Quarry February 2022

FEBRUARY 2022

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

FEBRUARY 2022

QUARRYING IN THE BLOOD OF EXCAVATION BUSINESS How a family’s quarrying passions have assisted their long reach excavation business

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Why pit optimisation studies are ideal for identifying and extracting resources

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QUARRY

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www.quarrymagazine.com

QUARRY RESOURCE OPTIMISATION

VERSION 2.0 PROMISES PRODUCTIVITY BENEFITS Komatsu’s intelligent machine control technology is upgraded for its excavators and dozers

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IN THIS ISSUE FEBRUARY 2022

VOLUME 30, ISSUE 2

FEATURES 24 KOMATSU LAUNCHES NEW CLASS OF HYDROSTATIC DOZER Dozers that incorporate the latest iMC technology for industry-best efficiency and production.

26 HOW TO HIT THE SPOT IN MID-SIZED MACHINERY The swing radius is reduced in the latest Volvo excavator, with capable tech and an improved hydraulics system.

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OPTIMISED RESOURCE How pit optimisation studies can power the best means of extraction of a resource.

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27 RENTAL COMPANY UNVEILS 190-TONNE MONSTER IN THE BLOOD How a family’s quarrying passion has assisted its long reach excavation business.

Delta Rent has upped the ante for rental equipment with its latest hydraulic excavator.

30 INSIGHT: AN ENHANCED QUARRY MANAGEMENT TOOL Why Trimble Insight will be an integral tool in the enhancement of quarry management systems.

32 WASHING AND SCRUBBING COMBO PROVIDES FLEXIBILITY A US-based dredging operation has reported pleasing results after acquiring a three-piece washing and scrubbing plant.

34 WEIGHING SYSTEMS AIM TO ELIMINATE ‘BAD BATCHES’

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IMC VERSION 2.0 Komatsu upgrades its intelligent machine control tech for dozers and excavators.

FEBRUARY 2022

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

QUARRYING IN THE BLOOD OF EXCAVATION BUSINESS How a family’s quarrying passions have assisted their long reach excavation business

22

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QUARRY

Why pit optimisation studies are ideal for identifying and extracting resources

RARING TO GO A new excavator is assisting a NSW quarry’s ambition to expand into recycling.

FEBRUARY 2022

www.quarrymagazine.com

QUARRY RESOURCE OPTIMISATION

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A weighing solutions manufacturer is providing accuracy and reassurance for regulations compliance and recipe requirements for construction.

VERSION 2.0 PROMISES PRODUCTIVITY BENEFITS Komatsu’s intelligent machine control technology is upgraded for its excavators and dozers

COVER ADVERTISER: Komatsu Australia has released iMC 2.0 - an update to its intelligent machine control technology - that promises productivity and savings in its latest model dozers and excavators.

Turn to page 23 or visit komatsu.com.au

EVERY MONTH 04 FROM THE EDITOR 06 FROM THE PRESIDENT 08 NEWS THIS MONTH 44 IQA NEWS 46 GEOLOGY TALK Quarry February 2022 3

EDITORIAL

ENDURING A YEAR OF DISRUPTIONS – AND WORKING SMARTER

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n December I was cautious about suggesting 2022 would be a better year for everyone professionally after the trials of 2021. I believed we would need to work hard for success in the things we can control for 2022 – and create our own optimism. It seems my caution was not misplaced.

It’s been a dramatic two months since – the Omicron wave of COVID-19 completely tore up the playbook. After nearly two years of having not known of a single person infected with COVID-19, I know of people inside and outside the quarrying industry whose lives and families have been disrupted by the latest strain. All levels of government have, through insufficient or no planning, been caught out by the speed of this variant. With workers falling ill and close contacts forced into isolation, the supply chain has been severely disrupted – and that’s before you contemplate the long-term structural weaknesses in our economy.

Perhaps by the time you read this issue, Omicron will have peaked and the immediate supply chain shortages settled. Quarries are agile and resilient enough to operate on minimal manpower and automation, so the pace of production has likely slowed but not stopped. But that doesn’t scratch the surface of the structural weaknesses that will be keenly felt.

It was flagged in December (see page 10) that AdBlue could be in short supply due to domestic issues in China (although the Australian Government seems to have plugged that hole temporarily after a deal with Incitec Pivot). It’s common knowledge that new plant and equipment will be at a premium this year, with international bottlenecks to shipments of gear, spare parts and components to Australia.

Western Australia – logistically, politically and emotionally for some –

will remain as detached from the rest of Australia as ever.

As underlined by the recent labour shortages over summer, the industry will struggle to find sufficiently skilled labour in the years ahead to keep production ticking over and to undertake maintenance. As exciting as some of the technological innovations flagged to replace manual labour are, even that is threatened by a global shortage of silicon chips. And that’s before the quarrying industry considers more immediate supply chain issues – such as sourcing the raw materials to replace ageing infrastructure and support population growth.

What can be done? It’s about pressing on with the factors we can control.

It requires lateral thinking, product innovation, working smarter, building on strengths and ideas, and looking out for and supporting each other and our health and well-being. This year is also an election year – in South Australia, Victoria and federally. Talk to your MPs and other candidates at state and federal levels about the industry’s challenges and the measured, longterm policy approaches governments need to implement going forward.

There won’t be a quick fix – either in 2022 or 2023. The virus, with more strange variants to come, may eventually burn out but the structural gaps it has exposed will endure. As quarry professionals and Australians, we will have to think about how we adapt to these challenges – and it won’t simply be a case of “pushing through adversity” and reaping rewards on the other side (as many politicians with bravado would have us believe). It’s going to be a disruptive decade – and a lot of hard work. Let’s work smarter.

Published by:

THIS YEAR IS AN ELECTION YEAR. TALK TO YOUR MEMBERS AND OTHER CANDIDATES ABOUT THE INDUSTRY’S CHALLENGES AND THE LONGTERM POLICIES GOVERNMENTS MUST IMPLEMENT

11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au Publisher John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

KEEPING YOUR WORKERS VIGOROUS IN BODY – AND IN MIND The Institute of Quarrying

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s we move into March 2022, the past three months have underlined for everyone the importance of supply chains and the health and well-being of our workers.

Even though a good 90 per cent of adult Australians are fully vaccinated, the summer season has again taught us the importance of social distancing, wearing masks and staying safe and healthy. I urge all IQA members and other quarrying producers to maintain those practices and keep up with their vaccinations – it’s what has kept our industry running relatively smoothly around the country in the past two years.

The illnesses and the furloughing of workers across different industries in January reinforced the fragility and value of a skilled workforce and highlighted our challenge in the years ahead to recruit good, accomplished people for our industry.

As I’ve previously mentioned in this column, the industry can no longer wait for the future workforce to come to us. We have to attract people from all demographics and non-traditional areas of recruitment. Former airline pilots have spent the pandemic working in agricultural roles, and love it so much they may never fly planes again. Why couldn’t a taxi or Uber driver swap a motor vehicle for a dozer or a dump truck? How do we make operational roles attractive to young, middle-aged and mature workers alike? And once you recruit them, how do you keep them?

To retain good staff, you need to mentor and educate them.

Competition for labour will put pressure on wages but in paying your workers well, you will want to get as much value out of them into the future while ensuring they are competent across different aspects of the industry.

With a greater awareness and depth

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Quarry February 2022

Australia

of education and qualification, people can add more to your organisation.

So in this competitive process, we should focus less on wages and more on increasing productivity and discretionary effort by equipping and enabling our people with the latest skills, competencies and abilities.

Part of providing that depth of education is to utilise the IQA’s professional development activities.

Indeed, there are still vacancies open for the national conference in Newcastle from 29 to 31 March. The conference is the perfect avenue for people in your organisation to mix with other industry members and learn from peers. It also enables them to see that their efforts are recognised and that the IQA and the industry are committed to investing in their education.

If your workers receive constant recognition, they are more likely to stay in an organisation. They will appreciate the opportunities to do more tasks autonomously, to attend workshops and events and to report new insights back to management. By being the focus, workers will realise their contributions are valued and there are further opportunities for professional growth.

If you have rising stars and future leaders in your organisation, the investment in them is worth it. With one month until the conference, send your key people and ask them to purposely share what they learn with your organisation. They will appreciate the opportunity, the trust and responsibility that you accord them. Most importantly, they will be enthusiastic, engaged and healthy workers – vigorous in body and in mind.

SHANE BRADDY President Institute of Quarrying Australia

Educating and connecting the extractive and associated industries

quarry.com.au IF YOUR WORKERS RECEIVE RECOGNITION, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO STAY IN AN ORGANISATION.

The IQA’s Strategic Plan 2020 to 2025 embodies the following vision, values and strategic priorities: Vision: Educating and connecting the extractive and associated industries.

Values: • A safe and sustainable environment.

• Diversity and inclusion.

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

• Networking, connection, trust and communication.

Strategic Priorities: • Maximise outcomes for industry through education and sustainable practise.

• Increase our relevance.

• A high performing and sustainable organisation.

IQA CONTACTS: Phone: 02 9484 0577 Email: admin@quarry.com.au Chief Executive Officer Kylie Fahey Company Secretary Rod Lester For all education, member and branch enquires please email: admin@quarry.com.au.

Improving Operational Efficiency

We work with quarry operators to reduce CO2 emissions, improve efficiency and drive down production costs through digital transformation

info@cemagg.com +61 7 3051 0606 L2, 127 George Street Brisbane Q 4000 Australia cemagg.com

Know what’s in the ground | Extract it sustainably | Ensure compliance

NEWS

BORAL TURNS NEW LEAF, RECHARGES FOR 2022 AND BEYOND

Boral will remain in good hands as it pivots all of its focus to construction materials like concrete, asphalt, quarry products and cement.

Boral has set itself for a promising future, according to its 2021 annual and sustainability reports, after offloading its North American and Australian building products businesses, setting sustainability goals and targets, and managing a takeover offer from Seven Group Holdings.

The Boral of 2022 is a significantly different company to the building products and construction materials business of years gone by, epitomised by the “discontinued operations” column in its annual report.

Under this category lies its North American fly ash, roofing, stone, windows and light building products businesses (see page 12), Australian timber, masonry and roofing businesses and 50 per cent stake in USG Boral, which held its plasterboard

operations across Asia Pacific. Only its fly ash business remains to be sold off.

Boral CEO and managing director Zlatko Todorcevski, who commenced his role on 1 July, 2020, said the company’s new strategy was panning out nicely.

“I’m particularly pleased with the development of, and progress against, the new Boral strategy,” Todorcevski said.

“Our strategy is defined under four pillars – focus, position, redefine and extend.”

Boral Chairman Ryan Stokes commented in Boral’s annual reports that Seven Group Holdings’ desire to increase its investment in Boral reflects its confidence in the opportunity within Boral, and it is supportive of Boral’s management and strategy. It

‘AS WE REFOCUS ON OUR CORE AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS BUSINESS, WE HAVE ALSO REDEFINED BORAL’S PURPOSE – CREATING A WORLD FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL BE PROUD OF’ RYAN STOKES BORAL CHAIRMAN

also expects the company’s financial performance to continue to improve.

“As we refocus on our core Australian construction materials business, we have also redefined Boral’s purpose – creating a world future generations will be proud of,” he said.

The third pillar of the company’s refreshed strategy aims to “redefine” Boral through decarbonisation and adjacent growth to establish a clearer, competitive advantage.

Boral has a set target to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 46 per cent by 2030 from a 2019 baseline, in line with its aim to achieve carbon neutrality by no later than 2050.

Todorcevski said this mindset aims to deliver future growth for the company while also being the right thing to do.

A key lever of its decarbonisation plans is to accelerate the rollout of its proprietary lower carbon concrete products.

Boral will remain in good hands as it pivots all of its focus to its Australian construction materials business which includes concrete, asphalt, quarries and cement operations.

In FY2021, concrete and placing was Boral’s leading breadwinner with $1.2 billion in revenue, with asphalt the next largest, contributing just shy of $700 million in revenue. •

HOLCIM ‘FIRST MAJOR CUSTOMER’ FOR INDIGENOUS BUSINESS Holcim Australia has partnered with Wirrigan Business Services to secure a reliable provider of general waste management while supporting the employment of Indigenous Australians.

Wirrigan provides facilities, vehicle and marketing services to public and private organisations.

Holcim head of procurement for Australia and New Zealand Damien Sheehy said it was important the company supported Traditional Owners and their businesses.

“Our partnership with Wirrigan Business

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Services complements Holcim’s growing social procurement activities, focused on aligning our supplier spend with businesses that share our environmental, social and governance goals,” Sheehy said. “Wirrigan Business Services is a 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned business and we are proud to support them as their first major customer.”

“The agreement with a larger global company speaks volumes on Holcim’s commitment and determination to support the Indigenous business sector,” McNamara said.

Wirrigan managing director John McNamara said there was no greater compliment than partnering with a major construction materials supplier like Holcim.

Wirrigan was established in late 2020 and recenlty received certification from Supply Nation, which accredits wholly-Indigenous owned businesses. •

“The partnership will enable us to provide Aboriginal women a second chance at education, employment, and becoming community role models.”

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NEWS

ADBLUE TASKFORCE SAFEGUARDS AGAINST SHORTAGE ‘‘THE GOVERNMENT IS WORKING TO ENSURE WE DO NOT FACE ANY SHORTAGES. WE ARE PURSUING A RANGE OF Urea is a key ingredient in AdBlue and in turn the reduction of diesel emissions.

Australia’s supply of urea has been addressed by a Federal Government taskforce and backed by the quarrying industry, against fears of a shortage.

The chemical compound is a key ingredient in the diesel exhaust fluid, AdBlue, which works to reduce emissions from diesel vehicles.

do not face any shortages. We are pursuing a range of measures to address global pressures in the urea market. We will keep our trucks running and Australian motorists on the road.”

As Australia’s road haulage fleets are heavily regulated to reduce diesel emissions, the non-use of AdBlue could take thousands of trucks off our roads.

The government’s AdBlue Taskforce will include a range of experts from throughout Australia’s supply chain, including Manufacturing Australia chair James Fazzino, former Dow Chemical Company chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris and Australia’s chief scientist Cathy Foley.

But the Federal Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor has outlined the government’s plan to mitigate any such risks.

Cement, Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) chief executive officer Ken Slattery told Quarry he had full faith in the Taskforce to ensure Australian supply chains.

“We are quickly and actively working to ensure supply chains of both refined urea and AdBlue are secure,” Taylor said. “Global supply pressures, stemming from increased domestic use in China, have led to international issues in securing refined urea, which is key to producing AdBlue.

This is exacerbated by the global shortage of natural gas, the essential ingredient used to make urea.

“It’s a pretty impressive working group and I’d be surprised if they can’t sort things out,” Slattery said.

“I can assure Australians that the government is working to ensure we

MEASURES TO ADDRESS GLOBAL PRESSURES IN THE UREA MARKET’ ANGUS TAYLOR FEDERAL MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY, ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION

While there have been increasing reports about Australia running dry of urea, Slattery said there wasn’t cause for concern.

“There is no doubt that people are getting pretty nervous around the issue and there are some signs of hoarding and panic buying that’s causing restrictions in supply,” Slattery said.

