ABE Sept-Oct 2021

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 | VOL.15 ISSUE NO.5 | www.AggBusiness.com

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INTERVIEW Dr. Monica Soldinger Almefelt’s cogent case for more quarry biodiversity p08

CRUSHING & SCREENING Why MDS International is a key acquisition for Terex p19

WATER RECYCLING, FILTRATION & MANAGEMENT Major CDE plant setup for Sodextra in France p42

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Ambitious new hauler brand takes centre stage p28

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CONTENTS

QUARRY PROFILE

“Matec’s plant solution for Kogler Naturstein has created a new revenue stream for the Austrian company” p55

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 | VOL.15 ISSUE NO.5 | www.AggBusiness.com

Vol.15 ISSUE No.5 September/October 2021

Regulars

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05 COMMENT Sands of time wait for no industry

Rok & roll star

14 ASSOCIATION NEWS

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INTERVIEW Dr. Monica Soldinger Almefelt’s cogent case for more quarry biodiversity p10

CRUSHING & SCREENING Why MDS International is a key acquisition for Terex MP p19

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WATER RECYCLING, FILTRATION & MANAGEMENT Major CDE plant setup for Sodextra in France p42

22 LOADING

UEPG Roadmap to 2030

16 LEGAL UPDATE Restoring mineral sites – restoration and aftercare

57 EQUIPMENT UPDATE

COVER STORY: Rokbak: a bold new name & identity for Terex Trucks

Caterpillar has launched a range of new medium-sized wheeled loaders, while other leading manufacturers’ loaders and excavators continue to produce impressive results

28 ROKBAK

Global OEMs’ new equipment launches & applications

59 EVENTS All the key events in the quarrying & aggregates world

New articulated hauler brand unveiled

by Volvo. What next?

Specials

31 BLASTING & ALTERNATIVES

08 INTERVIEW

Getting your quarry-face blast right can deliver big productivity and efficiency gains

Features

34 TYRES – PART 2

19 CRUSHING & SCREENING The inside track on a recent major crushing & screening company acquisition.

Meanwhile, plant from another big-sector name is proving a canny investment for an ambitious UK aggregates supplier

39

Quarry operators looking for robustness and reliability in tyres for their quarrying machine fleet have many new and proven options

39 DRILL RIGS, HAMMERS & BREAKERS New product launches and tangible results from established models offer vibrancy in the global quarry drill rig, hammer & breakers market

42 WATER RECYCLING, FILTRATION & MANAGEMENT Getting your water recycling, filtration and management strategy right can give your aggregates production business a major boost

www.AggBusiness.com

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Europe aggregates market to grow 4.2% in next seven years; Aggregates king pursues new crown

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Ambitious new hauler brand takes centre stage p28

06 NEWS

Swerock’s Dr. Monica Soldinger Almefelt stresses how introducing biodiversity to active and former quarry sites is not just nice to do; it could keep you in business

49 GAIN Global market analysis and the latest GAIN (Global Aggregates Information Network) news from its convenor, Jim O’Brien

51 MARKET REPORT The green agenda is dominating the key Nordic aggregates market

55 QUARRY PROFILE A full Matec washing & screening solution has created a new revenue stream for an Austrian company, while boosting its sustainability

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

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MOVING YOU FURTHER

COMMENT

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EDITOR Sands of time wait for no industry

T

he English poet William Blake (17571827) invited us to “See a world in a grain of sand”. And as Vince Beiser’s brilliant book, The World In A Grain, highlights, sand is the world’s most consumed raw material after water. When mixed with gravel and cement to make concrete, sand has, as Beiser notes, built the world. He states that the global construction industry consumes US$130bn (£93.3bn) of sand a year.

A bit of online research will also take you to articles about how people are killing each other to get hold of riverbed sand in certain parts of the world, like Africa and parts of Asia.

Unprotected people working in illegal sand mines have also died when sandpit walls have collapsed on them.

Riverbed sand is highly prized for its water-shaped jagged edges, which increase its adhesive nature in concrete. However, it’s availability has been restricted due to governments and other authorities banning its dredging/mining for fear of the damage that causes to the environment.

The dramatic decline in riverbed sand availability has led, in many parts of the world, to a massive increase in manufactured sand production to feed a hungry global construction sector. The problem is that not all machinery used in manufactured sand production can result in the kind of high-quality riverbed sand that is required for premium concrete.

Undoubtedly, the world is facing a growing shortage of the right kind of sand where it is needed - and without readily available alternative materials.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) World Congress 2021 held 3-11 September at the Parc Chanot exhibition centre in Marseille, France, included a fascinating session titled, Equity, Ecosystems and Scarcity – The Global Sand Crisis and Infrastructure (Infrastructure and Nature Coalition). Speakers included Antonis Antoniou Latouros, president of UEPG (European Aggregates Association); Halinishi Yusuf, of the Kenya Makueni County Sand Conservation & Utilisation Authority; Deepthi Wickramasinghe, of the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; Kate

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Twitter @Agg_Business

“All these materials provide us with the comfortable daily life that most of us enjoy.

They make up our roads, our airports, our ports, our houses, our schools, our hospitals”

Dawson, of the London School of Economics & Political Science; and Pascal Peduzzi: of the United Nations Environment Programme GRIDGeneva at the University of Geneva.

During his maiden speech as UEPG president, Latouros eloquently laid out the case for sand and aggregates sustainability, saying: “Aggregates are not only comprised of natural sand, but also gravel, crushed rock, marine rock, and recycled material. All these materials provide us with the comfortable daily life that most of us enjoy. They make up our roads, our airports, our ports, our houses, our schools, our hospitals.

“Every new home typically requires about 400 tonnes of aggregates. An average school typically requires about 3,000 tonnes of aggregates, every new 1km of roadway requires about 30,000 tonnes of aggregates, and every new 1km of high-speed railway typically requires 9,000 tonnes of aggregates.

“Next door at Olympique Marseille football club’s Orange Vélodrome stadium, which has taken about 300,000 tonnes of aggregates to build, Olympique Marseille defeated St-Etienne 3-1 in their league game on 28th August. And it was on those durable stands constructed by aggregates that the home fans were jumping up and down celebrating those three goals and the victory at the end of the game.

“Therefore, the question is not whether we need aggregates, the answer here is obvious.

The question is where and how to get them in the most sustainable way.” GW © AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

05

NEWS

HEIDELBERGCEMENT TO PILOT CARBONCAPTURE PROJECT

CUMMINS H2-ICE PROGRAMME READY FOR NEXT STAGE The Cummins hydrogenfuelled internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) programme is ready to develop a mediumduty 6.7-litre and a heavy-duty 15-litre engine.

The new hydrogen engines will aim to achieve zerocarbonemissions, enhanced power density, and improved thermal efficiency based on next-generation platforms.

The work is being accelerated by a £7.2 million funding award from the UK government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), recognising the potential for H2-ICE to help decarbonise commercial trucks and construction equipment from 2025 onward.

06

n increase in residential skyscraper building will be a key factor in a tipped 4.2% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) rise in European construction aggregates demand from 2020, to reach a value of US$23.327.3bn by 2027. Fortune Business Insights’ forecast is made in its new report, which valued the European construction aggregates market at US$17.788.1bn in 2019. The report says the market includes crushed stones, sand and gravel, and recycled aggregates.

Despite the huge disruption from the coronavirus pandemic, Fortune Business Insights says that the growing population, coupled with the rising employment rate, has fuelled demand for European construction aggregates, which will expand the market. It adds that the migration of workers toward urban areas with improved living standards can further drive the market’s development in the coming years.

“The increasing demand for high-rise buildings in urban areas can have a tremendous impact on the global market,” the report states. “The expansion of buildings and infrastructure such as schools, colleges, industries, and transportation structures can simultaneously improve the

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HeidelbergCement is piloting the landmark Project ACCSESS carbon-capture project in Eastern Europe.

A consortium led by Sintef Energi AS, Norway, Project ACCSESS (ACCSESS) aims to significantly cut the costs of the CCUS (carbon capture utilisation & storage) value chain and link CO₂-emitters from mainland Europe to storage fields in the North Sea. ACCSESS has been funded with €15 million from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.

As part of ACCSESS, the HeidelbergCement landmark pilot of CCUS technology in Eastern Europe will see the German global building materials giant demonstrate an innovative post-combustion capture technology at its Górażdże cement plant in Poland (pictured below).

Europe aggregates market to grow 4.2% in next seven years A Germany’s vast urban areas have made it a key hub for infrastructure development in Europe market prospects. Moreover, urban hubs such as London and Paris have increasingly used European construction aggregates prior to industrialisation. Besides, the demand for high-quality construction materials, including aggregates, will foster the market’s growth.”

The pandemic resulted in the lockdown for many European nations, including Germany, France, and Italy. The lockdown caused an economic recession and disrupted various industries across the continent. According to Eurostat, the EU recorded a contraction of around 14.4% in Q2 of 2020 on a year-onyear basis. The reduced demand for construction materials has further dampened European construction

aggregates’ requisite, thus hindering the market growth. However, the report says the recovery of the market will be seen by 2021 as governments prepare to implement regulations to support green infrastructure, which, in turn, will augur well for the market.

Germany is expected to hold the dominant share during the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. It has been a key hub for infrastructure development with vast urban areas and currently holds a 14.7% share in the European construction aggregates market. In addition, aggregateshungry infrastructure projects in the Benelux countries are gaining traction due to the high-spending capacity of the people and strong government support.

Aggregate king pursues new crown A UK aggregate king is looking to complete a hat-trick of building materials conglomerates at the age of 81. Peter Tom (right), who has already built up two building materials conglomerates in his career, is now aiming for a third. The Times newspaper reports he is preparing to list a new vehicle to acquire building materials companies on the stock market.

“There are a lot of family businesses out there who are finding themselves asset-rich and cash-poor. People are beginning to think about what’s on the other

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

side [of the pandemic] and about what happens next,” he told the newspaper. Tom retired as executive chairman of Breedon in 2019 after playing a key part in turning the Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire, Englandheadquartered firm from a shell company into a British market leader. He had previously founded Aggregate Industries by merging Bardon and Camas in 1997 before later selling it to Holcim.

The octogenarian was chairman of Aggregate Industries when he first retired in 2007, only to return

to the industry to mastermind Breedon’s rise. Tom’s new acquisitions venture will see him resume his working partnership with David Williams, formerly of Marwyn Capital, another key player in the Breedon success story.

A passionate Leicester Tigers supporter, Tom is executive chairman of the Premiership rugby union club, for whom he used to play in the front row in the 1960s.

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INTERVIEW

Quarry biodiversity’s champion Dr. Monica Soldinger Almefelt is a passionate champion of European quarry-site biodiversity through her work as raw material manager at Swerock, a subsidiary of the Nordic Peab Group, and within UPEG (the European Aggregates Association). She is also heavily involved in research and development, delivering practical benefits to aggregates producers in Sweden and further afield. She spoke to Guy Woodford about her work and the prospects for a greener future for Europe’s quarrying industry.

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© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

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INTERVIEW

D

r. Monica Soldinger Almefelt stresses how introducing biodiversity to active and former quarry sites is not just nice to have; it could keep you in business.

“A biodiversity management plan is a requirement from authorities in many cases to obtain a quarry permit, which is worth several million kronor and forms the basis of our entire business.

It is also increasingly important in tenders: if you do not win tenders, you do not get any jobs. If you have no jobs, you have no income. No income means no business.”

Almefelt, Swerock’s raw material manager for the past 12 years, who worked closely with the company seven years prior as a consultant, notes that healthy biodiversity on a quarry site is also good for relationships with customers, authorities, nearby residents and schools. It is also good, she believes, for attracting and retaining employees and good for company brand building.

“There is increased environmental awareness both in society, leading to stricter legislation and practice, and within Swerock.

It is easy to do things without it costing too much, and a greener focus represents a great opportunity for the aggregates industry. For example, biodiversity management plans for quarries are increasingly common yet were very unusual in Sweden 10 years ago.

“The discovery of a lot of biological diversity in quarries and gravel pits, such as pollinating and insects and birds of prey, made site operators more aware of how their workplaces can offer varied habitats.

They offer conditions rare in surrounding landscapes, which can typically be pine or spruce forests with very sparse biodiversity.

Primary species particularly like quarry and gravel pit environments.”

Almefelt says the European Commissionled European Green Deal is an important step forward in delivering greater biodiversity. “It’s a package of measures that address several policy areas to enable a sustainable green transition and for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The EU’s strategy for biodiversity 2030, published in May 2020, forms part of this. The aim is for Europe’s biodiversity to recover by 2030 and for all the world’s ecosystems by 2050 to be restored, resilient and adequately protected. The strategy will be implemented between 2021 and 2024.”

Almefelt is also heartened by ongoing negotiations, which will lead to a new global framework for biodiversity through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). “The UN Conference of the Parties on CBD in China this October is expected to deliver a global agreement on countries’ commitments and actions on biodiversity, as the Paris Memorandum did for climate action.”

Asked about examples of Swerock’s quarry-biodiversity best practice, she proudly highlights that the company’s flagship quarry,

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© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

“The discovery of a lot of biological diversity in quarries and gravel pits, such as pollinating and insects and birds of prey, made site operators more aware of how their workplaces can offer varied habitats” Kållered, located just outside Gothenburg, received a Special Mention for Biodiversity in the 2019 UEPG Sustainable Development Awards. Almefelt, a 49-year-old Gothenburg native, collected the award on behalf of Swerock during a special awards presentation event in Brussels, Belgium.

“The Special Mention recognition generated a lot of media coverage in Sweden and construction industry magazines. It was really good to spread the word about what we’re doing at Swerock, including internally among the executive team.

“At Kållered quarry, which is one of the biggest quarries in Sweden, and the adjacent Sagsjön lake, a lot of work has been done to foster biodiversity. This has led to protected species moving in. For example, a peregrine falcon couple, sand martins and black redstarts nest in the quarry. The peregrine falcon couple alone has produced 18 chicks.

This shows that it is possible to foster biodiversity while continuing with extraction in quarries.”

Almefelt project-managed a printed guide, Inspiration to create good nature in quarries.

Measures during operation and in conjunction with rehabilitation. The publication was produced by Swerock and the environmental consultant firm Ecogain, in collaboration with other companies, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the County Administrative Board of Östergötland.

“The guide is adapted to Swedish conditions and with hands-on advice on how to foster biodiversity in practice. The guide won an SBUF (Swedish Construction Industry Development Fund) award for innovation of the year. It was also handed out by UEPG at EU Green week last year.”

Her role with Swerock has expanded and diversified in her 12 years with the company.

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INTERVIEW

“When I started here, I mainly worked with applications for quarry and gravel pit permits and environmental impact assessments in central Sweden, but after a couple of years, I was working all over Sweden and also with a few quarries based in other Nordic countries.

The biggest difference for me personally, though, is that I now spend about half my time on research and development, which includes being involved in several networks and R&D projects.”

I ask Almefelt how the quarry permitting process has changed in the last decade. “It has become significantly more regulated, and processing times have become longer.

In Sweden, you get a permit for a quarry in 20 years in the normal case, which means that I have started working with new permit applications for a few quarries I applied for when I started in this business. Back then, an application was typically 150 pages; now, they are up to 800 pages. Natural gravel and sand are now only allowed to be used for purposes where they cannot be replaced by crushed rock or recycled aggregates. This means that almost only new rock quarries are started, and natural gravel and sand pits are becoming fewer and fewer. It is positive that there is a much greater focus on, among other things, environment, biodiversity and climate.”

As part of her networks and R&D projects at Swerock, Almefelt is Sweden’s representative on the UEPG management board, a member of the association’s environment and technical committees, and

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part of the UEPG’s Biodiversity Task Force.

“A lot of work on how to achieve greater biodiversity in quarries and gravel pits is going on at UEPG level. Promoting biodiversity at these sites does not have to be complicated or expensive. It is largely a matter of not doing the wrong things, like removing a swallow nest during breeding season or putting fish or crayfish in sedimentation ponds that could otherwise have been suitable habitats for amphibians.

“A current development area is how to measure biological diversity, so you can see what effect the measures have. However, the biggest and most important task right now is to put all knowledge into practice, especially for SMEs [small and medium enterprises] with limited resources.

“My work with UEPG has helped me a lot in terms of identifying best practices on biodiversity and in other areas of the aggregates industry. Becoming betterinformed means I can better influence decisions at a European level.”

There are imminent new requirements in the UK for ‘biodiversity net gain’, and the application of Defra’s (The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) latest ‘Biodiversity Metric 3.0’, a formula to be used in most planning applications to demonstrate a ‘biodiversity net gain’ of at least 10%.

The Mineral Products Association (MPA), the industry trade association for the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and silica sand industries, and the British Aggregates

Association (BAA) say a metric is not needed.

Both organisations have long campaigned for greater recognition that mineral extraction delivers net gain as a matter of course.

The MPA notes that being a temporary activity that occurs over many years, quarry sites are progressively restored post-mineral extraction, creating new habitats. The association has highlighted that the creation of some habitats, such as lakes, reedbeds, rock faces, and lowland heathland, is easier to achieve on mineral sites. Both the MPA and BAA fear that introducing a one-size-fits-all approach might encourage less, not more, habitat to be delivered.

The biodiversity net-gain requirement is one of the measures in the Environmental Bill that is currently progressing through parliament. Once enacted, biodiversity net gain will become a legal requirement for new development. The government says this is being introduced to address serious damage to wildlife resulting from some types of development, particularly housing.

I am curious to know what Almefelt thinks about the proposed biodiversity net-gain requirement in the UK quarrying industry.

“I think metrics can show some results in the short term, but it takes a long time to measure whether there has been net gain from a long-term quarry restoration project.

Metrics are not something we have used in the Swedish quarrying industry. It would require more administration, for sure. And what would be the baseline when it comes to biodiversity net gain?”

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

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INTERVIEW

Having a longstanding and deep-rooted interest in quarrying processes, Almefelt has a PhD from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg awarded for her impressive research on the screening of crushed rock material.

“The research objective was to develop a physical model that explains the behaviour of crushed material on a screen. The model was implemented in a computer program, after which a large number of full-scale tests verified its validity. Thus, it is possible to optimise a screening process concerning the percentage of over and undersized particles allowed by varying the frequency, stroke, inclination, length, width and aperture size of the screen, as well as the feed rate, feed size distribution and the number of interacting screen planes.”

Almefelt says Chalmers University of Technology’s research for the aggregates industry began in 1993. Since then, many doctoral students have continued their work in a variety of areas. “The first project was about modelling of cone crusher, mine on screens was the second. Following on has been research on air classification, VSI [vertical shaft impactor] crushing, replacement of natural sand and gravel with crushed rock material and modelling and optimisation of entire crushing plants.

Now the simulations are also used to calculate environmental data as a basis for EPDs (Environmental Product Declaration) for rock material. In recent years, DEM (Discrete Element Method) has provided great opportunities for more advanced modelling.

“The university has a group called Chalmers Rock Processing Research which Swerock collaborates with. I am engaged in the steering and reference groups for some of the projects, and in these, they use some of the findings of my research work.”

Almefelt says Swerock, together with the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and some other companies, has also contributed to important projects analysing the impact of quarry dust. One key study in this area is titled Measures regarding fugitive particulate emissions from construction and industrial processes and investigation of possible effects on vegetation of dusting from quarries.

