Quarry Nov 2019

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

NOVEMBER 2019

A reputable international mobile brand now has the backing of a dedicated Australian dealer

SCALPER WITH A MULTIFREQUENCY BOOST How even a simple twin-deck screen can become a multipurpose performer

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SUPPLIER THE FINAL ‘PIECE’ IN OEM’S ‘JIGSAW’

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14

Screening and Crushing Solutions

GEELONG CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON THE FUTURE IQA conference highlights the industry’s progress, people and future

IN THIS ISSUE NOVEMBER 2019

VOLUME 27, ISSUE 11

FEATURES 20 ROBUST SCREEN ‘FUTURE’ PROOFS PORT PROJECT A mobile screen’s contribution to a coastal port development is encouraging commercial growth and sustainability.

23 STOCKPILER STEALS SHOW IN SYDNEY METRO A quarry-spec hopper feeder is ‘kicking goals’ for a construction customer on the Sydney Metro project.

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FINAL PIECE IN JIGSAW Tesab mobiles, while not new to the industry, now have the backing of a dedicated dealer.

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VERSATILE DECK How even a simple twin-deck screen can become a multipurpose performer.

24 IMPACT CRUSHER MAKES AUSSIE DEBUT The first units of the 35-tonne RM 120GO! mobile impact crusher arrive on Australian shores this month.

26 ‘BORN AGAIN’ CRUSHER KEEPS PRODUCER ON TRACK How a ‘reborn’ solution addressed ageing crusher’s failures, restored production and increased efficiency.

46 EDUCATION FOUNDATION RETURNS TO IQA FOLD Why the Australian Institute of Quarrying Education Foundation has formed a new governance structure under the IQA’s wing.

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PRODUCTION RAMP-UP A Boral operation has turned to multi-action cone crushers to expand its output.

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COVER ADVERTISER: The Tesab TS3600 inclined triple-deck screen is one of the latest additions to Precisionscreen’s inventory. Turn to page 14 or visit : precisionscreen. com.au

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE This year’s IQA conference highlighted the industry’s progress, people and future.

EVERY MONTH 04 FROM THE EDITOR

44 IQA CALENDAR

06 FROM THE PRESIDENT

47 IQA NEWS

08 NEWS THIS MONTH

News from Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia

12 PRODUCT FOCUS

50 GEOLOGY TALK Steel: The US market’s ‘global’ product

Quarry November 2019 2

MSC has NEVER been beaten on

EDITORIAL

• QUALITY & PERFORMANCE

• AFTER SALES SUPPORT

HOW QUARRY IS ‘A’CHANGIN’ – FOR THE BETTER!

T

he times they are a-changin’!”

Bob Dylan’s classic 1960s number portended that rapid change was coming and unprepared patrons would be left behind. It’s a chorus line that seems apt for Quarry as the magazine enters a new era in its 35year history – although not (as Dylan’s song suggested) because change is troublesome or negative. Change can be positive.

Effective from this issue, Quarry – the IQA’s and the Australian industry’s flagship publication since 1984 – continues under new ownership.

Prime Creative Media, which has considerable experience with other resources, transport and infrastructure publications, has now taken Quarry under its wing after almost 15 years at Gunnamatta Media.

Quarry is largely unaffected by the transfer of proprietor. The monthly issues of this book, the annual suppliers’ directory and the website – quarrymagazine.com – will continue as before. The book – and its digital offshoots – have long been an important component of the IQA’s membership package and this will not change.

Further, the same personnel – myself, Jo De Bono (graphic designer) and Myles Hume (staff journalist) – have joined Prime Creative to continue the good work that underpins the publication and assists with advancing the quarrying profession and educating its stakeholders. Our years of combined experience almost match the magazine’s longevity.

I’m looking forward to continuing the journey. As you’ll see from Prime Creative Media CEO John Murphy’s comments (page 11), the new publisher is keen to make further investments into Quarry’s digital platforms. Indeed, as this issue hits press, quarrymagazine. com is undergoing a revamp, and going forward, the frequency of online news and coverage should also increase and improve. This is with the view to growing the publication

SALES

across its platforms and in turn creating more opportunities for the industry to communicate the significance of its work and raise positive awareness of the sector amongst students and prospective workers. These are exciting developments as we enter 2020.

So, how can you, as an IQA member and/or long-time reader, engage in this new era in Quarry’s history? As editor, I encourage every IQA member to contribute to the magazine – from letters of comment to fully-fledged articles and technical pieces. If you’re a mature member, contributing in writing is great for CPD certification. If you’re a younger member, or an industry newcomer, then Quarry is a great avenue for you to open dialogue and advance your learning and networking opportunities. I’m always available via phone and email to discuss ideas (see the adjoining column for updated details).

Further, if you’re a supplier keen to lift your profile in the industry, then the magazine’s new business development manager Les Ilyefalvy is keen to chat with you. Les is new to the industry but eager to learn about the roles suppliers have in advancing quarrying as a scientific and technological discipline.

He particularly enjoyed meeting industry suppliers and exhibitors at the IQA’s annual conference in Geelong last month. Les’ contact details are also in the adjoining column.

Far from being a portent of doom (as Dylan inferred), change is for the good. Publications like Quarry have to adapt and evolve, especially as digital disruption takes the quarrying industry by “storm”. Times are indeed “a’changin” – for the better! – and I look forward to sharing that journey with the industry.

DAMIAN CHRISTIE Editor

Quarry November 2019

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MSC will NOT be beaten on

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QUARRY IS UNAFFECTED

BY THE CHANGE OF PROPRIETOR. THIS BOOK AND ITS DIGITAL OFFSHOOTS WILL CONTINUE AS BEFORE.

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Journalist Myles Hume

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Art Director Blake Storey Design Jo De Bono, Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty Subscriptions T: 03 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au The Publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. © Copyright – No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.

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Brisbane • Newcastle • Melbourne Central Enquiries - 1800 803 657 / +61 7 3821 3793 NSW / ACT VIC / TAS / SA QLD / Northern NSW International Enq. Product support Spare Parts

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

A world working better™

Dawn of a New Era in

REFLECTIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN A PERIOD OF CHANGE, DEVELOPMENT The Institute of Quarrying Australia

I

n my last report as President, I thought I’d reflect on my tenure nd the IQA’s achievements in the past two years.

It has been a pleasure to lead the Institute and contribute with my fellow Board members in this period of change and development. I was pleased to sign the IQA’s Membership Pledge at last year’s Construction Materials Industry Conference, with 16 industry companies pledging their support for the Institute. In return, the IQA vowed to continue to support employees of the pledge companies and the industry in numerous ways, including in education, networking and excellence, a national certification system to meet regulatory requirements, and the enhancement of safety and environmental performance, plus other benefits.

In late 2018 I was appointed chair of the Institute of Quarrying’s (IQ) International Presidents Council. It has been an honour to lead this collective group of IQs, which has finalised the International President’s Trust Fund and the establishment of IQ Connect, a global platform for the international extractive industry community to engage with the IQ and continue to advance the science and practice of quarrying worldwide. Following my term as President, I will lead IQ Connect to ensure its success. It’s an exciting time for the industry and the global IQ community.

Our 62nd annual conference in Geelong was a highlight, strongly supported by members, sponsors and the industry. The conference theme – “The Future of Quarrying” – generated a great deal of interest and the organising committee worked tirelessly to design and execute the speaking program.

On education, we’ve focused our efforts on ensuring our industryrelevant programs meet the needs of the regulator and the individual.

With changes to legislation in many of the states over the past year, the IQA has ensured accredited training is

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Quarry November 2019

available for members and the industry to meet these changing requirements and simultaneously improve industry skills and outcomes. Much of this has been delivered through successful partnerships and our network of industry-relevant facilitators.

The integration of the Australian Institute of Quarrying Education Foundation (AIQEF) into the IQA is designed to increase member value and provide for long-term management of the AIQEF’s investments in providing funds for training and education in Australia’s quarrying, construction materials and small mining sectors.

It’s an important decision for both organisations, which share similar values and objectives, and also assisted in reducing the cost of compliance for management of these funds. This change will result in an overall reduced risk to the funds invested and will continue to ensure the organisation’s industry and corporate knowledge is retained.

In closing, I’d like to thank all the IQA’s supporters over the past year, including the Board, our staff, the branch and sub-branch committees, members, sponsors and volunteers. Without your support the Institute would not be such a great organisation.

It has been my pleasure to serve as President and to give back to the IQA and the industry which has given me so much over my career. As President, I have aspired to be a person and leader that inspires industry people to engage, connect and increase their skills, to better themselves and the industry at large. I trust I have been able to achieve this.

I look forward to continuing to contribute to the IQA and the global IQ community for many years to come.

Stay safe!

CLAYTON HILL Immediate Past President Institute of Quarrying Australia

Educating and connecting our extractive industry

quarry.com.au THE AIQEF’S INTEGRATION INTO THE IQA WILL INCREASE MEMBER VALUE AND REDUCE FINANCIAL RISK

The Institute of Quarrying Australia’s goals are: 1. To provide world class professional development for the extractive industries.

2. To establish an Australasian Academy of Quarrying.

3. To align service offerings with industry needs.

IQA CONTACTS: Chief Executive Officer Kylie Fahey PO Box 1779 Milton BC QLD 4064 Phone: 0477 444 328 ceo@quarry.com.au Company Secretary Rod Lester Phone: 0408 121 788 rgl@rlester.com.au Finance Officer Gemma Thursfield Phone: 0402 431 090 gemma@quarry.com.au Web Maintenance, Graphic Design, ePrograms, IT Support Ryan Spence Phone: 0422 351 831 ryan.spence@quarry.com.au

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NEWS

DUST RISK ON THE RADAR OF NSW REGULATORS ‘OPERATORS SHOULD NOT RELY ON PPE AND TAKE OTHER ACTIVE MEASURES TO REDUCE DUST EXPOSURE RISKS’ GARVIN BURNS, NSW CHIEF INSPECTOR OF MINES

The NSW Resources Regulator recently undertook a three-week targeted intervention program to examine how quarries were managing dust risks.

Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) has contacted the New South Wales industry regulator to better understand the basis for a “state-wide blitz” on dust risk exposure.

In late September, the NSW Resources Regulator announced a three-week targeted intervention program to examine how quarries were managing dust risks, with a particular focus on controls and monitoring measures. It came after a review of dust monitoring results reported by mine operators indicated some quarry workers were being exposed to dust at levels well above legal limits.

“Our inspectors will look at whether quarry operators are identifying dust

risks and putting in place subsequent controls to protect workers,” the Resources Regulator’s chief inspector of mines Garvin Burns told Quarry.

“Operators need to ensure that they are not simply relying on personal protective equipment and have taken other active measures to eliminate or reduce dust exposure risks.”

At the time of writing, nine sites were assessed, with three improvement notices issued for dust management practices. Several were issued in relation to non-compliances for the management of other hazards.

Burns said dust diseases, such as silicosis, were preventable and required appropriate dust controls, atmospheric monitoring and worker health monitoring. “We know quarries

by their very nature can be dusty places to work and this compliance campaign will be directly testing to see if quarry operators have appropriate controls in place to protect the health of their workers from this risk.”

Inspectors conducted sampling of inhalable dust and examined what actions quarry operators had taken in the identification of excessive dust.

Exceedances and non-compliance were to be reported to the regulator.

Following the announcement, CCAA CEO Ken Slattery told Quarry his organisation engaged with the NSW Resource Regulator to better understand the basis of its increased focus on compliance with workplace exposure standards for respirable dust.

“CCAA members are aware of the risks to workers’ health of excessive dust exposure and their obligations to manage this important aspect of their obligations,” Slattery said.

“Guidance material produced by CCAA such as the Workplace Health & Safety Guideline - Management of Respirable Crystalline Silica in Quarries, published in September 2018, provides quarry operators with clear and practical guidance on managing this risk. CCAA will continue to support the industry to manage its obligations in this regard.”

Burns said the resources regulator had communicated directly with the CCAA about its intent to commence the intervention and had met with a CCAA representative to discuss the reasons for it. •

NEW INDEPENDENT REGULATOR PROPOSED FOR QUEENSLAND A levy on resource companies will fund a new “arm’s length” health and safety regulatory body in Queensland Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) - proposed by the Palaszczuk Government.

The RSHQ will cover Queensland’s mines, explosives, and petroleum and gas inspectors and assume the safety and health functions residing within the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy. The RSHQ will report directly to the minister, not a department, and be subject to monitoring and review by a

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Quarry November 2019

separate, independent commissioner for mining and quarrying, petroleum and gas, and explosives.

union representatives to take part in 1115 safety resets at more than 219 mines and quarries,” he said.

The establishment of the RSHQ follows the participation of 49,400 mine and quarry employees in “safety reset” meetings between July and the end of August.

Lynham released figures for the number of mining and quarrying employees who had completed ‘safety reset’ meetings, as part of an urgent response to the health and safety problem across the state.

“I am pleased that the safety resets have been embraced but this is not the end.

Workers, unions, industry and government must all continue to work tirelessly so that every worker returns home safely after every shift.”

“I can advise that more than 49,400 workers have joined management and

According to Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia estimates, almost 180 Queensland quarry sites, representing almost 2400 workers, completed the safety reset. •

POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN ‘EQUIVALENT TO LOSS OF A MAJOR QUARRY’ Zoning rules could force Alex Fraser Group to cease operations at its Clarinda site, south-east of Melbourne.

The recycling facility, which has operated since 2009, faces an uncertain future due to the Kingston City Council rezoning the land as part of a Green Wedge Plan released in 2015. Since then, Alex Fraser has worked – unsuccessfully – with the Victorian Government and others to identify potential alternative locations.

The company, whose current permit expires in 2023, has sought a 15-year extension to continue operating at the site.

The recycled aggregates producer is urging the Kingston City Council to back its proposal.

“A shutdown would have a significant impact on Victoria’s major infrastructure projects,” Alex Fraser Group’s managing director Peter Murphy told Quarry.