“Everything we’re hearing from the

government is positive. We know there are some pressures, but provided everyone is doing the right thing, there’s no reason we should run into difficulty.”

AdBlue can be used in a number of diesel exhaust applications, meaning a shortage would affect a range of parts to the supply chain.

But Dean Gaedtke, the chairman of the Construction Machinery and Equipment Industry Group (CMEIG) and Komatsu Australia’s executive general manager for construction, told Quarry that constant connection with suppliers and the wider supply chain would help groups in the quarrying and construction sectors.

“What’s important is that we don’t panic buy. The best thing we all can do is work closely with our suppliers to have good visibility of the supply chain,” Gaedtke said. “As distributors, the OEMs in earthmoving don’t consume hundreds of thousands of litres of AdBlue. But certainly our customers at the end of the supply chain might do, so that visibility is important.”

Gaedtke echoed Slattery’s calls for calm as the government did its job securing Australia’s AdBlue supply.

“Certainly it created a lot of concern among our customers as various media started highlighting it and the obvious concern was being able to use their equipment if they run out of AdBlue,” Gaedtke said.

“But it’s not like we’re going to burn up three months of AdBlue in a few weeks.

And we have to be careful of how much we’re stockpiling because it also has a shelf life of around 12 months.” •

VIC REGULATOR TICKS OFF QUARRY EXPANSIONS Victoria’s Earth Resources Regulation has given in-principle approval to expand two quarries owned by Holcim Australia and JH Cuthbertson respectively.

The decision represented the state’s prioritisation of its infrastructure, with both sites already on the extractive industry priority list which streamlines key projects across Victoria.

Holcim applied to expand a storage area at its Oaklands Junction Quarry north of Melbourne, and JH Cuthbertson requested to expand an extraction pit at its quarry

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in Jindivick, east of Melbourne.

Both proposals satisfied the Regulator’s checks for geotechnical, environmental and public adequacy, and will now progress to stages of public consultation and planning permits with their respective local councils.

Earth Resources Regulation executive director Anthony Hurst said these were two among many applications to improve Melbourne’s capacity for growth.

“Earth Resources Regulation is continuing to assess a high number of applications to lift production at quarries around

Melbourne and across regional Victoria,” Hurst said.

“A final decision will be made on these proposals once the local council planning application and public consultation process is complete.”

Oaklands Junction is a hard rock quarry about 25 kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD. JHC’s Jindivick Quarry has operated since 1978, providing products for landscaping, construction and roads, and agricultural laneways and driveways. •

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NEWS

POROUS LANE IMPROVES BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The University of Melbourne has helped an ambitious manufacturer to develop highly permeable pavements from recycled tyres to improve water supplies and reduce pollution.

Porous Lane has developed its environmentally friendly pavements in consultation with a range of relevant parties including Councils, urban planners, Tyre Stewardships Australia and Sustainability Victoria.

The first product was trialled at a carpark in South Australia in 2019 and research found the site needed less maintenance than traditional methods while improving cost efficiency, traffic loading and water infiltration.

About three old tyres were used per square metre, to remove more than 1000 tyres from landfill in one project.

A geotechnical engineer from the University, Mahdi Disfani, said the collaboration with industry was key to its success.

“The reason we’ve had so much momentum is because we involved everyone and listened to them,” Disfani said.

“For example, our product was developed in the lab but it has to be laid outside, so we learned a lot about the procedure that councils’ contractors use on site.” •

BORAL TO EXIT NORTH AMERICA WITH FLY ASH IN GOOD HANDS ‘THIS CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP TO ECO MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE A POSITIVE OUTCOME FOR OUR PEOPLE AND CUSTOMERS IN THE FLY ASH BUSINESS’ ZLATKO TODORCEVSKI BORAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR

Boral’s announced agreement to sell its North American fly ash business to Eco Materials Technologies will see it exit North America.

in recent months, the company will decide the best way to return the net proceeds from the sale to shareholders.

The sale consideration for the fly ash business of $USD755 million ($AUD1 billion) will result in Boral divesting its North American businesses for more than $AUD4 billion ($USD3 billion).

Todorcevski said the strategy to hone Boral’s focus to Australia had continued according to plan.

Boral chief executive officer and managing director Zlatko Todorcevski said Boral had sought the most suitable candidate for the business.

“We have undertaken a rigorous and competitive process to determine the best outcome for Boral in relation to the fly ash business and we are pleased to announce an agreement to sell the business to Eco Material Technologies (EMT),” he said.

EMT, which is backed by One Equity Partners and Quadrant Management, will become the owner of a leading fly ash source in the United States.

“Eco Material Technologies is dedicated to decarbonising the materials industry through scalable and proven technological solutions,” said EMT director Grant Quasha.

As with Boral’s previous sales

A quartz quarry is on sale 140km north of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, fully approved with plant and equipment on offer – and ready to operate.

The hard sandstone is 90 per cent quartz and holds its own niche in the north of New South Wales.

Approval has been secured to operate until 2041 and the business has held contracts from the Queensland border (140 kilometres north) down to Port Macquarie (300km south).

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Todorcevski recognised the contribution of the fly ash business and its employees to Boral.

“Boral has owned and operated fly ash businesses in the US for some 40 years,” he said. “It has been an important part of Boral’s history and we value the contribution our employees and customers in North America have made to Boral over that time.

“This change of ownership to Eco Materials Technologies, which is focused on growing the business, will be a positive outcome for our people and customers in the fly ash business.” •

NSW QUARRY READY FOR OFF-THE-SHELF SALE

Originally a family-owned business, Sly’s Quarry has been developed into a 500,000-tonne per year operation.

Porous Lane’s permeable concrete is made of roughly 50 per cent recycled tyres.

“For Boral’s shareholders, we have now unlocked substantial value through a successful divestment program,” he said. “This is a significant milestone that supports our strategy to refocus on our construction materials business in Australia.”

Ray White Yamba real estate agent Daniel Kelly told Quarry the local area is ready for this quarry to

take it to the next level.

“There’s a fair bit of development underway in our area including land subdivisions and other projects. This particular quarry just secured a contract for one of those subdivisions,” Kelly said.

The list of plant and equipment available to bundle with the property includes everything from loaders to excavators, crushers and trucks.

Kelly said the property was ready and waiting for the next family to pick up where the previous operator left off.

“There’s a fairly long list of plant and equipment that can be included so it can essentially be a fully operational quarry ready for the new owner on the settlement day,” he said. •

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NEWS

BASALT QUARRY SALE DRAWS ‘ASTRONOMICAL’ DEMAND The Bylong Quarry in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley has been sold to a private operator after a six-month search, with four lots covering 67ha now back up and running.

The basalt quarry was sold

by Savills on behalf of Gayle Dickerson and Stephen Vaughan of KPMG and was said to have “limited competing stock”.

Savills senior executive Selin Ince said the quarry and those like it were integral to NSW’s ongoing infrastructure developments.

“The Federal and State Governments are committed to a variety of regional infrastructure projects, which will continue to drive demand for extractive industry resources such as basalt,” Ince said.

“This was an incredibly competitive campaign as it was the first time the property had been on the market since 2013 and demand was astronomical. Mining is, and will always be, a highly competitive asset class.”

The property listing highlighted the asset’s highly strategic location, as it lies along a principal thoroughfare of regional NSW. The basalt resource is highly important in the production of roadways, concreting, rail lines and other key infrastructure, ensuring the buyer will be set up to profit from the region’s ongoing growth. •

TOOWOOMBA QUARRY REHAB STRATEGY COMES INTO FOCUS ‘STRATEGY ONE CONSIDERS THE ‘PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE’ TO MAKING THE SITE STABLE, BUT STILL REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT MATERIAL TO BE HAULED INTO SITE’ CAROL TAYLOR COMMITTEE CHAIR COUNCILLOR, TOOWOMBA REGIONAL COUNCIL

The Toowoomba Regional Council has narrowed its focus down to two strategies to rehabilitate the Bridge Street Quarry, with a preference for the ‘path of least resistance’.

The Toowoomba Regional Council’s Infrastructure Committee knocked six strategies down to two finalists in the road to rehabilitation, nine months after geotechnical analysis was performed at the dormant operation.

The 120-year-old basalt quarry has been the subject of numerous assessments in recent years, including one by KPMG in 2019, to investigate possible development options.

Committee chair Councillor Carol Taylor said the two strategies elected from the Rehabilitation Strategy Report were numbers one and four.

“In the Report, strategy four seeks to remove and address instability and risk areas associated with the Central Bench and associated faces by reducing the height of the central bench, to provide a flat even platform to allow for potential future development as appropriate. Material from this will be used to reprofile the Central Bench eastern face,” Taylor said.

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Council considered convenience and safety as the two major factors in narrowing down the six strategies, with the potential for tourism dollars a driving force in the project.

“This could be a tourist attraction that brings in visitors from all across Australia and internationally but before we get it to that point we need to rehabilitate the site,” Taylor said.

“The first step was initial safety works, including new fencing, and this has been followed by Council undertaking geotechnical investigations and design works for the rehabilitation of the site.”

The Council expects to receive the detailed design of the preferred rehabilitation strategies before the end of the March quarter, 2022, allowing time to consider funding in the 2022-23 Budget. •

SOUTH AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES SAND PUMPING PIPELINE The consultation period has now closed for a sand pumping pipeline between Adelaide’s Semaphore South and West Beach, with 100,000m3 of sand in the balance.

The South Australian Government’s $48.4 million Securing the future of our coastline project has been in place since 2019 and looks to make up for 20 years’ worth of sand lost to natural erosion.

The SA Department of Environment and Water is proposing to install a 10km sand pumping system from Semaphore South to West Beach, expanding upon previous stretches of the system further south of Adelaide.

Bylong Quarry, northwest of Sydney, has been sold to a private investor.

“Strategy one considers the ‘path of least resistance’ to making the site stable, however, still requires significant material to be hauled into site. This strategy maintains the site in its current landform and focuses on installation of management techniques such as bunding and fencing.”

To date, two sections of sand pumping system have been constructed: a 7km system between Glenelg and Kingston Park, and a 2km

system from the Torrens Outlet dunes to West Beach Parks.

“The Glenelg system has been operating effectively on an annual basis since 2013. The West Beach system was operated successfully from 2013 until 2017, but has not been used in the last four years due to coastal management considerations,” the planning proposal read.

The first stages of the project involved the identification of sand sources, such as quarries and healthier beaches, as well as the design of pipelines such as the Semaphore to West Beach project.

With these tasks accounted for and construction approval now pending, the SA Government is moving closer to putting shovels in the ground to allow for replenished beaches and more enjoyable summers in Adelaide. •

CLARENCE VALLEY QUARRY FOR SALE Mororo Lot 2 Tullymorgan-Jackybulbin Road

SALE Contact Agent • • • • • • •

“Sly’s Quarry” is a fully approved and operational quarry Set on just over 357ha in the Clarence Valley Approval to operate through to 2041 Annual capacity of 500,000 tonnes The approved quarry area of the site is 28 hectares The quarry is hard sandstone of approximately 90% quartz Located just over 2.5kms from the Pacific Highway

Daniel Kelly 0408 669 646 daniel.kelly@raywhite.com Ray White Yamba 02 6645 8000

*approx

raywhiteyamba.com

PRODUCT FOCUS

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

REMOTE COMMS SERVICE SOLUTION Active Weighing Solutions (AWS) now offers a remote service solution to monitor and service its customers’ weigh control instruments without coming to site. Remote services available from AWS technicians include fault finding and breakdowns, plus routine calibration. Once logged on, AWS service technicians can assess the weight signal and weighing equipment, operating parameters, be it loss in weight system, batch weigher, belt weigher or weigh screw, as examples. With information coming through at about 100 times per second, the tool provides an accurate picture of the weighing activity and performance.

For more information: Active Weighing Solutions, activeweighing.com.au

ADT WITH DRY BRAKE SYSTEM The YX657HD articulated wheel loader adds yet another string to the bow of Olympus Loaders, which include the YX667HD (pictured) and the YX677HD. The 18-tonne YX657HD machine offers a 164kW Cummins engine, ZF transmission and Meritor diffs. All Olympus models run a dry brake system combining air over hydraulic disc brakes which are self-cleaning and easy to maintain. The YX657 can also be converted into a forklift or have a four-in-one bucket added, thanks to a hydraulic hitch for quick changes between attachments.

For more information: Olympus Loaders, olympusloaders.com.au

WF WEIGH BELT FEEDERS Tecweigh’s WF series of weigh belt feeders start with a strong, rugged, fully welded structural steel frame to lay the foundation for a long life of accurate weighing. They are backed by high quality components, from belts to bearings, load cells to lagging, and the feeder is coupled to any one of Tecweigh’s weight processors. The WF range single idler weigh belt feeders are designed for accuracy of ±0.5 per cent and can accommodate tonnages from 0.5 to 250 tonnes per hour. The WF dual idlers are also designed with an accuracy of ±0.25 per cent. The feeders can also be custom-designed for even greater capacities. See page 34 for more details.

For more information: Tecweigh, tecweigh.com.au

CLEANER, LONG LIFE LUBRICANT Mobil DTE 10 Excel runs cleaner and lasts longer than its predecessors. It is designed to meet the needs of modern, high pressure, industrial and mobile equipment, running cleaner and lasting longer, even in extremely hot conditions. An added benefit of DTE 10 is its longevity over varying temperatures compared to similar oils in the market. To learn more about DTE 10 and other Mobil lubricants, turn to page 38.

For more information: Ampol Australia, ampol.com.au/fuels-and-oils/lubricants/business/ industry-solutions/agriculture/hydraulic-oil

16

Quarry February 2022

1

IQ

10

I Q A N AT I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E

29 – 31 MARCH 2022, NEWCASTLE NSW

REASONS

TO ATTEND

JOIN US IN NEWCASTLE MARCH 29–31 2022

QUALITY PROGRAM incorporating two full days of conference sessions EXCEPTIONAL SPEAKERS providing the opportunity to learn and develop MEET new suppliers and industry contacts at our largest exhibition to date LEARN from expert speakers NETWORK across three social functions TAKEAWAY practical tools to implement in your workplace REFRESH your knowledge on the extractive and associated industries ENJOY our host city of Newcastle CONNECT with industry colleagues both old and new SUPPORT your industry association – the Institute of Quarrying Australia INTRODUCING SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS

The Institute of Quarrying of Australia • P PO Box 1779, Milton BC, QLD. 4064 • W quarry.com.au

SURVEYING, MAPPING, PLANNING

UNDERTAKING RESOURCE OPTIMISATION IN YOUR QUARRY

Pit optimisation studies are useful for not only identifying a given resource, but insight into the best sequences for extraction. Jackie Gauntlett explains some of the processes necessary to derive the most value from the resource and also make significant savings in time and investment.

A

pit optimisation study determines the most valuable pit for a given resource.

To undertake this study, we use Deswik.CAD mining software which utilises an algorithm known as “Pseudoflow”. The algorithm calculates the optimal pit based on the geology of a quarry deposit and the cost and revenue from each part of it to determine how it should be extracted to maximise NPV. In order to do this, the algorithm takes into account three primary types of information: 1. G eological model – converted to a block model at the appropriate resolution, typically around the size of the smallest mineable unit. The block model contains geological information such as the designation between waste and ore material types and in-situ density for each material type. eotechnical parameters to inform the 2. G required mining slopes. For each block in the model, the model needs details of which blocks must be removed to uncover valuable material.