Highlighting some of the current eye-catching research projects that she

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© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

“The Special Mention recognition generated a lot of media coverage in Sweden and construction industry magazines”

is involved with, Almefelt says: “The Development of a web-based EPD tool for rock material production is a large research project with several researchers at Chalmers University of Technology. I am also involved in a PhD research project at Chalmers covering the Optimisation of real processes for rock material production. Reducing Radon Gas Emissions in Concrete is a PhD project at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Then there is the Changing Land-use Impact on Biodiversity (CLImB) development project run by Ecogain.

I’m also involved in the Ecological and naturebased climate compensation innovation project run by Calluna, University of Gothenburg and others.”

Asked to quantify the importance of R&D to the aggregates industry, Almefelt, who is on the society committee at SBMI, the Swedish Aggregates Producers Association, says: “It is extremely important in the environmental field. Electrification of quarries is also an important area that contributes to solving the climate issue. As there has historically been limited research in the aggregate industry compared to many other areas, there is great potential when it comes to streamlining and optimising production.”

Touching on her work for SBMI, Almefelt says: “SBMI is a member of UEPG and monitors and influences what affects our aggregates industry nationally, while also responding to referrals from Swedish authorities. Current issues the SBMI is looking at include circular material handling, EoW (end-of-waste) criteria, biodiversity, electrification of crushing plants, working environments and permit processes.

“SBMI has also produced a roadmap for fossil-free competitiveness in the aggregates industry. And during a big SBMI seminar a few months ago, over 80% of more than 200

industry representatives in attendance voted to implement a biodiversity roadmap like the roadmap I was involved in for the Swedish mining industry as part of the Mining with nature project.”

So how does Almefelt see the Swedish and wider European aggregates industry in a decade’s time? “Part of the primary raw material will be replaced by recycled material, but it will only cover a part of the total need. The use of natural gravel and sand will gradually be phased out. Creating a sustainable aggregates industry is essential for the quality of life in and economy of Europe. I would also like all big European quarries, at least, to create biodiversity management plans that they make happen in reality.”

Married to Lars and a mother to a 16-yearold daughter and two grown-up stepsons, Almefelt enjoys horse riding, painting, travelling, and socialising with friends when not working. Unsurprisingly, given her work at Swerock and within UEPG, she also enjoys regular non-work-related nature experiences.

“This July, I was horse riding in the Swedish mountains. Last summer, I did the same in Iceland. I also have great memories of horse riding in the Tien Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan.

“It is also fun to go on safari. I’ve watched hummingbirds in Costa Rica, elephants in Botswana and glow worms in New Zealand.

We also have a summer house in Sweden next to the sea. It’s nice to go swimming, out in our boat, and to walk in the forest.”

It will be very interesting to see how Almefelt’s obvious passion for quarry-site biodiversity and nature, in general, shapes her future R&D work and environmental advocacy at the heart of Europe with UEPG. AB

www.AggBusiness.com

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

UEPG Roadmap to 2030 The UEPG (European Aggregates Association) has unveiled its new Roadmap to 2030.

Below, the association’s new president, Antonis Latouros, and former president, Thilo Juchem, highlight its key objectives

W

hat do we need to play our part in the digital and green transition of the European economy to climate neutrality by 2050? This is the central question answered in the UEPG’s new Roadmap to 2030, launched during the association’s late-summer reception on 29 September 2021. In this roadmap, we outline the following EU policies, strategies and initiatives needed and identify the underlying opportunities for our industry as well as the remaining challenges.

This industry is here to stay. We produce in Europe and for Europe – now and in the future. Our companies that are mostly SMEs (small & medium enterprises), provide essential and strategic, primary, and secondary raw materials. They ensure the supply chain of the construction industry and make significant contributions in wide and diverse areas.

Europe wants to become the first climateneutral continent by 2050. The potential for the aggregates industry to contribute to climate neutrality is closely linked with continued local access to resources and adapted permitting and land-use planning, which allow different activities (mineral extraction, recycling, production of renewable energy) on site. UEPG will strive to better align sustainable access to resources along with the protection of biodiversity.

Aggregates-extraction sites can be biodiversity heavens, creating new habitats and attracting pioneer species. Being a temporary activity, companies progressively restore the area by creating high biodiversity value. By 2030, UEPG will aim to contribute to biodiversity net gain and measure progress with targeted indicators, as well as with the many projects across Europe implementing and promoting biodiversity-management plans.

While extraction sites and the materials produced are essential for the adaptation to climate-change effects, the industry is often still wrongly perceived as harmful to environment and climate. UEPG will showcase examples of how the European aggregates industry is needed to support climate-change adaptation. The expertise of

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© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

our industry in restoring sites will also play a role in contributing towards the delivery of nature-based solutions alongside nature recovery.

With the EU Green Deal and the New European Bauhaus, the Commission has acknowledged the massive need for sand and gravel to support renovation of our built environment. Responsibly-sourced aggregates will be key for the construction or renovation of sustainable and green transport infrastructure and for green and highly energy-efficient buildings. UEPG will support Green Public Procurement to ensure sustainably-sourced primary and secondary aggregates are used for the Renovation Wave.

The updated EU Industrial Strategy identified the dependency on (domestic) raw materials. The recognition of the need to ensure a long-term supply of essential and strategic primary and secondary raw materials to support Europe’s construction industry and wider economy is an important step forward. UEPG will make use of its active role in industrial alliances such as the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) and the Construction 2050 Alliance to assist in the coordination of long-term access to essential and strategic primary and secondary domestic raw materials.

From eco-design to circular-economy processes, the new EU Action Plan addresses the entire life cycle of products

Former UEPG president Thilo Juchem

UEPG president Antonis Latouros

and encourages sustainable consumption.

The European aggregates industry is a responsible supplier of high-quality, durable and sustainable products, which are recyclable. UEPG supports the use of recycled and manufactured materials, providing that the required technical standards are met and that it is environmentally and economically viable. UEPG will provide guidance on end-of-waste for aggregates to improve further recycling rates and continue sharing efficient new business models incorporating the production of aggregates.

The European aggregates industry offers job opportunities to people with different levels of education and qualifications, while also training the current workforce for the green and digital transition, reducing the number of fatalities and lost-time incidents by fostering healthy workplaces. UEPG will continue to promote campaigns such as the Social Dialogue Agreement on Respirable Crystalline Silica (NePSi).

The European Commission ensures the proper implementation and enforcement of adopted EU legislation to create or maintain a fair and competitive environment. UEPG is calling for an EU policy supporting companies by promoting smart regulation, i.e., better implementation of existing legislation rather than adding new legal obligations and offers the European Commission and member states support on EU and national law enforcement.

By supplying aggregates for housing, education, health, energy, cultural-heritage conservation, our industry contributes daily to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We can foster the added value of the aggregates industry for local communities and better communicate the contribution to SDGs at this local level. UEPG’s contribution to the Global Aggregates Information Network (GAIN) is key to sharing and disseminating good practices across aggregates activity worldwide and has a direct, positive impact on improving the standards and the sustainability of this major industry. AB

www.AggBusiness.com

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LEGAL UPDATE

RESTORING MINERAL SITES – RESTORATION AND AFTERCARE Stephens Scown’s Chris Tofts explains what conditions you need to be aware of when restoring mineral sites in the UK and maintaining them after they have been repurposed

R

esponsibility for the restoration and aftercare of mineral sites, including financial responsibility, lies with the minerals operator and, in the case of default, with the landowner.

All modern planning permissions are expected to be subject to restoration and aftercare conditions. Earlier permissions can have restoration and aftercare conditions applied via the Review of Old Mineral Permissions (ROMP) regime (for which no compensation would be payable), so it is important to be mindful of this.

Restoring mineral sites Old mineral workings can be restored for: • The creation of new habitats and biodiversity; • Use for agriculture; • Forestry; • Recreational activities;

• Waste management, including waste storage; and • The built environment, such as residential, industrial, and retail where appropriate.

Planning permission may be required for some of those uses.

Completion of restoration and aftercare is likely to result in the mineral permission being ‘spent’, such that further mineral extraction cannot take place without a further permission.

Restoration conditions require that once the winning and working of minerals has completed or the depositing or mineral waste has ceased, the site shall be restored using subsoil, topsoil and soil-making material.

Aftercare Aftercare conditions are required to ensure that, following site restoration, the land is

Chris Tofts

brought up to the required standard which enables it to be used for the intended new use. Aftercare conditions cannot require any steps to be taken after the end of a five-year aftercare period without the agreement of the minerals operator – in contrast to the Environment Bill, which is looking to secure net-biodiversity gain for 30 years (or longer).

Financial guarantees Although planning guidance refers to a financial guarantee only being justified in exceptional cases, some mineral planning authorities appear to be requiring them as a matter of course. Often membership of a relevant mineral-operator’s body restoration guarantee fund will suffice.

Environmental permitting Depositing waste in a mineral void will require an environmental permit.

In certain cases, the operator will be under an obligation to fill a mineral void and it may therefore be possible to show in a waste recovery plan the following: • Evidence of the obligation; • Your proposal matches the obligation; • Evidence that the waste is suitable for the intended purpose; and • Therefore, that you should be able to obtain a waste recovery permit. AB

CONTACT

There is an interactive illustration on Stephens Scown’s website showing you each of the stages and what you need to consider from a legal perspective.

The mining industry is

16

very complex and there are many legalities that you need to be aware of from start to finish to ensure compliance and business success.

From securing the site to registering mineral

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

rights, navigating potential commercial disputes and exploring the restoration and aftercare of the land – and everything else in between, there is a great deal to be prepared for.

Chris Tofts is a partner and head of the planning team at Stephens Scown’s Truro office in Cornwall, south-west England, with a wide range and depth of planning experience, covering all matters from managing applications for very large mineral sites to dealing with enforcement notices in respect of residential development.

Chris can be contacted on 01872 265100 or by emailing planning@stephens-scown.co.uk www.stephens-scown.co.uk

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CRUSHING & SCREENING

MDS plant working with an EvoQuip Colt 1600 screener

A better crushing & screening deal Guy Woodford gets the inside track on a recent major crushing & screening company acquisition. Meanwhile, plant from another big sector name are proving a canny investment for an ambitious UK aggregates supplier

T

he July-August 2021 editions of Aggregates Business reported on Terex’s acquisition of Irish company MDS International (MDS), a manufacturer of heavy-duty and recycling trommels, apron feeders and conveyor systems based in Co. Monaghan.

Speaking exclusively to this magazine for the September-October 2021 issues, Conor Hegarty, MDS’s general manager and business line director, says the newly acquired company’s heavy-duty mobile trommels will deliver big market reach and commercial synergy gains for Terex’s Materials Processing (Terex MP) business segment.

“MDS’s product range stands out in the market. There are a few stationary heavyduty rock trommel makers out there, but MDS is the first to take them and make them mobile. The acquisition brings us into certain operations and applications, like processing rock up to 800mm Riprap (armour rock) and quarry overburden, that our existing Terex MP product range doesn’t cater for.”

Commenting on the timeline of the MDS acquisition, Hegarty says: “The deal was actually pretty straightforward. We started the process in mid-March this year, and it was completed by the start of July. The previous owner [Liam Murray] was excellent in preparing all the information that we needed.

Over the last few years, the company has been on a great growth path. The deal ticked a lot of boxes for everybody.”

MDS’s 34,000-square-foot facility will be the first Terex location in the Republic of Ireland, which the company says diversifies its footprint and provides access to a new labour pool.

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The facility is within a short driving distance of the Terex Dungannon and Omagh sites, providing ready access to Terex MP’s Northern Irish team and enabling close coordination with the resources at these facilities.

Hegarty emphasises how MDS will remain a standalone brand along with Terex MP’s crushing and screening businesses, including Powerscreen, Terex Finlay and EvoQuip.

“MDS has been very successful in building its brand, and customers recognise the company as a heavy-duty mobile rock trommel manufacturer. The company has a reputation for innovation and quality.

They’ve also done very well on building up an extensive distribution network throughout the world that we can develop further.”

Touching on the next year’s trading outlook for MDS, Hegarty continues: “Like most manufacturers [given COVID-19

pandemic-induced disruption], MDS has quite a healthy backlog of orders to 2022.

“Longer term, we want to expand our manufacturing capacity and grow what is already an excellent dealer network and distribution footprint. There are some gaps in Europe that we are looking to fill. Beyond that, we want to extend our reach in Asia, Africa and South America.

“We will also continue to invest in R&D and expand our product range. We want to get out and hear from the MDS customers and dealer network where we need to go next in that area. It will likely be next year before you start to see new MDS products on the market.

“The current product offering consists of four mobile products and three stationary models. The robustness and heavy-duty nature of the products, along with their ability to work in applications that are beyond

The MDS M515 trommel is MDS’s biggest-selling model

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS September/October 2021

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04/10/2021 10:44:52

CRUSHING & SCREENING MDS will remain a standalone brand along with Terex MP’s crushing and screening businesses

ABOVE: Liam Murray (left) with Conor Hegarty, MDS general manager and business line director traditional flat-deck screening, are what MDS is renowned for. We are looking forward to expanding on the range and continuing to give our dealers and customers a unique offering.”

A highly committed and successful member of the Terex Corporation team for nearly 19 years, Hegarty agreed to head up MDS after seven years as the international sales director of Terex MP’s environmental business, Terex Ecotec.

“I’ve spent my whole career within Terex and Terex MP. I started in sales back in 2002 and moved to the U.S. with Powerscreen and the old Terex Pegson brand, working with dealers in North America. I moved back to Ireland in 2006 and continued to work for Powerscreen in various dealer management roles worldwide. In 2014, I moved over to Terex Ecotec and led the growth of that business into what it is today.

“I started in the crushing and screening world before moving to the environmental side of the business. Coming back to crushing and screening with MDS is something I’m very familiar with, and I’m looking forward to getting back into it.”

When it comes to the production of stone, sand and gravel, operators need equipment that is sturdily built with a strong return on investment. Aggregate producer Fenstone Minerals understands this need very well.

Fenstone Minerals is a UK-based supplier of aggregates to the construction, agricultural, sports and equestrian industries.

The company operates two quarries in north and east Yorkshire that produce crushed rock, sand and gravel, silica sand, recycled products, tarmac planings, agricultural lime, soil and clay.

The family-owned business, started up in 1976, also supplies calcium carbonate to the whiting industry for use as filler in a variety of applications, including rubber and plastics, sealants and mastics, adhesives, paints, powder coatings, printing inks and paper products.

In addition to the numerous products being produced, Fenstone Minerals operates disposal and recycling facilities for brick, concrete and inert soil. So, it is safe to say that the company runs its fleet hard, and has a need for tough, versatile production equipment. That fleet is largely comprised of equipment from McCloskey International.

“We are continuously investing in new plants and equipment so we can offer a more efficient and reliable service,” says Paul Fenwick, plant operator at Fenstone Minerals, who has worked there for 15 years running McCloskey International crushers and screeners. “Reliability is extremely important for us, and breakdowns are really something we can’t afford.”

To meet those needs, Fenstone Minerals turns to Agg Pro, an equipment dealer with more than 50 years of experience servicing and maintaining crushing and screening technologies for the industry. Headquartered in Tamworth, England, Agg Pro has been selling and servicing the McCloskey International brand since 2008.

“We have worked with Fenstone for a number of years and are delighted that they have chosen McCloskey products to meet their exceptionally high-quality standards and expectations,” says Ian Mills, manager at Agg Pro. Over the years, Fenstone Minerals’ fleet of McCloskey International equipment has included an R230 screener; two J50 jaw

Paul Fenwick, a Fenstone Minerals’ plant operator

Fenwick Minerals’ fleet of McCloskey International plant includes, from left to right, a J50 jaw crusher, R230 screener, and a S190 Double Deck screener

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www.AggBusiness.com

04/10/2021 10:47:13

CRUSHING & SCREENING Paul Fenwick on Fenstone Minerals’ McCloskey S190 Double Deck screener crushers; an i54 impact crusher; a 123 sizer heavy-duty scalping screener; and eight S190 Double Deck screeners.

Agg Pro looks after Fenstone Minerals’ crushing and screening fleet through its 40,000 square feet of workshops in Tamworth.

“Equipped with cranes, welding equipment, fabrication amenities and a top team of experienced, dedicated engineers, we are fully prepared for machine repairs, maintenance and servicing,” Mills says. “Our company philosophy is simple, look after our customers. We understand the importance of having a team you can rely on. Therefore, we ensure our customers receive the best aftersales support from us, whether they need advice, an on-site engineer or machine parts – we’re on hand to help. We also carry an extensive parts supply, and if we don’t have it, we’ll do our best to source it as promptly as possible.”

Agg Pro has experienced significant growth and success over its years of operation. What’s its secret? It focuses on the fundamentals that keep customers coming back.

“Service and support are key,” Mills says.

“This is central to our philosophy at Agg Pro and it’s this level of customer care that has seen customers returning time and time again, something we are extremely proud of.”

Metso Outotec has appointed Exeter, south-west England-based Duo Group as a

distributor for its aggregates solutions in the UK. The distribution agreement covers the current aggregate business serviced directly

by Metso Outotec. This includes aggregatesprocessing solutions including crushers and vibrating equipment, crusher wear parts and spare parts as well as commissioning, service contracts and technical support for aggregate quarries in England, Scotland, and Wales. The contract will come into effect in September 2021.

“The partnership expands our distribution model to include the larger aggregates quarrying customers in the UK,” says OlliPekka Oksanen, senior VP, distribution

management office at Metso Outotec. “With Duo’s local presence and world-class knowhow, we will improve our ability to offer more comprehensive solutions and aftermarket support with the agility and responsiveness appreciated by the quarrying customers.”

“The partnership with Metso Outotec will set us apart from the competition,” says Martin McWilliams, managing director of Duo Group.

Metso Outotec has also recently agreed new distribution agreements in Turkey and the Philippines, and Tennessee and Mississippi in the U.S. The company has also expanded its distributor partnership in Spain with Hispano Japonesa de Maquinaria. AB

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04/10/2021 10:47:08

LOADING

A Cat 982 XE wheeled loader at work in a quarry

The loading lowdown Caterpillar has launched a range of new premium medium-sized wheeled loaders, while other leading manufacturers’ wheeled loaders and excavators continue to produce impressive results in quarries globally. Guy Woodford reports

O

ffering premium performance in the quarrying-suited 30- to 35-tonne wheeled loader class, the new Cat 980 and 982 medium wheeled loaders are up to 10% more productive and reduce maintenance costs by up to 20% when compared to the U.S. off-highway machine giant’s previous 980M and 982M powershift models. New to this class of medium wheeled loaders, the Cat 980 XE and 982 XE models feature a Caterpillar-designed and -manufactured continuous variable transmission (CVT). The CVT delivers increased fuel efficiencies of up to 35% and lower maintenance costs of up to 25% compared to the M series models.

As Thierry Brasseur, Caterpillar’s medium wheeled loaders product and application specialist in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, outlines, the new Cat 980 and 982 models include an expanded technology platform to increase machine performance and improve operating efficiency.

“The Cat 980 and 982’s main applications in Europe are in quarries,” says Brasseur. “In Europe, these models can be used to load aggregates trucks in smaller quarries, and in larger quarries, they can be used as primary or back-up loading models at the quarry face, especially the Cat 982, given its bigger size and stability.”

Brasseur explains that Standard Cat Payload with Assist on all 980 and 982 series loaders provides an accurate weighing of bucket payloads, so operators can be “more efficient”, loading to target the first time every

22

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AB COMBINED Loading.indd 2

time. This new technology includes low-liftweigh and manual tip-off functions. Optional Cat Advanced Payload expands the system’s functionality with Lists-Management, Multitask- & Manual-Add Modes and Tip-off assist. Compatible with third-party scalehouse software, it can wirelessly integrate the machine in the scale-house process with Dispatch-for-Loading (additional subscription required).