“One million tonnes of recycling could end up in landfill instead of being reprocessed into the construction materials so urgently needed to build major and municipal projects planned for the south-east.

“The shutdown of Clarinda would be equivalent to the loss of a major quarry in terms of resource availability. It could mean having to establish a new major metro quarry to offset the shortfall of one million tonnes of materials.”

According to Alex Fraser, the site is also not part of the nearby “Chain of Parks” concept planned for the area.

If Clarinda closed, the landowners would need to find new tenants, with the risk it could become a blighted property that offers no value to the community or the environment.

The Clarinda operation supplies recycled construction materials to projects including the Level Crossing Removal Projects, the Monash Freeway Upgrade, the Thompsons Road Upgrade, and the Hallam Road Upgrade. It is also ideally located to supply the planned Suburban Rail Loop, the South Eastern Roads Upgrade and the Mordialloc Freeway.

Murphy said there had been no viable alternative sites in south-east

WA GETS NEW INFRASTRUCTURE ADVISORY BODY Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) has welcomed the inception of a new independent body to advise the Western Australian Government as it faces infrastructure challenges in the next two decades.

Alex Fraser’s Clarinda Recycling Facility faces an uncertain future after Kingston City Council rezoned the land.

Melbourne in proximity to the areas where waste is generated, as well as current infrastructure projects.

“The new site would need to be large enough, have adequate screening, bunding, close to the existing road network and in proximity to incoming and outgoing markets to be viable,” he said.

Murphy justified the need for a 15-year extension, saying it can take up to five years “to move an operation of this scale”. Given the major infrastructure projects planned for the immediate vicinity, he added the extension period would “secure a reliable supply of recycled product into these priority projects, without blowing out costs on transportation”.

Kingston City mayor Georgina Oxley confirmed Alex Fraser Group’s proposal was received on 3 September. “In 2015, Kingston Council welcomed protections for Kingston’s Green Wedge that were introduced by the Victorian Planning Minister that would ensure existing waste operations would cease at the end of their current permits and that no new operations would be allowed,” she told Quarry.

“Council wrote to the Planning Minister in April 2015 calling on the government to help Alex Fraser find an alternative site to ensure its longterm success while ensuring the end of waste-related activities in the Green Wedge.

“Invest Victoria has been working with Alex Fraser to identify suitable alternative sites. Council strongly supports the recycling sector and has a range of successful recycling businesses operating outside the Green Wedge within its industrial zoned areas.” •

The newly-formed Infrastructure WA (IWA) will provide independent advice to the state government on infrastructure-related matters. Its initial focus will be to develop a 20year State Infrastructure Strategy to identify key priorities to support WA’s expanding population.

The inaugural six-member IWA board is being chaired by respected WA figure John Langoulant, who holds significant expertise in the public and private sectors.

CCAA CEO Ken Slattery said the industry supported efforts by the WA Government to identify infrastructure needs and priorities to support WA’s population growth.

According to the CCAA’s John Langoulant research, WA is expected to consume an average of 2.5 million cubic metres of pre-mixed concrete annually for the next three years – equivalent to filling 1000 Olympic-sized swimming pools annually.

Slattery said the pipeline of major infrastructure projects in WA depended on having ready and cost-effective access to concrete supply.

“Major infrastructure projects, such as the $2.11 billion Riverside, the Metronet project and the Main Roads WA $4.7 billion Infrastructure Development Plan, are helping to drive significant demand for concrete and aggregates in Western Australia,” he said. “This means that costeffective supply of concrete, close to where the work is located, will be more important than ever.” •

Quarry November 2019 9

NEWS

POPE CONDUCTS MASS IN MADAGASCAR QUARRY A vast granite pit above the capital of Madagascar has become a beacon of hope for that nation’s impoverished population, after an unlikely visit from Pope Francis.

In the hills above Antananarivo on 8 September, the Pontiff, on a sixday African trip, celebrated Mass from behind a large granite altar within the Mahatazana quarry.

The Pontiff’s protégé Father Pedro Opkea, who heads the charitable Akamasoa Association, transforms the quarry into an outdoor cathedral three times a year.

For many years the quarry has provided essential granite to build homes and amenities for the hillside community of Akamasoa.

The quarry itself has been carved out by some of Madagascar’s poorest, many of whom live on $USD1.90 ($AUD2.75) per day.

From the quarried granite, the Akamasoa Association has built homes for 25,000 people, 100 schools, six clinics, two football fields, and a paramedics college.

During a visit to the Vatican last year, Opkea extended an invitation to his mentor to assume his spot at the altar - a long shot that paid off.

On the two-day visit, Pope Francis went to a development project on the edge of a former garbage dump, where many of the quarry workers live. He praised them for building their own homes, and said their labour was “a song of hope” that refuted any suggestion that poverty is “inevitable”.

Francis then traversed the hill to the quarry where he prayed with 700 employees, asking that God “soothe their wearied frames, that they may tenderly caress their children and join in their games”. •

Pope Francis and Father Pedro Opkea (right) during the Pontiff’s visit to Madagascar.

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Quarry November 2019

EDEN PROJECT ANGLESEA COULD CREATE 500 FULL-TIME JOBS - FOUR TIMES THE NUMBER OF WORKERS AT THE OLD ALCOA MINE AND POWER STATION

BARREN MINE SITE SET FOR ECO-TOURISM TRANSFORMATION

NEW PUBLISHER FOR QUARRY PRINT AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS

A project to rehabilitate a former coal mine and coal-fired power station into a world-class eco-tourism destination will generate 1300 new jobs and $350 million in the next decade.

A new chapter has begun in Quarry Magazine’s 35-year history, as Prime Creative Media takes over the publishing reigns. The company is excited to announce that it is the new publisher of Quarry Magazine.

The leading publication, its website (quarrymagazine.com) and its annual directories are now being operated out of Prime Creative Media’s offices, in South Melbourne, Victoria, in a continued partnership with the IQA.

The world-renowned UK charity The Eden Project and Alcoa of Australia have joined forces to propose a major $150 million concept that will transform the site, near the southern Victorian coastal town of Anglesea, into an immersive educational centre on the natural world.

The rehabilitation project, expected to be completed within two years, will follow in the footsteps of the original, award-winning Eden Project in Cornwall in south-west England.

There, a former china clay quarry was converted into the world’s largest rainforest in captivity, attracting more than one million visitors per year.

Alcoa operated the Anglesea mine and power station, 40km from Geelong, for 46 years before its permanent closure in 2015. This left an expansive industrial site and mine void surrounded by native bushland.

Since then, Alcoa has released a rehabilitation and closure plan for the mine and a concept master plan for the power station site, and has been consulting with the community.

Framed by the Great Otway National Park, Anglesea Heath, Anglesea River, the Great Ocean Road and the Anglesea township, the project has been billed as a “once in a generation” opportunity for the community and wider Geelong region.

The concept was first presented to 800 people attending community consultation events in May and 3000 engaging online. Despite “overwhelming support”, some residents want to better understand the impact on their town.

Eden Project International (EPI) CEO David Harland presented economic modelling at the G21 Geelong Regional Alliance Stakeholder Forum on 30 August. It showed Eden Project Anglesea would generate $350 million in the Surf Coast Shire in the first 10 years of operation and create more than 500 ongoing full-time jobs, including 300 at the site and an additional 200 in the wider region

The proposed Eden Project Anglesea rehabilitation scheme follows the closure of the Alcoa coal mine and power station.

- almost four times the number of workers at the former power station and mine.

Direct construction investment for the project is estimated to be $150 million, with 170 direct construction jobs anticipated. An additional 700 jobs are expected in the wider region during the construction phase.

“The project will offer greater tourism opportunities, bring more jobs to the local economy and build on Anglesea’s history of strong environmental stewardship,” Harland said.

The Anglesea coal mine and power station supplied about 40 per cent of the power needs for Geelong’s Point Henry smelter. After Point Henry’s closure in 2014, the mine operated as an independent supplier to the National Electricity Market before ceasing operations in August 2015.

The decommissioning of the power station and remediation activities in the former mine are underway. The power station structure was felled in October 2018.

Alcoa’s Anglesea site asset manager Warren Sharp said the company hoped to leave a legacy that benefits the Anglesea community.

“For Alcoa, we see it as a key part of our legacy,” Sharp told Quarry.

“We are genuinely excited to be working with an organisation as well credentialed as Eden. Their reputation and what they have done speaks for itself.”

The critical next steps for Alcoa and EPI are the resolution of the water strategy to fill the mine void and determining the relevant planning process for the next phase. •

Prime Creative Media has a history of supporting the growth of the resources sector with numerous titles and events. Quarry is in good company, joining Australian Mining, Safe to Work, Oil & Gas Industry News, Rail Express, Prime Mover and Australian Bulk Handling Review.

“We are excited to work closely with the IQA on the future of this publication, and its role in developing this exciting and important industry,” Prime Creative Media CEO John Murphy said. “We will do so by supporting the IQA’s mission to advance the science of quarrying in Australia and overseas in the interests of the public at large.

It’s a mission that aligns well with Prime Creative Media’s purpose of growing individuals, organisations and industries.”

Prime Creative Media has been working in partnership with both the IQA and Gunnamatta Media, publisher of Quarry since 2005, to make the transition as smooth as possible for its readers and advertisers.

“We will be continuing to build upon the great work of the IQA and Gunnamatta Media, with further

FROM LIMESTONE SITE TO PRISTINE PARKLANDS A historic sand and limestone quarry, 32km north of Perth, has been transformed into expansive parklands that are the centrepiece for a new residential development.

The Kilns estate, developed by Marford Group, was temporarily opened to the public for feedback on 14 and 15 September. It follows 25 years of work to rehabilitate the former quarry site off Travertine Vista, Carramar.

investments into the brand, including new digital platforms that will be launched in the coming weeks,” Murphy said. “Prime Creative Media’s success has been built on the success and growth of our clients, and we appreciate the opportunity to serve this important industry.”

Longstanding editor Damian Christie has joined the Prime Creative Media team.

Prime Creative Media is Australia’s leading B2B publisher, producing more than 27 mastheads, 80 digital platforms, and dozens of major industry events. With offices in both Melbourne and Sydney, Prime Creative Media focuses on high growth industries including advanced manufacturing, transportation, food and beverage, infrastructure and resources, and commercial road transport.

To discuss Prime Creative Media’s plans for the magazine, contact the Quarry business development manager Les Ilyefalvy, tel 0423 177 966 (mobile) or 03 9690 8766 (landline), email Les.Ilyefalvy@ primecreative.com.au •

CLARIFICATION: TRIBUTE TO KEN MAWSON The September issue of Quarry – 27(9): 45 – featured an obituary about Ken Mawson, a former Institute of Quarrying (Australian Division) president and elder statesman of family aggregates company Mawson & Sons.

as John Mitas, an IQA Past President.

Regrettably, the author of the printed article was incorrectly credited

To re-read the obituary online, visit quarrymagazine.com •

The 27ha park development features an extensive walking and bridle trail that takes visitors past a village green, waterfall, burgeoning bushland, wildflowers and restored limestone kilns from the original operation.

Marford Group purchased the entire 100ha site from Ready Mix (now Holcim), and in 1995 began rehabilitation of the 20ha quarry.

This included filling a four million cubic metre void with clean, uncontaminated material from government infrastructure projects, completed in 2009. Since then, the company has undertaken extensive landscaping to convert it into residential space and parkland.

Marford Group’s Trevor Delroy told Quarry The Kilns would be subdivided into 625 blocks, with lots ranging from 250m2 to 2000m2.

He anticipated the variety in block sizes would encourage a mix of residents including singles, families, and empty-nesters.

Delroy said once building commences, homeowners will become members of a Home Owners Association that will manage the private open space and assets, including a community centre and garden, a fully equipped “men’s shed”, and tennis courts. •

The author is John Mawson, the managing director of Mawsons Concrete & Quarries, in Cohuna, Victoria.

The digital versions of the article have been amended to acknowledge the correct author.

Developers have restored limestone kilns from the original quarry operation.

Quarry November 2019 11

To submit new product and equipment releases, email: damian.christie@primecreative.com.au

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Ideally suited for use in surface operations in mines and quarries, the eccentric roll crusher (ERC) offers higher efficiency, flexibility and throughputs than conventional primary hard rock crushers. The unit is available in five models: the ERC 18-14, ERC 20-20, ERC 25-25, ERC 25-30 and ERC 25-34. In the larger models, the feed opening into the crushing chamber is an average 2500mm wide and 1280mm high. The robust design incorporates an integrated screen that permits capacities of up to 10,000 tonnes per hour. The ERC’s installation height has been reduced by between 20 and 50 per cent, compared to similar performing gyratory or jaw crusher options, which also makes it an overall lighter package.

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For more information: thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions-australia.com

LOW EMISSIONS HAUL TRUCK WITH GRUNT

The AbrasaPlate-X weld overlay wear plate has the potential for significantly increased life compared to standard wear plates. Its X-cross hatch pattern allows for reduced weight, higher impact resistance, and potentially longer life. Available in a range of thicknesses from 8mm to 25mm, the AbrasaPlate-X is commonly used for bucket-lip protection and crusher and screen chute liners.

The 63-tonne Komatsu HD605-8 rigid frame dump truck offers low emission Tier 4 engines which can reduce fuel consumption by up to seven per cent compared with previous models. It features the optional Komatsu Traction Control System to provide optimum traction in all ground conditions, and can be equipped with the Automatic Retard Speed Control system, which maintains control even when fully loaded on steep haul roads. The HD605-8’s engine doesn’t require the use of selective catalytic reduction or diesel exhaust fluid (DEF/AdBlue) to achieve Tier 4 emissions standards. It also incorporates an advanced electronic control system that performs high speed processing of all signals from sensors installed in the vehicle.