Best case

Worst case

(shell-by-shell)

(bench-by-bench)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 8

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 8

Figure 2. Illustration of the different mining approaches which can be employed in an open pit extraction to recover the valuable material (hashed polygon).

3. E conomic parameters – the value in dollars of each block once it has been uncovered.

In the case of a waste block this will be negative and will be the cost of extraction, loading, and haulage. In the case of an ore block, the extraction, loading, and haulage costs will be offset by the value of the recovered ore, less any processing, sales, and other associated costs. Any block which can, during mining, be separated RF 0.5 Pit

RF 1 Pit

RF 1.5 Pit

into waste and ore is given a value which reflects this.

The Pit Optimisation process generates an array of nested pit shells, also known as incremental pit shells. Each of these shells is allocated a Revenue Factor (RF) defined as: (incremental cost)/(incremental revenue). For example, at RF = 0.5, the revenue obtained from this incremental shell is equal to twice the cost outlay to realise those revenues.

RF 2 Pit

Nested Shells

Profit

Max Profit

RF 0.5

RF 1.0

RF 1.5

RF 2.0

Figure 1. Nested (incremental) pit shells at various revenue factors are shown, along with a graph showing that profit is maximised at the RF = 1 pit shell.

18

Quarry February 2022

Figure 3. Plan view of nested (incremental) pit shells defining two interim phases and the final optimal pit phase (Stage 3).

Similarly, at a RF = 1 pit shell, the incremental cost equals the incremental revenue for that pit shell, meaning that for that increment there are zero profits. The RF = 1 pit shell is thus known as the Maximum Economic Pit. A key realisation here is that pit shells with RF > 1, will start destroying value because the costs start increasing more rapidly than the revenue, thus decaying your overall profits (see Figure 1, below on opposite page).

Although the RF = 1 pit shell represents the maximum economic pit, It is important to note that it is unlikely to be the optimal pit (as defined by maximum NPV). The RF = 1 pit shell will only represent the optimal pit if there is no “time value of money” consideration (i.e. there is no cash flow discounting and the assumption is that the entire pit can be mined instantaneously (i.e. in one period / year)).

As this is likely not possible, it is important to account for the time-value of money and discount the revenue from each subsequent period. Doing this means that the optimal pit is always less than RF = 1, usually in the range of RF = 0.6 to RF = 0.9.

Shallower pits with less overburden / lower costs generally optimise towards higher RF, and deeper pits with more overburden / higher costs optimise towards lower RF. During the study a number of interim pit shells between the current pit and the optimal pit may become apparent as natural pit stage shells. These can be used to stage the pit designs and resource extraction optimally.

DETERMINATION OF THE OPTIMAL PIT The optimal pit shell is selected by determining which pit shell maximises NPV when revenue is discounted across the life of the quarry.

However, it is important to note that the mining sequence employed has a significant effect on which pit shell NPV maximises at. For example, mining a pit bench-by-bench (the Worst Case approach) brings forward overburden stripping and delays access to what could be high revenue blocks at depth (thereby delaying cashflow). This delay could result in the lowered value of high value blocks due to discounting over time. Corollary, the Best Case approach would be to mine the optimal pit, shell-by-shell.

To illustrate this concept, Figure 2 (above, opposite page) shows two different approaches to the extraction of an orebody.

The Best Case approach would be one where each nested pit shell is mined to completion before starting the next. This means that waste stripping, and costs associated, are realised only when necessary to access the ore below.

Figure 4. Oblique view of nested (incremental) pit shells defining two interim phases and the final optimal pit phase (Stage 3).

This is a shell-by-shell approach.

The Worst Case approach is bench-bybench. Waste stripping is brought forward in the schedule, negatively impacting NPV. It is not always operationally possible to mine according to the Best Case approach.

The reality is usually in between the best and worst case approaches and thus in order to select the optimal pit, it is common practice to use the average NPV of the two. Figure 3 ((opposite page) illustrates this.

For a hypothetical deposit, the best case approach optimises very close to the pit shell representing RF = 1.00, with a discounted NPV of ~$50m. The worst case approach optimises at the pit shell representing RF = 0.73, with a discounted NPV of ~$28m. However, given that neither the best, or worst, case approaches are likely in reality an average is chosen with an RF = 0.79 and a discounted NPV of ~$35m.

Thus the RF = 0.79 pit shell should be used to define the Optimal pit and drive pit design and detailed scheduling studies.

Note that for the average case approach, the NPV begins to decrease at RF shells > 0.79.

This illustrates that in order to mine incremental pit shells greater than RF = 0.79 cost outlay will exceed revenues (in discounted terms). Of course, it should be further noted that should the operation exercise excellent scheduling and mining practices, or should costs decrease or revenue increase, it is possible that the optimal pit could be at a higher RF than that which the peak of the average approach established, thereby increasing the life of the quarry. Similarly if poor mining practices are followed, or costs increase, or revenue decrease, it could optimise at a lower RF, thus decreasing life of the quarry.

STAGING EXTRACTION A pit optimisation study can also provide insight into the best sequence of extraction to

obtain the optimal pit. Figure 3 and Figure 4 (above) shows the progression from Stage 1 (yellow) through Stage 2 (orange) and finally to the Optimal Pit Stage 3 (green).

CONSTRAINTS, LIMITATIONS OF PIT OPTIMISATION STUDIES It cannot be emphasised enough that the outcome of a pit optimisation study is only as good as the assumptions being used.

It is essential that a robust geological and geotechnical model is in place as well as a good understanding of costs and revenues.

As it is likely that the understanding of these assumptions will change over time, or as the quarry responds to market forces (e.g. changes their product mix). As such, this optimisation should be periodically reassessed.

Finally, stakeholders should be aware that a pit optimisation study is a strategic long term planning tool. It assists in the identification of where to start extraction (in the case of a greenfields site), how to progress extraction over the life of the quarry, and the maximum economic pit extent for a resource. Knowing this extent can provide crucial information with regards to tenement management or other stakeholder engagement. Further it assists in the selection of staged pit shells to guide staged pit designs and short term to long term scheduling.

Although a high level approach is created to help decide the optimal pit, the pit optimisation study does not produce a feasible life of quarry schedule. This needs to be carried out in a scheduling package once pit designs are in place. • Jackie Gauntlett is the principal economic geologist for Cement & Aggregate Consulting (aka Cemagg). For more information, email jackie.gauntlett@cemagg.com or visit cemagg.com

Quarry February 2022 19

LOAD & HAUL

A LONG REACH EXCAVATION SERVICE –

WITH QUARRYING IN THE BLOOD

Long reach excavation work is associated largely with dredging and bulk earthworks. An excavation service proprietor tells Quarry how his family’s background and expertise in the extractive industries has enabled their business to implement long reach excavation techniques in the quarrying application.

J

B Lewis Longreach Excavations & Dredging Contractors (aka JB Excavations) is a family-owned and -operated company based in Londonderry, about 64km west of Sydney, New South Wales. The company specialises in long reach excavation and dredging work, for the quarrying, maritime, construction, mining and private sectors. The works comprise of dam and channel desilting and cleaning, deep excavations, marine dredging, silt and tails management and rehabilitation. It also works closely with private quarrying operations.

JB Excavations is managed by operations manager Jason Lewis, his two sons Billy and Daniel, and daughter Kristal. While the business has traded for 10 years, the family itself has worked in other businesses servicing the Greater Sydney Region over three decades.

“My eldest son Billy and I started JB Excavations in 2012,” Jason Lewis told Quarry.

“I have been working in the quarry industry all my life. I started with my father in the late 1980s in his sand and soil quarry at Yarramundi, on the Nepean River.

“From there, I started with Amatek [which became Rocla, now part of Hanson Construction Materials] in 1990, and I worked throughout New South Wales at all of Rocla’s quarries as an operator and relief quarry manager/supervisor. My son Billy went straight from school into the quarry game; he started as an operator and worked his way up to quarry supervisor, then quarry manager.”

LONG REACH EXCAVATORS JB Excavations’ fleet consists of a broad range of machines – including excavators, dozers, graders, front end loaders, dump trucks, skid steers and tipper trucks – but the company has become renowned for its nine long reach excavators which Lewis has bought

20

Quarry February 2022

JB Excavations’ long reach excavators can free up dump trucks carting silt to the dump site and eliminate road spillage and clean-up.

off three OEMs: Caterpillar (four), Komatsu (one) and Hyundai (four). Lewis’s most recent acquisition is the 48-tonne Hyundai R480LC-9, whose reach spans 22 metres and features a maximum dig depth of 17m. JB Excavations also has a four-metre extension arm if needed.

“Our core business is long reach excavation and dredging works, mainly in silt and tailings dams,” he said. “We also offer dry hire for our customers as long as they have an experienced long reach operator. We’ve done bridge pile dredging works for bridge demolitions, our long reach machines have also been on the WestConnex and NorthConnex tunnel projects.

We also did some work on the Garden Island dredging project a couple of years ago where we had two long reach machines unloading barges of dredge spoil.

It is not as well known that long reach excavators are suitable for quarrying applications. Lewis said the long reach excavators were in high demand among his quarry clients, and the most popular of his

machines. “Our long reach excavators with dredge pump attachments can free up dump trucks carting silt to the dump site and eliminate road spillage and clean-up. With our long reach and dredge pumps, we can extract 150m3 to 200m3 per hour, By pumping the silt with our set-up of one machine and operator, we’re saving the quarry operators time and money that would be spent loading and hauling the raw materials.”

In one quarry, Lewis added, his long reaches not only dredge the sand and soil, he is also responsible for processing the materials.

“For our main customer, we are extracting sand and soil, from beginning to end,” he said. “My son Billy oversees and manages the process. My contract with the operator is to extract all his sand and soil products, load, screen and process the sand in the wash plant, and create a concrete sand.”

CAMPAIGN WORK To that end, JB Excavations offers quarry

producers and other construction-affiliated customers more than just equipment hire, it can provide the expertise and personnel to undertake significant contract work. “We have up to seven permanent employees,” Lewis said, “but we use a lot of skilled contractors that we’ve worked with for a long time or, depending on the job, we can recruit more people.”

JB Excavations has previously offered crushing and screening services. Lewis said crushing and screening no longer has the prominence in his business it once had but he can procure mobile crushers and screens to undertake a job when required.

JB Excavations’ operations and services are not confined to NSW; they can be utilised Australia-wide. “We do remote and interstate work, from places as diverse as Canberra to the Northern Territory. We’ll travel anywhere the work is required,” Lewis said, fresh from a fourmonth FIFO contract in the Top End. “Recently, in the Northern Territory, we had to clean out a large tailings dam, and the

job was time critical due to the window of opportunity in the dry season,” he elaborated.

“COVID protocols caused us some delays with being able to fly into the NT because I had to do two weeks’ quarantine in Howard Springs. But I advertised for an experienced long reach operator to start before I finished my quarantine. I found a guy who got started, and once I finished quarantine, we worked around the clock to complete the job on time and under budget.”

Lewis explained “wet” machine hire was more suitable for his niche quarrying customers, compared to “trying and buying” gear from OEMs/dealers or buying low hour machines from auctioneers. “First, we have a proven track record of getting the job done on time and on budget,” he said. “We are resultsdriven and we’re always looking to improve our productivity. It’s no problem buying the machines but then you must man the machine.

You need to be experienced and know your game. If you don’t, it costs you more money on wasted time due to poor performance

Actionable Insights

and productivity. We can offer fixed price rates by the cubic metre or the tonne for dredging, screening, crushing, processing, silt management and load and haul requirements.

We can also offer our customers competitive hourly hire rates.”

JB Excavations has fortunately surfed the ebbs and flows of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lewis recognises the importance of having skilled, competent personnel in his organisation and training and growing his workforce to meet demand. He also anticipates that with current international delays in plant and equipment delivery, there may be more demand for rental plant and equipment, as well as skilled operators, from quarries and other construction companies.

Lewis is confident JB Excavations will be equipped to deal with the rise in demand.

“We’re always willing to assist, whenever and wherever we’re needed,” he said. • For more information about JB Excavations’ services, visit jbexcavations.com.au or lewislongreachexcavatorhire.com.au

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See target vs. actual production, delays, downtime and more, so you have the confidence to make more informed decisions. Insight supports a mixed fleet of all your loaders, excavators, haul trucks, and conveyor belts to track productivity from the pit to stockpile.

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LOAD & HAUL

VERSION 2.0 CONTROL OFFERS PRODUCTIVITY BENEFITS

Komatsu has released a significant update to its intelligent Machine Control (iMC) technology, known as iMC 2.0, that delivers major productivity, efficiency and cost saving advantages to its latest model “intelligent” dozers and excavators.

T

he new technology is available on Komatsu’s D71EXi/PXi-24 and D61EXi/ PXi-24 dozers and PC210LCi-11, PC290LCi-11 and PC360LCi-11 excavators. iMC 2.0 advances the automation capabilities of these machines, with factory integrated enhancements including two multi-constellation GNSS antennas. These assist iMC dozer operations on slopes, while new generation excavator hydraulic cylinders incorporate Komatsu’s stroke sensing technology with a factory inertial monitoring unit (IMU) sensor attached to the tilting attachment, automating the tilting function.

In addition, iMC 2.0 features all new “intelligent” high resolution touchscreen monitors, purpose designed for each machine type, that provide accurate displays of machine operating conditions, and the jobsite design.

Operators can customise split-screen views for optimum views of their tasks, while an easy-to-use multi-touch navigation system provides real time information on bulk earthmoving, grading, digging and finishing. iMC 2.0 is now available on the newly-released D71EXi/PXi-24 and D61EXi/PXi-24 dozers.

These combine to ensure greater accuracy and increased response speeds, according to Aaron Marsh, Komatsu Australia’s national product and solution manager for the SmartConstruction and Integrated Machine Control Division.

“Our new iMC 2.0 products, services and digital solutions incorporate a host of advanced machine technologies – some exclusive to Komatsu – allowing users to integrate sophisticated productivity-enhancing automation and cutting edge jobsite design into their operations,” he said.

“By applying Komatsu dantotsu (unique and unrivalled) principles, this technology delivers distinct benefits with automated and semiautomated dozer and excavator operations.”

IMC 2.0 DOZER FEATURES Available initially on Komatsu’s D71EXi/ PXi-24 and D61EXi/PXi-24 dozers, iMC 2.0 automatically controls the blade so that it closely follows the target surface, controlling cut depth while avoiding track shoe-slip.

The exclusive features of iMC 2.0 on dozers include Lift Layer Control, and Tilt Steering Control. With Lift Layer Control, the dozer automatically spreads fill material from existing areas of the worksite with the press of a button, then measures the terrain it is tracking over – and using that data to plan the next pass.

“This feature allows the design surface to be created from as-built data, and can cover lift work,” Marsh said. “Compared with conventional dozing practices, production rates are doubled, plus – because it’s 100 per cent automatic while automatics are engaged – each layer is consistent and accurate.”

The one-touch Tilt Steering Control feature frees the operator from having to steer the dozer to maintain a straight heading by continuously and automatically tilting the blade as required to maintain straight-line travel.