The new Cat Autodig with Auto Set Tyres promotes proper loading, significantly reducing tyre slip and loading time. It can automate the complete bucket loading cycle to deliver consistently high bucket fill factors for up to 10% more productivity.

Standard along with Autodig and Auto Set Tyres, the new models introduce application profiles. The press of one button sets multiple machine parameters to optimise settings for the application at hand. Customised profiles can be created to fit customer-specific cases. Selectable on-screen job aids, along with a streamlined new controls layout, promotes ease of operation to help all operators be more productive.

“Many quarrying customers say that their biggest problem is getting qualified operators,” says Peter-Valentin Sauter, Caterpillar’s EAME quarry industry consultant. “The Cat Assist and Autodig features are tremendous now.”

Brasseur adds: “I heard a nice remark recently from a Swiss quarry wheeled loader operator who said he didn’t want to use

the Assist and Autodig functions as it ‘took away the fun’ of operating their machines.

But he said he and others had started to use it as it enabled them to focus on safety, looking in their rearview camera and elsewhere, as their bucket was filling up with material. He said it was also helping to reduce cycle times.”

Caterpillar is offering a CVT option for the first time in the medium-sized wheeled loader class. The new Cat 980 XE and 982 XE models leverage over ten years of production experience with the 966K XE, 966M XE and 972M XE models.

The 980 XE and 982 XE feature a high-efficiency, continuously-variable, parallel-path drive system. It combines a direct mechanical path from the engine to the wheels with a Hystat variator.

Sauter says the deep integration of the Cat CVT, engine, hydraulic and cooling system significantly improves the 980 XE and 982 XE wheeled loaders’ fuel efficiency by up to 35% by lowering the rated engine speed with lower high rimpull. These models feature fine rimpull modulation capability and virtual gears to allow operators a seamless switch from powershift machines. Sauter says these features also ensure reduced operating noise levels.

“Fuel price and annual utilisation are key factors in deciding whether the XE machines are good options for your quarry.

Purchase payback time will be faster or slower based on them,” continues Sauter.

www.AggBusiness.com

13/10/2021 11:11:36

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LOADING

“For those quarries looking for notable CO2 reduction, the XE models will be the preferred option. Most governments are putting more and more emphasis on CO2 reduction.”

“The new XE models are slightly more expensive than the new 980 and 982 standard models. But quarry customers can expect a 980 XE or 982 XE wheeled loader working an average shift a day over 2,000 hours a year, fueled by diesel priced at €1 per litre, to deliver a good return on investment in less than two years,” adds Brasseur.

Sauter expands on this: “If you connect this calculation if you save three to four litres of fuel per hour in operating a 980 XE or 982 XE, running the machines for 2,000 hours a year, you are talking about saving 8,000 litres of fuel a year. This equals a saving of more than 20 tonnes of CO2. It’s massive and extremely important, with most quarries we talk to having CO2 reduction firmly on their radar, with governments, like the German government, putting more taxes on CO2 output.”

Commenting on what haulers like about the Cat 980 XE and 982 XE wheeled loaders, Sauter says: “A good rigid hauler match in Europe is the Cat 770 or 772. There is already quite a robust population of those trucks in European quarries.”

Brasseur adds: “The Cat 980 and 982 are also very popular in North America quarries when used to load on-highway trucks in two

passes. Those kinds of trucks do not exist in Europe.”

Access to the new Cat 980 and 982 operator’s cab is easy thanks to its wide door, stair-like steps and grabrails for additional stability. The new adjustable suspension seat comes in Comfort, Deluxe and Premium levels that include heated and heated/cooled options for improved year-round comfort.

Seat belts are now monitored, and the system can be completed with an exterior beacon for supervisors to enhance jobsite safety.

Taller operators will appreciate increased legroom inside the new cab, while sound suppression, seals and viscous cab mounts lower noise and vibration levels for a quiet work environment. Next-generation ride control acts as a shock absorber to improve ride comfort over rough terrain.

The loaders’ new dashboard and highresolution touchscreen display provide intuitive and user-friendly loader control for enhanced performance. The seat-mounted electrohydraulic joystick steering system provides precise control over the new Cat 980 and 982 series models with minimal arm movements to increase comfort and loading accuracy. A conventional steering wheel is also available on the 980. Automatic control of the air conditioning system keeps the cab as cool as desired.

The new loaders now feature a push-tostart system that requires a valid operator ID to crank the engine. The operator ID works

with a passcode input on the display or with the optional Cat Bluetooth key. It can act as a machine security system with programmable operating restrictions.

The floor-to-ceiling windshield improves forward visibility of the work area. At the same time, the standard rear-vision camera, along with convex and spot mirrors, help to enhance visibility around the machine to improve operating safety. Cat Detect radar to alert operators to hazards and a Multi-view (360°) vision system are available options to provide an extra level of monitoring around the loaders to advance safe operation.

Extended fluid and filter change intervals on the Cat 980 and 982 wheeled loaders reduce maintenance costs by up to 20% and by up to 25% on the 980 XE and 982 XE models. All maintenance intervals are now scheduled in 1,000-hour increments, eliminating service downtime every 500 hours. All models offer convenient access to hydraulic & electrical service centres and grouped lube points for fast and easy servicing.

Remote services technologies on the new Cat medium wheeled loaders can save service trips to the jobsite and ensure the machine operates at peak performance.

Remote Troubleshoot connects the machine to the dealer’s service department over the air to quickly diagnose fault codes without an on-machine cable connection.

Remote Flash ensures the wheeled loaders operate with the most up-todate software while working around the production schedule. Update files are pushed to the machine in the background, and installation can be safely initiated from the Cat Remote Services Web Portal by the customer, reducing the impact on production schedules. Helping to manage fleet loader location, hours and maintenance schedules, the web portal connects fleet managers to the machine and allows dealer service requests from a mobile device.

Cat 980 XE (pictured) and 982 XE wheeled loaders deliver a good return on investment in less than two years

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AB COMBINED Loading.indd 4

www.AggBusiness.com

01/10/2021 15:00:32

LOADING

“Most governments are putting more and more emphasis on CO2 reduction”

Thierry Brasseur, Caterpillar’s medium wheeled loaders product and application specialist in Europe, Africa and the Middle East Cat Performance Series buckets balance bucket shape against the machine’s linkage for higher fill factors and better material retention than other bucket designs with the same rated capacity. Cat Work tools are an integral part of the complete machine design and are a significant contributor to the performance and efficiency of Cat wheeled loaders.

The new Cat 980 can be equipped with the optional Fusion Quick Coupler, which delivers quick bucket changes without leaving the cab. Contractors can also choose from several purpose-built special configurations to optimise loader performance and durability in tough applications, including Industrial & Waste, Forestry, Steel-mill, and Blockhandler.

Austrian company Rohrdorfer recently began using a Cat 982 XE wheeled loader in its quarrying applications. One of its operator’s, Jürgen Schneidhofer, said: “The machine is easy to use. There are two touchscreens. You can set everything: the gearbox, the lift damping, the dumping speed.

I use the weighing technology, as it is in line with our scale. It works quite well, and it is accurate.”

Nouvelles Carrières d’Alsace is a French company employing ten people, founded in 1965 and based in Metzeral in the French département of Haut-Rhin in Alsace. Its field of activity is diverse and includes the quarrying, extraction, crushing and sale

of gravel, granite, and natural stones. The company collaborates with the Conseil Général du Haut-Rhin in securing riverbanks in Alsace with rock fillings.

Nouvelles Carrières d’Alsace was on the lookout for a new Liebherr excavator as a replacement for its former R 944 C excavator.

Following a final test phase, the firm opted for the R 945 G8, which has the same digging power as the R 944 C. A partnership stretching back more than five decades has existed between Nouvelles Carrières d’Alsace and Liebherr.

This historical connection, the quality of

the customer service and the opportunity to order a customised excavator are key criteria for Nouvelles Carrières d’Alsace when choosing a Liebherr excavator. Production in France in the immediate proximity represents the quality of the machines in the company’s eyes.

The R 945 G8 is in use for eight hours a day. It is operated by a single driver and is used primarily for extracting granite from the quarry. In this process, the blocks are sorted by their size and loaded into dump trucks, transporting them directly to the customers.

The R 945 G8 is characterised by greater

Pyeong-sik Kim, CEO of Daeil Development, in front of the company’s new Volvo EC550E crawler excavator

“We now achieve much higher fuel efficiency than with the equipment we had before”

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LOADING

flexibility and movement accuracy than the R 944 C, thereby offering more productivity and comfort. The equipment with powerful LED lighting and an extended field of vision ensures additional safety. The R 945 G8 differs from the R 944 C in terms of lower fuel consumption. Nouvelles Carrières d’Alsace has already noticed a significant fuel saving: The R 945 G8 only consumes about half as much as the R 944 C, at 19 litres/hour.

The users can estimate their future savings themselves with the fuel savings calculator.

The R 945 G8 has been configured in accordance with the specifications of Nouvelles Carrières d’Alsace. It is equipped with a 6.15m-long SME boom and was supplied with a large, reinforced special bucket optimally suited to the company’s requirements. Its 2.6m-long SME dipper arm makes it easy to load a semi-trailer up to the end of the skip. Nouvelles Carrières d’Alsace uses the LiDat system, allowing it to monitor the consumption of its Liebherr fleet remotely and draw comparisons across its various applications. The company also benefits from its proximity to the Liebherr-France SAS production site in Colmar, especially in terms of service.

A fleet of Volvo articulated haulers, wheeled loaders, and excavators – including a new EC550E – is helping Daeil Development reduce fuel consumption while keeping pace with the ever-growing aggregates demand in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, South Korea.

Iksan’s location in the fertile plains between the Geumgang and Mangyeonggang rivers has long made it a centre of agricultural and religious signifcance. Now the city of 300,000 people is undergoing rapid transformation into a national transport, industrial and cultural hub.

Large-scale construction and infrastructure projects are being implemented one after the other, especially around the Saemangum National Industrial Complex, which at 409 km2 is the world’s largest reclamation site. Demand for building materials is booming and has seen aggregates producer Daeil Development grow along with the city.

Established in 1983, Daeil Development operates three quarries in Iksan, generating up to a million cubic metres of aaggregates per year. The company requires high uptime from its equipment to meet these production targets – a combination of durable design, simple maintenance requirements, and reliable aftermarket support. Fuel efficiency, as well as the safety and comfort of operators, are also important considerations.

These factors make Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) an ideal partner for Daeil Development. In addition to various large crushers and conveyors, the company employs a fleet of 16 Volvo machines, comprising 11 excavators of various sizes, three L180H wheeled loaders and two A25D articulated haulers. Its most recent acquisition was a Volvo EC550E excavator.

“We have long been convinced that Volvo machines are more durable and fuel-efficient

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TOP: Nouvelles Carrières d’Alsace’s new Liebherr R 945 G8 excavator DIRECTLY ABOVE: Nouvelles Carrières d’Alsace new Liebherr R 945 G8 excavator has replaced its Liebherr R 944 C model than other manufacturers’ equipment,” says Pyeong-sik Kim, CEO of Daeil Development.

“The impact of introducing a Volvo EC480E excavator and L180H wheeled loaders to our site has been even better than expected and we now achieve much higher fuel efficiency than with the equipment we had before. I am also very pleased with the productivity and cost-effectiveness of our Volvo machines.”

Before purchasing the new Volvo EC550E, Pyeong-sik Kim received a visit from a member of the Volvo CE team, who passionately explained the features of the EC550E, earning his trust.

“The Volvo representative explained how the recently-launched EC550E performs better and consumes less fuel than the

previous model – and since I have come to trust Volvo over the years, I immediately purchased the machine. We evaluated it over several days, gathering feedback from our most skilled operators, and confirmed that it meets almost all of our performance indicators and is easy to use, just as Volvo promised. Thanks to the EC550E excavator’s ability to handle several tasks at once, we expect our cycle times to reduce and our productivity to increase significantly,” he continued.

The Volvo EC550E excavator’s new IMVT hydraulic control system is perfectly matched to the low-RPM engine, which makes it possible to perform the work of a 60t super excavator with low fuel consumption.

Meanwhile, the low centre of gravity and HD counterweight maintain stability on tough terrain. The CDC (Comfort Driving Control) enables the operator to control machine movements with a simple joystick and a FOG (Falling Object Guard) for protecting the front and top of the cab from falling objects is installed as standard to enhance convenience and stability during operation.

Moreover, the EC550E is equipped with Volvo CareTrack telematics to enable real-time machine management at Daeil Development sites. This connectivity supports Daeil Development to leverage data insights for high efficiency, productivity and stable work patterns among its fleet.

“We at Daeil Development are very satisfied with the performance and efficiency of Volvo machines displayed at our work sites and I am always grateful for the outstanding aftermarket service provided by our local Volvo dealer – espeically Hyun-jun Kim, the manager of the Volvo service team.

In the future, we are considering purchasing additional articulated haulers for our rough terrain operations and when the time comes to renew our fleet, I will not only choose Volvo machines without hesitation, but also strongly recommend them to others,” Kim concludes. AB

The impact on fuel consumption of introducing Volvo L180H wheeled loaders at Daeil Development sites is said to have been much better than anticipated

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Eight decades of hauling heritage. One new name.

Carved by generations of experience, with investment as a Volvo Group brand, our haulers are built to perform. Day after day. Decade after decade. Through desert heat and artic chills. Rokbak – the new name for rock-solid articulated haulers.

Contact your local dealer for more information.

rokbak.com

ROKBAK LAUNCHES. WHAT’S NEXT?

Rokbak builds on rich Terex Trucks legacy Global off-highway articulated hauler specialist Terex Trucks has rebranded as Rokbak as part of an ambitious evolution under Volvo Group ownership.

Guy Woodford reports

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he new name for Terex Trucks may be Rokbak – but the brand’s thoughts are very much on building a highly successful future built on impressive sustainability.

The Motherwell, Scotland-headquartered manufacturer revealed its new Rokbak identity at a big digital launch event on Wednesday, 1 September, attended by dealers, customers, trade media, and Volvo Group colleagues from around the world.

As Paul Douglas, Rokbak’s managing director, notes, the new brand represents the continuation of Terex Trucks’ strong hauling heritage. Throughout the last four decades, the company constantly delivered powerful and reliable articulated haulers to its customers. At the same time, Douglas says Rokbak captures the significant advances the company has made in recent years and its new strategic priorities.

Expanding on this, he says: “Seven years ago, we became a member of the Volvo Group, which allowed us to make major improvements in every part of our business. Millions of pounds have been invested in improving our products, modernising our facilities, expanding our network, and developing our people. It has been a process of continual evolution.

That’s why we feel it’s right to recognise this evolution with a new brand name to launch an exciting new chapter in our history. And we’ll keep investing to further improve our machines for our customers.”

In recent times, the significant investments and improvements in the company’s articulated haulers have ensured they remain among the most robust and reliable machines around.

With their foundation in the predecessor models from Terex Trucks, Rokbak’s new 28-tonne payload RA30 and 38-tonne

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payload RA40 are the most productive and efficient articulated haulers the company has ever made. As part of the brand launch, the machines now come in Rokbak colours and livery. While maintaining the professional design, craft, and precision synonymous with the company’s haulers, the RA30 and RA40 deliver better fuel economy, lower emissions, improved safety, and greater durability. With a tough design built to last, the haulers power through hard work with ease, boosting customers’ productivity no matter how tough the conditions.

“Rokbak stands for power, performance and reliability,” says Douglas. “We already have a very healthy order book for the new brand, and we want to further expand our reputation, dealer network and market share. We’re still the same skilled, experienced, and passionate team, committed to making rock-solid haulers every day. But we also have a clear vision for where we want to go and who we want to be.”

As part of the Volvo Group, Rokbak has experienced steady evolution over the past seven years. While this has occurred across the board, it is particularly prominent in four key areas: product design, sustainability, safety, and people.

The company has introduced Stage V engines for better fuel efficiency and operation for customers in product design.

Other improvements include a new transmission on the 28-tonne machine, the introduction of the Haul Track telematics and a stronger focus on operator wellbeing and safety.

In terms of sustainability, the company’s manufacturing plant has shifted to 100% renewable electricity and operates within the Science-Based Targets initiative and ISO standards, plus targeting CO2 emission reductions.

“We want our factory to be a zero-emissions, carbon-neutral site”

Paul Douglas, Rokbak’s managing director

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ROKBAK LAUNCHES. WHAT’S NEXT?

A Rokbak RA30 ADT at work in a quarry

The focus on safety has been emphasised in all areas, but particularly on its employees.

Changes in processes at the factory have seen a stronger concentration on maintaining employee safety while simultaneously delivering high standards and low downtime.

For the company’s people at the heart of Rokbak, there is a continual focus on professional development, keeping the team at the forefront of skill and expertise.

Similarly, dealer operating standards and training ensure the expanded dealer network delivers the highest service levels.

In a post-launch interview with Douglas, Aggregates Business asked whether the launch of Rokbak had secured the new Volvo Group brand’s long-term future at Motherwell?

“It’s a demonstration of Volvo Group’s commitment to our factory, to our team, and to the two product lines that come out of there. You always have to look at what the markets are like and the customer situation.

Right now, Volvo Group has been investing in the new brand. They’re investing in the product, and they’re continuing to invest in the team. For someone running the business, they are very strong positives.”

Expanding on Rokbak’s eye-catching sustainability agenda, Douglas says: “We have done a lot in this area already. We want our factory to be a zero-emissions, carbonneutral site. There are so many dimensions to that. We’ve made some great gains on energy consumption and efficiency, which has taken a lot of investment. There’s never one big project. We will continue to invest in multiple solutions.

“The single biggest thing that keeps the factory from being carbon neutral are its big open spaces. Our current heating system is natural gas. That’s going to have to change and will be a massive investment. The Volvo Group plan is that all its factories are zero emissions and carbon neutral by 2030. We are also targeting zero-production waste to

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landfill. We’re very close to that at over 90%.”

Douglas explains that Volvo Group has four elements to its “sustainability journey”.

“Every articulated and rigid hauler will be zero emissions [in its manufacturing and operation] by 2040. We have an interim target of a 30-35% reduction in our product emissions level by 2030. These are sizeable targets.

“We need to work with the supply chain.

There’s no point in doing so much to make our factories and products clean, green and zero emissions if the supply chain doesn’t meet the same targets. The final sustainability element is recycling, following the circular economy. The products must be more recyclable, and there must be no waste from the factory. Everything we consume in the factory must be able to be reused, including pallets and packaging. It’s a huge activity.”

So, what can quarry and surface-mining customers expect to see next from Rokbak?

“We are working on our next generation of articulated haulers. There will be improvements on and an upgrade of the 30and 40-tonne class models. It’s always good practice to continue to refresh your models.

The market, dealers, and our customers are telling us that we need to add a larger sized product to our range. What I can say is that all the numbers suggest that the best model to focus on would be a 45-tonne articulated hauler.

“Especially in some quarries and smaller mining sites where articulated haulers are used, you are looking for the lowest total cost of ownership and the most efficient way of moving material. Larger articulated haulers, like 45-tonne models, generally make more sense when the operating company does its numbers. Once you go to larger sizes, you have to consider whether a 50- or 60-tonne articulated hauler is better than a rigid hauler for your applications.”

Over the past 18 months, the global off-highway machine sector has needed to adapt to the severe disruption caused by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Douglas

Rokbak’s 28-tonne RA30 ADT

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ROKBAK LAUNCHES. WHAT’S NEXT?

Rokbak’s 38-tonne RA40 ADT

admits it has been an extremely challenging working environment for everyone within the Volvo Group.