For more information: Avweld, avweld.com/abrasaplate-x

For more information, Komatsu Australia, komatsu.com.au

LONG-LIFE HARDFACED WEAR PLATE

PRECISION RIG FOR OPTIMAL BLASTING

HIGH ATTRITION MODULAR RECYCLING PLANT

With a hole diameter of up to 140mm, the Epiroc SmartROC C50 combines high penetration rates of top hammer drilling with superior down the hole drilling. Boral Construction Materials recently purchased a C50 rig after a three-month trial at Peppertree Quarry in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley. Boral’s KPIs were for straight holes that could be bore tracked. The C50 drilled 102mm diameter holes on site under a cost per metre contract. The results were straight holes, faster penetration rates and almost double the longevity on the bits, with up to 10 resharps.

The AggreTec processing plant combines high attrition performance with the removal of light contaminants and recovery of fines through a hydrocyclone. The modular plant design is highly portable – either as a single piece or in different containers. It is pre-plumbed with a single connection point for easy and fast set-up, and completely pre-wired with a simple programmable logic controller panel. The AggreTec can process up to four grades of aggregates and one or two grades of sand. It features an overband magnet on feed conveyor for removal of ferrous metals, and rubber-lined pumps, cyclones and transfer points for extended plant life.

For more information: Epiroc, epiroc.com

For more information: Matec Pacific, matecpacific.com

HIGH PRECISION MACHINE GUIDANCE TECH

The Caterpillar 950 GC is ideally matched for stockpiling, load and carry, hopper charging and truck loading functions. The 170kW, EU Stage IIIA Cat C7.1 engine features a new fuel-injection system. The Engine Idle Management System and hydraulically-driven, variable-speed cooling fan further optimise fuel efficiency while lowering operating sound levels.

The Carlson DrillGrade high precision machine guidance system can provide improved accuracy, efficiency and safety for all functions related to drill and blast. This hole navigation system can guide the operator to drill parallel holes to the correct depth safely and efficiently. DrillGrade enables allweather operation, day or night, providing real time information for operators and office personnel. It can also improve safety in a quarry operation by keeping the operator in the cab and out of harm’s way with the stakeless drill pattern layout.

For more information: Caterpillar of Australia, cat.com

For more information: Position Partners, positionpartners.com.au

MEDIUM WHEEL LOADER WITHOUT FUSS

12

Quarry November 2019

Quarry November 2019 13

The Tesab TS3600 triple-deck screen (below right) is recommended for a train comprising a 1012 Tesab impactor and a 1200TC cone crusher.

GOING MOBILE

SUPPLIER THE FINAL

‘PIECE’ IN OEM’S LOGISTICAL ‘JIGSAW’ Tesab mobile plant and equipment has been a mainstay of the Australian quarrying landscape for several decades. While the machines have been popular, they have lacked a dedicated distributor until now. Enter Precisionscreen to provide the missing ‘piece’ of that logistical ‘jigsaw’.

F

or the best part of three decades, Precisionscreen has been an influential supplier of plant and equipment to the Australian quarrying, recycling, extractive, mining and bulk materials handling industries.

The family company was established in Brisbane in 1986 by Harold Kerr who had prior engineering and design experience with a globally renowned screen manufacturer in Tesab. He was also prominent internationally for his development of the Scout, a popular vibrating screen in the 1970s and 1980s.

From an operation of just two people, Precisionscreen has grown into a company of more than 40 personnel today. It manufactures more than 30 crushing, screening and washing plants, and more than 50 ancillary products. Outside of Australia, its equipment can be found in more than 15 other countries. Its products were also highly visible at the IQA annual conference at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong last month.

Precisionscreen is now under second generation family management. Paul Kerr, Harold’s son, is the managing director of the business and he says the company’s Brisbane base has never been busier, particularly with its local output.

“The factory is in capacity, we’re looking at ways of trying to expand our production,” he said. “After a bit of a market downturn and a turn in the Australian dollar, people have been looking at some of the Australian-made gear and seeing the extra value and longevity 14

Quarry November 2019

of the equipment, and that’s seen a real turnaround in our sales.

“I think more people are looking at doing value add in the marketplace. If you’re a quarry owner and looking to differentiate yourself, you’re really trying to do an additive product, and that really lends itself to our pugmills, precoaters and washing plants.

That’s where our sales have been. When you get to a commodity market, the best way to make good money is to differentiate your product, so we’ve seen a resurgence in people looking at everything from barrel washers to sand recovery devices, pugmills and precoaters. And that’s been the lead for us, that’s where the factory has been very busy and getting our product out to our clients.”

Notably, Precisionscreen’s homegrown products include the Scorpion range of mobile precoaters and pugmills, tracked screens such as the Super Reclaimer and the Pitbull twin-decks and the triple-deck Trackmasta 2053. It is also renowned for its portable crushing units such as the Trackcrush vertical shaft impact crusher and Roadmasta 48” x 10”, a stationary trommel, an extensive range of wheeled stockpilers and conveyors, and a series of mobile washing plants, sandscrews and dewatering screens. Further, the company has in recent years acquired the rights to use the Australian Made certification, with its famous kangaroo logo, on its locally manufactured products.

Precisionscreen has also long been the Australian distributor of mobile crushing, screening, conveying, bulk materials handling and washing plant for a number of multinational companies.

PARTNERSHIP TRIUMPH The coup for Precisionscreen this year has been the forging of a new partnership with the Tesab group of companies. Tesab mobile crushers and screens have been a common sight in quarries across Australia for many decades but in recent years there had not been a dedicated, universal local dealer for its products. Precisionscreen is now the certified dealer for Tesab mobile crushers and screens, its range of affiliated Trackstack mobile conveyors and stockpilers, and the Screenpod range of tracked trommels and dust control cannons (a first for the company) in all Australian states and territories except WA. (The Western Australian licence has been retained by local company Kelly Equipment Services.)

Paul McGoldrick, Tesab Engineering’s liaison for export sales and distribution, stated that Precisionscreen complimented the Tesab, Trackstack and Screenpod ranges.

“Precisionscreen are a perfect fit for Tesab as they are not just an equipment company,” he said. “They really understand the needs of the customers due to their experience specialising in crushing and screening processing.

“Our partnership with Precisionscreen represents an exciting opportunity for both parties. They have an excellent reputation within the quarrying industry. They are a household name throughout Australia which we are proud to be associated with.”

Paul Kerr said that Precisionscreen had a longstanding relationship with Tesab, as his father Harold had worked with the original equipment manufacturer’s principal Don Smith “in the early days back in Ireland” and had worked on Tesab machinery after he migrated to Australia. “Being a family company, rather than a public company, Tesab are a good fit for us,” he continued.

“We’re a very family-focused company and we prefer another company that is familyfocused as well, so that makes matters a lot easier to deal with. There are people we’ve known working in Tesab for the best part of 40 years.”

Kerr said the Tesab range of mobile crushing and screening plant is an ideal option for quarrying producers, particularly in Australia’s hardnosed environmental conditions. “There are lots of similarities with the equipment coming out of Ireland but the one thing Tesab excels at – similar to our own branding – is robustness, reliability and simplicity without compromise. They build a machine that’s robust and is probably better for a regional and rural environment. It’s designed to be solid, and compared to other products in the market, there are heavier duty larger drums, large hydraulics, triple-sealed bearings, and so on.”

Kerr was excited by the Tesab tracked and wheeled impact crushers in Precisionscreen’s line-up, which he described as “robust and suitable”, particularly as they come standard with “a grind[ing blow bar] path, which is something that has been lacking on previous offerings we’ve had, and will make a big difference for a lot of the applications our clients contend with, particularly when it’s getting down to the bottom end and doing more near size sizing. I think that will be a big advantage on the impactor.

“The other big advantage for quarries is the very robust, well-priced, next size up crusher – like the 800I tracked jaw crusher. I’ve seen them work in Europe, and one of the things I’m excited about is its combination of value and robustness, and, for that size machine, the best value for money. That ties in what we’ve tried to do too – offering value for production.”

Kerr said dealers need to pay more attention to the value add of their products,

as that is precisely what quarry producers are looking for in an effort to offer a point of difference for their own goods and services. “Most quarries are looking for a little differentiation. They have crushing and screening processes but not all quarries do value added products, and I think value added products or recovery products or reprocessing products is really where the cream is to be made now. So I think that’s where a lot more quarries are looking to invest, and they’re willing to invest in high quality equipment.

“I’m never one to say too much about crushing tonnage,” he added. “A lot of people read brochures and go ‘Right, this machine is going to do 200 tonnes per hour (tph)’. No, it’s not, this machine can handle 200 tph but it depends on the rock, and I think that more people – and more salespeople – need to talk about the application-specific tonnages.

There needs to be a better partnership between the dealer and the end client – and

that’s one thing we want to focus on in the next year, working out a better client, where instead of flying out a brochure and some gross numbers, we really need to work and say ‘Hey, in this application this is what we can achieve’. And the sophistication needs to go back into marketing to make that the case because the days of just talking about rough numbers are over.”

IN THE FIELD Precisionscreen has sold several Tesab crushers and screens to quarries. Kerr said Cumner Contracting in Redbank Plains, Queensland, had bought a Tesab screen and at time of writing, was hiring an impact crusher, with a long-term view to purchasing it. “Cumner are a long-time customer and they have been with us through a few brands,” he added. “They’re very loyal and happy to date with the Tesab equipment – and looking to eventually change out their whole train to Tesab.”

TS3600 INCLINED TRIPLE-DECK SCREEN – SPECS & DIMENSIONS Maximum feed capacity

650 tonnes per hour (depending on material density, set-up)

Engine

Caterpillar 93kW diesel engine

Screenbox

Transport dimensions

Working dimensions Weight (estimated)

Total dimensions

6m x 1.5m (20’ x 5’)

Top deck

6m x 1.5m (20’ x 5’)

Middle deck

6m x 1.5m (20’ x 5’)

Bottom deck

5.5m x 1.5m (18’ x 5’)

Height

3.45m

Width

3.2m

Length

18.45m

Width

18.2m

Length

19.6m 36.5 tonnes

Quarry November 2019 15

GOING MOBILE

One of Precisionscreen’s first scalpers was also sold to Quarrico Products, which runs three quarries in the Moranbah region of Central Queensland, and according to Kerr, Quarrico is also very happy with the screen.

“I think the one thing that existing clients have wanted is a strong dealer that has a good focus on aftermarket but the feedback on the machines has been great,” he said.

“Every client I’ve spoken to that has had a Tesab has been overly happy with the machine and the only thing that they have been lacking to give them confidence in the past is a strong aftermarket supplier or strong support network, which is what we now offer. So for us, I think it’s going to be a good, natural partnership. It’s a premium machine, it’s robust and very well suited to our conditions, and the only thing that’s been a bit shy of it developing in the Australian market until now has been the aftermarket support.”

Kerr said Precisionscreen did not embark

Precisionscreen’s managing director Paul Kerr is excited about the 800I jaw crusher which, he says, represents the best value for money for its size.

upon the partnership with Tesab until it could be sure that it had a sufficient supply of spare parts and components. “We have always treated spares as an important part of our business,” he said. “At the moment, we have about half a million dollars’ worth of spares to really get started. As a company, we keep around $4 million in spare parts, and as well as that, we can also manufacture at short lead time. We build our own drums in-house, so any of the Tesab drums we place will be built locally in Australia, with very quick turnaround. Belts and rollers are obviously something to be stocked for a range of machines that are adjustable, so we will have

excellent coverage.”

Kerr said Precisionscreen has been stocking up on its fleet of Tesab plant and equipment because of the brand’s popularity in North America and Europe and it has an extensive array of mobile crushing and screening plant available in its yard now.

“We’ve pretty much brought in the bulk of the range. We have impactors, jaws, screens and scalpers, large-scale Trackstack radial conveyors, big hopper loader conveyors and dust cannons in stock. Over the next year we have a schedule, so we have machines on order right through to April next year.” •

TRIPLE-DECK INCLINE SCREEN AN IDEAL ‘TEAM PLAYER’ The Tesab TS3600 inclined triple-deck screen is one of the latest additions to Precisionscreen’s inventory. It is equipped with a heavy-duty 6m x 1.5m (20’ x 5’) high performance screenbox and powered by a 93kW Caterpillar diesel engine on a portable tracked chassis.

An extension of the TS2600 double-deck incline screen, the TS3600 has the benefit of a third deck in the screenbox. The top and middle decks measure 6m x 1.5m on the top and middle decks, and the bottom deck is 5.5m x 1.5m (18’ x 5’). The TS3600 also has a cross conveyor and a fourth product conveyor as standard.

“The main benefit of the cross conveyor is the ability to handle the volume coming off the screenbox,” Kerr explained. “It means where you’re getting a lot of material coming off that particular deck, the cross conveyor is pulling it away, obviously far quicker than a chute could, and it’s letting it clear it, so it’s reducing the chance of the screenbox being blocked up.”

He said the fourth conveyor offers the option of four discharge conveyors – one oversize, two intermediates and one fines.

“The three-deck machine is obviously where you need extra sizing. It gives

16

Quarry November 2019

you two unique sized products, and an oversized and undersized. With a lot of the crusher trains, it gives you the advantage of recirculating the material back into an impactor while still producing oversized products. These days, it’s a bigger move to full trains but it might involve a double-deck and a triple-deck or two triple-decks. One of the advantages is that you can use the TS3600 as a recirc control screen and then you maximise the impactor.”

Kerr said the TS3600 is ideal as part of a mobile crushing and screening circuit. “I’ve never been a big fan of recircs built onto the equipment. I think it’s better putting it onto the screen and putting a bit of extra money into a triple-deck and having a full-sized deck to screen and recirc to the crusher. So

one of the advantages of a triple-deck over a double-deck is a client is always better for long-term production to move to a full-sized triple-deck and recirc with their impactor or cone than they are to work with the recirc, which I consider a ‘stop-gap’. Recircs serve a purpose but the advantage of putting a triple-deck into someone’s circuit is that you’re getting a full screening size.