“This results in greatly reduced operator

fatigue because operator input is reduced by up to 80 per cent, compared with a conventional dozer,” Marsh said. “And straightline travel guarantees a cleaner cut, along with increased productivity.”

Other features of iMC 2.0 on Komatsu’s latest dozers include: • Quick surface creation, letting the operator create a temporary design service at the press of a button. The machine begins spreading or stripping using automatic modes while awaiting finish-grade designs.

The operator simply sets the elevation, fall and cross-fall, and gets to work.

• Proactive dozing control, allowing the dozer to perform dozing and carrying tasks by using the as-built data the machine has collected in previous passes – creating a target blade trajectory by offsetting its collected as-built data. This allows the machine to minimise undulations and undercutting, with work carried out as smoothly and efficiently as if it were being done by a highly experienced operator.

• Manual co-ordination control, enabling the operator to manually adjust blade tilt or lift in cases where the actual surface and the design surface don’t match; automatic operations resume once the steering lever is set back to neutral. The system is designed to be flexible enough that the operator can adjust the work/blade positions as required by jobsite conditions.

• Faster blade response on grade breaks, letting the operator briefly increase blade reactivity in transitions between different grade angles, to avoid over- or underdigging, and maintain accuracy.

“In addition to these new features, our iMC 2.0 dozers include two integrated GNSS antennas, which are able to receive location signals from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDoun and QZSS satellites,” Marsh said.

“They also include a new GNSS receiver control box, incorporating an LTE modem for

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Quarry February 2022

w

remote access, and a digital transceiver for GNSS correction information.

“These combine to ensure higher positioning accuracy due to increased satellite availability, and the ability to work continuously and accurately regardless of how remote the site is, or where there’s vegetation or in steep terrain. Through our automatic dozing capabilities, Komatsu machines equipped with iMC 2.0 technology make every pass count, from bulk cutting out to final trim work.

“This assists customers to achieve superior production rates and lower construction costs compared with traditional aftermarket machine control systems,” he said.

IMC 2.0 EXCAVATOR FEATURES Komatsu’s new PC210LCi-11, PC290LCi-11 and PC360LCi-11 include iMC 2.0 to ensure greater productivity gains for end-users.

“The accuracy and automatic grading capabilities of our existing iMC machines has been enhanced with features that increase ease of operation and finish quality, while

significantly reducing cycle times,” Marsh said.

“Automatic features, such as Auto Grade Assist and Auto Tilt Control let the operator relax and focus on productivity, without worrying about overdigging. These two features keep the bucket edge precisely ongrade, while increasing bucket fill factors.” iMC 2.0’s Auto Tilt automatically tilts the bucket to design, then returns it to horizontal to unload, so that achieving final grade is quicker and easier.

“This increases ease of operation on slope and ditch work, automatically limiting underdigging and increasing bucket fill – making delivering final grade quicker and easier,” Marsh said. “It’s ideal to use with tilting buckets, particularly on slopes, ditches and complex designs.”

The Auto Grade Assist function includes a bucket angle hold feature, which lets the operator select the desired bucket angle, then the system automatically holds this angle through the grading pass.

“This makes final grading and trimming work

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easier, while allowing the operator to manually intervene at any time just by operating the bucket lever function,” Marsh said.

He added this feature is ideal for final grading, trimming multi-plane surfaces and detailed sealing applications. “Komatsu iMC 2.0 builds on our unique sensor technology, incorporating stroke-sensing hydraulic cylinders and IMU sensors, meaning operators no longer need to worry about over-digging,” he said.

“When the bucket hits the target surface, the control function automatically limits and maintains grade with real time bucket edge positioning, ensuring accurate surfaces that exactly match the design, first time, every time.

“This latest excavator dantotsu technology from Komatsu lets us deliver increased productivity, efficiency and finished quality across a wide range of earthmoving, construction and production applications,” Marsh said. • For more information about the iMC 2.0, visit komatsu.com.au

LOAD & HAUL

KOMATSU LAUNCHES

NEW CLASS OF HYDROSTATIC DOZER Machines incorporate latest iMC technology for industry-best efficiency and production.

A

new line of 22-tonne class dozers that feature hydrostatic drive for significantly increased manoeuvrability and greatly enhanced visibility to work areas – combined with an integrated intelligent Machine Control (iMC) automated system for industry-leading jobsite efficiency – has been released by Komatsu.

Komatsu’s D71EXi/PXi-24 dozers – a new class of hydrostatic dozer for the company – combine iMC 2.0 enhancements and Tier 4 Final emissions technology to deliver industry-leading levels of performance, versatility and low operating cost.

In the same size class as its popular D65EX-18 dozer, the 23 tonne D71EXi-24 (also available in swamp dozer configuration as the D71PXi-24) is the largest hydrostatic drive dozer on the market to incorporate iMC capabilities.

It is also one of the first machines on the market to feature Komatsu’s just-released iMC 2.0, a significant update that delivers major productivity, efficiency and cost saving advantages to its latest model “intelligent” dozers.

Power for the new dozer comes from a Komatsu SAA6D114E-6 Tier 4 Finalcompliant engine rated at 179 kW, through a fully hydrostatic transmission.

According to Komatsu Dozers Product Manager Pat Munro, the move to hydrostatic drive has allowed for a significant redesign of the D71EXi/PXi-24, making it more versatile, productive, manoeuvrable, and with unmatched visibility to the blade edges.

The Komatsu D71EXi-24 dozer combines iMC 2.0 enhancements and Tier 4 Final emissions technology.

“While it’s in the same size class as our D65 series dozers, moving to hydrostatic has allowed us to adopt a cab-forward design. This, combined with our ‘superslant’ nose design, gives incredible visibility to the work area,” he said.

“This means the operator can see blade tips, can see everything around them. They get an excellent view forward, something

that’s not typically the case in dozers in this size class, which traditionally have had a very high hood and quite limited visibility out the front window to the work area.”

Munro said the combination of hydrostatic drive and super slant nose, made the new dozer very nimble and versatile, allowing an operator to work efficiently and effectively in very tight areas.

HYDROSTATIC DOZERS - BRIEF SPECS MACHINE TYPE

OPERATING WEIGHT (TONNES) ENGINE

BLADE

D71EXi-24

22.7

Komatsu SAA6D114E-6 Tier 4 Final-compliant engine rated at 179 kW

4.42m3

D71PXi-24

23.2

Komatsu SAA6D114E-6 Tier 4 Final-compliant engine rated at 179 kW

4.65m3

D71PXi-24

24

Komatsu SAA6D114E-6 Tier 4 Final-compliant engine rated at 179 kW

5.02m3

24

Quarry February 2022

NEW “It’s a very versatile one-in-all machine that can quickly go from bulk dozing through to fine detail work – particularly when you take advantage of its iMC 2.0 capabilities.

“This provides unmatched flexibility on any jobsite,” he said.

“Hydrostatic drive makes it extremely manoeuvrable, particularly as it’s matched with our Palm Command Control System (PCCS), giving the operator very fine control.”

Its iMC 2.0 capabilities provide substantially improved automated dozing operations, in bulk earthworks through to finish grade work.

Features of this include: • Lift layer control.

• Quick surface creation.

• Proactive dozing control.

• Tilt steering control.

• Two antennas supporting multiple GNSS. “Lift Layer Control, and Tilt Steering Control are both exclusive features of iMC 2.0, and represent a significant advance in automated dozing technology,” said Munro.

“With Lift Layer Control, the dozer automatically spreads fill material from existing areas of the worksite with just the press of a button, then measures the terrain it’s tracking over – and use that data to plan the next pass.

“The result is that production rates are doubled compared with conventional dozing operations, while 100 per cent automatic operation means each layer is completely consistent and accurate.” iMC 2.0’s one-touch Tilt Steering Control feature frees the operator from having to steer the dozer to maintain a straight heading, by continuously and automatically tilting the blade as required to maintain straight-line travel.

“This greatly reduces operator fatigue and increases comfort, because operator input is reduced by up to 80 per cent, while straight-line travel guarantees a cleaner cut,” he said.

The D71EXi/PXi-24 also features Komatsu’s INPAT (intelligent Power/Angle/Tilt) blade with adjustable pitch that offers maximum dozing versatility across multiple applications, including blade capacity increased by 13 per cent over D65-18 series dozers.

Work equipment speeds, to both blade and ripper, have also been increased, for greater responsiveness and accuracy of finish.

According to Munro, the new D71 class of dozers also offer bestin-class operator comfort and safety.

“It’s got a very quiet and comfortable cab, including a redesigned fully adjustable air-suspension high-comfort seat, with in-cab noise levels of just 76 dBA. “And our unique super-slant nose design gives the operator an excellent view over the entire worksite, including other machines, work vehicles and personnel that may be nearby.”

Munro said the new D71EXi/PXi-24 line of hydrostatic dozers set new standards in mid-size dozer performance and productivity.

“This size of dozer is being used more and more on job sites; the introduction of machine control systems has brought a new level of versatility to dozer operations.

“And now with our fully integrated iMC 2.0, combined with the efficiency, flexibility and power of hydrostatic drive, customers will see significant improvements in jobsite productivity and accuracy, while further lowering their costs of operation,” he said.• For more information on the new hydrostatic dozer class, visit komatsu.com.au

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LOAD & HAUL

HOW TO HIT THE SPOT IN MID-SIZED MACHINERY

The swing radius is all that’s reduced in this Volvo excavator, with maximum comfort, capable tech and an improved hydraulics system.

P

roducing mid-sized quarry-spec excavators can be a fine art and one that few manufacturers could hope to perfect.

Too bulky and they rule themselves out of many applications, too small and the same problem occurs. So, when Volvo set out to develop the almost 15-tonne ECR145E excavator, it was looking for that perfect sweet spot.

And while perfection may be unobtainable, as definitions differ from one operator to the next, CJD Equipment’s national product manager Lindsay Daniels told Quarry why this well-balanced machine certainly does the job and then some.

“The big talking points are Volvo’s reliability and economy. It’s a very economical engine to run, owing partially to its advanced hydraulic systems,” Daniels said.

“You can expect good fuel consumption figures and operators are typically very happy with the comfort of modern day Volvos.”

The ECR145E has two hydraulic circuits which are proportionately controlled and bi-directional. This allows them to run all kinds of functions and attachments including augers, plate compactors, tilting heads, tilting rotators and anything that functions in multiple directions.

Daniels said this makes the machine quite versatile and able to work a variety of jobs.

Also adding to its versatility is the excavator’s reduced swing radius of under 1.5m. “This makes it well-suited to highway applications where it operates on the side of the road. But it’s also really good at being used in any confined space like a scrap metal yard or somewhere where there’s lots of obstacles about,” Daniels said.

“It also has good lift capacity and good balance for a machine with such reduced swing.”

All these factors are key considerations by customers of CJD Equipment, Australia’s national distributor for

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Quarry February 2022

The Volvo 15-tonne ECR145E excavator.

Volvo Construction Equipment.

But Daniels said a few other points are always the first question when customers come calling for an excavator.

“The focus never strays from productivity and power, as is catered to by the ECR145E, but there is an increasing number of people looking for emission controls and efficiency, primarily because government contracts are written around these factors,” he said.

To keep operators running as efficiently as possible, the ECR145E comes with three different tech-assisted options.

The stock 2D option relies solely on the in-built GPS system to give directional awareness, allowing the operator to visualise direction, slope and depth on the in-cab display.

Then, there is a mid-range option called in-field design (IFD) which uses the same satellite systems and gives the operator the additional ability to draw their own job design into the system on their display. This keeps them on track and in the zone to maximise their focus and efficiency.

Thirdly, the ECR145E can come with all the trimmings in the form of a full 3D system from TopCon or Trimble.

Daniels said the reports from the operators were very positive and the uptake is even better.

“It’s easy to learn, easy to control, and it’s easy to draw into the system. We sell quite a few machines with just IFD but it’s almost a 50/50 split between IFD and the full 3D package,” Daniels said.

To match the right machine and the right system with CJD customers, the distributor’s team will work closely with them from first inquiry to final commissioning.

Daniels said it’s this CJD service that secures long-time clients for the company.

“In my experience, CJD has a very good reputation for customer satisfaction,” he said.

“Different job sites have different requirements, so we always make sure the machine is prepared in the right manner to suit them.

“And then of course we always attend the delivery and make sure the new owner understands each part of the machine, what they can get it to do and how they can get the best out of it.”• For more information about Volvo Construction Equipment products and CJD Equipment’s programs and services, visit cjd.com.au

LOAD & HAUL

RENTAL COMPANY

UNVEILS 190-TONNE MONSTER The EX1900-6 is now easily the heaviest machine available from Delta Rent.

D

elta Rent has upped the ante for rental equipment in the quarrying and construction game with the latest and greatest from Hitachi.

Th EX1900-6 excavator became the newest addition to Delta’s fleet this year, upon request from a major Melbourne operator.

The 190-tonne giant far outweighs Delta’s now second-heaviest machine by 70 tonnes and fills a new need for the rental company, as it attracts customers with its flexibility and retains them with its service.

Delta Rent national sales manager Damien Gramola told Quarry the delivery of the EX1900-6 epitomised the company’s devotion to fulfilling its customers’ needs.

“This specific order was a bit out of the norm owing to its size, but that’s what we do and that’s how we operate at Delta Rent,” Gramola said.

“When a customer comes to us and says, ‘this is what we need and we don’t want to buy it,’ because hiring is such a fantastic option for them, we’ll always cater to that.”

The first recipient of the new excavator is a major player in Victoria’s sand quarry market and will use the machine to remove topsoil as part of an expansion to its operations.

In preparation for a big 2022 – as Victorian extractive industries look to continue a 10year production high – the client was keen to receive the machine as soon as possible.

Conveniently, Hitachi had one scheduled to arrive in Australia by December, and thus

a significant relationship between Delta and the key client was maintained.

Gramola said Delta’s commitment to reliable equipment is what keeps its customers coming back for more.

“The one thing they love about us is we supply them with equipment with low running hours – the majority of our fleet has all run under 4000 hours,” he said.

“The reason being is we continually swap them out when they get too old. Once a machine gets to 5000 or 6000 hours, it gets removed and we get a brand new one to replace it.”

Such service isn’t restricted to business hours either, according to Gramola. He said an example of Delta’s devotion came when one customer asked for a new alternator belt at 3pm on a Saturday.

“They asked if someone could come out on the Sunday to be ready for the Monday,” Gramola said.

“Before 5pm on the Saturday afternoon, someone was out there fixing it, repairing and replacing the issue.

“Being in the hire game, you’ve got to be prepared to act on things out of hours sometimes because a customer might need to be up and running the next day.”

In the case of the Melbournian sand quarry, the customer has committed to at least two years with the EX1900-6, with the option to keep it and extend the rental period for as long as required by their application.

Gramola said the main reason the customer chose Delta Rent and its rental model was because it’s scalable as operations evolve.

“Once they’re finished with it, we’ll take it out of there and into our demo fleet it will go,” he said.

“With renting, it doesn’t come out of a customer’s capital expenditure. A lot of procurement managers can’t make these kinds of big decisions outright.

“So, they come to businesses like us and spend the same amount on a rental option and mark it under operational expenditure without having to take it up their company for CEO or CFO sign-off.”

