increasing resistance to corrosion and scaling at elevated temperatures. We import 52 percent of the nickel we consume. P (Phosphorus) increases the strength and hardness of steel and improves machinability. We have a large phosphate reserve base. Nevertheless, we import 10 percent of what we use. Ti (Titanium) makes steel lighter and stronger. Three quarters of the titanium we use is imported. V (Vanadium) increases strength, hardness, wear resistance, and resistance to shock impact of steel, as well as improving the properties of high-speed metal cutting tools. The U.S. previously produced vanadium as a byproduct of uranium processing, but no longer does so. W (Tungsten) increases the strength, wear resistance, hardness, and toughness of steel, and imparts superior hot-working and greater cutting efficiency at elevated temperatures. There has been no tungsten production in the U.S. since 2016. So, if there is steel supporting that rock you have been hiding under, remember the steel was made with resources from all over the world. AM

AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2019

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