“In our Motherwell factory, the pandemic has had a real effect on people, with incidents of multiple team members needing to isolate, leaving certain areas of the business down on staffing. There’s been an indirect impact on Volvo Group’s global supply chain – in Europe, the USA, China, and India. For example, India recently went into full lockdown for two weeks, which meant there were some disruptions to the supply of castings for the rigid haulers and some parts for the articulated trucks.

“What we are now seeing as the world is coming back out and economies are picking up again is that the demand for raw materials and components is often outstripping availability. With the current labour availability and material commitments, we effectively have a full order book for the remainder of the year. This is a very good position to be in, having just launched the Rokbak brand.”

Douglas says the other issue impacting Rokbak and the wider Volvo Group’s operations is the lack of available hauliers.

“It’s all over the news just now. It’s impacting our ability to get material into our factories and get material and finished products out the door as quickly as we would normally expect.

The legacy from the transport disruption due to the pandemic means that freight ships are all in the wrong places, and shipping schedules and empty containers are all over.

Demand is going up, but the market has not had a chance to recover quickly. However, we are doing our best and are really excited about the strong demand for our products.”

Despite the current trading challenges, the future looks very bright for Rokbak. As a calmer business environment returns, will that lead to an increase in Rokbak and Volvo hauler production capability at the Motherwell factory?

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“Within the Volvo Group, we talk about the technical capacity of your production capability: we know what we are building today, and we know by how many units we can increase production. At the moment, we could get to around 400 rigid trucks and 600

Rokbak articulated haulers are built at the Volvo Motherwell factory in Scotland

to 700 articulated haulers [a year] without major investment and restructuring of the factory, if we were to operate multiple shifts and increase staffing, for example, in our assembly areas.

“We’ve made a £4 million investment in new robot welding capability within the fabrication area of the factory. The first system is fully operational, and the second system is due to be finished and become operational later this month [September].

It’s another example of how Volvo Group investment is getting us to a very good, strong throughput and efficient facility.”

Speaking during the Rokbak digital launch event, Melker Jernberg, president of Volvo Construction Equipment and executive vice president of Volvo Group, said the group was “proud” and “excited” to have the modernised Rokbak brand. He stressed it would be a “fundamental” part of the Volvo Group product portfolio.

“We believe in a sustainable future, innovation and the power of our people, and we see that all encapsulated in Rokbak.

At the same time, the company has its personality, heritage and loyal customer base, and it will be exciting to see the brand evolve further as it sets out on this new stage of its journey.” AB

A Rokbak RA30 articulated hauler transporting aggregates material

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04/10/2021 13:14:34

BLASTING & ALTERNATIVES

Having a profitable blast A raft of new innovations is helping quarry customers to achieve greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the use of blasting technology. Liam McLoughlin reports

A

team of blasting experts in the UK now has a powerful new tool in its arsenal. Following recent training, the specialists from Orica are now utilising drone technology as part of the blasting process. Orica has already been providing solutions to other regions of the world across a broad spectrum of industries including quarrying, utilising drone technology in conjunction with its digital technology for some time.

Stephen Barnett, senior specialist engineer at Orica, says this previous experience means the company is well placed to bring that knowledge into the UK: “We are looking forward to passing the benefits onto our customers across all the industries we supply.”

Orica says that, when it comes to blasting with explosives, getting the right information is everything. With drones now at their disposal, real-time data will provide accurate profiles of quarry faces, which can be imported into Orica’s own advanced blastdesign software, SHOTPlus.

By partnering with Propelleraero and using the latest real-time kinetic equipment and technology, Orica says it can now deliver an end-to-end solution for any quarry (in addition to oil and gas, or construction site) including blast design, short-term blast block planning for quarries, videography, stockpile surveys and reports, excavated volumes reconciliation, and fragmentation analysis.

These efficiencies are specifically driven by the usage of drones, and the usable data that is captured. Orica says that using the profiles of quarry faces, accurate measurements through orthophotos, digital elevation models, and textured 3D models, means that a complete picture of the worksite is safely achieved. All these data outputs are used to help site planning and earthwork logistics, before and after each blast.

Training with Consortiq, the Orica blasting team achieved UK certifications in both General Visual Line of Certificate (GVC) and A2 Certificate of Competency (A2CofC). With these qualifications in hand, this regulated training bolsters its capabilities within the global market. The team of specialists chosen for this project come from mixed backgrounds – which Orica says is crucial for this industry. Each one combines their own area of expertise to develop the right solution for the client. Comprised of an explosives engineer, senior specialist engineer, and a digital product lead, those selected and trained are now poised to lead this innovative process throughout the UK market.

Training with Consortiq enables the team to capture powerful data through new means,

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all while improving efficiencies. Previously, traditional methods took far longer, requiring multiple visits to each site. And in situations like these, time is money.

Lee Barfoot, Consortiq’s commercial manager in the UK, states: “It’s been fantastic to work with Orica UK! Within just a few days they have added a new capability that Orica UK can now use with their clients, in-turn, adding significant value to their product portfolio.”

Consortiq says that, as drones prove themselves an invaluable solution across countless industries, the future is limitless.

“Whether it is a 3D scan, a digital twin, asset allocation, or progress information, drones offer unique solutions to keep your project running smooth,” the company states.

“The economic benefits of the technology are simply too beneficial to pass up.”

Orica also recently launched its latest 4D bulk explosives technology at MINExpo in

Orica has extended its use of drone technology into the UK

Las Vegas. The system enables the real-time tailoring of explosives energy to geology across a blast, delivering improvements in fragmentation, on bench productivity and an overall reduction in drill and blast costs.

The company says the 4D technology will enable its customers to seamlessly match a greater range of explosives energy across a mine’s geology and target specific blast outcomes in real time.

“By combining emulsion blended with ammonium nitrate porous prills, 4D supports both pumped and augered loading methods across dry, wet and dewatered hole conditions,” Orica states. “An outcome of this unique capability is greater on bench productivity by Orica’s fleet of 4D-enabled mobile manufacturing units (MMU), without the need to change raw materials in the MMU.” The company says the technology will be applied across its suite of bulk systems including quarrying in the future.

Alternative rock-breaking technology provider AutoStem Technology has launched Generation 3, which it states is an environmentally friendly disruptive technology and “the world’s safest alternative to and replacement of conventional explosives”.

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AutoStem says its rock-breaking cartridges are supplied to quarries, mines, and civil construction and demolition sites globally.

The company adds that its flexible product range overcomes and resolves several challenges when compared to conventional explosives.

Traditional conventional explosives are divided into two categories, high and low explosives. AutoStem says its rock-breaking system combines the best of both categories into a third-category explosive product to be used in both primary and secondary blasting applications, selective sensitive or restricted areas, in both civil and mining applications or groundwater and aquatic environments.

The company states: “The innovation of AutoStem is achieved by combining the benefits of delivering high energy to rock with a power factor greater than conventional high explosives though with the slower burn speed of low explosives. The benefits achieved include, although are not limited to, all-around safety improvements, the avoidance of harmful shockwave consequences and vibration effects, flying debris, and toxic contaminants.”

AutoStem adds that its products are non-detonating, meaning that the product action is that of deflagration and shearing of rock rather than the conventional counterpart product which detonates and pulverises rock. AutoStem says that, in effect, its product does not amount to overbreak and with low vibration characteristics it protects surrounding rock and ground strata, adding the benefit of better blasting control, and fragmentation.

No explosive accessories are required, which the company says means the use of detonators and detonator transportation, storage or handling is avoided. AutoStem products are also dual self-stemming, therefore there is no need for the blasters to add gravel, stemming, or tamping material. This is designed to improve

EPC’s targeted blast fragmentation utilises drone survey modelling of post-blast results

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Orica has launched its latest 4D bulk explosives technology efficiencies in safety, time, and cost. All AutoStem cartridges are categorised as Gas Generator P2 - 1.4s which enables AutoStem Technology to transport and store its products internationally with fewer restrictions.

When transported, AutoStem does not require a security escort as the company says the product cannot self-ignite due to the novel safety-switch technology and cannot therefore be used for destructive or malicious intent.

The company states: “The AutoStem product is so safe that it can be transported by air courier and stores safely with the added benefit of a longer shelf life than conventional explosives products. Given the characteristics of conventional explosives and the impact on global security, safety, and environment, the AutoStem innovation, in contrast, has inherent safety and impact control mechanisms built into the product features and characteristics that are deemed generic in safety, health, environment and risk, as well as corporate ESR planning and compliance management.”

AutoStem says its product is internationally accredited by all regulatory bodies for use in hard-material excavations, ground, or concrete works, and structure demolitions and can be used in proximity of communities or infrastructure, above or below ground, and underwater without causing contamination or damage.

Blasting-technology provider EPC-UK has added digital expertise and progressive ‘blasting’ techniques to its crushing capabilities.

The company says that, as demand to optimise overall site performance within quarrying operations gathers pace on a global level, implementation of the most effective crushing market technologies continues to grow, driving demand for the research and delivery of safe, proven solutions.

Explaining the technologies and benefits of its digitalised route to crushing optimisation, EPC’s commercial manager Ryan Ward and explosives engineer Dr. Liam Bermingham have detailed the team’s advanced approach to improving crushing technologies using methods that are becoming increasingly pertinent to the industry’s wider, ‘future-ready’ development.

“A truly effective quarrying operation is reliant on advanced crushing technology to enhance its overall site performance,” Ward explains. “However, to optimise ‘crushing’, progressive ‘blasting’ techniques have become essential.”

He says EPC-UK’s metrics team has developed and delivered targeted blast fragmentation using dynamic fragmentation analysis - enabled by utilising drone survey modelling of post-blast results.

“We are fragmentation and blastperformance specialists,” Ward continues, “and prioritise the need to look at projects in their site-wide capacity. We also introduce systems that become increasingly important further downstream, such as static fragmentation tools for use at the crusher house as dumpers load in, or along the conveyor system at the pre-primary crusher stage.”

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BLASTING & ALTERNATIVES

MP Skills has launched the Blasting for Non-Blasting Managers (Northern Ireland edition) training course

To achieve improved ‘crushing’ operations, EPC-UK applies technologies including those from WIPFRAG and Motion Metrics - that are capable of providing the static systems required.

An automated image-based granulometry system that uses digital analysis of rock photographs and video images, WIPFRAG is a quick and accurate software solution designed to provide the size distribution measurements essential to managing fragmented rock.

The EPC metrics team can use the software solution to provide particle size analysis for shovels, conveyor belts and haul trucks in a portable format that neither interrupts production nor requires referencescaling objects.

“By utilising both static and dynamic crushing and fragmentation measurement tools, we can realise totally accurate data on the performance of blasting and crushing, and subsequently deliver customers ‘valuable and desired end-products’ in terms of sizing in the most cost-effective way,” Ryan adds.

He adds that EPC-UK collaborates with quarry operators to extract the information from both static and dynamic tools to produce and help users understand real trend performance and data. Analysed collectively, the data is said to improve blasting fragmentation the ‘Digital Quarrying Way’, supporting downstream performance, whilst saving money and improving productivity.

EPC-UK says that digital quarrying techniques are now leading the way in advanced operational practice, and adds that its metrics team has realised its goal of developing a safer, more effective quarry through advanced digital means.

Bermingham states that the company’s cutting-edge and safety-focused digital quarrying evolution combines the use of drone-sourced information with critical software application analysis. “Combined, the technologies enable total measurement accuracy and provide both performance data analysis and recordings to benefit all elements of the quarrying operation,” he adds.

“From the drill and blast to the load and haul, followed by the crushing and screening process, our digitalised technologies are safely equipping quarrying teams with recordable KPIs that can be monitored and reviewed – noticeably improving blast performance and delivering quantifiable results.”

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By analysing data in conjunction with KPIs recorded throughout various stages of the quarrying process, EPC-UK says operators can make the correct decisions for future blast designs.

All key information is inputted into EPC-UK’s online cloud-based database, ‘Explore’, from where engineers and quarry operatives can look at and analyse all data elements together. The company says the consolidated information helps improve fragmentation and betters loading times at the face.

Decreases in fuel usage of face excavators or front-end loaders indicate an improvement in fragmentation. Ward says: “By ensuring that technological advancements support our existing expertise, we can continue to develop productive, safe quarrying environments as we strengthen relationships and confirm our marketleading position as an industry innovator, transparent partner and proven safety ambassador.”

Extractives-industry training provider MP Skills has announced the latest addition to its course catalogue.

Accredited by MP Awards, the ‘Blasting for Non-Blasting Managers’ course has initially been designed to accommodate the demand for training in Northern Ireland but will be available to the rest of the UK, in the not-too-distant future.

Spread across four days, the classroombased programme will benefit supervisors or managers, who are responsible for blasting operations on site, but who are not appointed as the explosives supervisor under the Quarry Regulations 1999, Reg 25.1(b).

The aim of the course is to provide learners with sufficient knowledge and understanding of blasting operations which will, in turn, strengthen the ability to manage the undertaking of such, on site.

It will also give delegates the level of understanding required to successfully complete the knowledge assessment criteria for the MPQC Level 6 Award in Managing Quarry Drilling and Blasting Vocational Qualification (VQ).

Attendees can expect to cover content inclusive of use of explosives at quarries in Northern Ireland.

Learning will be delivered through short lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, case studies and practical instruction. Upon successful course completion, attendees will receive an MPQC Certificate of training.

Neil Peacock, MP Skills general manager, said: “It’s an exciting time at MP Skills, we’re thrilled to be able to offer this course to our Northern Irish counterparts, who have identified the need for this type of training, and see it as investment in strengthening operational competencies, across their workforce and indeed their sites.”

Australia-based Maptek has released its new Vulcan GeologyCore solution, which is based on the premise of making geological modelling simple for sectors such as quarrying and mining.

Vulcan GeologyCore is designed to meet the need for an intuitive geological modelling workflow that handles automatic validation and chart creation, providing geologists with greater confidence around their domain and modelling decisions.

The dynamic interface and streamlined workflow make it easy to test different domaining scenarios and view live statistics, before proceeding to the preferred modelling method. Customers can choose from implicit or vein modelling in Vulcan or can easily access the machine-learning engine in DomainMCF. “As a geologist, I sum up the impact of Vulcan GeologyCore from the belief that our time is better spent making decisions about geology, rather than in specification setup,” said Richard Jackson, Vulcan geology team lead at Maptek.

Vulcan GeologyCore harnesses interactive drillhole visualisation, lithology targeting and modelling algorithms for narrow vein, disseminated or stratigraphic deposits.

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TYRES PART 2

Top-tier tyre traits

Quarry operators looking for robustness and reliability in tyres for their quarrying machine fleet have many options to choose from. Guy Woodford reports on some of the new and latest offerings from major global tyre makers

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harp stones, heavy loads, different soil conditions, and other quarry challenges can lead to a loss of loader and dump truck tyre air pressure. If this happens, Matthias Burbaum, Schlüter Baumaschinen’s mining, quarrying and construction key account manager, receives an alarm message via mobile phone SMS. “The demands on loaders and dump trucks and their tyres in mining, quarrying and construction projects are very high,” says Burbaum.

Schlüter Baumaschinen is a service and sales company serving various industries with mining, quarrying, construction, and utility works-suited equipment from Komatsu and Sennebogen. Burbaum and his colleagues know that broken-down vehicles can quickly bring the worksite to a standstill.

Thankfully, new digital solutions ensure that fleet tyre conditions can be monitored centrally and regardless of location.

Burbaum emphasises that large construction vehicles and machines such

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Matthias Burbaum, key account manager of Schlüter Baumaschinen

as articulated dump trucks and loaders are indispensable for extracting raw materials such as gravel or sandy soils. Tyre damage can occur while processing any raw material type, but selecting the right machine-tyre combination aids the smooth transport of large quantities of processed building materials and overburden under extreme conditions.

“So that we can offer our customers the vehicles in the best possible condition, it is important to know the status of the vehicle at each time – especially when there is a problem”, says Burbaum.

Different temperatures or, for example, faulty rims can cause tyres to lose air pressure.

This results in high costs due to vehicle failure and downtime at the job site.

“For example, if the tyre pressure is on average 15% too low, the tread wear is up to 10% higher, and the carcass life is up to 15% shorter. At the same time, wrong tyre pressure also means significantly higher fuel consumption. This means a huge waste of

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TYRES PART 2

ABOVE: Reinhard Klant, Continental earthmoving expert & product line manager BELOW: Marangoni’s Blackline MIX303 tyre

A Continental tyre on a Komatsu RDT

resources and money,” says Reinhard Klant, earthmoving expert and product line manager at Continental Commercial Specialty Tyres (Continental).

Continental has developed digital, locationindependent solutions to make the fleet manager’s life easier so that drivers and fleet managers always have an overview of the vehicles and tyres used.

“Since we use the tyre-pressure monitoring check ContiConnect Live from Continental, we could reduce maintenance costs and repair flaws like flat tyres before they even come up”, says Burbaum.

Klant adds: “We [Continental] install sensors inside all of our radial earthmoving tyres as standard ex-plant. With the appropriate Continental monitoring-solutions hardware installed on the dump truck, predictive maintenance comes easy. Tyre life can be substantially prolonged, while maintenance and service costs decrease.”

Overall, Klant says the risk of a tyre breakdown, the least wanted disruption in the production process, can be minimised.

Klant continues: “Our experience says that the need for contactless fleet remote maintenance is high. For example, with a fleet of 15 vehicles, digital tyre monitoring can save around 195 maintenance servicing hours.”

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As Klant explains, sensors in tyres monitor tyre pressure and temperature continuously. The data is sent in real time to a tyre-pressure monitoring system, such as Continental’s ContiPressureCheck and ContiConnect. With ContiConnect Live, data is sent to a cloud in real time. This allows Burbaum of Schlüter Baumaschinen and other fleet managers to call up detailed vehicle data in a web application. GPS is used to identify the machine’s location and, if a tyre-pressure issue is detected, an alert is sent via SMS or email to the fleet manager, resulting in swift action to fix the problem.

“The big advantage is enabling fleet managers to intervene directly before a potentially critical condition arises,” says Klant. “This is even possible during operation and not only on cooled-down equipment.”

Continental currently offers ContiPressureCheck and ContiConnect in Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, UK, Sweden, Norway, France, and Portugal. The system will be made available in other European countries soon.

At a critical time for the tyre industry, hit by supply bottlenecks and sharp rises in raw material costs, resulting in a lack of product availability and soaring prices, Italian off-highway retread tyre maker and linkedsolutions supplier Marangoni reports that an increasing number of quarry operators are exploiting the possibilities offered by tyre retreading. The company says the technology reduces operating costs and is good for the environment. All this, Marangoni stresses, without harming performance.

“In such a competitive and constantly evolving market, Marangoni continues to invest in research on new tyre compounds and the development of even higher performing tread designs,” says a company spokesperson. “This is the case of the latest addition to our ringtread Blackline MIX

family, the product range created to meet users’ needs in the on/off segment in terms of reliability and low operating costs.”

Blackline MIX303 is an innovative Marangoni original pattern designed for use on the axle of vehicle trailers operating in mixed road/quarry applications requiring high mileage on very demanding surfaces.

This new ringtread pattern is a 3PMSF marked product, suitable for winter usage, soon available for the retreading of 385/65R22.5 tyres.

Marangoni’s Blackline range has been developed with new compounds, said by the company to be chosen and combined to guarantee a performance that meets the highest market expectations concerning fuel consumption, durability, grip in the dry and the wet, and sturdiness in the most demanding on- and off-highway applications.