And of course, if any higher-ups did want to run their eyes over the Delta Rent deals and ensure things are spick and span, they’d find a well-serviced, cost-effective machine, owing to Hitachi’s maintenance prowess.

Gramola described the technology that comes standard in Hitachi equipment, called global e-service, as allowing equipment owners to dial into machines from around the world to understand each unit.

“This includes how much it’s loading, its fuel consumption, and its emissions down to its cubic tonnes per shift,” Gramola said.

“All these things are important to understand from machine to machine to understand which operators are working the machines too hard or not hard enough.”

This can help with servicing intervals as the machine counts down the running hours until its next scheduled service and notifies Delta Rent.

Gramola said there’s no one who knows Hitachi equipment like Hitachi employees, so when a service is required – scheduled or otherwise – Delta Rent trusts Hitachi to do its thing for its clients.

“Because we have that relationship with the OEM, they’ll come out on a Saturday or even a Sunday so that it doesn’t impact the quarry,” Gramola concluded.

“The ones that are currently on site have 100 per cent utilisation because they’re just not stood down for anything. A fuel truck will roll around to keep them running and it’s just go, go, go.” •

Quarry February 2022 27

LOAD & HAUL

SCCCR blends its virgin quarried materials with recycled construction waste.

EXCAVATOR HAS SOUTH COAST QUARRY RARING TO GO

To make sure nothing goes to waste, a quarrying business in New South Wales is making a name for itself in the crushing and recycling space – with the aid of a new excavator.

S

outh Coast Concrete Crushing & Recycling (SCCCR) has operated in Nowra, 150 kilometres south of Sydney, for more than 20 years.

Headquartered in a hard rock quarry producing 500,000 tonnes per year, SCCCR serves the south coast with a mix of raw and recycled construction materials to turn old into new.

The business takes from demolition sites, other quarries, and construction projects across the Wollongong and Nowra regions to reduce the volume of virgin quarried materials required for new construction projects.

Not only will SCCCR crush and recycle concrete but all recyclable masonry products including brick, concrete, tiles and asphalt.

And to manage these tonnes of materials – repurposed or raw – SCCCR relies on Kobelco machinery. SCCCR has reaped the success of its Kobelco SK350 and SK500 excavators, racking up tens of thousands of hours on multiple units over the years.

Now they will enjoy the successors to these machines, in the form of several new Kobelco XD Series excavators—more

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Quarry February 2022

specifically, two new SK380XDLC-10s and an SK500XDLC-10.

To deliver this, SCCCR relies on South Coast Trucks & Machinery (STM), a local Kobelco dealer that’s served the quarry well since its inception.

STM machinery salesman, Steve Jones, explained why the Kobelco excavators were perfect for SCCCR’s application.

“The new SK380XDLC-10 and SK500XDLC-10 models are a clear generation ahead, with even further upgrades designed to match high output hard rock quarry applications,” Jones told Quarry.

“The SK380 is almost 38 tonnes and suited to some of the hardest conditions a quarry could throw at it.”

The SK380XD comes with a 7.68-litre Hino turbo-charged, liquid-cooled, diesel engine to generate more than 209kW of power.

At the same time, this machine still maintains its fuel consumption under 20 litres per hour, even in heavy conditions.

SCCCR owner Budd Green said he was looking forward to giving the new excavator a real go at his Nowra operation.

“I’m really excited about using the SK380XD as it’s a bit more heavy-duty and beefed up for a quarry environment,” Green said.

“They’re similar to the SK350s but they’ve got few more protections and strength areas built in that will hopefully give us a more robust machine.

“We’re a natural extraction quarry but also do recycling work, so our machines are required in quite heavy-duty applications in dealing with our blast cap rock. They then have to feed and maintain the feed up to our crushers as well.”

SCCCR is owned by Budd’s main operation, JBG Contractors, which has worked in the same region for 40 years on civil works such as carparks and roads, subdivisions and large bulk excavations.

Jones said that a sturdy relationship between STM and Green’s companies has allowed everyone involved to get the best from their businesses and from Kobelco.

“Having operated Kobelco and opposition excavators in the 30- to 60-tonne class for the past 10 years, JBG Group and

SCCCR owner Budd Green stays loyal to Kobelco for support and productivity.

SCCCR Quarries have obtained a thorough understanding and appreciation for the outstanding performance of the Kobelco machines compared to opposition products,” Jones said.

While employing 35 people and operating at maximum capacity for some years, SCCCR requires the most economic operations possible, like similar

businesses across Australia.

Accordingly, the result of STM and Kobelco’s service and reliability is displayed in the running hours on some of Green’s machinery.

“The back-up and support in the form of servicing and maintenance can’t be faulted.

We’ve still got some machines that are nearing 15,000 hours,” Green said.

“Kobelco have always supplied good pieces of gear and plant for us, so I was happy to go back to STM and Kobelco if it meant more of the same.

“I’ve never had any issue with them and their productivity, so I’ve got no reason to look anywhere else.”

With the new SK380XDs and SK500XD delivered and ready for a full year ahead, Green said business was booming and he was keen to give the machines a chance to play an important role for SCCCR. “I was pretty excited for them to arrive, I was ringing the team up for a few weeks asking when they would be delivered as we’ve got plenty of projects booked in for 2022,” he concluded.

“We gave the guys a good break over Christmas and now we’re all ready to go for the New Year.” • For more information about South Coast Concrete Crushing & Recycling, visit scccrquarries.com.au To learn more about Kobelco Construction Machinery Australia products, visit kobelco.com.au

C U S TOM E NG I N E E R E D W E I G HTO M E TE R S & W E I G H I NG S O LU TI O N S

, t i y e v n o If you c an weigh it. we c Enclosed weighing system Standard weigh belt feeder Conveyor belt scales

CONTACT OUR FRIENDLY STAFF FOR A QUOTE Head office: (03) 9775 0266 | QLD: (07) 3184 0980 | WA: (08) 6558 1936 VIC: (03) 9775 0266 | NSW: (02) 9159 9160 | tecweigh.com.au

LOAD & HAUL

INSIGHT: AN ENHANCED

QUARRY MANAGEMENT TOOL

S

martTech Australia has hit the ground running in 2022 by delivering Trimble Insight, an enhanced operations productivity and efficiency tool destined to change the game in quarry management.

SmartTech Australia has successfully provided its aggregate customers with a range of connecting Trimble solutions that are used to improve productivity, reduce waste and re-work, and enable decision-making through better awareness, data flow and collaboration.

Off the back of being awarded the Top APAC LOADRITE Software Sales by Trimble, SmartTech Australia has solidified this recognition in 2022 by launching Trimble Insight (Insight) to the APAC region.

Gone are the days of quarry managers and operators relying on tally sheets, spreadsheets or in-house systems to manage quarry operations. Insight brings new operational dashboards to the table that provide actionable insights to identify, respond to and solve issues, control inventory and increase productivity.

Dan Barry, the general manager for SmartTech Australia, said quarry evolutions starts with the adoption of customisable solutions.

“Quarries continue to evolve their

operations by adopting customisable solutions which provide a high level of dashboard information so they can benchmark and scorecard their operations,” Barry explained.

“That’s why Trimble Insight will be pivotal.

It will be about the data which guides a lot of quarrying businesses’ decisions.”

Insight allows for real-time access which helps management make changes during the shift and see the immediate impact on production. It has the ability to display the target versus. actual production, delays, downtime and more, so informed decisions can be made. It draws data from Trimble LOADRITE excavator, loader, haul truck and conveyor belt scale sensors into centralised cloud storage. All operational data is visible in one place so management can track progress against targets and take action.

DASHBOARDS Real-time visibility of all your production metrics (load/haul, processing and

products) from an operation’s excavators, haul trucks, articulated dump trucks, conveyors, and loaders.

NOTIFICATIONS Proactive customisable alerts keep producers informed of lost productivity opportunities. By raising awareness that the operation has drifted outside the plan, corrective actions are easy and timely.

ACTION REPLAY Using production data – eg payload, cycle times and speed – overlaid with location, an animated replay provides an objective view for alternative haul plans, incident safety reviews and operator training.

SECURE ACCESSIBLE DATA Maintains data integrity from the machine, with validation and caching (in the event of communications downtime) to provide a single source of the truth. Data can be accessed on desktop or mobile devices across one or many operations.

CLEAR REPORTING Insight provides a summary or transaction level historical data. Reports are customizable using the report builder, which allows management to focus on what’s important to the business.

Insight allows for real-time access which enables quarry managers to make changes during the shift and view the immediate impact on production.

API INTEGRATION Insight is ready to integrate with existing quarry business systems and processes.

A mobile plant summary using Trimble Insight on a cell phone.

TEST DRIVING INSIGHT SmartTech Australia will be exhibiting at Booth 42 at the 63rd IQA National Conference in Newcastle in March.

Delegates will experience a live demonstration where SmartTech’s trained group of professionals will show producers how they can improve their quarry operations, focusing on fleet management, production KPIs, and individual assets - all driven by Trimble Insight. • To learn more about Insight, visit smarttechaustralia.com.au/insight-test-drive

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Quarry February 2022

LOAD & HAUL

BIG BUCKET MODEL

JOINS CRAWLER EXCAVATOR SERIES

T

he R 928 G8 crawler excavator is a completely new model, developed and produced by Liebherr-France SAS. Positioned between the R 926 G8 and the R 930 G8 crawler excavators, the R 928 G8 complements the current Generation 8 series, which includes seven models with a gross vehicle weight of 22 to 45 tonnes. The modularity of the Generation 8 facilitated the launch of this new model as its design is based on existing, high performance components.

The R 928 G8 has several features in common with the R 926 G8 and R 930 G8, including the same superstructure and equipment as the R 926 G8 and the same long carriage (LC) or narrow long carriage (NLC) undercarriage as the R 930 G8.

The R 928 G8 rounds off the current range of Generation 8 crawler excavators. It is characterised by a high drawbar pull, a heavy load-bearing capacity and a large bucket. Its optimised weight makes it easier to solve the earlier transport problems of many extractive producers. The R 928 G8 can hold its own with machines that are heavier than the R 926 G8 and lighter than the R 930 G8.

The Generation 8 crawler excavators are the

result of constant research and improvement work. Their design and architecture has been reworked with the aim of creating optimal ergonomics and performance as well as increased comfort and safety.

The G8 develops higher tear and breakout forces compared to the previous generation.

The torque of the superstructure has also been increased, meaning the crawler excavators achieve higher levels of performance under site conditions. In addition, a new equipment concept enables the load curve to be optimised and the inertia in the rotary drive to be improved, reducing fuel consumption. The new, robust X-form undercarriages ensure greater stability. The automatic central lubrication ensures longer service life of parts and improves the productivity of the machines.

The G8 features a spacious, air-conditioned work cab, complete with a fully retractable front window, a pneumatic seat with vertical and longitudinal damping and an easy to use, high resolution touchscreen. The use of LED technology reduces power consumption and improves lighting quality. All-round vision as well as rear and side surveillance cameras maximise safety in the working environment.

The R 928 G8 has a larger maximum bucket size than the R 926 G8, a high drawbar pull and an excellent lifting capacity.

The cab is easily accessible thanks to the hoisting control unit and the rear window serves as an emergency exit. To improve safety during maintenance work, access to the superstructure and the maintenance platform has been widened and is located at the side.

Comfort and safety are thus guaranteed over the entire operation cycle of the G8 machines.• For more information about the R 928 G8 crawler excavator, visit the Liebherr Australia website: liebherr.com/en/aus/start/start-page.html

Innovation is our Motivation...

visit us @ kinder.com.au Quarry February 2022 31

SAND PROCESSING McGuire’s Excavating & Trucking washing and scrubbing plant can produce three clean sized aggregates and up to two sands.

WASHING AND SCRUBBING

COMBO PROVIDES PRODUCER WITH FLEXIBILITY

A US-based dredging operation has reported very pleasing results and the ability to blend sand and gravel with organics after acquiring a three-piece washing and scrubbing plant.

D

esigned for the processing of dredged sand and gravel with organics, the Terex Washing Systems solution at McGuire’s Excavating & Trucking Inc, in Terre Haute, Indiana, in the United States consists of an AggreSand 206 sand washing plant and the AggreScrub 150 log washer, along with a H12 feeder. These products seamlessly combine to form a washing and scrubbing plant to produce three clean sized aggregates and one or two sands.

A major driver for the selection of these products was the increased demand for high spec clean aggregates as well as the need for flexibility to meet spec across all products. Through pre-sale customer visits, understanding the sand production levels that were required and close communication through the entire process, Terex Washing Systems (TWS) designed, engineered and installed this complete wash plant.

TWS and its local territory dealer, Powerscreen Crushing and Screening, worked very closely with McGuire’s Excavating & Trucking to provide a solution suited to its needs and desired end products. The solution was specified following several site visits, plant proposals and customer specific design modifications, as well as samples of the feed material being sent for further testing at Terex Washing Systems’ headquarters in Dungannon, Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the support, Ryan McGuire

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Quarry February 2022

commented: “The support we got directly from TWS and from our dealer has been absolutely amazing.”

While Terex Washing Systems is headquartered in Northern Ireland, it also has a full facility and team based in Louisville, Kentucky, to easily serve the USA customers alongside their dealer network. The service and support, along with its distributor, is typical of what producers can expect when purchasing a Terex Washing Systems product.

Terex Washing Systems offer its expertise and highly skilled team of engineers to assist and guide the customer from the initial conception to final installation.

SEAMLESSLY COMBINED Designed for the processing of dredged sand and gravel with organics, the TWS solution at McGuire’s Excavating & Trucking consists of an AggreSand 206 and the AggreScrub 150, some of the industry’s leading products first launched in 2014. Both products seamlessly combine to form a washing and scrubbing plant to produce three clean sized aggregates and one or two sands. “With this new washing solution we have so much flexibility, we can produce two sands or one sand, and we can adjust spec by blending more fines into the sand, or less fines, based on what specification of sand our customer needs,” McGuire explained. “We also have the capability to make three washed aggregates

at once, which just makes it a really great plant and meets all of our expectations and more.”

“The McGuire’s Excavating & Trucking installation represents our end to end solution offering and demonstrates how our equipment can be seamlessly combined to provide a solution tailored to the customers’ needs, so to consistently deliver premium grade sand and aggregates,” Barry McMenamin, the global sales director for TWS, said.

Ryan McGuire added that the increased demand for high spec clean aggregates was the major driver in selection of the TWS equipment. Through pre-sale customer visits, understanding the sand production levels that were required, the AggreSand 206 was the obvious choice of sand washing equipment. With its large 6m x 2m (20’ x 6’) bottom deck, sand production could be maximised while offering flexibility to meet spec across all products.

Through further feed material sampling it became apparent that, to guarantee the aggregate cleanliness, the material would need scrubbed. The AggreScrub 150, with its high performance twin shaft logwasher and integrated post rinsing and sizing screen met all the needs in one compact chassis.

The AggreSand concept pre-wired and pre-plumbed with quick installation was particularly intriguing to McGuires Excavating & Trucking far removed from their previous

wash plant. The material to be processed required extra scrubbing, to ensure the desired product was in spec, therefore the AggreScrub 150 log washer system was added as part of this overall solution. It offers increased production capacity and increased levels of access. The seamless combination of the AggreSand 206 and AggreScrub provided the extra required capacity.