You’re getting a proper screen size, you’ve decided not to screen and decided not to fit in an envelope, and you’re using that to recirc. You get much better quality and cleanliness of product and you’re feeding your material back into your crusher, and reducing that rebuilding/recirculating load.”

However, he added, even as a standalone machine, “a triple-deck is perfect for doing your final production, as it’s giving you options of multiple sizes. It’s fine working in a sand recovery application, for example”.

Kerr said the TS3600 can work with all brands of mobile equipment and “fits in with mid-size or larger volume impactors on the market. It will work with anything but obviously we’d prefer it was working with our machines. Ideally, it’s working with a 1012 Tesab impactor or 1000TC, 1150TC or 1200TC cone crushers”. •

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GOING MOBILE

MULTI-FREQUENCY BOTTOM DECK ADDS VERSATILITY TO SCALPER It might look like a standard scalper on initial inspection but thanks to new product innovations in multi-frequency technology, it is now possible to make even a simple twindeck screen a multi-purpose performer. Damian Christie reports.

I

n recent years, Astec Australia has made important strides in the Australian quarrying and mining markets in the promotion of high and multi-frequency product innovations in fixed, modular and tracked screening plant. According to the company, this has been in response to increasing interest from producers globally in the use of high frequency screening technology across a variety of applications.

Certainly as part of stationary plant, higher frequency screens have been able to generally process wetter, stickier materials more efficiently and separate particles from about 25mm down to as low as 425µm.

The challenge for various OEMs of mobile screening plant technology has been the ability to incorporate them onto tracked and portable units.

Astec has in recent years produced three track-mounted options for various aggregates applications: • The FT2618VM which has successfully worked in train with the company’s other mobile units, such as the FT2650 tracked jaw crusher and the FT300 tracked cone crusher, as an end of chain screen for specific manufactured sand profiles.

• The GT205 triple-deck screen, which is equipped with high frequency screens on the second and third decks to allow more efficient product cuts, while maintaining a conventional top deck for top size overs.

This screen can process virgin and recycled aggregates alike (eg recycled glass, gypsum, topsoil) and even waste materials for low grade roadbase specifications.

18

Quarry November 2019

A multi-frequency GT165MF screen – the fourth to be received in Australia – arrived at Astec’s Melbourne sales yard in September.

• The GT165MF, which, like the GT205, incorporates a conventional screen on the top deck for larger raw feed and a multifrequency screen on the bottom deck for scalping. This design is an extension of Astec’s standard GT165DF unit.

There are currently three GT165MF units operating in Australian quarries: two in Victoria and one in Tasmania. The first of these, delivered in January 2018, has successfully processed a variety of materials: glass, plasterboard, gypsum, topsoil, crusher dust and manufactured sand. A fourth unit arrived at Astec’s Melbourne premises in September and, at time of writing, was being prepped for imminent sale and delivery.

VALUE ADD Patrick Reaver, product development manager and inside sales manager for Astec Mobile Screens in the US, was a presenter at the IQA’s annual conference in Geelong in October. He discussed the merits of high frequency and multi-frequency screens and, in discussion with Quarry, cited the GT165MF as a great example of how they can add value to fines materials.

“The GT165 multi-frequency is based on the same platform as the standard GT165, a robust machine built for heavy-duty

applications, but with the addition of the high frequency vibrators on the bottom deck that allows us to screen in some of those very tough conditions,” he explained. “So with the benefits of the scalper on top, you can do flexible things with large rock, while on on the bottom you get into those tougher 20mm and below applications, where it’s a finer or high moisture application. You can utilise the high frequency vibrators down there, and really screen better in those tough applications.”

Reaver said the GT165MF retains, with the exception of the multi-frequency technology, the essential platform of the standard GT165DF. The 35-tonne unit features a twin-deck 5m x 1.5m (16’ x 5’) screenbox, with a maximum feed size of 610mm, and is powered by a 129kW Caterpillar Tier 3 diesel engine. The standard top deck features a lower speed adjustable amplitude of about 950 revolutions per minute (rpm), an increased stroke rate of 6mm to almost 10mm, and hydraulic controls for variable angle operation. The multi-frequency bottom deck has six independently controlled exciters that can each apply an additional frequency to the screen media of up to 4200 rpm. This contributes to increased stratification and higher separation, with sizing down to as low as 400µm.

The GT165MF is also equipped with an 8m3 heaped capacity hopper with impact bed and 1400mm belt feeder plus four product conveyors – overs, underscreen, bottom deck overs and fines, with hydraulic variable speeds and hydraulic discharge height adjustments of three to four metres.

These features are echoed in the GT165DF but Reaver said that where the GT165MF distinguishes itself is in the multi-frequency technology on the bottom deck which promotes more flexibility for the producer.

“You can screen just as you would with the standard GT165, and then on top of that, you can screen in tougher conditions where bottom decks are your largest bottleneck.

The bottom deck is always going to be your bottleneck because the material is too fine, too wet. However, with the GT165MF in those applications, we can keep screening. You can run it with it on as a multi-frequency, or you can turn it off and run it as a standard GT165.

You have that ability to switch back and forth, with the basic push of a lever.”

Adam Gordon, Astec Australia’s national account manager for aggregates and mining, told Quarry that on a traditional twin-deck scalper, 600mm rock may be screened on the top deck and 20mm on the bottom. However, the different masses of material require different forces to achieve the most efficient screening outcomes. “By having the multifrequency vibrators at the bottom, you have six adjustable settings, and you can finetune them for that load over that session of the material, independent of the screenbox taking care of that bigger material,” he said. “So you have a lot more throughput, efficiency and accuracy with that multi-frequency bottom deck.”

MULTI-PURPOSE PERFORMER Reaver added the versatility of the GT165MF means it can perform in applications ranging from finer and wetter materials to heavy scalping to low grade base to a material as tough as recycled asphalt (rap), in which the end specifications could be 14mm at the top and 4.75mm at the bottom.

The GT165MF can act as a standalone unit because the feeder hopper allows for the unit to work with a loader or an excavator. “The three product conveyors all have plenty of height for ample stockpiling where you can either use a loader or you can transfer that onto another conveyor.”

In a train, he said, “our tracked crushers feed right into it. We have a wing on the back that drops right down, and then likewise, the

discharge conveyors have enough stockpiling that we can also feed into a secondary or tertiary crusher, or one of our tracked crushers as well. So, with the extended overs conveyor, you can, for example, drop the overs conveyor down to catch both overs products, put the extended conveyor on and you’ll still have the height to feed into your other tracked units”.

Reaver stated that the GT165MF is designed to work more with other Astec types or brands than with other makes of mobile crushers and screens. “We make sure all the Astec products work together well. We provide tracked crushers, tracked screens, all products that we know are going to work together well. When it comes to other brands, we don’t necessarily check across those. If you look at our GT165 as a whole, we have a really tall stockpile height, so I would say we’re going to feed into other crushers just as well or better than anybody else, but more often than not, we make sure they are working with our own family.”

While the GT165DF is specifically offered as a tracked unit, the GT165MF is offered in the North American market in three configurations: a standalone stationary plant, on a trailer chassis and as a mobile tracked unit. Australia to date has only received the tracked mobile units but the Astec Australia team indicated the stationary and trailer product lines were not out of the question, provided the latter complied with Australian road standards. One of the challenges they’ve experienced with the more mature Prosizer closed circuit crushing plant in the past has been compliance across all states and territories. The company’s new Prosizer 2514, for example, has had to be developed to comply first and foremost with Victorian road regulations, which are firmer than the other jurisdictions.

Nonetheless, based on the success of the GT205 triple-deck high frequency screen, and the popularity of the GT165DF, Reaver is optimistic that, whatever its configuration, the Australian market will embrace the GT165MF. Many of the same options available to the standard machine – eg punchplate and grizzly bars on the top deck, wireless track remote, heavy-duty hydraulic grizzly for the hopper, and standard steel screencloths for both decks – can also complement the multifrequency GT165 – as if the multi-frequency technology isn’t already enough of a potential “game changer”.

“We have a lot of options available on the GT165, from auto-greasers to chute wings,

GT165MF (MULTI-FREQUENCY) SCALPING SCREEN Overall length

Feed height

15m Operating width

16.25m

Operating height

4.8m

Travel width

3.1m

Travel length

15.4m

Travel height

3.6m

Front feed

3.5m

Side feed Maximum feed

4m 610mm

Weight

34 tonnes

SCREENBOX Top deck

5m x 1.5m Lower speed adjustable amplitude (rpm)

Bottom deck

4.6m x 1.5m Isolated high frequency (rpm)

Hopper capacity

Conveyors

Power unit

900-950

3600-4200 8m3 heaped capacity

Belt feeder

1400mm heaped capacity

Overs

6m x 1400mm

Underscreen

5m x 1200mm

Bottom deck overs

9.45m x 900mm

Fines

9.45m x 900mm

Caterpillar Tier 3 diesel engine

129kW

drop-down kits to accept over products, or extended conveyors,” Reaver said. “That’s why people like that direct feed-style screen so much because you can do so many things. The GT165 is already a ‘jack of all trades’ versatile screen as it is, and the multi-frequency takes it to the next level. We view the multi-frequency as an option on our standard 165 as much as anything but it’s really a product all on its own.” •

Quarry November 2019 19

GOING MOBILE • REMOTE MONITORING • IDLE BLOW

Factory fitted remote monitoring hardware RD3 as standard

PROTECTION • MEMBRANE ACCUMULATOR • FIXED BLOW ENERGY • VIDAT TIE RODS • RAMVALVE • AUTOMATIC LUBRICATION

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The Powerscreen Warrior 2400 heavy-duty screen at work on a significant extension project at the Lyttelton Port Company, in Christchurch, New Zealand.

ROBUST SCREEN HELPS TO ‘FUTURE PROOF’ COASTAL PORT DEVELOPMENT

A heavy-duty mobile screen is processing reclaimed spoil for a New Zealand coastal port development. Its contribution is saving infrastructure costs for Christchurch and the surrounding region and bolstering the environmental health and commercial growth of the port facility.

T

he Lincom Group, which combines industry expertise and experience with their product offering to help solve material processing needs within the quarrying and recycling industry sectors, has delivered a heavy-duty screen – the latest generation Powerscreen Warrior 2400 – to C&R Developments Ltd, of Cambridge, New Zealand.

C&R is a 100 per cent New Zealand-based and family-owned business formed in 1998 by the four Ross brothers. The company owns and operates a wide selection of heavy plant for the toughest and most demanding jobs. C&R Developments operates across New Zealand. It has won awards for its environmental work and takes pride in completing major projects on time and within budget.

C&R is assisting the Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) on a coastal land reclamation and development program. Coastal reclaimed land was formerly below the line of high tide but is now above this line thanks to reclamation.

LPC is embarking on a long-term plan to develop a modern container terminal at Te Awaparahi Bay. This C&R project, which has a duration of more than two years, involves dredging a section of seabed and replacing 20

Quarry November 2019

it with an engineering bund containing about 850,000 tonnes of selected material extracted from the local quarry, about 1.5km from the port.

The overall project has various stages, removing soft sediments by dredging, constructing the bund, and end tipping into the sea with a bulldozer/excavator.

A combination of blasting, excavation, screening, stockpiling, carting and placing material, will be handled over the next two years. Some 2.6 million tonnes of material is required to be excavated, carted and placed into the new reclamation area to extend the port by six hectares.

This project has benefited from a comprehensive site investigation, which included drilling on-shore and off-shore boreholes. It is believed that the design and analysis experience can be applied to similar infrastructure design in New Zealand.

More than 2.4 million tonnes (or 1.2 million m3) of earthquake demolition material and rubble has gone into the reclamation. Much of it is from buildings in Christchurch that were demolished after the earthquakes.

This has saved Christchurch and the surrounding region more than $100 million in dumping costs. It has also provided fill for

the reclamation so the Port can expand to meet the forecast increase in customer requirements and the region’s future growth in container trade.

LPC’s environmental management plan for the reclamation aims to minimise and mitigate any environment impacts and to support the ecological health of the harbour. Extensive monitoring controls are in place to mitigate any environmental impacts and to support the ecological health of the harbour.

TRIPLE-SHAFT TECHNOLOGY The Warrior 2400 has been specially designed for large-scale producers in the quarrying and mining sectors and is capable of handling larger feed sizes and throughputs. It features a heavy-duty screen with a high amplitude tripleshaft drive mechanism, lending it to the most demanding screening, scalping, two- or threeway splitting and stockpiling applications.

Its benefits include a slide-out tail conveyor facility to aid media access and a load-sensing collection conveyor circuit to avoid blockages.

It has an output potential of up to 800 tonnes per hour, an aggressive heavy-duty triple-shaft screen, with adjustable frequency, amplitude and stroke angle, and a jack-up screen facility to aid screen media changes.

SMART ROCKBREAKER TECHNOLOGY

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NSW

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Groundtec Equipment (02) 9642 2030

Walkers Hammers (03) 9315 3788

QLD Rock Breakers (07) 3715 0800

groundtec.com.au

walkershammers.com.au

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SA / NT

WA

Renex Equipment (08) 8345 0555

Total Rockbreaking Solutions 1300 921 498

renex.com.au

totalrockbreaking.com.au

GOING MOBILE

Lincom worked closely with C&R Developments to understand its specific requirements and to provide the best solutions. “C&R needed big tonnage for the Lyttelton Port project and the Warrior is the biggest scalper on the market,” said the Lincom Group’s marketing manager Catrina Quinn. “It is 20’ x 6’ (6m x 1.8m) on both decks, top and bottom.”

By meeting these standards, Lincom complies with steps to ensure the safety of workers and the proper functioning of the plant. These codes of practice also assist with the risk assessment of the machine during commissioning.

“The Warrior 2400 is different to everything else on the market,” Quinn said. “It’s the only scalper with triple-shaft technology, meaning both the amplitude and the direction of throw can be altered – and independently of each other. This gives the ability to accurately tune the machine to the specification application, maximising quality and throughput of the finished product.”