The new Blackline MIX303 pattern significantly improves the features of previous-generation ringtreads like the RSSY3, having a tread depth of 16.5mm and a Blackline compound said to ensure very high mileage. Furthermore, Blackline MIX303 is a non-directional profile, involving less risk of incorrect fitting and greater flexibility.

Blackline MIX303 features a pattern with reinforced shoulders to improve the

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resistance to shocks and side chafing and an improved compound said to guarantee grip on wet roads and good water drainage.

Global off-highway machine tyre giant BKT says quarry operators must be able to count on the robustness and reliability of the tyres on their loaders and dump trucks to help ensure manageable operating costs.

Machine downtime due to a puncture and subsequent tyre replacement costs money and hampers productivity.

BKT states that the quarrying sector is also characterised by the constant development of more powerful and efficient equipment designed to carry increasingly heavy loads. This makes tyres an increasingly important element, given their fitting on ever larger and more hi-tech vehicles and their work transmitting the power of a machine to create traction and ensure stability, manoeuvrability, and safety.

Therefore, BKT says tyres for quarrying applications must be as increasingly hi-tech as the machinery they are fitted to, while also designed to withstand significant mechanical strain and stress and guarantee comfort and safety for operators for, in BKT’s case, 2,200 work hours.

How to choose the most suitable solution?

BKT says it is important to know that tyres intended for quarry operations differ greatly depending on the type of specific application, the machinery, the load, the soil conditions, the work routine and a thousand other factors. All this influences a tyre’s pattern, compound, size, pressure and sides.

Everything needs to be examined in detail.

Starting from users’ needs and requirements, BKT has always been involved in the study and development of specialised tyre solutions for quarry operators, offering an increasingly complete and varied range.

Among the solutions intended for quarry applications, the tyres of the EARTHMAX line stand out, designed for the heaviest and most difficult operations. It is a wide range of radial products designed to facilitate the best possible ground load distribution for dump trucks, wheeled loaders, dozers, and graders.

All EARTHMAX tyres are distinguished by their all-steel structure, providing resistance to the casing and against impacts. This feature is essential when faced with obstacles on the ground, exposing the tyre to a serious risk of puncture or damage to the casing.

The range includes three models that, thanks to their large size, are particularly suitable for handling

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ABOVE: A BKT tyre on a wheeled loader BELOW: A BKT EARTHMAX SR 45 tyre

operations in quarries of any kind and under the toughest conditions.

EARTHMAX SR 47 is the all-steel radial tyre best suited to rigid dump trucks (RDTs) that transport material on the most difficult terrain, such as rock quarries. This tyre lasts well thanks to the greater tread depth, marked with the wording E-4, which reduces wear and tear, ensuring a longer life to the tyre on long journeys. In addition, the geometry of the lugs has been designed to provide smooth wear of the tread and excellent traction. EARTHMAX SR 47 is also available with a cut-resistant compound to increase its strength.

EARTHMAX SR 41 is particularly suited for articulated dump trucks (ADTs), loaders and dozers in quarry transport and loading applications. It features a special tread that is deeper and has reinforced connecting bridges to guarantee greater block rigidity and, therefore, greater stability. The block geometry was specifically designed to ensure greater traction, essential for articulated dump trucks operating on particularly difficult terrain in tough conditions. In addition, EARTHMAX SR 41 is made with

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A LONG WAY

TOGETHER

EARTHMAX SR 41 No matter how challenging your needs, EARTHMAX SR 41 is your best ally when it comes to operations that require extraordinary traction. Thanks to its All Steel radial structure and the special block pattern, EARTHMAX SR 41 provides excellent resistance against punctures and an extended service life. In addition to long working hours without downtime, the tyre ensures extraordinary comfort.

EARTHMAX SR 41 is BKT’s response to withstand the toughest operating conditions in haulage, loading and dozing applications.

For info: europe@bkt-tires.com

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latest-generation BKT compounds, which guarantee excellent product performance and duration and are available in two different versions: with a cut-resistant compound, for use on inaccessible terrain covered with debris of various kinds, and with a standard compound, for use in mixed applications that require a good balance of performance.

EARTHMAX SR 45 is ideal for use on RDTs and, thanks to the geometry of the lugs, ensures excellent traction in all conditions.

The special compound designed for this tyre guarantees resistance to the risks frequently found in extreme operating conditions, such as cuts, abrasions and impacts. This reduces vehicle downtime and maximises productivity at the same time. The deep tread it is equipped with ensures the product a prolonged life cycle, while its all-steel structure guarantees unique resistance characteristics.

Finally, EARTHMAX SR 53 class L-5, is an all-steel radial tyre designed to equip low-profile loaders, dozers and dump trucks used in quarries and mines for operations on particularly difficult rocky terrain. Its special compound resists cuts and does not overheat, while a special self-cleaning tread expels stones and foreign bodies - two innovative features enabling this tyre to have a long and very productive life.

Eric Matson, global field engineering manager for Goodyear’s off-the-road (OTR) tyre business, highlights how the major tyre maker can maximise quarry operators’ investment in the right tyre and linked solutions for their operations.

“Goodyear offers a full line of premium OTR products for quarry operations, and our Goodyear OTR tyre dealers can help you evaluate the best products for your specific equipment needs,” he says.

Goodyear’s newest addition to its off-highway large-haulage product line, the RH-4A+ is, says Matson, engineered to help deliver a lower operating cost per hour and higher productivity in hard rock

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underfoot conditions.

First introduced last autumn, Matson says Goodyear continues to expand this product line by introducing new sizes to fit machines across many applications, including quarry and aggregates.

He continues: “The Goodyear TL-3A+ is engineered for enhanced traction in soft underfoot conditions on loaders and articulated dump trucks.

“This radial tyre features a 100+ level tread depth with a self-cleaning tread design to promote traction and long hours to removal.”

Matson says Goodyear’s new ‘3 Star construction’ features a stronger radial casing with a bigger bead section and stronger ply wires.

Benefits of 3 Star compared to 2 Star are higher load-carrying capacity and potential improved cost per hour for quarry operators looking to reduce downtime in extreme conditions.

Matson adds: “Beyond offering a full lineup of premium OTR products, Goodyear’s engineers have capabilities to further

ABOVE: Goodyear’s TL-3A+ off-highway tyre is engineered for enhanced traction in soft underfoot conditions on loaders and ADTs BELOW: Goodyear’s new ‘3 Star construction’ for its OTR tyres features a stronger radial casing with a bigger bead section and stronger ply wires

enhance our tyres based on your specific needs. Examples of this can include adding reinforcements to the sidewall construction to support increased vehicle loads and altering the rubber compounds to enhance cut production and even help reduce heat generation.”

Once you have selected the right tyres for your application, Matson says it’s important to establish a tyre management program to optimise your investment. He notes that equipment-operating conditions are always in flux and can continuously change. Having a tyre management solution in place can help improve tyre performance and reduce operating costs at the same time.

Matson says Goodyear’s Tyre Management Solutions detects and alerts the fleet manager of potential issues to help avoid tyre-related incidents and reduce unplanned downtime.

Highlighting another quarrying machinesuited Goodyear tyre, he says: “Goodyear TPMS Heavy Duty is suited for small to mid-size quarry/aggregate operations due to the value it brings. The tyre-fitted sensor collects and monitors tyre pressure and temperature data in real time to detect potential issues. The onboard router and GPS records data and sends alerts through its mobile application.

“Goodyear TPMS Heavy Duty helps the fleet manager to make appropriate decisions to help avoid tyre-related incidents and plan maintenance efficiently.”

Matson says Goodyear’s EM Track is being used by quarry operators worldwide to manage their fleets’ tyres and rims, find abnormal wear conditions and improve overall tyre performance.

EM Track enables easy and accurate fleet surveys to help get your tyre-operating costs under control.

Matson concludes: “Selecting the right tyres for your application and the right tyre management solution will help to make sure your tyres are in top working condition and help you save on unplanned operating costs. Goodyear’s Trusted Products and Tyre Management Solutions are available worldwide. Consult with a Goodyear OTR tyre dealer who can evaluate specific equipment needs and make appropriate tyre recommendations specific to your quarry operation.” AB

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04/10/2021 10:57:15

DRILL RIGS & BREAKERS

New launches highlight innovations in drilling and breaking The latest products coming to market enable faster and more cost-effective drilling and rock breaking, in addition to multiple rig variations that can serve different sectors. Liam McLoughlin reports

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K-based Dando Drilling International has launched its new Infinity range of drilling rigs.

The range offers high-quality drilling rigs for the mineral exploration, water well and geotechnical drilling sectors. Infinity products use a modular rig design which allows Dando to create bespoke rigs for its clients. The new rigs allow multiple variations, including the mounting, engine size, and various auxiliary equipment options.

Along with the ability to service the key sectors, Dando says its Infinity range offers a new series of Multitec rigs which allows customers to service different drilling sectors through the simple change of hydraulic components.

Dando’s Infinity drilling rigs were designed with three main principles in mind; versatility, shorter lead times and cost efficiency, while improving safety and reducing environmental impact.

Contractors and companies often need rigs for specific projects with challenging terrains, drilling depths and drilling techniques. Dando’s Infinity range is said to be well suited for projects of varying sizes and geographies, providing a one-stopshop for any drilling needs. The range also includes new Sonic rigs and various rod-handling options, further providing customers with the ability to meet their demanding requirements.

The Infinity range is designed to allow Dando to take one rig and enhance or fit various components, including mast options, rotary heads, engines, pumps and mounting options. The company also offers product personalisation through paint customisation.

The range also incorporates the latest engine designs and offers Stage V engines options for all machines.

Mark Jones, managing director of Dando Drilling International, said: “I am delighted to introduce Infinity range, created by our brilliant team of designers and engineers. The industry-leading design was created with our customers in mind, offering versatility, cost efficiency and shorter lead times. With almost infinite permutations, Dando’s Infinity range offers truly bespoke rigs.”

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ABOVE: Dando Drilling International has unveiled its Infinity drilling rig range. Pictured from left to right are Mark Jones, Dando MD; Lord-Lieutenant Susan Pyper; and Mark Slater, Dando chairman Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions showcased the components of its latest Top Hammer XL system at the MINExpo International 2021 held in Las Vegas from September 13-15.

The company says the top hammer drilling innovation, designed for surface mining and large-scale quarry customers, offers a faster, more fuel-efficient and more cost-effective way to drill holes 140 to 178mm (5 ½ to 7 inches) in diameter. The components of the system – a new Pantera DP1600i drill rig, new RD1840C rock drill and new LT90 rock tools – are all optimised to work together seamlessly for exceptional drilling results.

Sandvik says that the system offers the benefits of top hammer drilling technology as a viable alternative to down-the-hole (DTH) drilling, on a much larger scale than before.

The Top Hammer XL drilling system expands the hole-size range of top hammer drilling to up to 178mm (7 inches) and provides a faster and more fuel-efficient drilling method. It is part of Sandvik’s commitment to use engineering and innovation to make the shift that will drive

safer and more sustainable business. In addition to excellent drilling results, Sandvik says it offers an effective solution to reduce fuel consumption and, ultimately, CO2 emissions. The manufacturer adds that this more fuel-efficient yet productive drilling method can help its customers grow their business in a more sustainable way.

The Top Hammer XL system originates from the Sandvik facilities in Sandviken, Sweden, and Tampere, Finland, where all the components have been designed and manufactured. The components are designed to work seamlessly together and provide smooth operation and a highly productive system with optimum drilling results.

“A key asset of the Top Hammer XL drilling system is that all three main components – the drill rig, rock drill and rock tools – have been reviewed, redesigned and mutually optimised,” says Jukka Siltanen, product line manager, rock drills at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions.

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an optimum pulse for the effective tooling system, which in turn transfers the highenergy shock wave with minimum losses to the rock.

Sandvik says the Top Hammer XL system has been thoroughly tested and proven in several controlled field tests by drilling more than 100,000m in challenging rock conditions. The test results in the given conditions show a 50% reduction in fuel consumption, 25% reduction in total drilling costs and 15% increase in productivity compared with the DTH drilling method.

Pantera DP1600i is the newest member of the Pantera DPi series family of intelligent top hammer drill rigs, characterised by high penetration rates and advanced automation options for data-based fleet management and drilling performance optimisation.

Designed for large-hole-size drilling, Sandvik says the Pantera DP1600i, with its practical intelligence and support for higher-level automation solutions, is ideally suited for production drilling in large quarries or openpit mines.

The new Pantera DP1600i is based on the proven Pantera DPi series platform, with upgraded key components to meet the needs of the Top Hammer XL system. Together with the powerful RD1840C rock drill and robust LT90 rock tools, Sandvik says the end result is extreme capacity for a larger hole size, without increasing the actual physical drill-rig footprint. Pantera DP1600i can be customised with a variety of options to meet special requirements.

The Pantera DP1600i drill rig is available with Tier 3 and Stage 5 engine emission versions.

The new RD1840C rock drill is designed for large-hole drilling with high 49 kW (66 hp) drilling power. Sandvik says its robust design and well-balanced long piston percussion package are made especially for demanding circumstances. The new layout of pressure accumulators maximises efficiency and minimises hose vibrations. The stateof-the-art manufacturing process ensures the required high-quality of the rock drill components. The long piston technology generates high-impact energy with optimum pulse form, optimising performance in large-

hole drilling without compromising the rock tools’ service life. The geometry and physical dimensions of the new RD1840C rock drill have been optimised for the entire Top Hammer XL drilling system.

As an additional option, RD1840C will be available with the Sandvik RockPulse tool stress-monitoring system later in 2021. The system offers the drill operator real-time measurement data on three key drilling parameters: drill bit response, tools load and feed level. The system measures the stress waves and guides the operator to find the right drilling parameters for the best rock contact and performance.

The LT90 rock tools are developed to match the other components in the Top Hammer XL system. The tools – consisting of a shank adapter, MF tube rods and drill bits - offer the best possible drilling dynamics and rock-breaking efficiency.

“Our patented and optimised LT90 rock tools design increases productivity, improves hole straightness and provides great coupling characteristics and a long service life,” says Fredrik Björk, product manager top hammer surface tools at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. “All in all, this new shoulderdriven system with a double-pass thread gives our customers a much better drilling experience.”

The LT90 shank adapter, using highquality steel, is designed for optimal energy transfer from the rock drill piston into the drill string and is developed in close collaboration between Sandvik’s experts on both rock tools and rock drills to ensure ideal performance.

With the new MF tube rods, developed to convey high-energy shock waves with minimal energy loss in the threads, Sandvik says its Top Hammer XL customers will get a higher rate of penetration, straighter holes and increased service life for the whole drill string.

The optimised thread design minimises stress levels from bending, and excellent coupling characteristics are seen in the double-pass thread of this tool system. Premium steel grades and heat-treatment processes further improve its durability. Sandvik adds that its patented retrac design forms the base for the LT90 drill bits, with a strong gauge row, excellent flushing, high rockbreaking capabilities and reduced hole deviation. The drill bits are available from 140 to 178mm (5 ½ to 7 inches) and can be delivered with standard carbide grades as well as PowerCarbide, depending on the rock formation.

US-based rotary drill bit manufacturer Terelion is expanding into the down-the-hole market. In addition to the existing rotary bits range, Terelion now offers the Warrior product line of DTH hammers and bits in sizes from 4 to 8 inches.

Traditionally, DTH is used for drilling up to 10-inch production blastholes in quarries and surface mines. Sandvik-owned Terelion says that being able to drill fast with minimum hole deviation in hard and fissured rock has earned DTH its popularity. It is also used for drilling pre-split and buffer holes in large surface-mining operations where production drilling is done by rotary.

Sandvik showcased its latest Top Hammer XL system at MINExpo

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DRILL RIGS & BREAKERS

“This makes our new Warrior DTH range a perfect complement for our customers, who mostly use our rotary tools in their production drilling,” says Rahul Obla, DTH product line director at Terelion.

Terelion says that introducing the Warrior DTH product line with a full range covering 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- and 8-inch hammers is a natural step for its new growth strategy.

“Our rotary drilling customers appreciate our premium product offering and committed way of doing business,” Obla says. “Now they can get their DTH tools in the same way from us as well. And of course, we address any operations using DTH also for production drilling, that seek an agile and committed tools supplier.”

Kelly Earthmoving has used an Epiroc MB 1200 hammer as part of the enabling works for the installation of a cable-suspended conveyor that will span nearly 1km at a UK quarrying customer in the Midlands.

Irish-headquartered Kelly Earthmoving says that installing the system at the quarry has required some serious advanced enabling and civil engineering solutions.

Kelly Earthmoving has a UK base in Preston and undertakes a variety of specialist work across the country. Whilst having ‘Earthmoving’ in its name, the company, headed up by Gerry Kelly, offers a more specialised service to its long-standing clients. “We can move earth, but that’s a little boring to us,” says Gary Kelly. “We move earth from places others can’t or won’t get to.”

In addition to moving awkward earth, Kelly Earthmoving also incorporates complex ground engineering into the package. The company provides bank stabilisation, piling and de-vegetation work, in addition to specialist equipment.

“We already undertake rock breaking and cutting for our existing clients,” Kelly explains. “But this project has seen us extracting and breaking far more rock than we have ever done on a single job. It’s been a tough but enjoyable project to be involved in but also one that has been hard on the equipment.”

The project has seen the Kelly team on site for 12 months, working on two separate sites.

The terminal anchor point for the suspended conveyor system has been excavated and construction of a large concrete foundation is underway. This left the small, experienced

ABOVE: Kelly Earthmoving has used an Epiroc MB 1200 hammer (pictured with a Menzi Muck excavator) in the installation of a 1km conveyor at a UK quarry team working almost at the top of the quarry and adjacent to an existing haul road.

The team has already created a working platform to allow the civil contractor to construct a piled wall which released the area required to construct the suspended conveyor’s deflection tower. Once completed, the Kelly team were back on site to create a 33 degree ‘slot’ through the upper quarry benches to accommodate the conveyor’s cable catenary profile.

From the upper platform, Kelly formed a slope down through the mudstone and rock to where a second working platform was broken out and levelled. At this point the team encountered the very hard rock that the quarry is famous for.

“We had a number of options for the removal of the rock head,” says Kelly. “We looked at sawing sections out, but the rock was littered with enough fractures that allowed us the quicker option of using hydraulic breakers instead.”

Whilst some of the exposed rock was easy to remove, the company found that the material below wasn’t and ended up breaking a number of hammers and countless chisels in the process.

“It was getting beyond a joke. Every couple of days we were breaking a chisel or sometimes more,” Kelly explains. “Our usual hammers were struggling with the hard rock so we decided to look at investing in

Terelion is expanding into the down-the-hole (DTH) hammer and drill bit market

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something more reliable and productive to complete the job. Coyle Equipment Services has been supporting us on this project from their new, purpose-built depot in West Bromwich, so on the advice of William Coyle we used an Epiroc MB 1200 hammer as a replacement for one of our existing tools.”

He said his company has been very impressed with the Epiroc breaker’s reliability and performance in driving a path through the rock. Kelly says the 12-tonne, 157hp Menzi Muck walking excavator wields the Epiroc MB 1200 hammer with ease despite it being designed for the larger 15-26t carrier range.

“The Menzi is just a massive powerpack,” Kelly says. “It will push out over 200 litres per minute with the Powerline pump, far more than the Epiroc breaker requires.”

Lift capacity even at its full 6m-reach is over 4 tonnes which Kelly says makes the Menzi an ideal hydraulic attachment carrier.

Carrying a hefty 120mm-diameter chisel, the MB 1200 delivers between 340 and 680 blows per minute which according to Kelly is more than capable of taking apart the rock they are now encountering.