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS The AggreSand 206 plant consists of a H12 feed system which is fed by a wheel loader. The static hopper is fitted with a 14’ wide hydraulic tipping grid, equipped with 101mm (4”) grid bars to scalp off any oversize material in the feed. Both the feeder and grid are powered by the on board 37kW electric hydraulic power-pack. The material transfers from the feeder to the main rinsing screen via a 23m twin-drive feed conveyor with an integrated rubber lined washbox. Here the material is pre-soaked using a high volume spray bar system which fluidises material presenting it uniformly onto the 6m x 2m (20’ x 6’) inclined rinsing screen.

TWO OR THREE DECKS The rinsing screen on the AggreSand 206 is available as a two-deck or three-deck variant.

At McGuire’s Excavating & Trucking, the two-deck version is fitted with polyurethane modular media on both decks. Each deck utilises ten individually controlled isolated spray bars to efficiently rinse the aggregate and sand product. From the top deck a washed “septic stone”, 38mm (+1½”) aggregate is sent to stockpile for future crushing and processing. The rinsed material between 6mm and 38mm (¼” to 1 ½”) from the mid-size deck is fed to the AggreScrub 150 for scrubbing and removal of clay conglomerates.

The two grades of sand are produced through a split bottom deck system, where material is washed through as separate products into a split sump tank, where each sand is then pumped to a dedicated cyclone before finishing on a 4m x 2m (14’ x 6’) high frequency dewatering screen making a high quality in-spec concrete sand, with the ability to switch to make a variety of sands.

ABRASIVE SCRUBBING ACTION The AggreScrub 150 combines a combines a high performance twin shaft logwasher, trash screen, sump tank and integrated post rinsing and sizing on one compact

chassis. The logwasher consists of a 8m (26’) hull, housing two rotating shafts fitted with abrasion resistant blades and paddles. The blades and paddles convey the material from the feed end of the scrub to the discharge end. As the material travels through the hull the abrasive action of the aggregate colliding and passing through other aggregate (stone on stone) scrubs it clean and breaks up any clay conglomerates which become liberated and then float off through the back of the AggreScrub. The addition of clean water encourages any organics (such as roots) to flow with the suspended fines and clays out of the hull and on for dewatering over the AggreScrub’s 2m x 0.6m (6’ x 2’) trash screen.

The scrubbed aggregate exits the main discharge of the AggreScrub 150 onto a 3.6m x 1.5m (12’ x 5’) two-deck part rinsing screen. This screen is fitted with polyurethane modular media to produce three aggregates standard pea gravels, specialised pea gravel and oversize (number 8). The initial section of this screen is fitted with spray bars to rinse off any sand/grit residues produced during the scrubbing process.

A key feature of the AggreScrub 150 is the on-board sump tank and centrifugal pump, where the underflow from the trash screen, and the underflow from the part rinsing screen are captured in this sump tank, then this dirty water is pumped back to the AggreSand 206 sand plant for maximum recovery of sand and efficient use of water.

CUTTING EDGE CONTROL SYSTEM The on-board HMI control system for this AggreSand 206 and AggreScrub 150 wash

plant is another example of the seamless integration possible with these two plants.

Each plant has a dedicated control panel, which is prewired and factory tested.

However, when combined the entire plant can be operated and monitored from one single HMI. For McGuires Excavating & Trucking the additional feature of having a second HMI located in plant side operator cabin, allows the operator to monitor plant parameters such as water flow rate and pressure, cyclone pressure and motor running information from one location.

“It has given us a great deal of flexibility in the market,” Ryan McGuire said.

“We started here with a much smaller washing plant and after looking at the market and the changes, we opted for this solution which has allowed for more flexibility to better serve the market and demands. It’s modular in design, so we can change the modules and we also have the ability to add a larger sand plant if the market changes. Moreover, on the back of that we have built a strong relationship with our local dealer, Powerscreen Crushing and Screening, as well as with Terex Washing Systems. From start to finish, from the product coming in, the assembly of the build, commissioning, everything has been flawless.”

In Australia, Terex Washing Systems products are distributed by Terex Jaques. • To learn more or to discuss specific washing requirements, visit terex.com/washing/australia

An aerial view of the Terex Washing Systems plant at McGuire’s Excavating & Trucking Inc, in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA.

Quarry February 2022 33

CONVEYING

AUSTRALIAN MADE CONVEYOR WEIGHING SYSTEMS AIM TO

ELIMINATE ‘BAD BATCHES’ With COVID-19 continuing to bite, it’s challenging enough for quarries’ loads and deliveries to comply with regulations and recipe requirements for construction. A Melbourne-based manufacturer of weighing solutions is providing accuracy and reassurance through its products.

The belt scale is utilised midway through the conveying process after the feed is first delivered to the belt.

C

onveyor systems are an integral part of industrial mass production, enabling multiple items to be dispensed in the supply chain. The key for many organisations is running them seamlessly and efficiently.

While they may be contending with crushed rock rather than manufactured goods, quarries are reliant on good working conveyor systems and must comply with prescribed loads in their end products. This has been ratcheted up in recent years with the introduction of Chain of Responsibility/gross vehicle mass obligations across Australian jurisdictions. Indeed, quarries can be held accountable for incorrect weights on a tipper truck, even if that truck is not part of its own fleet and being managed by a third party. Further, accurate readings are important for quarries that need to provide the right grades and formulae for cement production and road construction materials, as dictated by roads and transport authorities around the

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country, eg VicRoads, NSW RMS, TMR, etc.

Therefore, accurate readings on throughput are essential not only to a quarry’s productivity but its reputation for reliability and quality end products.

Conveyor belt scales and weigh belt feeders play an important role in minimising the risks for quarries of producing “bad batches” of end product. As Barry Gamble, the business development manager for Tecweigh, an Australian manufacturer of custom-engineered weighing solutions, told Quarry, the two devices are essentially one and the same – except one is designed for existing conveyor infrastructure while the other is custom-designed by Tecweigh.

“The customer has his own infrastructure running,” Gamble said of the conveyor belt scales. “Each scale has plus minus three idlers which are shimmed level with the scale to ensure a smooth transition of the product over the weighing area. The centre idler is removed and remounted on the belt scale on a spreader bar connecting the two load cells and this becomes the weigh idler. We combine that weight information with belt speed data from the speed sensor which shows us the tonnes per hour.

“If you’re installing a weigh belt feeder, that’s when we provide both the conveyor infrastructure and drive mechanism.”

BELT SCALES The belt scale is best utilised midway in the conveyor, away from any extraneous forces where the product is first delivered to the belt.

“We let the product settle down after it has been dispensed, ” Gamble said. “It’s what we call ‘shimmed and levelled’, this allows us to achieve the stated accuracy.

“Whether used in conjunction with a screen, crusher, portable stacker, pugmill or truck, the result with the throughput is the same. We can

tell you how many tonnes per hour passes across the belt scale.. However, it’s possible to have separate belt scales sorting product sizes, eg 5mm coming across one scale, 7mm across another, and 10mm across a third. That’s useful if a customer like VicRoads requires a recipe for an aggregate mixture of 5mm, 10mm or 15mm.”

Tecweigh’s signature belt product is the WY15 single idler scale which has an accuracy of +/-0.5 per cent, enabling the end user to determine instantaneous and total product flow in tonnes per hour or other selectable units. For more precise accuracy, they can also opt for the WY25 dual idler at +/-0.25%.

The WY15 and WY25 are built primarily from powder-coated mild steel but there is also an option for stainless steel in harsh environments.

Their other key features include self-storing calibration weights, user-friendly electronic processors, built-in relays for remote counting, belt slip detection and rate alarm tripping sensors, and 4-20mA scaling calculators for remote rate display.

WEIGH BELT FEEDERS Gamble said weigh belt feeders are suitable in blending aggregate products to a customer’s formula, in cement production or truck filling. In particular, the weigh belt feeder is shorter and more flexible than the traditional conveyor and therefore it can be adapted to suit purposes such as truck filling. For example, weigh belt feeders can be fitted to a range of silos at the end of the conveying process to facilitate easier and more efficient filling of trucks en route to the weighbridge.

“You could have a silo of 5mm product, a silo of 10mm, and a silo of 15mm, and then you can dispense a certain amount of each one as per the quarry customer’s requirements,” Gamble explained.

“The benefit of the truck filling is it guarantees

one trip to the weighbridge. Normally, people will fill up a truck, the truck goes to the weighbridge, there’s not enough or too much material aboard, and the truck has to make another pass. With our products, we can fill to within a plus/minus percentage and the truck can go on its way.”

Tecweigh’s weigh belt feeders are customdesigned. The belt widths vary from 900mm to 1600mm and belt lengths from three to 10 metres. For what the industry calls “the live load”, there are two load cells per weigh belt feeder, and depending on the throughput, the load cells can range from 30 kilograms to 300kg Each.

Gamble added the average quarry would incorporate weigh belt feeders of about 3.2m in length. “The longest weigh belt feeder we’ve manufactured is about 10m,” he said.

“It depends on what the customer requires to fill their battery limits and the delivery speed required. So going back to the silo application, if you’re just storing aggregate, you would want to fill trucks as quickly as possible and stop when you get to the right figure. However, if you’re overseeing the recipe blending application, you would want to control the blend as accurately as possible.”

The weigh belt feeders also use stainless steel, hermetically sealed IP66 load cells and utilise self-storing calibration weights.

CUSTOMISED PROCESSORS Tecweigh’s conveyor belt scales and weigh belt feeders are driven by WP20 weight processors which can be equipped with an Ethernet

Belt weigh feeders can be fitted to a range of silos in the conveying process to facilitate easier, more efficient filling of trucks en route to the weighbridge.

Weigh belt feeders are suitable in blending aggregate products to a customer’s formula, in cement production or truck filling.

input/output (I/O) to allow a plant’s personal computer (PC)/programmable logic controller (PLC) to interrogate all parameters of the scale in real time. The WP20 may also draw on the accuracy of a trade-approved weighbridge to optimise the calibration in the processor.

“The WP20 is designed to be customised to the individual application, in terms of belt speed,” Gamble said. “It can interface with whatever the quarry has – an analogue or digital output.

“In its basic form, the unit has two interfaces, one which gives tonnes per hour, which is instantaneous, and the other which is tonnes per hour accumulative, since the last time you zeroed the processor. Then you have various analogue and digital outputs, and the data can be transferred to a personal computer. We also offer the option of a third party application which can transfer the data to a mobile phone.”

Gamble added that if producers want to know more about throughputs, their PC or PLC can question the scale in real time, and that

information can be used to change the speed of the belt, either slowing or lifting the speed on the conveyor belt or the belt weigh feeder.

“In terms of saving time or costs, if there’s a reduction in throughput for a particular reason, we can pick that up early,” he said. “If you have a slippage of the conveyor belt itself – or the belt stops – we can detect that immediately and inform the user. There is a speed wheel on the conveyor and we can send an output to advise that it has stopped or is going slow.

That’s a secondary benefit; the main one is knowing what is going across the top.”

AUSTRALIAN MADE With supply chains tightening domestically and globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a reassuring fact about Tecweigh is it is an Australian Made-certified company, with all its products manufactured at its Carrum Downs factory, in outer suburban Melbourne.

In addition to its Australian Made credentials, Tecweigh can also provide a certificate from the Victorian Chamber of Commerce that shows its powdered steel and stainless steel scales have been manufactured locally.

Gamble said there would not be a major quarry producer around Australia that doesn’t use Tecweigh’s conveyor weighing products on its sites and the business caters to medium- and small-sized quarries alike. Tecweigh is also exporting its Australian-made steel products to China, Indonesia, the Philippines and other parts of South East Asia.

Gamble also predicted that as the extractive industries wrestle with the dual challenges of skilled labour and automation, so the need to improve product information and real time data will increase. To that end, Tecweigh is working on next generation iterations of its weighing solutions, promising some more reassurance for quarries in a period of uncertainty. • For more information about Tecweigh and its conveyor weighing solutions, visit tecweigh.com.au

Quarry February 2022 35

CONVEYING

SEALING THE DEAL WITH GAME-CHANGING CONVEYOR SKIRT A specialist in conveyor belt skirting and transfer point technology has taken its expertise to the world stage with a revolutionary package of products.

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inder Australia had previously kept to its corner and made a name for itself in what it knew best: bulk handling solid materials for Australia’s heavy process industries.

Since 1985, the family-owned operation has displayed a can-do attitude to deliver Australian ore, quarried products, grain, sugar, salt and coal from A to B. But when Kinder operations manager Charles Pratt came across German company ScrapeTec and was acquainted with a product called the AirScrape, things took a slightly new direction.

Pratt has worked with Kinder since 2004 and watched conveyor technology evolve in many ways over that time, but across his tenure, he’s seen nothing more game-changing than the AirScrape.

As operations manager, Pratt oversees the sales, engineering and warehousing departments at Kinder which often involves the research and procurement of new business relationships and products.

“During COVID, the interesting part about my role has been looking after the sales side of the international market,” Pratt told Quarry.

The AirScrape conveyor skirt design creates a contactless air seal to ensure dust is kept inside the conveyor section, while minimising material spillage.

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“So, because I couldn’t travel, I’ve been searching the globe online for specific products to complement our range and I became aware of this AirScrape product.”

AirScrape is a non-contact, dustless, material containment skirting and sealing system designed to hover 1mm from the surface of the conveyor belt.

The design creates a contactless air seal to ensure dust is kept inside the conveyor section, while also minimising material spillage.

Pratt said such a design baffled some of the most experienced in the bulk handling industries.

“It’s a bit like walking into a car dealership and the salesman shows you a car without any wheels,” Pratt said.

“For decades, conveyor transfer points have relied on a rubber or polyurethane soft skirting system to make contact with the conveyor, whereas this AirScrape product is radical because it doesn’t.

“This creates its own challenges because when you first introduce it to people, they struggle to get their head around it and that was my reaction at first too. I thought, ‘this is amazing if it works but how can it?’”

Not only has Kinder adopted the AirScrape and begun distributing it throughout Australia, it has also secured a reciprocal trading agreement with ScrapeTec. This agreement saw Kinder work with ScrapeTec to further improve the performance of AirScrape in response to customer feedback.

“The AirScrape works best with a consistent 1mm air gap underneath it and to do that, customers will need an impact bed or one of our K-Sure belt support products,” Pratt said.

“When we received the base product from ScrapeTec, they didn’t have that adequate belt support so Kinder turned around and supplied it to them.”

“This has expanded our global network by connecting us with their distributors and we’ve gained some customers we wouldn’t otherwise have throughout the world.”

The AirScrape is a non-contact, dustless, material containment skirting and sealing system designed to hover 1mm from the surface of the conveyor belt.

The combination of ScrapeTec and Kinder has resulted in four complementary products which all work best when installed together – the AirScrape, TailScrape, K-Containment Seal and the K-Sure Belt Support System.

To understand and assess an operation’s need for these products, Kinder has field application specialists and engineers who can travel to site and make recommendations.

“You never find yourself just proposing the one product in the range, there’s usually a few products that a customer will benefit most from,” Pratt said.

And once installed, the results bear repeating.