The Lincom Group is headquartered in Brisbane, with offices and warehouses in every state and territory, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and other Pacific Islands. In addition to the Powerscreen range of mobile plant and equipment, it is also the distributor of sand and aggregates processing equipment, filter presses, stackers and mobile conveyors, mobile and fixed plant trommels, and static and mobile recycling plants. • Source: The Lincom Group

SPECIFICATIONS – WARRIOR 2400 THREE-WAY SPLIT

TWO-WAY SPLIT

45 tonnes*

43 tonnes*

Length

17.3m

17.2m

Width

3.0m

3.0m

Total weight Transport

Working

Height

3.6m

3.6m

Length

18.5m

18.3m

Width

15.3m

9.6m

Height

5.2m

4.9m

Length

6.1m x 1.93m

6.1m x 1.93m

Output

800 tph

800 tph

Maximum feed size

750mm

750mm

10m3

10m3

Diesel/hydraulic

Diesel/hydraulic

Screen unit

Hopper size Power unit * Weight will vary depending on machine specification.

MOBILE JAW CRUSHER ROLLS OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE Powerscreen has launched the Premiertrak 330 jaw crusher, which is fitted with a simple large fixed hopper and a hydrostatic drive. The hopper is manufactured from an 8mm wear plate, improving set-up time, and reducing pegging and increasing wear life. The hydrostatic drive enables the machine to unblock and run in reverse, allowing easier crushing of certain materials. A low engine speed improves fuel consumption and provides lower noise emissions in urban or restricted areas. These features offer quarries high levels of reliability, efficiency and performance.

“The Premiertrak 330 has been designed to promote an easy and effective flow

22

Quarry November 2019

of material to minimise any potential build-up, therefore maximising uptime,” Powerscreen product manager Neil Robinson said. “Contributing to this is a two-piece grizzly feeder with an angled second section which allows a better material flow towards the chamber and prevents bridging. These are just some of

the features that contribute to its low cost per tonne performance.”

The Premiertrak 330 features a 1000mm x 600mm (40” x 24”) jaw chamber and can produce up to 280 tonnes per hour of crushed material. It can be used in a range of applications including aggregates, recycling and mining.

Further inquiries about Powerscreen crushing and screening machines can be directed to local distributors. In Australia, the national Powerscreen dealer is The Lincom Group, which is headquartered in Brisbane, and has offices and warehouses in every state and territory. • Source: Terex Powerscreen

GOING MOBILE

CRUSHED STONE STOCKPILER

TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN SYDNEY METRO

A

quarry-spec hopper feeder has been supplied and commissioned into Sydney Metro to load barges on the waterway. The Telestack HF-823 Revolution hopper feeder has been commissioned right on the foreshore of the Darling Harbour/ Barangaroo area. The machine, which has been supplied by crushing, screening and conveying products dealer Tricon Mining Equipment, is believed to be the first of its kind in Australia.

Tricon’s customer required an innovative solution to achieve its goals and keep up with KPIs, while being severely restricted by its surroundings. Not only did the client need to drastically increase efficiency, it needed to ensure the surrounding high rise building owners were kept happy, too.

To achieve this, Tricon supplied the 23m long Telestack HF-823 Revolution, which features a centre-mounted slew bearing that enables 360-degree rotation and movement of the hopper to enhance mobility on site.

This innovation ensures vital flexibility with the mobility feature, making it ideal for barge loading and unloading.

The HF-823 Revolution, which has a potential output of up to 800 tonnes per hour, enables the operator to manoeuvre the unit parallel to the vessel, removing the need to reposition the unit between barges, thus enhancing loading rates and efficiency, and allowing the client to load barges faster and more efficiently than ever before.

The client required a reliable machine that could work at maximum production rates, 24 hours a day, without delay or failure as it sought to meet tight deadlines and KPIs on a daily basis. The KPIs included the suppression of dust, noise, sound and light suppression as well as meeting demanding production/output targets.

Being in the heart of the Sydney Metro/ Darling Harbour area, there were many challenges and obstacles to overcome.

This project was under the spotlight of all surrounding businesses and buildings, all of which needed to be kept happy with the solution that was provided.

In customising the HF-823, Tricon Equipment had to account for dust, noise and light pollution, as well as many environmental

The HF-823 Revolution was commissioned on the foreshore of the Darling Harbour/Barangaroo precinct.

The HF-823 is portable via several means, including by trailer and barge.

restrictions, and implement appropriate solutions. The company also had to extend the tracks of the machine to allowing slewing, bringing its total width to 4.4m. This meant that simple transportation of the feeder in Sydney proved a significant challenge.

“Not only have we supplied a solution to our client’s many requirements to meet their varied KPIs, we were also able to drastically increase the efficiency of their loading due to the technical innovations of the supplied machine,” said Tricon Mining Equipment’s managing director Michael Tripolone. “We were able to reduce the time needed to load a barge from 60 to 65 minutes to 40 to 45 minutes, which we believe is impressive when considering the size of the Sydney Metro operation.”

In quarrying and concrete applications, the HF-823 can handle a complete range of materials, including aggregates, crushed stone, sand and gravel, and cement clinker.

It can stockpile or load directly from a wheel loader or an excavator, and secondary crushers and screens. Its complete on-site mobility includes the option of rubber tracks and its hydraulic folding head section allows for compact road transportation. It can also be packed into 12m long containers for easy, cost-effective relocation.

Tricon Equipment recently won an “Excellence in Transport and/or Conveying” award in recognition of the HF-823 installation at the 2019 Bulk Handling Awards. • Source: Tricon Equipment

Quarry November 2019 23

GOING MOBILE

2,400 tons of recycled aggregates per working day with Metso Lokotrack® That’s how we make the big difference, the Metso Way.

COMPACT, HIGH PRODUCTION IMPACT CRUSHER TO MAKE AUSTRALIAN DEBUT

T

he high performance RM 120GO! impact crusher from Rubble Master is on its way to Australia, with the first units set to arrive this month (November 2019).

As the largest crusher in the Rubble Master line-up, the 35-tonne RM 120GO! is designed for custom crushing contractors, large asphalt paving contractors, road builders, demolition contractors and material producers.

It promises the production capacity of much heavier classes of machine – up to 350 tonnes per hour (tph) – with the mobility and usability of a compact crusher. The RM 120GO! can be unloaded and set up for crushing in a closed-circuit configuration in less than 20 minutes without the need of any special hand tools.

The mobile crusher features an 1170mm rotor and a 3.6m x 1.5m (12’ x 5’) on-board screendeck while weighing about 41 tonnes in closed circuit configuration. This mobility opens up high production markets for Rubble Master where the transportation of heavier machines is a major issue.

While the RM 120GO! crusher is new to Australia, the machine has been exceeding performance expectations on the European market for more than three years.

The Australian distributor for Rubble Master is 888 Crushing & Screening Equipment (888CSE), headquartered in Perth. Its policy is to ensure any new crushers have been tried and tested close to the factory before importing new products into Australia. This makes sure everything is bulletproof.

Gerald Hanish, the owner and CEO of Rubble Master stated: “We’ve always looked at the crushing industry differently. I didn’t understand why a large capacity machine had to be more than 45,000kg. To be honest, I didn’t like the way the table was set, so I flipped over the table.”

Like all Rubble Master impact crushers, the RM 120GO! features a diesel-over-electric drive system that burns up to 33 per cent less

24

Quarry November 2019

Kivikolmio Oy, the leading recycler of concrete and asphalt in Finland, uses Metso Lokotrack® LT1213S™ to meet the growing needs for recycled aggregates. Each day, they produce 2,400 tons of asphalt-based, highly valuable, 0–16 mm (0–5/8”) grade aggregates to direct melt into new asphalt. LT1213 offers excellent transportability and is extremely efficient to operate when regularly on the move.

It was easy for Kivikolmio to choose Lokotrack again after 2 million tons of experience in concrete and asphalt crushing with an earlier Lokotrack LT1315 and positive experience with Metso services.

Find out more about Metso’s full-scale recycling offering – from heavy-duty scalping screens to various crushers and waste & metal recycling equipment – at metso.com/showroom/aggregates #TheMetsoWay

RM 120GO! – SPECS & FEATURES Throughput

Up to 350 tph, depending on material

Feed material size

Up to an edge length of 850mm

Feed opening

1160mm x 820mm

Crusher unit

RM crusher with 2 or 4 hammers, 3 rotor speeds

Feed unit

Asymmetric 4m3 vibro-channel with 2 vibration motors (3.1 kW each)

Loading height

3200mm

Main discharge belt

1200mm wide, discharge height 3600mm (aggregate)

Effective cross-section of feed intake

3100mm x 2200mm

Transport System

Tracks

Weight

35 tonnes

Feed control system for automatic load-dependent crusher feeding Hardox 450 wear-resistant cladding

fuel than same size diesel-hydraulic crushers, promising a more profitable operation and lower cost per tonne of ownership.

“Thanks to the diesel-electric drive and the wide core radiator, overheating problems are virtually non-existent on all the Rubble Master machines,” Hanisch said. Reliability and uptime of the diesel-electric drive is also typically higher than hydraulic driven crushers.

Rubble Master has been manufacturing crushers for 27 years and is currently

represented in 110 countries. The company is a popular compact crushing solution in most major markets.

888CSE has been the sole Australian dealer for Rubble Master crushers since 2016. The company has many successful references to date for the smaller RM 90GO! (24-tonne) and RM100GO! (29-tonne) impact crushers, which it has in stock for immediate sale or sale. • Source: 888 Crushing & Screening Equipment

For sales & service, contact Tutt Bryant on 1300 658 888

Hanson’s Bunbury quarry and processing plant has been supplying aggregates to the south-west WA region since 2000.

CRUSHING

’BORN AGAIN’ CRUSHER

KEEPS PRODUCER ON TRACK AFTER OVERHAUL When an ageing crusher began to fail, construction materials supplier Hanson faced the prospect of a long, expensive plant closure to remedy the problem. But by opting for an OEM’s “reborn” solution, the operation was up and running in just two days – and more efficient than ever.

19-year-old Sandvik H4000 cone crusher.

While replacing the step bearing assembly, the team noticed scoring on the main shaft.

On closer inspection, it was discovered the shaft had significant stress fractures.

North was eager to maintain productivity and so made the decision to order a replacement main shaft from Europe and use the fractured main shaft for the 12 weeks it would take for the replacement to arrive. However, during reinstallation, significant cracking was also discovered in the bottom shell of the crusher, suggesting problems with the entire unit.

Hanson then had several less than favourable options to choose from: shut the plant for a time-consuming crusher rebuild; completely replace the crushing plant with a new crusher; or wait for a new main shaft and hope a catastrophic failure did not occur.

A ‘REBORN’ SOLUTION It was then that the local Sandvik team proposed another alternative – trying a

Sandvik “reborn” crusher solution.

Doug Turnbull, the business line manager for Sandvik’s crushing and screening products in the Asia and Pacific region, says the concept involves swapping an old Sandvik crusher for a new replacement that perfectly fits the existing plant infrastructure.

“With a reborn solution, we take the five main components of the crusher and change old for new,” Turnbull said.

“Provided it is in good condition, all the plant infrastructure stays in place, including the lube tank, the motor, the foundations and the electrics.”

Unlike rebuild and new build options, which require long stoppages, the reborn solution is a plug-in option that requires only a relatively short stoppage.

North said he was sceptical when he initially heard about the solution. Sandvik had a reborn CH440 crusher unit in Australia that it could provide Hanson and the price was far lower than the cost of rebuilding the plant.

“The two biggest drawcards for us were that it made commercial sense and reduced downtime within the operation,” North said.

“That and the fact Sandvik had something available that could be utilised at short notice.”

After sourcing capital for the solution, Hanson gave the green light for the reborn solution to be installed in mid-2018 – becoming the first Sandvik reborn crusher recipient in Australia.

“It was a painless process, to be honest,” North said. “We had a crane on-site and we pulled the old crusher out in the morning and had the new crusher in by the afternoon.

Two days later we were up and running.

It was certainly well co-ordinated by both sides.”

A year on, Hanson is delighted with the solution and the resultant rise in productivity.

“Because the old crusher was getting tired, we were having to de-rate the tonnes per hour through it at the very end,” North said.

“With the reborn, we can run the crusher

L

ocated 175 kilometres south of Perth, the Bunbury quarry and processing plant has been supplying aggregates to Western Australia’s south-west region since 2000. One of more than 60 Australian quarries operated by the building and construction materials company Hanson, the plant’s products for concrete, asphalt, road sealing and drainage are in demand among both public and private sector clients.

“Our target market is anyone in the south-west who is utilising rock,” says site manager Durand Bembridge. “Because there are only two basalt quarries in the region, the products that we extract are in demand, and we supply an area stretching from Perth right through to Albany [about 340 kilometres to the south-east].”

Hanson is a part of the global HeidelbergCement Group and the Bunbury quarry is one of the cornerstones of its operations in the region. With Western Australia’s economy increasingly buoyant due to a resurgence in mining, the demand for Hanson’s products is expected to remain strong in coming years.

So, when problems were detected with the plant’s main cone crusher unit, it was crucial for Hanson to find a cost- and time-effective solution.

Kyle North, who was site manager at the time, said the situation unfolded when a maintenance team was working on the

26

Quarry November 2019

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CRUSHING

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at full capacity for the full available hours of the day. The crushing chamber is also slightly bigger and so there’s been quite a significant uplift on tonnes per hour.”

Hanson was also impressed with the solution at a corporate level, and asked Sandvik to further explain the reborn solution to a meeting of Australian executives in Sydney. North credited the success of the experience to the commitment of the Sandvik sales team.

“The local team in Tawnie Herrington and her colleague Jaimie McGlen were exceptional in the way that they treated us,” he said.

Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology is a business area within the Sandvik Group and a global leading supplier of equipment and tools, service and technical solutions for the mining and construction industries. Its application areas include rock drilling, rock cutting, crushing and screening, loading and hauling, tunnelling, quarrying, and breaking and demolition. • Source: Sandvik Mining & Rock Technology

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CRUSHERS

The Lippmann LJ-Series jaw crushers are some of the most versatile crushers on the market, boasting some of the widest jaws in the category, along with innovative designs to deliver maximum throughput and production.

The LJ-Series delivers industry leading jaw speed, teamed with enhanced die angles, to bring better reduction and material processing to a variety of applications.

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Lippmann mobile screeners are high capacity, heavy duty, versatile machines built based on the industry leading ‘High Energy’ screenbox. With the largest screening areas in their class, The LS Series screeners are designed to give customers high output and durability in the most demanding conditions, and deliver high production across industries.

Hanson was delighted with the ‘reborn’ crusher solution.

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CRUSHING

Neil Bellamy (left) and Metso managing director Shaun Fanning (centre) review product quality at Ormeau.

OPERATION RAMPS UP

PRODUCTION FOR QUEENSLAND’S GROWING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS To meet the infrastructure needs of one of Australia’s burgeoning markets, a Boral operation has turned to multi-action cone crushers to expand and improve its output.

B

oral, Australia’s largest building and construction materials supplier, owns about one billion tonnes of quarry reserves strategically located close to its key markets.

A new, state of the art processing plant at the company’s Ormeau quarry will ramp up the site’s production by 400 per cent.

Ormeau is one of the company’s 12 Queensland-based quarries. Centrally located about 30km from the Gold Coast and 40km from Brisbane, the site is within a major rock formation called the NeranleighFernvale beds, a large zone consisting of massive to slightly foliated meta-greywacke with minor bands of shale and argillite.

Originally owned by Quarry Industries, extraction at the site began in 1981.

A joint venture was formed in 1987 between BMG Resources and Quarry Industries. This endured until Boral acquired Quarry Industries in 1994. Boral has been 30

Quarry November 2019

the sole owner/operator of the quarry since.

Ormeau is between Brisbane, Australia’s third largest city with a population of about 1.2 million, and Gold Coast, Queensland’s second largest city, which stretches from the outskirts of Brisbane to the northern New South Wales border. Connecting these two cities with modern infrastructure and catering for their rapidly growing populations is driving the need for huge volumes of aggregate.

To help meet this demand, in 2017 Boral embarked on a project to replace Ormeau’s ageing processing plant, quadrupling the quarry’s production capabilities.

Neil Bellamy, Boral’s drill and blast manager for Queensland and the Northern Territory, has been closely involved in the expansion, managing the operational readiness of the project and site interaction.

“The site has traditionally produced around 500,000 tonnes of quarry materials per

annum,” Bellamy said. “This included the supply of asphalt aggregate to Boral Asphalt in south-east Queensland, a limited amount of concrete aggregates and manufactured sand to internal concrete customers, as well as other construction materials to the infrastructure and private sectors. Over the next few years we will ramp up production at Ormeau to two million tonnes per annum.”

LIMITED OPERATING HOURS One of Boral’s challenges for the expansion of operations at Ormeau was that the plant is permitted to operate from 7am to 6pm only, Monday to Saturday.

“Because of restrictions to operating hours, and the fact that maintenance must be done within these hours as well, the plant has to have a higher per hour capacity to meet our two million tonnes per annum goal,” Bellamy said. “We also had to allow for ramp up and downtimes, as well as unplanned outages.

Boral’s Ormeau Quarry is increasing its output from 500,000 tonnes per annum to two million tonnes per annum.

In the end, we had to design the new plant to handle 1000 tonnes per hour. This was a challenge, because the engineering of the plant and the equipment within the plant were exponentially more expensive.”

Ormeau’s quarry manager Liam Elsworth said: “When in full production, the new plant will be Boral’s largest quarry operation in Queensland. It will play a key role in supplying various raw materials for Queensland’s burgeoning south-east region, and the state’s growing infrastructure needs.”

In 2017 Boral awarded Metso the contract to design, manufacture and supply an aggregate crushing and screening plant to support the increased throughput. Metso was heavily involved in the entire design process. Boral and Metso staff workshopped the plant’s process flow design and then selected the equipment that would handle the duty.

“Metso has brought a number of innovations to our circuit design,” Bellamy said. “One example was the inclusion of a surge bin post the tertiary crushing station, which allows crusher output material to be metered to the tertiary parallel screening circuit. This results in optimal screening performance, which delivers a very consistent final product. From a particle size

Metso’s MX4 crushers in parallel operation at Boral’s Ormeau quarry.

Liam Elsworth, Boral Ormeau’s quarry manager, says the new plant is designed to handle 1000 tph.

Quarry November 2019 31

CRUSHING

distribution perspective, we are achieving some of the lowest standard deviation results within Boral’s quarry network. “That’s something that I wouldn’t have thought of, but it has been great for our product quality. The standard deviation of product size per sieve is one of the best I’ve ever seen.�

CRUSHING CIRCUIT INNOVATIONS The crushing circuit is a three-stage system consisting of a Metso C160 jaw, a GP500S gyratory and three MX4 cone crushers.

Metso also supplied the vibrating screens and feeders, conveyors, bins, hoppers and chutes. The plant is highly automated. “The intent is that the control room will be unmanned, and the automation will see the plant running at capacity throughout each shift without the need for human intervention,� Elsworth said.

The MX4 multi-action cone crushers are the latest design from Metso, automatically optimising the crusher setting and wear

Shaun Fanning reviews crusher performance with a control room operator at Boral’s Ormeau Quarry.

compensation in real time, bringing lower operating costs, higher uptime and consistent output. “We made a business decision to

Boral’s project manager Kai Kane says the plant has been designed with easy access to crushers and screens.

all of our expectations. “A lot of time and effort went into getting the process control right – it’s more complicated than it looks. For the final

purchase the new MX4 crushers,� Elsworth said. “This is the first installation worldwide where MX4s have been used in parallel as final tertiary crushers. So far, they have met

product we went with Metso screens. “The Metso screens with Trellex rubber media are performing well. We’ve done some fine-tuning of the screen apertures

and we’ve achieved very good efficiency.�

The upgrade involved completely replacing the old processing plant, which was designed in the 1960s and had been moved to the site from its original location in South Australia. “Because we built the new plant to today’s standards, it provides greatly improved safety,� Bellamy said. “The design incorporates the latest safety best practices relating to guarding, ingress, egress, etc.

The modern automation and control system has a lot of safety functionality built into it. “For example, there are no risks of overflowing media because the system can perform carefully controlled ramp-ups and shutdowns.�

Not only was the plant designed to improve site safety, it has also been configured for convenient maintenance. “The plant has been designed with full and easy access to crushers and screens.

All the buildings have overhead cranes for maintenance,� Boral’s project manager

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CRUSHING

Kai Kane said. “A minimum number of different types of screens, all using rubber media, were used to reduce our spare parts inventory.”

Energy efficiency is also greatly improved.

One criteria for the design of the plant was that the incoming power feed should not need an increase in capacity.

“We didn’t want to upgrade the existing four-megawatt electrical in-feed,” Kane said.

“All of the latest technology in the plant has allowed us to achieve that goal while still aiming to increase our plant output to 1000 tonnes per hour.”

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE Boral had to comply with a range of rigorous environmental requirements to gain approval to expand the quarry, including the commissioning of an environmental plan to minimise impact on the local koala population.

The plan includes maintaining an offset area of forest on land the company owns south of the site.

Boral has also won awards for Ormeau’s storm water management plan; one of the requirements was to ensure the site can deal with a one in 10-year storm event.

“On the southern and eastern side of the site we have the Pimpama River,” Elsworth said. “Previously, the lay of the land meant that a large storm event could cause significant flooding, so we had to raise the elevation of the lower part of the site by about three metres, to make sure it was out of the floodplain. A 60m buffer was also established between the river and the working boundary, which we planted out with more than 40,000 trees.

“We have built a stormwater catchment system with pumping facilities that allow us to pump water back to the pit for our use.”

Other major environmental considerations were the need to minimise waste, noise and dust.

“In relation to waste, there is none”, Kane said. “The new crusher and screening technology means that nothing is wasted. All raw rock input is converted to product.”

The overall plant design also included enclosing the entire crushing and screening process in buildings.

“All the screens and crushers are enclosed for noise control, and there are areas of the plant where we use automated water sprays to control dust,” Bellamy said. “All conveyors are covered, and the screens also have dust encapsulation, even though they 34

Quarry November 2019

Neil Bellamy, Boral’s drill and blast manager for Queensland and the Northern Territory, has been closely involved in the expansion.

are in buildings. The secondary and tertiary crushers also have a foam dosing system, which works well and is automated and adjustable.

“Conveyor belt speeds are slow, so even though the capacity is high, the low velocity doesn’t create a lot of pressure, further minimising dust and noise.”

MEETING EXPECTATIONS The new plant with its cutting edge technology has played a pivotal role in the quarry achieving its throughput requirements.

“The assets themselves are performing as we hoped and expected,” Bellamy said. “We have achieved our minimum performance requirements earlier than expected and we were able to quickly ramp up to 90 per cent of capacity.

“We have a very good relationship with the local Metso team. The Metso installation supervisor was very good to work with. He put in long hours to make sure everything was right.”

According to Shaun Fanning, Metso’s Australian vice president for aggregates, the key to delivering this world-class plant was Metso and Boral’s early collaboration to develop the design.

“While we have extensive experience in delivering aggregates plants around the world, Boral was able to bring valuable features into the design based on their operational experience,” he said.

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The Hitachi ZW150 wheel loader greeted delegates at the entrance to the Premiership Stand at GMHBA Stadium.

IQA CONFERENCE 2019

GEELONG CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON THE FUTURE OF QUARRYING

disruption – which is being implemented in some of Boral’s extractive operations, such as Peppertree Quarry in Marulan, New South Wales – would improve safety and environmental outcomes and reduce labour costs. Connected technologies (eg Internet of Things), robotics and automation would make the industry more efficient and productive and enable quarries to make faster decisions and customise their processes to better service their customers.

Doyle’s advice in her closing remarks was that quarrying businesses and industry groups need to broaden their scope by embracing technology and alternative materials, in addition to lobbying for improved access to more resources. She agreed with the suggestion that, given quarries are competing for land use in large pockets of extractive materials, there should be scope for coopetition – ie co-operation to grow the market while competing for a market share. For example, companies might share resources via super quarries.

Mayor Bruce Harwood welcomes the IQA membership to Geelong.

Industry “legends” on stage: (l-r): Dale Elphinstone, Ron Kerr, John Malempre and Mary Thompson, with MC Steve Davis.

THE NATIONAL OUTLOOK BIS Oxford Economics executive chairman Robert Mellor was the other notable speaker on the first day. He briefed delegates on the national economic outlook to 2024, advising that the industry will experience some “pain” in the next 18 months as downturns occur in

The Geelong Football Club’s home stadium and modern convention centre were a grand backdrop to this year’s IQA annual conference – which highlighted the industry’s progress and people, and debated its future challenges. Damian Christie reports.

A

lmost 400 delegates attended the IQA’s 62nd annual conference, in Geelong, from 1 to 3 October, 2019.

Most of them were from Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and New Zealand.

There were more than 40 exhibitors across 50 booths this year, offering expertise in earthmoving equipment, crushing, screening and conveying solutions, drill and blast applications, environmental, surveying and planning applications, and finance, consultancy and education.

Among these were the platinum sponsors in Caterpillar Australia, Komatsu Australia and Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia, and official partner program sponsor Orica Australia. Other sponsors included CJD Equipment, CK Prowse & Associates, Epiroc, Finlay Screening & Crushing Systems, Highway Tractors, Michelin, Liebherr Australia, Terex Jaques and Weir Minerals.

The venue for the conference was GMHBA Stadium, home of the Geelong Cats Australian Football League club. This venue, first opened in 1921, has in recent times undergone significant refurbishment by the

36

Quarry November 2019

club, the City of Geelong and the Victorian Government. As a result, the delegates and exhibitors were spoiled by fantastic modern conference centre facilities and services.

The pre-conference activities on Tuesday, 1 October saw 105 delegates visit quarries at Boral Deer Park and Barro Point Wilson.

That evening, the Hitachi welcome function was held in the Captains’ Room at GMHBA Stadium, overlooking a floodlit football oval.

KEYNOTE SPEECHES The conference was opened on Wednesday, 2 October by City of Geelong Mayor Bruce Harwood. He said the Geelong region is one of the largest contributors of limestone (it is expected to account for 43 per cent of Victoria’s limestone supply to 2050) and the quarrying industry has never been more important to its economic stimulus, given the city of Geelong will in 15 to 20 years hit a population of 400,000.

In line with the Mayor’s remarks and the conference’s overall theme of “The Future of Quarrying”, the keynote speaker was one of Boral’s non-executive directors in Dr Eileen Doyle, who provided a crystal ball about

where Boral – and the broader industry – stand in relation to new technologies and the advent of the “digital” quarry. She explained that some of these ideas and thinking were based on recommendations from Boral’s Transformation Strategy Taskforce.

It comprises of 21 emerging leaders from within Boral who considered the quarry of the future to be focused on maximising the value of resources through improved productivity, waste minimisation and cost optimisation.

Dr Doyle, whose executive and nonexecutive experience has included the CSIRO, Bradken, OneSteel and Port Waratah Coal Services, warned that the future of quarrying is not guaranteed. She said that even allowing for the very high standards that the industry sets itself, it will have to further evolve and innovate in line with an ongoing regulated environment, increased safety standards, unending infrastructure demand, high community expectations and the growth and competition of other sectors.

Further to these challenges, Doyle suggested the industry would have to show it has strategies to satisfy community and environmental expectations. She said digital

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Boral non-executive director Dr Eileen Doyle provided a crystal ball about the industry’s future.

the residential and engineering construction segments.