Fitted with Epiroc’s AutoControl system, the hammer is able to detect pressure on the chisel. It also detects when the chisel breaks through the material to protect it from blank firing and causing potential damage to the percussion chamber.

“We’ve been very impressed with the hammer,” Kelly comments. “It’s more compact than the ones we have in the fleet, yet the performance is far better than anything we have used before. We’ve not had to change the chisel at all as the Epiroc original seems to be made of stern stuff.”

Despite having to deal with the pandemic and bad weather, Kelly says his company’s team has delivered an impressive result for the quarry’s project team. “The men and machines have performed very well on the project,” he adds. “We don’t take on ordinary jobs, we always like a challenge!” AB © AGGREGATES BUSINESS September/October 2021

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WATER RECYCLING, FILTRATION & MANAGEMENT

Sodextra has invested in a bespoke construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste recycling plant from CDE

Turning savvy water use into bottom-line gains Getting your water recycling, filtration and management strategy right can give your aggregates production business a major boost. Guy Woodford reports

F

rench waste management company Sodextra has invested in a bespoke construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste recycling plant from CDE, marking its first venture into the wet processing of materials and enabling the recovery of up to 70% of incoming inert CD&E waste. The new plant is currently processing material at a rate of 135 tonnes per hour (tph), producing six sand and aggregate products, opening new markets for the family-owned and -operated business.

Based along the Plateau de Saclay, 15km south of Paris, Sodextra operates a major construction waste recycling treatment facility, situated on an eight-hectare site, that supports construction professionals to deposit and process waste and rubble in the Paris region.

Established in 1975, the business has, for over 45 years, facilitated the diversion of significant tonnages of CD&E waste from landfill, assisting in the recovery of a variety of high-value construction materials, including recycled sand and aggregate products, and returning them to the sector for use in major public works and infrastructure projects. Its primary market sectors are the recovery of deconstruction concrete, the recovery and treatment of industrial waste and the sale of ready-mixed concrete.

Currently, the third-generation family business recovers one million tonnes of material from waste per year, a substantial

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volume it hopes to increase further because of its latest investment in CDE technology which is now enabling the recovery of inert soil.

Sacha Bottemanne, directeur général of Sodextra S.A. and son of its owner, Christian Bottemanne, said the company’s biggest challenge was treating highly variable waste coming into the facility.

“We used to screen the soil and we could recover about 20% of the pebbles which were reused in our crushing plant. The remaining 80% was dumped.

“We realised that in this 80% there were still materials with high added-value which today, with the CDE installation, we can recover.”

Based on the analysis of the soil from around the Saclay plateau, CDE’s business development manager for France, Marc Sopransi, quickly realised the challenge presented by the processing of the very heterogeneous and heavily clay-bound material.

“Sodextra approached us to find out how to further recover their inert soil, to find a way to recover more sand and gravel and turn them into high value-added construction materials.”

He said going from “a wide spectrum of multiple raw sand feeds to be processed to a regular spectrum, as narrow and as stable as possible, of clean 0-4mm sand, was at the heart of the problem.”

To demonstrate the potential for CDE technology to support Sodextra to recover high-grade and high-value products from its waste, the Sodextra team was invited to a CDE reference site in Germany to see the technology in action.

“We saw the materials that went into these installations, which were of very poor quality, very sticky and full of diverse contaminants such as plastics or roots…we really saw the process and the quality of the materials coming out. That’s why we decided to go with CDE.” Samples of feed material to be processed by the plant were tested and analysed by CDE process engineers in its laboratory to determine the reclamation potential of the incoming waste stream and the quality of its output.

The plant incorporates a combination of CDE-signature modular technologies, including the AggMax modular logwasher setup for scrubbing and sizing and EvoWash sand classification and dewatering systems with integrated patented technologies, including CDE’s Infinity Screen and Counter Flow Classification Unit (CFCU) for density separation, which efficiently separates materials of differing specific gravity to maximise the quality and value of feed stock.

Commenting on sand treatment, Sopransi said the solution engineered for Sodextra is unique.

“It consists of a first cyclone pass, attrition cells, a second cyclone pass, a hydraulic

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WATER RECYCLING, FILTRATION & MANAGEMENT

classifier, and a third cyclone pass with two major classification points placed at 250 microns and 2mm. This sand treatment provides a dynamic response to a dynamic problem.

“The type of sand treatment in this application is a first in Europe,” he adds.

“Its originality lies in the fact that the solution uses technologies usually used in the treatment of industrial sands.”

The solution designed for Sodextra not only allows for the recycling of CD&E waste, but it also maximises water efficiency with CDE’s AquaCycle, a single, compact, and user-friendly unit that can be applied to high and low tonnages across many markets.

An alternative to water extraction and the costly process of pumping water to the plant, CDE’s AquaCycle is a highly efficient water management solution that minimises costly water consumption by ensuring up to 90% of process water is recycled for immediate recirculation.

Delivering competitive advantage to its customers, CDE’s AquaCycle accelerates return on investment by maximising production efficiency, minimising the loss of valuable fines, and reducing water and energy costs.

After feed material has been washed and classified, the wastewater is sent to the AquaCycle thickener system. Here, a small amount of polyelectrolyte flocculant is added to the water via an automatic dosing station which forces fine particles to settle on the bottom of the thickener tank. The clean water on the top overflows the weir and is stored in the AquaStore tank before being re-circulated around the plant. The result is a highly efficient water recycling system that requires only a 10% supply of top-up water.

Waste sludge is discharged into a buffer tank where agitators in constant rotation ensure the material does not settle and solidify at the bottom.

For Sodextra, the high quantity of sludge generated by the raw material process meant that the use of a filter press was necessary to avoid settling ponds. Its integration also facilitated the recycling of even more water from the process. Filtrates recovered and redirected to the company’s new AquaCycle have enabled Sodextra to achieve a water recycling rate of approximately 96%, significantly reducing the need for top-up water supplies.

The plant is processing material that was once destined for landfill and producing a range of products, including three different sands: a fine sand 0-250um, a 0-2mm and a 0-4mm; and three different aggregates: a 4-10mm, a 10-20mm & a +20mm aggregate, all ready for use in construction projects in the Paris region.

“Our CDE installation produces highquality aggregates that we now call ‘eco-gravel’ or ‘eco-sand’. These are very high-quality materials that are similar to natural materials,” explains Bottemanne.

A filter cake product from the integrated CDE Filter Press can also be reused as a waterproofing layer or for pipe bedding and landfill capping.

“Today, the CDE installation allows us to recover 70% of the waste and to create new materials that are reused in construction sites throughout Greater Paris.”

Bottemanne said Sodextra was established when his grandfather recognised the need for C&D recycling in the Greater Paris area.

“Sustainability is in the very fabric of our business. It was founded on the same

principles it operates today and we remain committed to closing the loop.

“Our customers are increasingly concerned about the environment. With these new materials, we are contributing to the circular economy and to sustainable development.”

Sodextra’s new plant is the culmination of over two years of site audits, lab-based research on materials and collaborative design workshops, whereby the CDE team co-created the engineered-to-order solution with the Sodextra team.

“Between the beginning of the project to the final phase, we were in touch with our ProMan who followed us throughout, who supported us and who also guided us,” explains Bottemanne.

“Today the relationship we have with CDE is going very well because we’ve really entered into a partnership.”

Sopransi said the plant has now been operational for a full year and has successfully met all Sodextra’s objectives.

“To further revalorise inert soil, to provide aggregates eligible for concrete specifications, and to realise an installation that took the minimum of space.”

He added CDE is committed to the region and has recently expanded its CustomCare team locally, which provides after-sales support to guarantee customers get the maximum performance from their CDE equipment.

“CDE has set up a support and services engineer in France who will be available to provide responsive, boots-on-the-ground support to our customers in the region, including Sodextra as they continue to provide a valuable service to the local construction industry.”

Sodextra’s new CDE plant is processing 135 tonnes of material per hour, producing six sand and aggregate products

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Terex Washing Systems hosted a well-attended Virtual End-to-End Washing Solution Showcase at Keohane Readymix site in Co. Cork, Ireland

Terex Washing Systems hosted a highly successful Virtual End-to-End Washing Solution Showcase, which was broadcast live from a Keohane Readymix site in Co. Cork, Ireland.

The event showcased a recently installed full turnkey solution for washing and classifying to produce specification sand and aggregate for Keohane Readymix. A team of washing experts explained the different pieces of equipment that came together to form the bespoke plant and outlined how, when combined, this washing system is proving to be a success for the customer.

Keohane Readymix, founded in 1979 by Paddy Keohane, is now a third-generation company serving a broad customer base throughout Ireland with a range of concrete products, sand and aggregates. The washing solution is situated at its site at Brinny, Co. Cork, which feeds sand and gravel product to other Keohane Readymix sites in the region.

Viewers were taken on a journey from the start of the design process, which was determining the nature of the material to be processed. Johnston Patterson, applications manager for Terex Washing Systems explained: “The material is a natural sand and gravel deposit which, while fairly freeflowing, can get sticky and has some clay through it, as well as some organics, sticks and roots. The feed material is 60/40 sand to gravel and predominantly minus 150mm, but it can be up to 300-400mm. The typical % passing 63micron is around 10%.”

To get started with the process of designing the new plant, Keohane Readymix provided a sample of its material and instructed the team on what products they would like to make from it. This material was analysed in a Terex Washing Systems lab and from this, the team was able to propose a bespoke plant that would meet their needs.

Viewers were then taken through the operational site, learning about key features

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of each piece of equipment that make up the full plant—including an H30 Feed Hopper, AggreSand 206, AggreScrub 150, a deep cone thickener, a floc dosing unit, a central control panel and stockpiling conveyors. Viewers also saw how the plant uniquely features a freshwater tank buried beneath the machine to reduce its overall footprint.

This in-depth look at the inner workings of the entire wash plant allowed viewers to see the years of experience that have gone into the engineering of Terex Washing Systems. All aspects including the design, manufacturing and installation of the system were covered by Terex Washing Systems, which allowed for a truly integrated system.

Barry McMenamin, business line director at Terex Washing Systems, explains: “Our team worked with the Keohane business in assessing the application and designing the plant that specifically suits their needs. They also helped to design the civil concrete works that the plant is seated on, a very unique and innovative feature here is the fact that the freshwater tank is beneath the machine, within the plinth itself, demonstrating the extent to which this plant is tailored to the requests from the customer.”

Viewers also heard directly from Gavin Twohig, operations manager of Keohane Readymix, on how the plant is performing.

Speaking of his experience of the plant, Gavin said, “We’ve been very happy with the output of the plant. We had decided to put in a log washer system because of the cleanliness of the material. With the log washer on site, it’s doing an excellent job and the chips are very clean”.

Following the showcase, those watching online were able to take part in a questionand-answer session with the washing experts on site. Questions ranged from queries about levels of accessibility for maintenance to more specific water management inquiries.

Attendees were also able to ask about the potential for a filter press on a site where water is limited (similar to the situation at Keohane’s Brinny site) as well as ask about how a plant could be tailored for their site.

The digital format of this live event enabled Terex Washing Systems to bring one of their modular washing systems into the homes and workplaces of hundreds of attendees in a single day.

McMenamin explains: “In today’s world, where our customers are not able to be

The Terex Washing Systems team that participated in the recent plant showcase at Keohane Readymix

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with us in person, we wanted to provide a ‘walk around’ of this operational site in the real world; explain the features of the equipment and show it in operation.

We believe this is the best way to give our customers a complete understanding of how we can provide an end-to-end solution that is tailored to their needs. The live event was a huge success—to be able to showcase a system that we’re massively proud of to such a large audience has been fantastic.

“No such installation or project would be complete without investment from a customer, and we are glad that Keohanes chose Terex Washing Systems as a partner for this project. We’d like to extend our appreciation to all at Keohane Readymix for enabling us to showcase their plant to the world, live from their site.”

McLanahan, the U.S.-headquartered global supplier of engineered process solutions for the aggregate, mining, and agricultural industries, has outlined why filter presses are the best choice for settling pond elimination.

“The aggregate and mineral industries have historically used the simplest and cheapest dewatering technology to manage waste slurry tailings,” says a company spokesperson.

“These old methods include dumping directly into streams, rivers and lakes or using mining surfaces or underground quarries/pits for disposal.

“For a number of decades these industries have been pressured to eliminate older ways of waste dumping and look for more efficient waste management technologies.

“Initial improvement in tailings management technology involved creating ponds or large impoundment dams to hold the waste slurry for the life of the quarry or mine.”

McLanahan says that over the past decade or so, pressures to improve tailings management practices have increased further due to several factors, including stricter environmental regulations, rising operational costs, higher waste handling costs, increased water conservation requirements, catastrophic impoundment failures, the need for better risk mitigation, and physical space limitations for operational expansion.

The firm notes that leaders in the aggregate and mineral industries have started evaluating and investing in more efficient, cost-effective systems to dewater tailings.

The systems include ultra-fines separation, slurry thickening and slurry dewatering equipment technologies.

The UFR (ultra fines recovery) and thickener equipment technologies separate and concentrate the waste materials, while the dewatering equipment recovers additional water from the waste stream and creates nearly dry solids.

McLanahan says plate filter presses, belt filter presses and centrifuges are competing dewatering equipment used in the aggregate and mineral industries today.

Centrifuge dewatering is a high-speed process that uses the force from the rapid

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rotation of a cylindrical bowl to separate wastewater solids from liquid.

The company spokesperson continues: “These dewatering devices work best with material that is more easily dewatered, has a larger particle size distribution and/or a low clay content, though they generally are not going to be as efficient as a filter press since they cannot generate the high-pressure dewatering forces of the latter.

“Centrifuges operate as continuous feed units that remove solids by a scroll conveyor and discharge liquid over the weir. The bowl is conical-shaped to help lift solids out of the liquid, allowing them to dry on an inclined surface before being discharged.

“Centrifuge equipment has high up-front investment cost and high operating cost. It is built to tight mechanical design specification to operate efficiently at very high rotational speeds.

“Operating costs are high due to high electrical power requirements, expensive replacement parts and the need to use dewatering chemicals.

“In addition, centrifuge operation requires skilled, experienced operators. Centrifuges have a reputation of high noise, high-speed vibrations and are subject to frequent wear issues.

“Because centrifuges are smaller than filter presses, the footprint could be less than that of a large plate press depending on how many units are required.”

McLanahan highlights that belt filter presses are another type of equipment used to remove water from waste slurries to produce a non-liquid material referred to as a ‘cake’.

“In a belt filter press, the waste slurry is forced between two tensioned porous belts.

As the belts pass over and under rollers of various diameters, the liquid is squeezed out of slurry while the solid cake material is retained between the belts. Increased pressure is created as the belt passes over rollers that decrease in diameter.”

McLanahan says there are many designs of belt filtration processes, but all incorporate the following basic features: polymer

A McLanahan 100-plate filter press

A McLanahan thickener tank

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conditioning zone, gravity drainage zones, low-pressure squeezing zone, and highpressure squeezing zones.

“Advanced designs provide a large filtration area, additional rollers, and variable belt speeds that can increase cake solids by 5%,” the company spokesperson says.

“The general mechanical components of a belt filter press include dewatering belts, rollers and bearings, belt tracking and tensioning system, controls and drives, and a belt washing system.

“Belt filter presses have low-to-medium initial capital cost, with a smaller footprint for installation.

“Operating costs tend to be high due to the need for a full-time operator and the use of chemical dewatering aids.

“Maintenance costs are also expensive due to belt and roller wear as well as failure from continuous movement of the tensioned belts between the rollers. Belts and roller bearings require frequent replacement, creating lower overall availability.

“Belt presses have a reputation of requiring frequent belt washing and are very sensitive to process variations.”

McLanahan says recessed plate filter presses are used to create a dewatered cake material by separating the liquid and solid materials in waste slurries.

The company explains that these filter presses are among the oldest types of dewatering devices and are commonly used in aggregate and mineral processing waste slurry applications.

“Typical recessed plate filter presses are composed of a heavy-duty support framework holding a series of polypropylene plates with concave surfaces on each side of the plate. Each plate is lined with a synthetic filter cloth. The plates are tightly clamped together with hydraulic pressure, creating a void space between the plate surfaces.

“A high-pressure slurry feed pump is used to force slurry material into the void spaces between the plates. The slurry solids are captured between the plates, while the liquid passes through the filter cloths mounted on the plate surfaces.

“When no additional slurry can be pumped into the filter press, the slurry feed pump is stopped and the plates are separated, allowing the cakes to fall by gravity out of the press.

“The up-front investment for a plate filter press can be high due to the size of the equipment and required support structure.”

Depending on the type and amount of material being dewatered, McLanahan notes that modern filter press equipment can be very big and require a large space for installation and operation. Common polypropylene plate sizes today can be up to 8 inches wide by 8 inches tall, with large filter presses holding up to 200 hundred plates.

The company spokesperson adds: “Plate filter press operating costs are low due to the requirement of only a part-time operator, lower wear parts cost and typically no need for chemical dewatering aids.

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A Weir Multiflo dewatering pontoon barge

“Because the slurry material is captured completely between the filter plates, very high dewatering pressures (up to 225 psi or higher) can be applied to the slurry. The high dewatering pressures produce the highest cake solids concentration possible of any mechanical dewatering equipment.”

McLanahan says plate filter presses can also employ a second type of plate called a membrane plate. In this case, the plate has a flexible membrane surface made from polypropylene or other synthetic flexible material such as hard rubber.

The membrane can be thermally fused to the concave plate core, or the synthetic membrane’s edge can be embedded into the concave plate core in a small channel machined in the plate surfaces.

The same initial process is used in a membrane plate press, with a high-pressure slurry pump feeding the press to fill and dewater as much slurry as possible.

After the slurry feed pump is stopped and while the filter plates are still clamped together, the membrane surfaces are expanded using compressed air or water.

This inflated membrane compresses the cake material, removing additional moisture to the lowest possible levels.

“No other dewatering process has shown to be more efficient at removing liquid from slurries as the plate filter press,” says the company spokesperson. “Additional benefits of plate filter presses include the highest amount of recovered water, the driest cakes, lowest operating cost, lower waste handling cost, [they] haul less water, and the most stable solid material generated.

“Because of these advantages and the high efficiency of the plate filter press, it is the best choice of equipment to eliminate settling ponds.”

Simon Jones, product manager – pumps,

at Weir Minerals Europe has highlighted the importance of safe and effective water management in aggregates production.

“In sand and aggregates operations, performance and profitability depend on the reliability of equipment,” says Jones.

“Managing process water, reclaim systems, and pit dewatering are essential to the success of a project. Efficient fluid handling can reduce downtime, lower energy costs and eliminate the need for double handling.

However, many quarries report time and budget constraints that don’t allow for system improvements to be implemented in their sand and aggregate operations. By not investing in the downtime necessary to make system improvements, operations are forgoing process improvements, longterm energy savings and best equipment selections to reduce maintenance costs.”

Jones notes that while there are a range of submersible, centrifugal and vertical turbine pumps used in aggregates applications, they are often poorly matched with the task in hand. “This can be due to sites repurposing existing pumping equipment from other applications that result in pumping systems that are either extremely oversized or undersized to match what the customer is trying to achieve. Running an optimised pumping system for your application results in improved wear life and less power consumption.”

Jones states that solutions to resolve overcapacity include adjusting the performance of an installed pump to match the process conditions by changing the operating speed.

An alternative solution is to replace the installed pump with a higher efficiency pump to reduce power demands.