“It should theoretically last for the life of the conveyor because there’s no contact with the belt and it’s only containing dust,” Pratt said.

“This presents cost savings in not having to perform maintenance on the skirting, and not having to order it, deliver it or stock it.

“There are so many costs that are reduced throughout the supply chain when you don’t have to replace something anymore. It’s not just the cost of the product, it’s all the other bits and pieces.”

Even Pratt, the Kinder veteran, said he had never seen anything like the AirScrape and may not again for some time.

“This is the most radically different thing I’ve seen in my time. We’ve been producing some pretty creative products at Kinder but this one is a game-changer,” he concluded. • For more information about the AirScrape and other Kinder products, visit kinder.com.au

WATER MANAGEMENT

REDEFINING

UNDERGROUND WATER MANAGEMENT Through their new PC pump station, Xylem and Seepex have built a compact unit perfect for fixed and mobile mine dewatering applications underground.

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t is Xylem’s mission to solve the world’s most challenging water issues, no matter the situation or environment.

Through its many brands and partnerships, Xylem has cracked the most difficult codes to ensure water is safely, sustainably and efficiently managed across industries.

Xylem has been at the forefront of evolving water management and its next advancement has it diving deeper into underground mines with a new compact pump station fit for the narrowest spaces.

The company’s partnership with leading pump technology specialist Seepex has seen the two create a progressive cavity pump (PCP) and hopper package designed for use in mobile and fixed mine dewatering applications.

Cameron Pate, Xylem’s product and marketing manager for Australia and New Zealand, said the pump station was built with the confines of an underground mine in mind.

“It’s a lower, more narrow space underground so the design of the pump station is built around being compact and mobile and easy to install and move around,” Pate said. “We also made these units safer for underground by not having ladders go up to the top of the tank.”

Some underground pump stations can be two to three metres tall, requiring workers to scale ladders in slippery conditions. The compact design makes it easier and safer to complete the daily inspections and servicing.

“Part of the daily inspection is for someone to physically climb up to the top of the tank and hose out all of the sediment that builds up in the bottom of the tank, so we’ve tried to engineer a solution to minimise the height in which people have to climb,” Pate says.

Himanth Prathap, Xylem’s business development manage for mining, metals and industrial, said the quality of the PC pump station resulted from the unique expertise Xylem and Seepex have brought to the partnership.

“Seepex has been making PCPs for a

The pump station is built for the confines of an underground mine.

long time now,” he said.

“This particular model was specifically developed for mining and there was a fair bit of work that had been done by Seepex themselves to understand what the typical challenges are with PCPs. “It was based on that feedback from customers that they came up with this particular design and when we came into the picture with the Seepex partnership, we were able to build on those features to come up with an improved pump station design.”

Developing a unique and innovative product can be one of the biggest challenges in manufacturing and having competitive awareness is critical to gaining an edge.

Constructed to be more ergonomic and user-friendly than the competition, Pate said the PCP station also excels when it comes to maintenance or rebuilds.

This is made possible with Seepex’s “Maintain-In-Place” (MIP) technology, which greatly improves the pump’s repairability, whereby the rotor-stator cartridge can be replaced in-situ without disconnecting the pipework.

Seepex’s NSM70-12V pump (an attachment to the PCP station) is significantly

lighter than competitor models, while even wall stator technology allows the one pump model to cover a range of duty points that would otherwise require multiple competitor models.

The capability of the pump station isn’t just the perception of Xylem and Seepex either, verification is also coming from the field.

A well known underground mining operation in Kalgoorlie took on the pump station as part of a three-month trial in August. The company was so happy with the product compared to their current units that it has signed a long-term contract with no designated end date.

“We have had a few units go out to site now and the feedback so far has been, these pump stations are really compact and really easy to manage – these are the words from the customers themselves,” Prathap said.

“The fact that it’s compact really makes a big difference because real estate is limited in the underground mining space so every time there is an opportunity to have a compact and more manageable asset underground, the end users would prefer that over the larger alternative.”

With its new PCP station gaining traction, Xylem continues to evolve the concept and possibility of water management in mining through its end-to-end focus.

“We’ve managed to build a product portfolio that offers solutions at every stage of managing water – whether it be how water is sourced, then moved, tested, treated and then discharged back to where it was sourced from,” Prathap said.

“And given how much of an emphasis there is today around how water is being managed on mine sites, the PCP station is just another valued-added solution that we’ve been able to bring to the customer, to complement all of the existing solutions that we have around water management.” • For more information about Xylem’s PCP and hopper package and other products, visit xylem.com/au

Quarry February 2022 37

LUBRICANTS, OILS

DEPENDABLE OILS KEEP

QUARRIES RUNNING SMOOTHLY When searching for the best in engine and hydraulic oils for heavy-duty quarrying machinery, the goal is reduced service intervals and improved efficiency and emissions. Luckily, the Mobil Delvac range satisfies both.

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fter ExxonMobil and Ampol entered a marketing alliance in late 2020, Ampol took the reins on the manufacture and distribution of Mobil* lubricants in 2021, with cornerstone products like Mobil Delvac continuing to improve.

The Delvac* range of diesel engine oils was first developed in 1925, but Ampol technical solutions specialist Abdulla Nasser told Quarry that the range and quality of current day Mobil Delvac is worlds away from its origins.

“There is an excellent range of engine oils depending on what a customer’s emissions requirements are,” Nasser said, “but we usually recommend the Mobil Delvac Modern 15W-40 range of engine oils.”

This high-performance product range is the result of Mobil’s recognition that the mining and quarrying sectors need the best in efficiency and reliability.

Whether machines are running hot and heavy, or regulations call for strict emissions reductions – or both – Mobil Delvac Modern 15W-40 is a common calling card for the Ampol team.

“The best of the Mobil Delvac Modern 15W-40 range is the Full Protection option, which supports emissions standards and longer service intervals are achieved,” Nasser said.

“This product gives you extended drain intervals, and with our recent transition to Mobil lubricants, we’ll be looking being able to increase drain intervals by another 25 to 50 per cent.”

In a sector like quarrying, where time is money, the lengthening of service intervals can be a game-changer for operations of all shapes and sizes.

What makes high performance oils attractive to machinery and equipment operators, besides spacing out the service intervals, is the potential to improve the reliability and efficiency of their equipment.

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“If they somehow overextend on their service intervals, they still have enough of a buffer from this range,” Nasser said.

“If they’re supposed to change the oil out at 500 hours and they get around to it at 550 hours, they can still be confident that it won’t have much effect on the performance of the equipment.”

In hydraulic oils, Ampol continues to be a leader in the market with the Mobil range.

One example Nasser highlighted was the DTE 10 Excel Series hydraulic oil, designed to meet the needs of modern, high pressure, industrial and mobile equipment.

“Ampol are looking to show the quarrying and mining sector more about DTE 10 Excel because it’s a real stand-out product and we know the true benefit it can have to them,” Nasser said.

“It runs cleaner, and it lasts longer, even in hotter temperatures.

“The beauty of it is that it doesn’t break down through the machine’s pumps which could potentially decrease efficiencies for the machine overall.”

An added benefit of DTE 10 is its longevity over varying temperatures compared to similar oils in the market.

“Usually, hydraulic oils left in the sump too long can form a varnish and it thickens and becomes sticky which can build up and cause wear in various components,” Nasser explained.

“Whereas the DTE10 Excel series oils don’t tend to do that and in fact have been shown in the field to have a cleaning effect as well.”

Ampol customers include household names across the quarrying and construction sector, right down to the little operators who require just as much attention to their lubricant needs.

To cater to all kinds, Nasser said a lot of time is put into understanding unique customer requirements.

“The Ampol Technical and Product Solutions team (or TaPS) has a great understanding of

Mobil Delvac Full Protection is highly recommended for quarrying applications.

Mobil products and how high-performance engine and hydraulic oils can benefit a machine as well as a customer’s operations,” he said.

“We look at the specific applications for the customer and their required service intervals.

We ask questions around what efficiency they want and how much uptime they’re targeting.”

And if for any reason the final product doesn’t seem up to scratch, which Nasser admitted would come as a shock, one can be sure that the next generation of Mobil Delvac oils or Mobil hydraulic oils will be another step in the right direction.

“The results of equipment performance and used oil analysis which Ampol and its customers are seeing in the DTE Excel fluids shows that this is most likely the best hydraulic oil in the Australian market today,” Nasser concluded.

For more information about the Mobil DTE10 Excel series, visit ampol.com.au/fuels-andoils/lubricants/business/industry-solutions/ agriculture/hydraulic-oil • *MobilTM and Mobil DelvacTM are trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation and used under licence

by Ampol Australia Petroleum Pty Ltd.

EDUCATION

VISION, VALUES KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF LONG-TIME INDUSTRY SUPPLIER

As part of the commentary in the past year about the characteristics of effective leadership, industry stalwart Neil Kinder charts the journey of his company Kinder Australia from its modest origins in a two-bedroom house in metropolitan Melbourne to a SME success story, both within Australia and around the world.

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n 2021, the Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA) invited me to present a monthly article, based on one of the seven core characteristics of effective leadership (see Figure 1).

Rather than write all seven scenarios myself, I invited numerous people from diverse demographics and industries to make contributions.

This additional chapter on vision and values comes from Neil Kinder, a long-time, well-known and respected supplier to the quarrying and extractive industries.

In my books Emerging Leaders and Effective Leaders, I have provided a relatively simple definition of visions and values as follows: Visionary leaders appreciate that, while values make a contribution, vision is future-

Figure 1. The seven characteristics of effective leadership, supplemented by the four attributes of trust.

focused and about developing clarity and purpose around their goals.

As part of Effective Leaders, I’ve also discussed in depth the four values – or attributes – that underpin the foundation of trust and the effectiveness of leadership (see Figure 1): 1. R espect: Diversity/Gender Equality and Inclusion/Culture.

2. Courage: Internal and External.

3. I ntegrity: Accountability and Transparency/Authenticity.

4. A gility: Alignment and Agility – Emotional, Management and Leadership.

Mike Cameron, Yours Strategically

NEIL KINDER: VISION AND VALUES 1985 was a pivotal time with the birth of iconic technology including the Microsoft Windows operating system, Portable CD Discman and Nintendo Entertainment System. It was a time of big hair, shoulder pads and acid wash jeans. In our twobedroom house in Prahran, Victoria, it was also the time my wife, Christine and I began our business, then called NC Kinder & Co Pty Ltd. Kinder’s original focus was to supply conveyor and vibrating screen components, to keep aligned with my foundations in the field. When I left school, I began as a sales trainee for heavy lifting earth-moving machinery with a company used by the quarry, mining and timber industries. I later moved towards large helical gear reducers for the mining industry, among other related conveyor products. It gave me the confidence to begin this journey of starting our own business, myself – together with Christine – with the motivation to succeed.

Neil Kinder, CEO of Kinder Australia.

With no computers and high-tech databases to record inventory, and no mobile phones to quickly get in touch, I had to carry a pager to be reached by Christine whilst on my Australia-wide business trips.

As soon as they were available, I was quick to obtain an early phone in my car, which I deemed imperative for the business’s evolution. Early business was based on mobile coverage at the time, during the rapid progression of 1990’s e-technology.

As the mobile phone network expanded, so too did the business, reaching the rest of Victoria and eventually covering Australiawide.

We were early users of both mobile phones and the internet, and I have always been a big believer in keeping up with technology; enabling us to market our products and services and reach both current and prospective customers

Quarry February 2022 39

EDUCATION

effectively. We began our customer database from day one, and originally we contacted them using letters and brochures in the post, but this has evolved to informative email campaigns and the maintenance of a thoroughly maintained CRM system (Customer Relationship Management).

Staying organised and efficient is key to keeping on top of an ever-growing and ever- changing customer base and product inventory. Naturally as our business progressed, we acquired a variety of software to assist us and provide different functions. However, the issue with this was that these programs did not “talk to each other” and we found ourselves overwhelmed by information and doublehandling. I considered it a huge milestone to move everything to one platform in 2011.

Shifting all our data to SAP Business One felt unknown and unfamiliar, and we had to let go of quite a number of our crutches. It is very fortunate that we found a Logistics and IT Manager, who I discovered in an

unconventional way. When we were moving our inventory to the new SAP system, we engaged a number of temporary staff to assist us with counting and data entry.

Ian was one of those temps, and while chatting to him I discovered his remarkable background in computer engineering. I asked him if he could assist further with more of the complexities in the migration.

He was willing to share his knowledge, come on board with us as a full time employee, and in time manage our IT and logistics department. Getting to know your staff and really understand and utilise their talents is so important – you never know what people are capable of until you listen and learn.

The addition of the internet presented a new-found digital horizon for us and allowed the business to go global, bringing markets closer together. I still find it amazing that you can buy something today from the other side of the world and have it arrive in the next week. It is simple to set up a virtual meeting and chat to anyone globally. Kinder

can service the South-East Asian market with a multi- language website on top of our extensive Australian website and in 2021 we were able to employ two international staff members who are local to their territories of Indonesia and South Africa. Without adapting to technology this would not have been possible. It absolutely feels like the world is more connected now.

People are not too concerned about where something comes from now. Instead, they are more interested in who they are buying from. The important questions are: Are they a trustworthy organisation? Will their products be reliable? What sort of global name have they got? We use these questions to keep ourselves grounded.

Trustworthiness and reliability are at the core of what we do.

The addition of Charles Pratt to Kinder in 2004 as a fresh-faced engineer, with a mechanical engineering and management background, provided an enormous benefit to the company in propelling it forward and gaining new ideas. An energetic and

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Customer training sessions need to be educational and worthwhile, not sales-driven.

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Quarry February 2022

e

driven operations manager and shareholder, Charles encouraged the importance of inclusiveness and upskilling.

Charles has been an exceptional collaborator to work with in the management of the company. He is a keen problem solver, not only for the company but for our customers. Charles digs deep and gives his best to find issues that even the customer may not see. He is diligent and diplomatic, striving for the best outcome and most practical solution.

I discussed previously the importance of getting to know your employees’ passions and skills in order to utilise their talents.

Charles is especially a big believer that people can be taught if they have the desire to learn. It all comes down to personality and getting the right person for the right job. We have a great mix of introverts and extroverts, and each has their advantages.

Some people excel in building relationships with customers, giving presentations and networking at events. Some people prefer to quietly do the number crunching. Both

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Kinder regularly hosted face to face workshops at its head office and warehouse, with as many as 50 attendees at any one time.

Many of these workshops have been successfully adapted as webinars.

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Images are for illustration purposes only.

MEET THE TEAM:

L110H

L120H

L150H

L180H

L220H

L260H

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BIG ENOUGH TO TRUST SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE

are equally important for a team to work.

Everybody has their own personality and you simply work with that whilst gently encouraging to upskill and grow.

Kinder have always held their family business values at the core. Christine and I have continued to oversee the business and encourage growth and innovation. Our son Sean is a field mechanical engineer who enjoys building relationships with key customers, and our daughter Tracey plays a key role in the marketing team. Both Tracey and Sean were hired for their qualifications and professional merit; Sean possessing a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Business, and Tracey having six years of marketing experience prior to working with us. Christine and I also found it to be important that they do not report directly to us.

Being a good leader is about showing respect. People have to feel that they are growing and not simply another number.