Mellor’s good news, though, was that residential construction would still be Australia’s fastest growing sector in the period 2020 to 2024, and non-residential construction will be at sustained activity levels. Residential building starts, which

IQA CONFERENCE 2019

processes up to one million tonnes of C&D materials per annum and more than 500,000 tonnes of recycled asphalt (see Quarry 27(7), July 2019: 30-34).

Rob Mellor, of BIS Oxford Economics, provided a pragmatic construction forecast.

Japanese Drumming Melbourne entertain at the Komatsu Dinner.

‘Rising stars’ on stage: (l-r), Jess Sargent, Ben McGrouther, Dean Rickards, and MC Steve Davis.

Komatsu CEO Sean Taylor delivered a passionate keynote presentation.

Elisa de Wit’s presentation on climate risk encouraged some lively discussion.

Outgoing President Clayton Hill fits the chains of office to successor Shane Braddy.

are expected to dip to 160,000 per annum from 2019 to 2021, should return to 206,000 starts per year from 2022 to 2024.

Population growth will also be a major factor in non-residential building and engineering construction infrastructure because burgeoning communities will require more facilities for health, education, roads and rail. Rail work, worth $7.5 billion per annum in 2019-20, will more than double in the next five years and road infrastructure is expected to rise by as much as 40 per cent on current stats (>$27 billion per annum).

Mellor predicted the states that will most benefit from the upturn will be Queensland and Western Australia (mining in those states will feed off growth in the rail and road segments), followed by Victoria and New South Wales. His advice to industry members was to be patient in the downturn and to be 38

Quarry November 2019

ready for the upturn from 2022 to 2024.

Other presenters on the first day included VicRoads’ quarry products technologist Dr Sven Scheppokat and Sean McCormick, Alex Fraser Group’s general manager of recycling. Scheppokat discussed the latest advancements in field skid resistance testing of road surfaces in Victoria and Tasmania, which included a pendulum tester of sample tiles in the laboratory, and a SCRIM truck outdoors.

McCormick discussed Alex Fraser’s contribution to the construction materials sector through its recovery of up to 50 per cent of Victoria’s glass waste materials per year. The company has in the past six months opened its first sustainable supply hub – comprising a recycled technology asphalt plant, a bespoke 875m2 glass recycling plant and its regular C&D recycling plant – which

INDUSTRY LEGENDS Another highlight of the first day was the “Legends of the Industry” panel which quizzed four stalwarts on the industry’s future.

The panel featured former IQA President John Malempre, Dale Elphinstone AO, executive chairman of Elphinstone Group, McLeod Rail owner and CEO Mary Thompson, and Ron Kerr, Honorary CEO of the Construction Material Processors Association.

The quartet discussed the industry’s challenges in winning community acceptance. Kerr stated that quarries are a valuable asset to every community; the industry has to better communicate and prove its economic value. Its members also need to support each other on a collective, more collegial level.

Malempre talked up the environmental benefits of quarrying, saying the industry needs to talk more about the end uses of quarries, and how they can be adapted to provide an end community benefit, like parklands, real estate and even sporting grounds. All too often, inactive sites are proposed as landfills when there are other value adds.

Thompson observed that quarries have, due to regulatory demands, become so well hidden and distant today that the average person has never seen one nor understands their contribution to modern living standards.

She added that she was also concerned that careers in the extractive industry are not being adequately promoted in schools.

Elphinstone was passionate about the promotion of safety but critical of safe work regimes which he said have “regulated commonsense” out of the workplace. He was strongly of the opinion that workers should practise safety in all facets of their lives.

Elphinstone recalled many years ago he surveyed his workers about the number of lost time injuries (LTIs) incurred at work and the number of injuries that occurred at home.

The survey found that household injuries were eight times higher than the LTIs. This led Elphinstone to conclude that if people are encouraged to take more care of their health and show commonsense at home, that can translate to better workplace outcomes.

The first full day of the conference concluded with the traditional Komatsu Gala Dinner, which was held in the Barrel Hall at

the iconic Mount Duneed winery and function centre, in the picturesque Barrabool Hills, 15 minutes south of the Geelong CBD. A highlight of the night was the performance of Japanese Drumming Melbourne, complete with vigorous artistes and Taiko drums!

INCLUSION, DIVERSITY Having honoured industry legends on day one, the conference on Thursday, 3 October, looked to the future with a “Youth of the Industry” panel. Three “rising stars” – Dean Rickards (a site co-ordinator at Boral Montrose), Ben McGrouther (a production engineer at Boral Deer Park) and Jess Sargent (Hanson transport supervisor in Melbourne) – recounted their positive industry experiences and shared their ideas for change management. The trio impressed the largely grey-haired audience with their articulate, frank and humorous views of a sustainable future for the extractive industry.

In keeping with the morning’s theme of youth, inclusion and diversity, the IQA’s

Women in Quarrying (WIQ) national coordinator Tegan Smith and CEO Kylie Fahey presented on the continuing success of the WIQ network. Fahey reported that more women are attending IQA events for the first time through WIQ meetings and initiatives.

This update segued into Komatsu Australia CEO Sean Taylor’s keynote speech. Taylor, who is a member of the Male Champions of Change strategy to encourage more women into leadership roles, expressed disappointment that industries had not accorded diversity with the same prominence as safety. He argued diversity needs to be elevated as part of building an innovative culture.

Taylor was optimistic that the construction industry can make progress, eg through lifting percentages for more graduates and women seeking trade apprenticeships, and by promoting its “breathtaking” range of experiences. He added that collaboration between governments, construction companies, aggregates producers and

OEMs (like Komatsu) would raise productivity in the end to end construction sector.

Taylor also outlined Komatsu’s “Say Again?” awareness program for its workers which aims to eliminate gender stereotypes in people’s language. He explained the program is not designed to embarrass people but to encourage them to think more carefully about what they say to each other. He likened “Say Again?” to safety – ie you wouldn’t let something unsafe go unnoticed, so why let a work colleague be undermined?

The other presenters that morning included: Dominic Crowley, on behalf of the Office of the Victorian Commissioner for Better Regulation Anna Cronin; Simone Reinertsen, of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR); Michael Cramer, of Accent Environmental; and Elisa de Wit, partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Lawyers.

De Wit’s presentation about the financial dimensions to climate change risk stimulated some lively discussion among some quarters of the audience who did not agree with

IQA CONFERENCE 2019

some of her examples of climate change science. Nonetheless, her message was that large corporates, SMEs and family-run companies should perform due diligence on climate risk. This may mean developing plans that encompass more sustainable ways of sourcing and processing aggregates (in accord with stakeholder expectations along the supply chain) but will minimise the prospect of financial hits to businesses for non-action.

Due diligence was also emphasised by the NHVR’s Reinertsen in her presentation on the safety obligations of quarries under the National Heavy Vehicle Law. Quarries with their own transport fleets or which sub-contract their aggregates delivery must ensure they have efficient safety management systems to minimise public risk.

FUND-RAISING EFFORTS The post-lunch sessions featured supplier and technical presentations on blasting, fines recovery and tailings dewatering

technologies, and high, dual frequency and multi-frequency screening techniques.

Dr Matthew Thurley, principal scientist for Innovative Machine Vision, outlined his findings from using 3D imaging to more accurately measure particle size distribution across a processing circuit.

The afternoon session concluded with the Australian Institute of Quarrying Education Foundation’s (AIQEF) live auction. Numerous items were put up for grabs, including cases of Clyde Park wine, an Epiroc drill rig model, a signed 2019 Geelong team guernsey, and consultancy packages from Groundwork Plus and Michelin. There were also eight items available for bids online, including a gabion rock fire pit, a teppanyaki lunch/ dinner, and diecast and Lego models. The AIQEF raised $14,680 at the live auction and $858.50 from the online bids.

The IQA convened its annual general meeting later that afternoon. One of the major items on the agenda was the proposal for a new governance structure for the AIQEF

(see page 46), a motion that was passed unanimously. There were other significant motions that were also endorsed. In future AGMs, all levels of IQA members will be entitled to cast a vote. Previously, only Fellows or Honorary Fellows could vote.

It was also decided that a quorum of 10 corporate members was no longer required to convene a meeting; for future AGMs, all members will count towards a quorum. It was also agreed that other tiers of members, and not just corporate members, could nominate for positions on the IQA Board.

The conference concluded on Thursday evening, with delegates and their partners dressing in their finery for the Caterpillarsponsored black tie dinner at Pier Geelong, the iconic, 160-year-old, two-storey weatherboard building on the Corio Bay waterfront. Apart from first-class meals, delegates also enjoyed the gourmet chocolate bar which provided some devilishly rich delicacies!

The dinner marked the change of IQA

President. After two years, Clayton Hill stepped down from the role and passed on the presidential chains to his successor Shane Braddy.

The IQA’s 62nd annual conference certainly provided delegates with plenty of learning opportunities and engagement with their peers. The decision to bring the event forward by a day – running from Tuesday to Thursday – also enabled IQA members to enjoy the best that Geelong could offer or to meet with their Victorian offices, customers or suppliers on Friday, 4 October.

To view and order prints of photos from the event, visit the Photography by Fallon website: photographybyfallon.shootproof. com/gallery/IQA2019/home The IQA’s 63rd annual conference will be part of the joint Construction Materials Industry Conference (CMIC 20) with Cement Concretes & Aggregates Australia. CMIC 20 will be hosted at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in the “Sunshine State” from 9 to 10 September, 2020. •

Trimble’s Dale Cameron presents the Excellence in Innovation Award to Alasdair Webb, of Holcim Dubbo Quarry

The 2019 Quarry Manager of the Year (less than 10 FTE) is Frank Pendretti, pictured with Anita Waihi (Metso).

IQA AWARDS Over the course of the conference, the IQA presented its annual awards that recognise the outstanding achievements of individual members and quarrying operations. This year’s recipients were: n Alec

Northover Award (sponsored by AIQEF) - Andrew Hauser. n Excellence

in Innovation Award (sponsored by Trimble) – Alasdair Webb, Holcim Dubbo Quarry. n Gold

Environment Award (sponsored

by Groundwork Plus) - Holcim Petrie Quarry, Queensland. n Gold

Hard Hat Award - Holcim Nerimbera Quarry, Queensland.

n Quarry

Manager of the Year (more than 10 FTE, sponsored by Metso) - Chris Geeves, Holcim. n Quarry

Manager of the Year (less than 10 FTE, sponsored by Metso) - Frank Pedretti, Boral. n Supplier

of the Year - Peter Laskey, Kinder Australia.

Further coverage of the 2019 IQA Awards recipients will appear in Quarry in 2020.

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IQA CONFERENCE 2019

About 105 deleg ates participat ed in the pre-confer ence site tour s to Barro Point Wilson and Boral Deer Park.

THE FUTURE OF QUARRYING GEELONG 2019

Geelong put on glorious weather for the 62nd IQA annual conference. Coupled with the Geelong Football Club’s modern facilities, the conference went off without a hitch. Aside from the plenary program, there were plenty of opportunities for networking and letting one’s hair down.

All photos courtesy of Photography by Fallon, photographybyfallon.com

l Deer Park. circuit at Bora The crushing

The Caterpillar team assemble for the company’s gala dinner.

The Groundwork Plus elephant mascot!

come function. lights for the Hitachi wel GMHBA Stadium under

de The Komatsu tra

tor. interactive simula stand featured an

Members enjoy pre-dinner drinks at Mount Duneed Estate winery.

The Women in Quarryi ng team step out in styl e.

The Komatsu dinner was he ld in the form facility of the er processing Mount Duneed Estate winery.

guernsey up a Geelong AFL Danny Duke holds ary ret sec EF AIQ m. ers of the 2019 tea signed by memb

James Row e, of Ground work Plus (le David Smith ft), presents , representin g Holcim Pe with the Go trie Quarry, ld Environm ent Award.

is the 2019 Peter Laskey, of Kinder Australia, Supplier of the Year.

IQA CEO Kylie Fahey, with Darren Dunn, of Holcim Nerimbera Quarry, with the 2019 Gold Hard Hat Award.

Chris Ge eves, of H olcim, w Quarry M as one o anagers f the Mets of the Ye o ar.

’s ner was held at Geelong The Caterpillar Gala Din t. ran tau res r historic Pie

Quarry November 2019 43

2019 IQA EVENTS

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

ACT BRANCH

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH

TASMANIA

15 Nov 1 March

8 Nov 1 May

29 Nov

Dinner meeting Dinner meeting

Dinner meeting, Adelaide Dinner meeting, Adelaide

NSW ILLAWARRA SUB-BRANCH

VICTORIAN BRANCH

16 Nov 30 Nov

12 Nov

Races day Christmas function

QUEENSLAND BRANCH 15 Nov 1 Feb

Lunch meeting, Brisbane Dinner meeting, Brisbane

NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH 15 Nov 1 Feb

1 March

pring Technical Night, S Melbourne Summer Technical Night, Melbourne

VICTORIAN SUB-BRANCH 21 Nov 1 March

Dinner meeting, Bendigo Dinner meeting (Venue TBA)

Christmas Party, Townsville Dinner meeting, Townsville

1 March

To register for PDP workshops and for further information, visit: quarry.com.au, click on the link to “Education”, followed by “Upcoming Professional Development Programs”. echnical and social weekend, T Deloraine Dinner meeting (Venue TBA)

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH 22 Nov 1 March

PDP WORKSHOPS & EVENTS

nnual golf day, Joondalup A Resort Dinner meeting, Perth

All dates and venues for the above branches are correct at time of press. Not all branches had confirmed their activities/ dates. For further information about IQA branch activities, contact your local branch representative (see IQA branch contacts on page 45) or visit quarry.com.au

CONEXPO-CONAGG 2020 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA 10-14 March 2020 The largest construction expo in North America promises more than 232,000m2 of exhibits and new products from more than 2800 equipment manufacturers, specialising in quarrying, aggregates processing, earthmoving, concrete, asphalt, and more. The event has in the past attracted more than 130,000 unique visitors from 170 countries. For further information about registrations and exhibiting, visit conexpoconagg.com

BULK2020 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 1-3 April 2020 BULK2020 will bring together and showcase the entire bulk handling industry. The

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trade expo will showcase the latest in bulk materials handling equipment and technologies, including crushing equipment, screening equipment, blending/loading equipment, bulk haulage and earthmoving equipment, buckets and attachments, conveyors/conveying equipment, dust control systems, feeders/feeding equipment, stockpilers, washing equipment, among others. BULK2020 has industry support from the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling, who will be working with BULK2020 organisers on an industry conference to occur at the event. Quarry is a media partner of BULK2020.