He continues: “Flow is proportional to speed so, for example, a 20% reduction in speed will lead to a 50% reduction in

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WATER RECYCLING, FILTRATION & MANAGEMENT

energy consumption and a 50% reduction in speed results in an 80% reduction.

The Weir Minerals team of dewatering experts can provide a thorough review of the operational cost-saving opportunities available and provide a plan on how these can be implemented to minimise operational downtime.”

A second important consideration, stresses Jones, is evaluating the powergeneration options – electric, diesel, or a combination of the two.

“The Multiflo LF pump, for example, can be supplied with diesel engines (T3 & T4F rated engine emissions) or electric motors drive options. The LF is engineered for efficiency with a proven, enclosed impeller design and leading-edge materials that dramatically reduce the total cost of ownership. These pump packages provide a dependable pumping solution with flow rates ranging from 100m³/h to 3,200m³/h and discharge heads of 10m to 210m.”

‘Dirty water’ is the name given to water with a percentage of abrasive suspended solids that are too high to be considered ‘clean’, but too low a percentage to be classed as slurry. Jones says the introduction of, and subsequent wear from, abrasive suspended solids is one of the most common causes of premature failure in a dewatering pump. “One of the most challenging things to plan for is an ‘up-set’ water-quality condition that can be caused by seasonal weather events, unexpected landslide or subsidence into a pond or the introduction on a foreign waste stream (i.e. tailings).”

Jones says solutions to resolve accelerated pump wear issues include improving the process water quality to reduce the abrasive solids content in feed water. In the event this is not possible, the best option, he believes, is to replace the installed pump with a pump better able to process increased solids

concentrations, such as the Warman DWU pump.

The Warman DWU pump is designed and constructed to handle percentages of abrasive suspended solids in water whilst operating at high-discharge head pressures to transport surface water from dams and ponds on site back to the washing circuit for recycling.

“Water conditions can be unpredictable, and requirements vary by site,” continues Jones. “Key considerations for pump projects include water quality, where pH can range from very low through to high; water content, such as high percentages of abrasive suspended solids and floating debris; equipment loading and other forms of loading such as weather; and pump-priming requirements.”

Using simulation techniques such DEM (discrete element modelling), and working in partnership with marine engineering specialists, Jones says Weir Minerals’ team of experts thoroughly reviews the parameters of each operation to deliver integrated turnkey solutions.

“Multiflo pontoon barge and pump packages are engineered specifically for the environment that the equipment will operate in. These packages include submersible, end-suction centrifugal and vertical turbine pumps to provide a variety of floated and land-based mobile fluid management solutions.

“In addition to a world-leading service and support network, Weir Minerals provides professional on-site training for your personnel to ensure smooth, safe and efficient plant operations and maintenance, creating value for you from day one.”

Jones cites one impressive example, where the team at Weir Minerals designed a fully automated mine dewatering system in Czech Republic. The site had been experiencing poor performance and using a non-automated dewatering pump network where the incumbent pump’s average wear life was just 700 hours. The Weir Minerals solution provided a high degree of reliability as well as low maintenance and spares consumption. The highly engineered concept integrated 127 Warman pumps and multiple Multiflo pontoon barges and has allowed the site to operate for more than two decades without any wet-end spare-part replacement.

Weir Minerals Europe’s dewatering product portfolio includes Warman, GEHO, Floway, and Multiflo pumps designed to transport surface water from dams and ponds on site back to the washing circuit for recycling, as well as Multiflo barge and pumphouse solutions engineered especially for other on-site water sources, such as tailings dams. Jones concludes: “Weir Minerals targets the challenges quarries face with pumping water around site, providing the optimum solution for each specific and unique application.” AB

Weir’s Multiflo pontoon barge and pump packages are engineered for the environment that the equipment operates in

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01/10/2021 15:12:28

GAIN ANALYSIS

Growing global aggregates sustainably The Global Aggregates Information Network (GAIN) is a unique voluntary coalition of aggregates associations across the globe with the express purpose of openly sharing best practices for the greater good and sustainability of the industry. Below, Jim O’Brien, GAIN’s convenor, analyses the global aggregates industry and highlights GAIN’s latest work

R

ecently, GAIN members provided best estimates of aggregates production in their respective regions, as shown in Table 1.

For the pre-pandemic year of 2019, these totalled just under 35 billion tonnes (bnt). Quite surprisingly, the year 2020 showed only a 3.3% decline from 2019, thanks to great industry resilience through the early lockdowns, a decline much less than had been originally feared.

Best estimates for 2021 indicate an equally remarkable recovery, with production likely to be 6.3% up on 2020. Most countries anticipate a continued 4.5% growth into 2022, assisted by economic stimuli, thus, in 2022 output is anticipated to reach 37bnt, well exceeding the 2019 pre-pandemic level of production.

The table shows that China has powered through the pandemic with an impressive

8% growth anticipated in 2021. As it moves into its 14th Five-Year Plan 2021-25, it is reporting difficulty in meeting its burgeoning demand, which now amounts to 50% of global aggregates production. India suffered a significant decline of over 18% in 2020, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with steady recovery envisaged in 2021 and 2022, driven by its major infrastructural commitments; its 2021 production of around 5.1bnt now amounts to 11% of global demand.

Malaysia suffered a decline of some 40% due to COVID-19 in 2020 which is, unfortunately, worsening in 2021 before an expected recovery in 2022. South Korea saw a very slight slowdown in 2020, with slow growth returning in 2021 and 2022. Japan slowed by 5% in 2020, with low growth in 2021, and may even suffer a post-Olympics decline in 2022. Figures for other countries in Asia are very difficult to ascertain but are

Table 1: Estimated Global Aggregates Tonnages 2019-2022 GAIN Country

Actual 2019 mt

Actual 2020 mt

% Change 2020 v 2019

Estimated 2021 mt

% Change 2021 v 2020

Estimated 2022 mt

% Change 2022 v 2021

China

20000

20370

1.9%

22000

8.0%

23100

5.0%

India

6035

4920

-18.5%

5125

4.2%

5330

4.0%

Europe

2986

2884

-3.4%

2955

2.5%

3015

2.0%

USA

2388

2331

-2.4%

2410

3.4%

2540

5.4%

Brazil

535

605

13.1%

660

9.1%

693

5.0%

Canada

437

428

-2.1%

445

4.0%

455

2.2%

Mexico

400

325

-18.9%

345

6.3%

366

6.0%

Japan

375

355

-5.3%

360

1.4%

345

-4.2%

South Korea

253

252

-0.4%

254

0.8%

259

2.0%

Australia

180

177

-1.7%

171

-3.4%

182

6.4%

South Africa

180

160

-11.1%

155

-3.1%

165

6.5%

UAE

158

135

-14.5%

145

7.4%

150

3.4%

Colombia

144

130

-9.7%

146

12.3%

169

15.8%

Argentina

137

69

-49.5%

76

10.1%

69

-9.2%

Malaysia

129

75

-41.6%

69

-9.3%

75

10.3%

New Zealand

42

40

-4.8%

42

5.0%

45

7.1%

GAIN Totals

34379

33256

-3.3%

35358

6.3%

36958

4.5%

Rest of World

9883

8955

-9.4%

8942

-0.1%

9248

3.4%

Global Totals

44262

42211

-4.6%

44300

4.9%

46206

4.3%

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certainly suffering in 2021 because of the recent lockdowns due to the Delta variant.

Europe (the EU27 plus UK plus EFTA countries), according to UEPG data, suffered only a 3.4% decline in 2020, far less than had been originally feared, and looks set for modest growth in 2021 and 2022, driven by post-COVID stimuli. The US experience is very similar, with the ongoing COVID Delta variant slowing activity in the more rural regions; however, the recently agreed bipartisan infrastructural stimulus package should drive growth in the coming years.

Canada saw a small decline in 2020 but is looking to modest growth in 2021 and 2022.

Looking to Latin America, Mexico suffered a 19% decline in 2020 due to the cancellation of major projects and the pandemic, but recovery is being seen this year and should continue into next year. Colombia saw a 9% decline in 2020 but is now experiencing strong growth due to significant infrastructural development, despite the La Niña rainy conditions. Brazil has seen continued strong growth since 2019 which is expected to continue into 2022, due to demand driven by infrastructural and housing developments. On the other hand, Argentina saw a 50% decline in 2020 primarily due to economic turbulence, with a welcome improvement in 2021 driven by elections, though this may not be sustained into 2022.

In the Middle East, the UAE saw a 15% decline in 2020 and, like other countries in the region, is now experiencing a return to positive growth. In Africa, South Africa experienced COVID-related declines in 2020, which are continuing in 2021 exacerbated by economic difficulties, with a welcome return to growth anticipated in 2022. In

Jim O’Brien pictured during a visit to Stevin Rock’s Khor Khuwair 60 million tonnes/ year quarry in the United Arab Emirates, the largest limestone quarry in the world

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GAIN ANALYSIS 20 Figure 1: Production in tonnes/capita 15

10

5

US A s tra Glo lia bal Ave rag e Eur o pe Sou th K ore a Ind ia Bra zil Co lom b ia Jap an Me xic Sou o th A f rica Res t of Wo rld Ma lay sia Arg ent ina Au

UA E Can ada Ne wZ eal and GA IN Ave rag e

Ch

ina

0

Oceania, both New Zealand and Australia saw slight pandemic-related declines in 2020, continuing into 2021 in Australia, with New Zealand looking to solid recovery in 2021 and 2022.

As shown in Table 1, adding best estimates for all other (non-GAIN) countries (each based on national population multiplied by the expected tonnes/capita relative to its economic development) leads to an overall global 2021 total of just around 42.2bnt, some 4.6% below the 44.2bnt of 2019.

However, driven mainly by China and India, world aggregates production is anticipated to grow by 4.9% and 4.3% in 2021 and 2022 respectively, thus reaching more than 46bnt by 2022 as the global population approaches 8 billion. Continued population and economic growth, particularly in Asia, possibly augmented by demand relating to climate adaptation measures, is likely to drive global aggregates demand to 50-55bnt by 2030.

The common five key success factors of these excellent case studies in addressing irresponsible extraction were: •

•

•

•

•

•

Meeting the sustainability challenge of illegal sand extraction As is well known, the burgeoning demand for aggregates, particularly sand, in Asia has regrettably led to significant illegal and/ or irresponsible extraction from rivers and beaches, as highlighted in the 2019 UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program) Report on Sand and Sustainability: Finding new solutions for environmental governance of global sand resources. While this irresponsible sand extraction likely represents less than 10% of global aggregates demand, it is highly visible and damages landscapes as well as the good reputation of the responsible aggregates industry.

For these reasons, GAIN members have collectively addressed the sand scarcity issue, collating valuable experiences and best practices based on case studies from China, India, Malaysia, Colombia, Mexico, USA, Canada and New Zealand, supplemented by relevant inputs from UK, Netherlands, Myanmar, and Japan. As a particular example, these best practices were encapsulated in a report for WWF Vietnam with recommendations to address the challenges of excessive extraction in the Mekong Delta.

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A national commitment to address the irresponsible extraction issue (which sometimes exists only as lip-service).

A strong regional permitting authority, empowered and committed to tackling the challenge.

A national aggregates or professional association which ensures quality control in sand production and in the downstream construction activity.

A project champion, empowered by government and regional authorities, who engages with all stakeholders to achieve concerted action.

Strongly enforced permits for annually defined sand budgets, policed 24/7, using the latest IT surveillance technology including drones.

And, very importantly, encouraging and possibly even incentivising the parallel substitution of natural sand by manufactured sand

higher primary aggregates prices and high costs for landfilling waste materials; for example, over 20% of aggregates demand in countries like UK, Belgium and Netherlands are provided by recycled and other secondary aggregates.

At the other end of the scale, similar economic forces do not yet exist in developing regions, and indeed the availability of demolition materials is low as most construction is new-build. Recycling as part of the circular economy will doubtless increasingly feature as a key part of industry sustainability.

Experiences shared amongst GAIN members point to every aspect of the industry being increasingly focused on sustainability.

Every operating parameter is benefitting from digitalisation, from resource optimisation right through to extraction and processing, to better meet the demands of customers and the market.

The industry is focused on reducing water usage and has a key role in fostering biodiversity both during operation and in restoration. The aggregates industry is providing the key product for the sustainability of society, led by its highly committed GAIN members. AB

Figure 2: Production by Region, 2021 3.0

1.1 0.7 0.3 0.2

4.3 5.5 7.2 Global Total 100%

51.8

9.6

The successes being achieved, if continued and extended, can potentially resolve irresponsible extraction by 2030.

GAIN and its members are playing their part in working towards this goal.

Excelling in other sustainability challenges Manufactured sand is the key technical solution to sustainably replacing natural sands, now being strongly driven in China and India. Significant advances in processing technology have enabled the production of manufactured sands that have superior performances over natural sand, such as in higher flexural strength, better abrasion resistance, higher unit weight and lower permeability.

Another key initiative in reducing the use of natural sand is to encourage recycling of construction and demolition materials.

This is another area where GAIN members have exchanged valuable insights and best practices. Europe leads in this regard, where the economics of recycling are driven by

2.6

13.7

Region

2021 mt

%

22955

51.8%

India Sub-C

6052

13.7%

Europe Sub-C

4249

9.6%

China & NE Asia

North America

3200

7.2%

Africa

2437

5.5%

SE Asia

1885

4.3%

Middle East

1320

3.0%

South America

1172

2.6%

Oceania

484

1.1%

Central Asia

332

0.7%

Central America

124

0.3%

Caribbean

90

0.2%

Global Total

44300

100.0%

www.AggBusiness.com

01/10/2021 14:43:03

MARKET REPORT

Swedish construction firms claim that shutting down the Cementa site could stop major construction projects in the country

Court case casts shadow on Swedish cement supply The future of the strategically important Cementa quarrying and cement production site off the east coast of Sweden is in question after a ruling by a national environmental court.

Liam McLoughlin reports

A

legal decision delivered this summer is providing a potential threat to the future of a quarrying site that produces three-quarters of Sweden’s cement.

At the centre of the case are the limestone quarries at Slite on the island of Gotland operated by Cementa, the Swedish subsidiary of HeidelbergCement. The quarries supply Cementa’s integrated cement plant on the island.

On July 6 Sweden’s Land and the Environmental Court of Appeal rejected Cementa’s permission-renewal to continue and expand its limestone quarry activities at the Slite site due to concerns about its environmental impact. If enforced, the decision would mean an end to quarrying at the site from the start of November.

Cementa CEO Magnus Ohlsson said that implementation would mean the national cement supply ends up in a “crisis situation”.

He added: “For Sweden, our customers and for us and our employees, it is important that political decision-makers and authorities urgently draw up new guidelines for how the supply of critical building materials such as cement and concrete should work in Sweden.”

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Byggföretagen, a Swedish association representing construction firms, warned that the decision could mean a halt to major construction projects, with between 200,000 and 400,000 job losses and the country’s GDP growth being wiped out.

It added: “In November, three out of four new homes will not be able to start construction. Several major infrastructure projects are stopped or delayed.”

The association estimates that the loss of investment will be equivalent to over SEK20bn (€1.97bn) per month.

On August 25 the Land and Environmental Court of Appeal refused to allow Cementa to appeal the decision to reject its application for continuation of quarrying at Slite.

“It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court does not grant leave to appeal, but we have also been prepared for this outcome,” said Karin Comstedt Webb, head of sustainability at Cementa. “The announcement does not affect our ongoing work, but we continue to work with other initiatives that we began immediately when we received the Land and Environmental Court’s ruling in July.”

These initiatives include both an application for a shorter permit for limestone quarrying that could be quicker to get in

place, plus an application for a long-term permit. Comstedt Webb says that such a permit is a prerequisite for the site’s continued operation over time and for ensuring a secure and sustainable cement supply in Sweden, with a view to being able to deliver climate-neutral cement in 2030.

In parallel with preparations for applications, she said that work is being done to put in place short-term solutions for the supply of raw materials to the factory and thereby reduce the consequences of any cement shortage in Sweden.

Comstedt Webb said of the August 25 ruling: “Even if today’s message does not affect the work ahead for us in substance, it is worrying because it leaves a number of questions of principle unanswered about how the case has been handled legally. This creates uncertainty in the entire system regarding the efficiency of permit processes in Sweden.”

Due to the strategic importance of Slite the Swedish government has become involved in the case, and has suggested changes to make it possible to continue limestone quarrying at the site. If passed by the Swedish national assembly Riksdag they would allow the company to continue © AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

51

MARKET REPORT

production at Slite for another eight months until the summer of 2022. The government is hoping to implement the proposals by October 15.

In light of the government proposals Cementa has submitted its application for an emergency permit for limestone quarrying in Slite. The company says the permit aims to, as far as possible, secure the maintenance of the cement supply in Sweden for the next three years.

There is a certain irony to the case as the Slite site is a high-profile example of the Swedish cement sector’s efforts to drastically cut CO2 emissions. Just a month before the July court decision, Cementa announced its intention to develop the world’s first carbonneutral cement plant in Slite.

The manufacturer commented: “When the installation is commissioned in 2030 and begins capturing up to 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, of which an increasing proportion is bio-based emissions, the plant that currently accounts for 3% of Sweden’s total emissions can even become a carbon sink.”

Cementa says that the low-carbon cement project in Norway operated by its parent

company HeidelbergCement, has acted as a stimulus for the plans for a carbon-neutral plant in Slite.

After the Norwegian government confirmed its commitment to carbon capture and storage (CCS) in winter 2020/21, HeidelbergCement has started work on building the world’s first full-scale installation for carbon capture in Brevik. This will capture 400,000 tonnes annually, which corresponds to 50% of the plant’s emissions. At the same time, capacity is being built up to geologically store carbon dioxide from other industries as well. Cementa says that planning for the plant on Gotland has benefitted significantly from the establishment of the facility at Norcem in Brevik, which is now well under way.

“Our strong goal of establishing a CCS installation in Slite means that Sweden has a chance to become a world leader in carbon-neutral cement production,” said Giv Brantenberg, general manager of HeidelbergCement Northern Europe. “Based on our positive experience of collaboration with the Norwegian government and their decision to invest in this technology, we have now chosen to ramp up our ambitions for a

carbon-capture installation in Sweden that is four times larger.”

Cementa says that a feasibility study has been launched to define all critical steps towards establishing the plant. It will look into issues related to technology choices, environmental impact, legal issues, financing, logistics and energy supply. “As electricity demands are going to increase by up to five times compared to today, the venture will require significant upgrades of the power grid leading to and on Gotland,” it added in a statement. “An effective regulatory framework for CCS and, not least, commercial driving forces are also needed in order to see this venture to fruition.”

Authorisation processes and the construction period are estimated to take just under ten years.

Cementa adds that the installation in Slite will be scaled to capture up to 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, which essentially means the entirety of the emissions. The use of bio-based fuels is set to increase and, as these are counted as carbon-neutral, the company adds that net emissions will fall below zero and ‘negative emissions’ will be achieved. AB

“Just a month before the July court decision, Cementa announced its intention to develop the world’s first carbon-neutral cement plant in Slite”

Cementa has operated at the Slite site for over 100 years

52

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

www.AggBusiness.com

MARKET REPORT

QUARRIES GET CLOSER TO CONSTRUCTION SITES The aggregates sector across the Nordic region is seeing an increasing trend for quarries to be located close to construction sites to minimise the costs, traffic and emissions involved in transporting material.

Per Leis, business manager for Sweden and the Baltics within the Volvo CE Europe region, says that in these instances customers will typically have a team of excavators, wheeled loaders and mobile crushers that they move around to the various quarry sites.