Of course, a business is there to be viable, but without happy staff the company will simply not flourish. Staff celebrating both professional and personal milestones is a win-win in my opinion – whether it be publishing a white-paper or purchasing a first home.

Being happy and healthy, both mentally and physically, is also important for myself and Christine to both be effective and dynamic leaders. Each morning I begin my day with running the local trails, and this gives me the clarity and energy to start my day properly.

Surrounding ourselves with the right people has been paramount to the business’ success. It has been our mission to engage with the right specialists and engineers who have the ability to provide the expertise that our customers require.

An early NC Kinder advertisement.

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Our early home-grown business of two, has developed over the years to become a reputable engineering company, with a solid team of mechanical, aeronautical, electrical and chemical engineers who possess proficiency with conveyor engineering and design. We have a team who really are specialists when handling complex problems with excellent precision, execution and creativity. It all adds to our reputation.

Charles and I have always encouraged our engineers to go outside their comfort zone to further their own credibility. Whether it be writing a white-paper with their name and qualifications on it, being interviewed for their professional opinions in an industry magazine, performing a technical presentation, and/or joining engineering groups such as the IQA, the CMPA and Engineers Australia. They need to know that they have our support and endorsement as professionals.

Since many of Kinder’s products are designed and sourced to problemsolve difficult conveyor issues, a deep understanding of a customer’s industry is crucial for staying abreast of challenges that they may be facing.

We determined that training workshops could be a useful thing for us to provide, and in return we could learn the sorts of issues that may be faced by our attendees when they are on site. It is no good blindly releasing products if they would not be useful, effective and appropriate for our customers. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was simpler for us to host face to face workshops and we had close to fifty attendees, from a variety of our customers, visit our head office. Throughout 2020 we were able to pivot these to become webinars, and this allowed for our customers to continue to touch base with us and learn how to get the most from our Kinder-K products directly from their interstate site and home offices.

It is crucial that these are worthwhile training sessions for customers and not “just another sales session” – educational content is key. As our Marketing Manager, Christine believes that we want our customers to walk away from the workshops knowing that if there is a problem, all they need to do is to reach out and contact us for help. We are the company with the knowledge. Whether or not we have the product, it is the engineering we can provide.

Photo by Will Arnott.

EDUCATION

Neil and Christine Kinder have been invaluable members of the extractive and bulk handling industries for more than 35 years.

When learning about their industry, one needs to understand the main issues that are being faced by the customers. What problems are they wanting to solve? This enables the correct focus on the right products. An example of this is dust and noise. Time and time again, these issues are raised by our field specialists who travel on site; therefore, it makes the most sense to align our products accordingly. It is even more crucial to follow this path where legal ramifications might arise, such as dust at a site that can lead to silicosis and other airborne diseases. This is an OH&S nightmare for companies. Therefore, it is likely that they will invest in equipment that will minimise dust.

In recognition of the environmental and global warming challenges, which will undoubtably face our industry, we will continue to source and manage our business to this end – using safe practices, in an attempt to minimse our impact on the environment, while continuing to support the growth of infrastructure.

Solving the right problems and taking controlled steps towards goals is the best measure to ensure a viable business. We are conservative in the way we operate, and we do not try to take on jobs that are bigger than we are capable of managing. We do not want to operate a business where if we have one little problem, the whole thing implodes. If you do not have a vision to survive – which comes from deep in your soul – then even with all the best plans in the world, it is not going to work!

Thirty five years later after the humble beginnings of our simple business, Christine and I, together with Charles, continue to keep our finger on the pulse of Kinder

Australia Pty Ltd. Together with a skilled and trained team, we have moved premises several times to accommodate the growth of product range and storage, as well as an increase in staff and their needs.

We have travelled the world to display at and attend international trade shows and events, as well as collaborate and build relationships with global suppliers and partners. It is all about surrounding yourself with the right people, utilising the skills they already have, or show potential to have, while offering encouragement and support for both our employees and customers, and a keen eye for problem-solving in the industry.

What it is not about is putting yourself up on a pedestal. You need to harness the skills and energy around you to build a knowledgeable and effective team.

Neil Kinder is the chief executive officer of Kinder Australia, in Braeside, Victoria.

For more information about Kinder Australia, visit kinder.com.au

EFFECTIVE LEADERS – AVAILABLE NOW Neil Kinder’s chapter and other chapters on effective leadership published in Quarry in the past year form part of a new book – Effective Leaders: Four attributes that underpin the core characteristics Of Effective Leadership, written and edited by Mike Cameron.

Built on a strong foundation of trust, and guided by leaders who continuously hone their skills, results and performance are achieved through an engaged and empowered workplace.

These leaders understand the importance of four attributes (values) that underpin the seven core characteristics of effective leadership: Respect, Courage, Integrity and Agility.

The book is available to order via the Strategically Yours website: strategically.com.au

Effective Leaders continues the journey identified within The Emerging Leader by offering numerous narratives, from active and experienced leaders, based on the seven core characteristics of effective leadership. While highlighting the importance of building Trust, Mike Cameron encourages the reader to lead with their own blend of the four key attributes: Respect, Courage, Integrity and Agility. There are chapters, containing stories and anecdotes about these important values, from some of the best writers and contributors in their field, that will inspire readers and persuade them to indulge in these life lessons.

Martin Toomey Business owner of Transport Equipment Australia and Chair of ARTSA Institute

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IQA NEWS

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

FEDERAL RESOURCES MINISTER TO OPEN IQA2022 IN NEWCASTLE

T

he Institute is looking forward to next month when we – the IQA, our members and our industry at large – finally have the chance to get together at the 63rd National IQA Conference in Newcastle, from 29 to 31 March, 2022. The conference represents a fantastic engagement platform for all sectors of the extractive and associated industries that have not convened face to face for two years.

There are so many reasons to attend IQA2022 but we have outlined just a few below. If you are still deciding whether to join us, this information should convince you!

QUALITY PROGRAM The program for this year’s conference is a standout. Under the theme of ReThink, ReSource, ReEngage, the stage is set for some fantastic speakers who will share their knowledge and expertise with our delegates.

The Honourable Keith Pitt MP, the Federal Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia, will officially open the conference program. A former electrical fitter mechanic and an electrical engineer for Bundaberg Sugar, Pitt established the Australian Training and Safety Alliance in 2002. He has represented the seat of Hinkler in the Federal Parliament since 2013.

The 2022-23 Federal Budget is expected to coincide with the opening of the conference, so the Minister will likely expand on the initiatives and incentives that form the core of the Federal Government’s re-election pitch.

These could include increases to the instant asset write-off for new plant and equipment and the Job Trainer fund which in 2021-22 contributed $1 billion to the training and upskilling of job seekers and young people.

Futurist Michael McQueen will deliver an insightful keynote on ReThinking the Future.

McQueen is a multi-award-winning speaker, trend forecaster and bestselling author of nine books. He is looking forward to being a part of IQA2022 and will play an important role in setting the scene for the conference.

Victoria Sherwood from Boral will discuss innovation in recycling and waste management and thought leader Rachael Robertson will discuss great leadership.

Sherwood has spent her career

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Quarry February 2022

successfully optimising business performance and overseeing large scale transformational change within engineering and manufacturing-based companies across a multitude of industries globally, including mining, construction materials, building products and infrastructure.

Robertson is the best-selling author of the book Leading on the Edge - Extraordinary stories from the most extreme workplace on the planet. This relates her experiences as an Antarctic expedition leader of a 120-strong team for a year in one of the world’s most “most extreme, hostile environments”. She facilitates a 12-part, online workshop in Extreme Leadership, covering areas such as self-reflection, inspiration, regret, language, socialisation, generational differences, respect, difficult conversations, mental health, and crisis leadership.

Leaders from Boral, Adbri, Hanson and Holcim will take centre stage for an inaugural panel discussion. This is the first time representatives from all the major aggregates and cement producers in Australia will convene for a session at an IQA conference.

NETWORKING More than 50 exhibitors will showcase the latest in equipment and services available to the extractive and associated industries.

IQA2022 provides the perfect opportunity to reconnect with key representatives and update product knowledge.

In addition to the conference sessions, the IQA National Conference provides three great opportunities to network with industry colleagues and suppliers: the Hitachi Welcome Reception, the Komatsu Conference Dinner and the Caterpillar Gala Dinner. These events will enable delegates, sponsors and exhibitors to assemble on a social level. The IQA thanks its Platinum Partners for their support of the IQA2022 social program. Additional tickets are available to each event, providing a great opportunity to reward local team members or invite additional staff who are unable to attend the conference in full.

ENJOY THE HOST CITY Situated on the east coast of NSW,

Newcastle is surrounded by golden, sandy beaches, a breathtaking coastline and a beautiful working harbour. For more information on things to do in Newcastle or extending your stay pre- or post-conference, see visitnewcastle.com.au

SUPPORT YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION The IQA has a long, proud history of connecting and supporting the networking and professional development and careers of those in the extractive and associated industries. This role is largely delivered through the connectivity and support provided by the IQA’s branches and subbranches. The IQA has a branch in every state or territory, and several sub-branches in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

The IQA National Conference provides the opportunity to bring members and nonmembers from across Australia together to share ideas and innovation across the quarrying and associated industries.

To register for IQA2022 or for more information, visit iqa.eventsair/conference

GET INVOLVED IN THE IQA Quarry Magazine Content Advisor – contract role The Quarry Magazine Content Advisor is responsible for supporting the technical accuracy of articles in Quarry magazine (print and electronic) and for providing advice on factually correct technical information. The contractor will collaborate with the editor of Quarry, the IQA CEO and the magazine’s editorial panel to identify relevant news stories and support editorial content.. For more information, download the EOI form from the IQA website: quarry.com.au (> About Quarrying > Our Partners).

Membership Review Committee nomination The IQA is seeking an EOI for up to five representatives from industry, branches and sub-branches, and suppliers to join the Membership Review Committee (MRC). The MRC’s role will be to: i) Determine applications for member status, where applicants do not have a formal or

IQA NEWS exempting qualification. ii) Determine applications for membership that are referred to it by the National Office staff or Chair of the Committee. iii) Determine applications for membership that are referred to it by applicants that are not happy with the decision of the National Office staff or Chair of the Committee. iv) Review and provide recommendations to

IQA NEW MEMBERS GRADE

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

the Board via the Chief Executive Officer on all nominations for Fellowship. v) Review and provide recommendations to the Board via the CEO on all nominations for Honorary Fellowship. vi) Review and provide advice to the CEO on all membership matters. vii) Review and provide advice to the CEO on strategies to sustain and grow ASSOC

Emily Tremelling

NSW

membership. viii) Refer matters of Committee composition, membership guideline amendments, membership grades and annual membership fees to the Board via the CEO. For more information, download the EOI form from the IQA website: quarry.com. au (Membership >Membership Review Committee). • TMIQ

Wayne Barker

SA

TMIQ

Dean Little

NSW

MIQ

Peter Baker

SA

MIQ

Thomas Walter

NSW

ASSOC

Daniel Nanthathammiko

VIC

NQLD

TMIQ

Simon Taylor

NSW

TMIQ

Sherwin Ng

VIC

NQLD

ASSOC

Gabriel Maiug

NSW

TMIQ

Paul Harris

VIC

NSW

MIQ

Lee Wilson

QLD

ASSOC

Cathy Moon

VIC

NSW

MIQ

Andrew Jones

QLD

MIQ

Craig Tanner

VIC

NAME

BRANCH

ASSOC

Nerida Worboys

ASSOC

Troy Newman

MIQ

Wayne Evans

MIQ

Billy Lewis

MIQ

Kurt Bridges

NSW

TMIQ

Keelan McNulty

QLD

MIQ

Cameron McIntosh

VIC

TMIQ

Andrew Wade

NSW

TMIQ

Matthew Ferguson

QLD

MIQ

Matt Murnane

VIC

TMIQ

Nicholas Vrontas

NSW

MIQ

Andrew Smith

QLD

TMIQ

Jason Trindall

VIC

TMIQ

Graham Spice

NSW

TMIQ

Andrew Britton

SA

TMIQ

Teresa Parkinson

VIC

TMIQ

Brad Trindall

NSW

MIQ

Mathew Renton

SA

GEOLOGY TALK

CLAY RESOURCE KEY TO COW POLLUTION

A high grade halloysite may be adapted into a low cost feed supplement to be added to the diet of beef or dairy cattle to reduce the methane in their stomachs.

Examples of macro mineral quartz stone containing halloysite.

A natural clay mineral has been identified as a potential fix for a major carbon emitter, reducing pollution while providing a new end use for this quarried material.

and purity,” Naidu said. “These resources are largely underutilised due to poor market transformation, high transport costs and limited industry knowledge of clay properties, process methods and markets.”

Latin Resources managing director Chris Gale agreed the company was committed to using its resources to create a better world.

“As a resources company with a strong focus on environmental, social and governance processes, we are excited by the potential of this research project,” Gale said.

“There are few resources projects globally that have the potential to be world-changing and, while it’s early days, we believe we have partnered with the right team to deliver.” •

M

ethane from cattle has long been recognised as a major source of greenhouse gas globally.

So, the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) and miner Latin Resources have partnered to make change.1 Latin Resources owns the Noombenberry halloysite-kaolin project in Western Australia and the team at CRC CARE has chosen the Cloud Nine deposit at Noombenberry as a prime source for this important resource.2 CRC CARE researchers have developed a way for high grade halloysite to be adapted into a low cost feed supplement to be added to the diet of beef or dairy cattle to reduce the methane in their stomachs.

“If we can find a way to reduce methane output from grazing animals like cattle, sheep and goats, we can limit a major source of global pollution that worries governments and climate policymakers – as well as farmers – everywhere,” said CRC CARE managing director professor Ravi Naidu.

Halloysite deposits have developed naturally over millions of years in arid environments like Australia and must be

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extracted from the clay in which it forms.

“If we succeed, it will mean that farmers everywhere do not have to cull their herds to meet climate targets, but can continue to produce quality beef and dairy to help feed the world,” Naidu said.

“This is vital for two key food industries, together worth $2 trillion and employing over 12 million people globally. Australia alone has 45,000 cattle enterprises.”

A secondary use was identified for the halloysite, which forms in nanotubes, where the material could be placed inside a cattle shed to trap and absorb the methane. The methane trapped in the halloysite could then be burned as a fuel to heat the shed, operate the farm or produce fertiliser.

“Cutting back on methane emissions is one of the most effective things we can do to reduce near-term global warming and keep to 1.5°C,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the United Nations’ Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.3 Naidu said Australia had a responsibility to take advantage of its natural resources in innovative and helpful ways such as this.

“Australia is richly endowed with large, diverse clay resources, which include deposits of world class size

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING 1 CRC Care. Australians to help solve global methane threat. 9 December, 2021. crccare.com/news/australians-to-help-solveglobal-methane-threat 2 Latin Resources. Cloud Nine halloysite Research and development project to reduce methane emissions. 18 November, 2021. asx.com.au/asxpdf/20211118/ pdf/4533jkksvddrqh.pdf 3

Politico. At COP26, more than 100 countries commit to reducing methane emissions. 2 November, 2021. politico.eu/article/cop26-100-countriesreducing-methane-emissions/

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