For more information, and for exhibiting inquiries, contact Rob O’Byran, BULK2020 business development manager, tel: 03 9690 8766, mobile: 0411 067 795, or email: rob.obryan@primecreative.com.au

HILLHEAD 2020 Hillhead Quarry Buxton, Derbyshire UK 23-25 June 2020 Hillhead 2020 is one of the largest outdoor trade exhibitions of its kind in the world and considered the quarrying industry’s showpiece globally. The biennial event is held in a former working quarry in Buxton, Derbyshire. The 2018 event enjoyed record crowds and exhibits, with 546 exhibitors and almost 20,000 unique visitors from across, the UK, Europe, Russia, Asia and Australia.

The event traditionally comprises outdoor and indoor exhibition areas, along with four areas where there are live demonstrations of working plant and equipment. Attendance is free to all visitors. Registrations open in December 2019. For further information visit the show’s website: hillhead.com

IQA NEWS

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

EDUCATION FOUNDATION

RETURNS TO THE IQA FOLD The Australian Institute of Quarrying Education Foundation has formed a new governance structure under the Institute of Quarrying Australia, in a move expected to generate savings of up to $50,000. Myles Hume reports.

The agreement sees the Foundation (AIQEF), formerly an independent charitable organisation, wind up its existing operations to now function as a committee under the Institute (IQA). The AIQEF was a separate entity established by the IQA in 1982 to provide training and education grants for quarrying and related industries.

The IQA Board and the AIQEF Council have worked collaboratively and unanimously agreed on the new governing structure for the foundation, seeing it now function as the IQA-AIQEF Committee. The move is designed to help save on costs associated with securing governance compliance and charity status.

“Operating as the IQA-AIQEF Committee will eliminate cost duplication and secure the foundation within a sound, future-proof legal framework”, AIQEF chair David Cilento said.

“We will simply integrate the new AIQEF Committee Charter with the IQA Constitution and the committee will retain all our existing council members.”

GOVERNANCE REVIEW Cilento said the AIQEF was required to review its governance structure following recent changes to charities legislation. In order to comply and continue to operate, the Foundation would have needed to become an incorporated entity.

This would have incurred significant additional costs between $30,000 to $50,000, including insurance cover, preparation and exchange of documents with regulators and recurrent administration costs of governance compliance.

“We looked at a number of options,” Cilento said. “The first was [to] incorporate and take on the additional costs and continue to operate the way we were. The second option was to merge with another charity, and the third was to actually wind up the Education Foundation.”

When considering the third option, Cilento said it was important the AIQEF came under the operation of another organisation with a similar educational purpose.

1

Quarry November 2019

AIQEF chairman David Cilento (right), flanked by board director Clayton Hill, explains the AIQEF’s new governance structure under the Institute at the recent IQA annual conference in Geelong, Victoria. Photo courtesy of Photography by Fallon, photographybyfallon.com

“More recently, the IQA had been through an ongoing process of improving and changing their governance and established themselves as a charity as well,” he said. “If you look at our purpose, it aligns very well with the IQA’s, so it made sense to potentially wind up the AIQEF and incorporate it into the IQA.”

status and the tax emptions we hold makes perfect sense for us to help manage both those funds.

Under the agreement, the AIQEF will maintain its independence, while protecting its operation into the future by applying the benefits of the IQA’s governance and insurance structures.

Hill added: “Funding from the AIQEF is a vital part of the IQA’s educational and event strategy. We anticipate member support for this change, with the financial benefits of streamlined service delivery, improved efficiencies and lower costs ultimately accrue to the membership.”

PRESERVING FUNDS IQA board director and former president Clayton Hill said costs that would have been imposed on the AIQEF would have essentially taken funding away from members and the industry. The IQA receives 95 per cent of the Foundation’s grants each year. Funds are also available to other bodies outside of the IQA. “It made complete sense for us,” Hill said.

“We already have a professional company secretary who works with us one day a week, and we have done a full governance review and update over the last five or six years, so are very well placed. Also having a charity

“My board and the AIQEF Council are motivated by our unity of purpose and shared values. So, the new charter preserves the foundation’s heritage.”

The motion to establish the IQA-AIQEF Committee was formally put to voting members at the IQA’s Annual General Meeting on 3 October at GMHBA Stadium, Geelong. It was passed unanimously by the membership.

About $4 million of funds will be transferred within six to nine months to a new account that is part of the IQA’s consolidated revenue.

These funds will finance the IQA’s capital projects going forward, as well as other continuing professional development and awards opportunities. •

IQA NEWS

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

Ben Davis provides insight into a new entrance road project which will bring considerable change to the Linwood site.

an overhauled state of the art drill rig. The YMN members also viewed the geotechnical data services area and learnt about the essential value of sound geotechnical data and the ways it can be used to help assist a site understand its resource. They were also informed about Boart Longyear’s TruScan product, an innovative system utilising XRF technology to scan and analyse rock at the exploration site or core yard. These mobile trailer-mounted systems allow for some very detailed and timely geotechnical data to be produced of the resource which can be of great value to the client.

Eleven members of the SA Young Members Network at Boart Longyear’s Adelaide Airport facility.

YMN members overlook the pit at Boral’s Linwood Quarry.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOUNG MEMBERS NETWORK NEWS On 6 September, 11 members of the South Australian Young Members Network (YMN) had a rare opportunity to visit two key businesses that contribute greatly to the vital construction materials industry in Adelaide.

The first destination on the site tour was Boart Longyear’s Asia-Pacific headquarters at Adelaide Airport. Engineering manager Andrew Salisbury, workshop manager Lindsay Beasley and geologist development project leader Sasha Krneta took the members on a tour of the state of the art facility and workshops.

The facility comprises of an overhaul, repair and support centre for both Boart Longyear Asia-Pacific’s drill rig and technical services divisions, engineering and R&D centre, prototype development, and the Deep‐Hole Exploration Technology Co-operative Research Centre (CRC). The site is home to more than 160 staff with some very interesting projects and services running.

On the tour the group was shown through a current overhaul and rebuild project on

one of the company’s RC drilling rigs. It was fascinating to hear about the extensive work involved across the workshop, R&D, engineering and technical teams to create

The next stop of the day was Boral Linwood Quarry at Seacliff Park, south of Adelaide.

The site is one of Boral’s flagships sites for Adelaide, and all members were very keen to see the operation. Boral’s production engineer and load and haul manager Ben Davis and quarry manager Scott Retallic escorted the group around the site, allowing for a detailed look and overview into their operation. Scott took everyone through a presentation that detailed the process of establishing a new

IQA BRANCH CONTACTS IQA NEW MEMBERS GRADE Member Associate Associate Member Associate Member Associate Associate Associate Member Member Member Associate Associate Member Associate T/Member

NAME

BRANCH

Sanderan Govender NSW Anton Fitzgerald NQLD Timothy Twine QLD Angus McKenzie-McHarg VIC Laurence Liessmann NQLD Ben McGrouther VIC Brandon Lam VIC Alan Tapping VIC Jamie Clarke VIC Geoffrey Stephens NSW Benjamin Lefroy WA Douglas Paton QLD Jordan Bertucci NSW Olivia Campbell VIC Stephen Rogers NSW Paul Stokes NQLD Alexander Pollock NQLD

ACT

Peter Hewson: 0429 001 476

NSW

Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090

Northern Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Hunter Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Illawarra

Dylan Treadwell: 0418 632 057

Central West Mitchell Bland: 0428 462 987 NT

Darren McKenna: 08 8988 4520

QLD

Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688

Gladstone Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Townsville Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Cairns SA

Chris Wilson: 0438 134 752 Marie Cunningham: 08 8243 2505

Tasmania Nicholas Palmer: 0418 126 253 Victoria

Eli Carbone: 03 8637 4723

Vic Sub-branch Craig Staggard: 0407 509 424

WA

Celia Pavri: 0417 027 928

Quarry November 2019 47

MELBOURNE

1-3 APRIL 2020

IQA NEWS mining lease, starting from pegging a mineral claim, through to the extensive and exhaustive process of updating their MOP/PEPR. Through this process, Scott explained the importance of consultation with the community, and how with excellent communication and inclusion procedures, the operation has been able to build great rapport with the community, resulting in some excellent outcomes for both parties.

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The YMN members valued the opportunity to hear about a successful community consultation program and about the journey that Scott and Boral have been through at their Linwood site.

To complete the day tour, attendees retired to the Seacliff beach hotel to debrief and network further with their peers. This gave YMN members a great opportunity to reflect on learnings from the day and share their own ideas and experiences – one of the key goals of the YMN. The network is grateful to Boart Longyear and Boral for enabling its members to visit their sites.

South Australia looks forward to hosting another event to continue to create opportunities for learning and development amongst the growing Young Member Network.

By Tristan Throup

QUEENSLAND BRANCH NEWS The Queensland branch’s annual lunch meeting will be hosted at the Moda Events Portside, at Portside Wharf, in Hamilton, Brisbane on Friday, 15 November, from midday to 3pm.

The keynote speaker for the event is Kate Du Preez, the Queensland Commissioner for Mines Safety and Health. She will discuss the learnings from the state’s safety reset, implemented in August, and the requirements for competencies, as well as outline what 48

Quarry November 2019

will happen next in the state’s bid to improve health and safety in mines and quarries.

The meeting is being co-sponsored by Rossco’s Site Servicing and CDE Global.

Admission for IQA members to the meeting is $65 and $80 for non-members. To register and pay online visit quarry.com.au/Public/Events/ Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=191115QLDL For more information, contact the Queensland secretariat, tel 0419 782 688, email qld-admin@quarry.com.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH NEWS The Western Australian branch’s AGM and dinner were hosted at the Imperial Court Restaurant in Como on 3 September. About 110 members and guests attended the event and enjoyed an authentic Cantonese banquet and an entertaining performance by Thomas Crane channelling Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. This event was proudly sponsored

by WA Limestone and Hanson.

At the AGM, chair Phil Harris outlined the events and highlights of the WA branch to the members and announced the committee for 2019-20. Harris remains as chair, Royce Sallur as vice chairman and Stephen Elliott as treasurer. The remainder of the committee includes Grant Menhennett, Steven Della Bona, Matt Hardy, Melissa Zadra, Tinus Nagel, Damon Case, Garry Black, Neil O’Connor and Daniel Naismith.

David Lane, who has been on the WA committee for many years and also served two terms as chair, decided to step down from the committee this year to concentrate on his retirement. David has made a significant contribution to the Institute and to the industry. His efforts are greatly appreciated and his input to the committee will definitely be missed.

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The WA branch’s last meeting for the year will be its annual golf day at the Joondalup Resort on 22 November. For more information, contact the WA secretariat, tel 0417 027 928 or email wa-admin@quarry.com.au

By Celia Pavri

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Following Ben’s presentation, the group toured the quarry, viewing Linwood’s enclosed fixed crushing plant, its challenging drill and blast operations with close proximity to the community, and some of the completed rehabilitation projects.

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Boral’s Sean Moroney, with Queensland Commissioner for Mine Safety & Health Kate Du Preez, at the CCAA Industry Innovation Awards in August. Du Preez will be the keynote speaker at the Queensland branch’s November meeting.

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‘It’s a kind of magic’: Some of the WA Limestone team with ‘Freddie’ – aka performer Thomas Crane – at the WA branch dinner in September.

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Ben Davis provided insight into a new entrance road project which will bring considerable change to the site. The project will increase road safety, with heavy vehicles entering and exiting the site, and will see extensive changes to their internal traffic management plan. It was interesting to hear about the scale of the project, in particular the thorough risk assessment, in terms of road design and location.

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Bill Langer is a consultant geologist.

Email bill_langer@hotmail.com or visit researchgeologist.com

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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 United States is not self-sufficient for most of those elements.

Take a look at the map (Figure 1). 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

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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).

About two tonnes of ore, one tonne of coke and half a tonne of limestone are required to produce one tonne of iron.

The US 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

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In 2018 the USA imposed steel tariffs on all but four countries outside North America (including Australia). Bill Langer explains the importance of the ingredients that make up US steel production – and why tariffs on imported resources don’t perhaps promise the jobs boom that the Trump Administration is hoping for …

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Figure 1. This global map shows some of the elements (abbreviated) that are imported by the USA for use in steel and their sources.

tools. Sixty-one per cent of the cobalt used in the US is imported.

• Cr (chromium) is added to steel to increase tensile strength, hardness, toughness, resistance to wear and abrasion, and resistance to corrosion.

The US produces some chromium through recycling, but imports all of the chromium ore it uses.

• Mn (manganese) removes unwanted oxygen and control sulphurs, which makes steel brittle. The US has not produced high quality manganese ore since 1970.

• Ni (nickel) increases the strength and hardness of steel as well as increasing resistance to corrosion and scaling at elevated temperatures. The US imports 52 per cent of the nickel it consumes.

• P (phosphorus) increases the strength and hardness of steel and improves machinability. The US has a large phosphate reserve base. Nevertheless, it imports 10 per cent of what it uses.

• Ti (titanium) makes steel lighter and stronger. Seventy-five per cent of the titanium the US uses is imported.

• V (vanadium) increases strength, hardness, wear resistance and resistance to the shock impact of steel as well as improving the properties of high speed metal cutting tools. The US 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 US 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. •

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