“So these quarry operators want heavy machines but not necessarily the biggest ones,” says Leis, who adds that VolvoCE’s L220H and L260H models are the most popular wheeled loaders for these customers, while its EC380E and EC480E are the most popular excavators.

Nordic countries are spending a lot on road and rail infrastructure to connect remote areas and shorten travel times – and there are many major projects such as the Botniabanan high-speed railway line in northern Sweden.

Due to changes in purchasing behaviour, there are also many logistics hubs being built where goods arrive from across Europe to be redistributed. In addition, the energy transition is seeing new battery factories built in Sweden and wind farms in Norway. Leis says that all of these projects need road and rail infrastructure to support them.

Lars-Erik Sletner, head of politics and society at Norway’s mineral, mining and quarrying association Norsk Bergindustri, says there are many large infrastructure projects under planning and construction in the various counties across Norway.

“Large road projects dominate and in the coming years this will contribute to increased demand [for quarry products],” Sletner adds.

Leis says that his company’s quarry customers in the Nordic region are keen to utilise the latest technology. “The machines are well-equipped with [Volvo CE] solutions, such as Co-Pilot with Dig Assist or Load Assist to increase productivity, efficiency and safety,” he says.

Service-wise, he adds that Nordic customers are asking for cohesive solutions to boost productivity and reduce CO2 emissions, so his company is providing tailored programmes and bundling services together to help them achieve those goals.

“This might be a combination of digital services such as Efficient Load Out, training services such as EcoOperator Training or consultancy services such as Site Simulation,” he says. “With each programme, we go through a four-step process of insight, analyse, improve and sustain.”

Volvo is also at the forefront of electric autonomous quarrying solutions in the Nordic region and has set up the Volvo Autonomous Solutions (VAS) business unit to develop these. It tested the concept in a 2018 trial at the Vikan Kross quarry near Gothenburg with its customer Skanska.

Following this trial, it has now developed

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the TARA autonomous transport solution featuring the TA15 electric autonomous hauler.

VAS has completed a pilot for the TARA system with Harsco Environmental in Hofors, Sweden, and Volvo says it plans to make the TARA/ TA15 offering commercially available with the first small-scale customer implementation in Europe by the end of 2021.

Leis says that aggregates demand across the Nordic region is mostly related to road construction projects with the quarries being

located close to the jobsite. “These kinds of projects often involve blasting anyway so it makes sense to use the material, such as from a tunnel, on the project with mobile crushers,” he adds.

In terms of the major opportunities for Volvo’s quarrying and aggregates business in the Nordic countries, Leis says the company has strong dealers in the region and a great opportunity to offer equipment and vehicles from Volvo Trucks for long-haul transport,

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© AGGREGATES BUSINESS 20.08.2021 09:22:27 September/October 2021

53

MARKET REPORT

Many Nordic quarry operators have a team of excavators, loaders and mobile crushers that they move around to their various quarry sites

from Volvo CE for transport within the quarry and from Volvo Penta for crusher motors and generators, all with financing from the group’s financial services division, as one package.

“The result is a one-stop shop for service and finance,” he adds. “It’s easy and convenient for the customer. There are no disturbances and loss of money is avoided.”

He says that the quarrying and aggregates sector in the region has not been hugely impacted by COVID-19. “Many quarries in Sweden remained in operation and infrastructure projects continued. Demand has been high.”

Sletner says that Norway’s aggregates sector has emerged from the pandemic fairly well. “There have certainly been some delays in progress, but this is often due to governmentbased measures like travel restrictions,” he adds.

He adds that the industry in Norway has a focus on zero-emission solutions and recycling. “These are requirements that will be strengthened by the Norwegian authorities in the years to come, ” says Sletner. “Furthermore, the industry wants co-operation with the authorities on this key issue - important with the right incentive schemes, so that the restructuring is feasible.”

Looking ahead to the major upcoming developments in the Nordic region over the next 18 months, Leis says there is definitely more awareness from customers about looking into waste within their own operations. He adds that many customers are realising that they can make a lot of improvements within

54

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

their own operations to avoid idling time and move material from one location to another in a more efficient way.

“So we increasingly see a trend of customers wanting to monitor their production (tonnes per hour), fuel efficiency (tonnes per litre of fuel) and CO2 emissions in real time from the office,” he adds.

Lars-Erik Sletner of Norwegian minerals association Norsk Bergindustri

Sletner says that in Norway there is an increasing focus on zero-emission solutions and cooperation with the authorities to find good solutions, such as the right incentive schemes.

The heavy emphasis on zero/low emissions in the materials sector extends across the Nordic region. In September, Finnish materialtechnology company Betolar and Danish concrete manufacturer IBF announced a partnership to launch low-carbon concrete products.

The partnership supports IBF’s goal to transition to a significantly lower carbon footprint with their products, intended to be launched to market next year. This is aligned with the Danish concrete industry’s aim to halve the CO2 emissions by 2030.

Janne Rauramo, head of European markets at Betolar, said: “IBF is the largest concrete manufacturer in the Danish market, and with this collaboration we aim to support the company and wider industry’s sustainability goals.”

Betolar and IBF have conducted an industrial pilot programme to ensure the strength and durability of the concrete products. Under the pilot, the product groups included are pavers and roof tiles, which the pair say are both in high demand. The Geoprime solution also applies to other drycast products such as pipes and infrastructure products.

The companies say that production of the low-carbon products is planned to start soon with Denmark as the primary market. AB

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QUARRY PROFILE Matec’s all-in-one plant solution is generating a new product revenue stream for Kogler Naturstein

A MORE PROFITABLE AND GREENER WASH A comprehensive Matec washing and screening solution has created a new revenue stream for an Austrian company, while boosting its sustainability.

Guy Woodford reports

K

ogler Naturstein is a longstanding secondgeneration family building materials business based in Sankt Urban, a town in the southern Austria state of Carinthia. The company’s headquarters, which includes all its mining, processing and sales facilities, is located in its 24-hectare-plus quarry, where bluegreen Carat, an exceptionally decorative diabase stone, is extracted. The quality of the blue-green Carat has made Kogler Naturstein one of Europe’s leading players in the decorative stone industry.

The company, which produces up to 350,000 tonnes of material a year, needed to recover the waste material from their large blue-green Carat stone extraction.

The cutting and crushing of these stones produce a huge amount of varied secondary crushed stone, gravel, and sand grain sizes.

Unfortunately, this excess material had become an economic headache for the company as it was forced to spend time, space and money storing and disposing of it.

A solution to this problem could have been found with a simple screening and washing system, but the resulting sludge - a mixture of clay, silt and water - would have created even more difficult and expensive waste to manage.

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When searching for a more complete solution, Matec’s offering caught the eye of Werner Kogler, Kogler Naturstein’s owner.

After discussions with the Massa-Carrara, Tuscany-based company, Kogler felt that only Matec could provide an all-in-one plant suitable for treating both his company’s highquality decorative diabase stone material and the sludge resulting from their washing.

“We received offers from various companies around wastewater treatment solutions. However, it was only at the end of that process that we learned about Matec.

We went to visit them in December 2019, and it was clear that their solution must be added to our quarry, as we were convinced that it was the only way to allow our business to work at its best.

“In Matec, we have found an excellent and competent partner. That was something I already understood from the initial management of this project and presentations during the coordination of our order. We signed the order in December 2019, and the plant was due to be delivered in March 2020. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, everything got delayed.

“Now, we are here with a plant that has been installed to perfection by Matec technicians. I can recommend Matec to others as a company that demonstrates the utmost competence and satisfies customer

Kogler Naturstein’s Terrae filter press Matec’s 250,000-litre vertical deep cone thickener tank for Kogler Naturstein

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

55

QUARRY PROFILE

needs, despite difficulties due to the COVID19 pandemic. We have a solution that will give us the right products, while solving the problems of the future.”

Matec’s all-in-one solution for Kogler Naturstein features an Aggretec 150 screening and washing unit, a two-deck Screentec VS 180-502 inclined vibrating screen, and a Sandtec DS 150-300 hydrocyclone-based washing unit, said to guarantee the recovery of 95% of fines over 75 microns and ensure highly accurate elimination of excess fines. The solution also includes Matec’s 250,000-litre vertical deep cone thickener tank, a Doson system supplying automatic flocculant dosage, and a Terrae filter press with 1300x1300/60 plates and HPT 16Bar high-pressure technology. The turnkey Matec plant solution recovers up to 95% of water, while also producing dry cakes containing less than 15% moisture.

Through the installation, Matec is said to have satisfied all Kogler Naturstein’s needs, providing a complete wet screening system combined with a turnkey water treatment plant.

“With this plant, recycled materials have become resources,” said Matteo Goich, Matec’s CEO, co-founder, and commercial director. AB

Stockpiling of Matecplant processed material at Kogler Naturstein

“We have a solution that will give us the right products, while solving the problems of the future” Werner Kogler Matec CEO Matteo Goich

Werner Kogler in front of Kogler Naturstein’s new Matec plant

Material being conveyed through Kogler Naturstein’s Matec screening and washing plant

56

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

www.AggBusiness.com

EQUIPMENT UPDATE

Caterpillar has launched the latest version of its D4 (formerly D6K2) dozer which features improved sightlines, reduced operating costs and a choice of easy-to-use technology features.

The D4 is available in standard or low ground pressure (LGP) configurations. The new standard D4 weighs 13.27 tonnes with a net power of 97kW, while the D4 LGP has an operating weight of just over 14 tonnes.

A lower sloping hood line provides up to 30% better visibility to the area in front of the blade. The shorter sightlines mean the visual distance between the blade and the material pile is shortened by about 40%, which Cat says means less time is spent backing up to get a full view of the material and the job gets done faster.

The revised cab provides operators with a more comfortable seat featuring improved suspension and multiple adjustments for personalised comfort. A 254mm touchscreen main display, now common across much of the

New Cat D4 dozer

New Cat D4 dozer Cat dozer line-up, puts machine settings and features in easy view. A standard high-definition rearview camera shows prominently in the main display.

The D4 includes several standard technology features aimed at helping operators work more efficiently, regardless of experience level. These include

Slope Indicate which shows machine mainfall and crossslope on the main display for easy reference; Stable Blade works seamlessly with operator blade inputs for smoother surfaces; and Traction Control automatically reduces track slip to save time, fuel and track wear.

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Swedish remote-controlled demolition robots manufacturer Brokk has launched the Pedestal Boom, a stationary compact breaker boom system for the aggregates and mining sectors.

Brokk says the new machine range allows producers to apply the power and precision of its demolition robots to primary breaking tasks that feed mobile crushers, jaw crushers, gyratory crushers and grizzlies.

The unit can be operated with either the tethered remote or from a control room. Depending on network configuration the machine can be manoeuvred from 2,000m away or longer, using video monitoring and operation to increase safety and efficiency. Brokk says the Pedestal Booms feature a rugged design and compact footprint, continuing its tradition of powerful solutions for confined spaces.

www.cat.com

Electro-hydraulic system scoops tech award The innovative Common Pressure Rail Hybrid system – said to result in radical improvements in hydraulic- and energy-efficiency in excavators has received the Volvo Technology Award 2021.

The system is designed to enable new ways to reduce energy losses in hydraulics. It connects all the machine’s work functions to a hydraulic energy storage via a common pressure rail, comprised of two or more pressure lines. The energy storage, which consists of hydraulic accumulators, enables energy-efficient recovery of kinetic energy and peak power supply.

For cylinder-driven functions, so-called ‘smart actuators’ are used to achieve energy-efficient conversion from hydraulic power to a variable force and speed.

Volvo Construction Equipment (CE), which developed the system in close partnership with Finnish company Norrhydro, says it is another innovation in line with achieving Volvo Group’s net-zero value ambitions by 2040.

The Volvo CE team from Sweden and South Korea took part in the

Brokk rolls out breaker boom system

research project, leveraging an idea initially born out of academic collaborations. Volvo says the system has now matured into a real-world solution with ongoing customer trials in the field.

It is expected to accelerate the introduction of e-mobility across Volvo CE’s larger excavator platform. The company anticipates the new technology to be available in the excavator market in the near future.

The winners of the Volvo Technology Award 2021 are Kim Heybroek, Sangki Bae, Junwoo Kim, Byeongmo Ko, Donghun Oh, Wonkil Choe, Wontaek Oh and Namgyu Kim

www.volvoce.com

The Pedestal Boom can be operated via tethered remote or from a control room

“Brokk saw an opportunity to give our customers a better solution for breaking oversize rock in crushing and grizzly applications,” said Martin Krupicka, president and CEO of Brokk Group. “We’ve developed technology that is powerful, compact, flexible and easy to install.”

The Pedestal Boom is based on the arm system and power pack of Brokk’s demolition robots. The machine body is then mounted on a pedestal, rather than tracks. This allows the machine to be installed in a stationary position next to a crusher or any area where primary breaking is needed. The system integrates the power source and arm for a compact breaking solution with a single power cable. No external power pack or hydraulic hose connection is needed.

Model sizes for the range include the Brokk 200, 300, 500 and Brokk 900 Pedestal Boom, which is capable of producing 3050 J/Nm at a rate of 330-680 blows per minute with the BHB 1500 breaker to power through even the toughest rock formations. www.brokk.com

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

57

EQUIPMENT UPDATE

MWS Equipment’s latest addition to its smart washing solutions product portfolio is the Hydropure thickener range

MWS Equipment launches Hydropure thickener range MWS Equipment has unveiled the latest addition to its smart washing solutions product lineup. The Hydropure thickener range is designed to maximise water recovery while minimising the use of tailing dams.

MWS Equipment says its new product range results from listening to its customers, particularly in regions where it can be difficult and, in some cases, impossible to find the water required to supply an aggregateprocessing plant.

The primary goal of the Hydropure thickener is to recycle as much water as possible at the point of use, ready for feeding back to the wash plant.

The MWS Equipment range of thickeners come in a variety of diameters of 6, 8, 10 and 12 metres. They are designed to handle various flow rates from 180 to 650 m³/hr of slurry and process up to 40 tonnes per hour of solids.

A well-designed and installed thickener system can recycle up to 90% of the original feed water supplied to the plant. This greatly reduces the amount of freshwater required. The use also vastly reduces the overall footprint of a plant as it reduces the need for large surface area settling ponds and the costs associated with operating such ponds.

The cyclone overflow (waste slurry) from the wash plant is directed to the Hydropure thickener, where an anti-turbulence feed chamber adds a small amount of flocculant to the waste stream. The dedicated makeup station prepared flocculant is used to combine the small

58

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

particles into larger sizes. These larger size particles then sink to the bottom of the Hydropure thickener, allowing the clean water to flow over the weir into the clarified water tank for direct reuse within the wash plant.

The particles that settle in the tank are collected in a lower cone section to be pumped from the thickener. The Hydropure is fitted with a centrifugal pump which is used to pump this waste sludge out of the thickener. This can either be to a settling pond or sludge holding tank for further processing by a filter press or similar.

The system is controlled from a dedicated standalone PLC system or can be combined into the MWS Equipment washing plant controls.

As a result, MWS Equipment says customers enjoy the flexibility to choose the best filtration technology for their production environment, along with being able to integrate the Hydropure into existing equipment.

Ben Frettsome, product line director, MWS Equipment, said: “In line with our core values of commitment, innovation and sustainability, we are diversifying our product range to supply our customers with a full product solution. MWS has been responsive and adaptive to change, with the outcome being our industryleading design which offers versatility and cost-efficiency.

The water management range showcases the very best of MWS engineering and, with almost infinite permutations across the wet processing sectors, enables us to deliver our customers truly

smarter water management solutions.”

Norman Kane, senior technical manager, MWS Equipment, added: “This is an exciting development for the business with the new product range complementing our core offering. Over the years, MWS Equipment has gained a great reputation for quality products and efficient service, and these are the standards to which MWS Equipment will thrive to emulate. The business will continue to expand to suit the demand of the industry, regularly releasing new products and increasing its coverage to service our partners and customers through its regional teams.”

MWS smart water treatment and process filtration solutions are designed to: • Increase productivity – using the latest water treatment and process filtration innovations • Improve quality – using proven technology to deliver consistent results • Drive sustainability – saving water, energy and consumables while reducing waste • Reduce operating costs – with solutions focused on a low total cost of ownership • Maximise efficiencies – through tailored technology that meets exact site requirements

www.mwswashing.com

ABOVE: MWS Equipment says a well-designed and installed thickener system can recycle up to 90% of the original feedwater supplied to the plant BELOW: The Hydropure thickener range logo

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FOR A FULL LIST OF EVENTS VISIT WWW.AGGBUSINESS.COM/DIARY | EVENTS

2021 OCTOBER 20-22 SIM 2021 Lille, France Tel: +33 (0) 1 53 10 14 70 Email: contact@lasim.org www.expositionsim.com

DECEMBER

JUNE

07-11: EXCON 2021 Bengaluru, India Organiser: CII Tel: +91 44 42444564 Email: excon@cii.in www.excon.in

21-23: Hillhead Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, Derbyshire, England Organiser: The QMJ Group Tel: +44 (0) 115 945 4377 Email: Harvey.sugden@qmj.co.uk www.hillhead.com

MEET THE TEAM

OCTOBER

JUNE 2022 21-23: Hillhead 2020 Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, Derbyshire, England

2022 21-23: IFAT Eurasia 2021 Istanbul, Turkey Organiser: Messe Munchen Tel: +90 212 241 81 71 Email: genc@mmi-eurasia.com www.ifat-eurasia.com/en/

MARCH 29-31: World of Asphalt 2022 Nashville, Tennessee Organisers: NAPA, AEM & NSSGA Tel: +1 (414) 274 0644 www.worldofasphalt.com

24-30: bauma Munich, Germany Organiser: Messe München Tel: +49 89 949 11348 Email: info@bauma.de www.bauma.de/en/

Aggregates Business travels the globe attending conferences, events and equipment shows, keeping you informed of the latest offerings. Come and join us for a chat at any of the events below.

OCTOBER 2022 24-30: bauma Munich, Germany

NOVEMBER 03-04: 4th Construction Equipment Forum Berlin 2021 Estrel Convention Center, Berlin Organiser: IPM AG Tel: +49 511 473 147 90 www.constructionforum.eu

MAY 05-07: RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre, Germany Organiser: Messe Karlsruhe Tel: +49 (0) 721 3720 2300 Email: verena.schneider@ messe-karlsruhe.de www.recycling-aktiv.com

These dates were correct at the time of going to press, but please note that the COVID-19 pandemic means some events may be rescheduled with little advance notice

ADVERTISERS INDEX Advertisers in AGGREGATES BUSINESS can now be contacted via their websites - for instant links to all the websites listed below, by category, go to: www.AggBusiness.com COMPANY

PAGE NO

WEBSITE

Ammann

p23

www.ammann.com

BKT

p37

www.bkt-tires.com

CAT

IFC

www.cat.com

CDE Global

p15

www.cdeglobal.com

Doosan

p53

www.eu.doosanequipment.com

Epiroc

p13

www.epiroc.com

Evoquip

p21

www.terex.com/evoquip

Hyundai

p4

http://aimhigh.hyundai-ce.eu

Komatsu Europe

p9

www.komatsu.eu

Matec

p47

www.matecindustries.com

Metso

OBC

www.mogroup.com

Terex Trucks

p27

TO EVENTS ON THE GO

https://www.terex.com/washing/en/ m1700x-washing-screener

Trimble

p18

www.trimble.com/insight

Volvo

p17

www.volvoce.com

Wirtgen

p7

www.wirtgen-group.com/kleemann

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www.constructiontv.tv Contact: Roger Adshead | radshead@ropl.com | +44 7768 178163

AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE September/October 2021

59

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