New research shows the vital importance of emerging markets to the aggregate production industry, while leading aggregate production equipment manufacturers have brought new cutting-edge models onto the market. Meanwhile, recent equipment purchases are playing a key role in boosting the commercial success of customers in France and Malta. Guy Woodford reports
Demand for construction aggregates in the Asia/Pacific and Africa/Middle East regions is fuelling global aggregates sales growth, according to the
Sandvik Construction’s CH550 cone crusher is said to be enabling the NIVET TPPL quarry in Beaulieu sur Layon, western France to produce 0-10mm aggregate for use in road construction and civil engineering projects
New research shows the vital importance of emerging markets to the aggregate production industry, while leading aggregate production equipment manufacturers have brought new cutting-edge models onto the market. Meanwhile, recent equipment purchases are playing a key role in boosting the commercial success of customers in France and Malta. Guy Woodford reports
Demand for construction aggregates in the Asia/Pacific and Africa/Middle East regions is fuelling global aggregates sales growth, according to the latest research by respected industry market researchers the2821 Freedonia Group.
The US-based firm tips worldwide sales of construction aggregates to expand by 5.8% a year to 53.2 billion tonnes in the five years to 2017.
More than 50% of all additional construction aggregates demand between 2012 and 2017 will be attributable to China where, says Freedonia in its new study titled World Construction Aggregates, massive gains in building and non-building construction activity will stimulate sales. Yet aggregates consumption in India, the Asia/Pacific region’s second largest market, will expand at a somewhat faster pace than China until 2017.
Following recent declines from 2007 to 2012, Freedonia says aggregates demand is expected to increase in North America and Western Europe after financial and fiscal crises, with new residential, commercial and public work construction stimulating sales. These regions are tipped for 3-5% aggregate sales growth, although North America’s growth, as well as Eastern Europe’s, is forecast to be faster than Western Europe between 2012 and 2017. In terms of major countries, Spain, Russia, the United States and Italy are expected to perform particularly well, due to what Freedonia says is a considerable amount of “pent-up” aggregates demand in these markets.
The non-building market for construction aggregates is expected by Freedonia to outperform the building segment 2012-2017, as many countries are investing heavily in their public infrastructures. Crushed stone is expected to account for over one-half of all new product demand generated between 2012 and 2017.
The importance of the Asia/Pacific region market to aggregate production equipment sales has been highlighted by Markku Teräsvasara, president of161 Atlas Copco’s surface drilling division, along with the benefits of the company’s 23mm to 203mm diameter range of surface drill ‘families’ to customers in key emerging markets, such as Asia.
Responsible for Atlas Copco’s Basic (air powered); Poweroc (basic hydraulic); Flexiroc; and Smartroc drill families, Terasvasara said he has based himself in Asia as the market there is developing at twice the speed of other markets.
Speaking at the Atlas Copco Research & Development Centre in Nanjing, China, Teräsvasara said that Poweroc is designed to keep the customer’s investment cost lower than the “more sophisticated and higher-performing” hydraulic lines, Flexiroc and Smartroc.
When evaluating any customer’s needs, Teräsvasara said the four selection criteria that Atlas Copco considers are: Location; Utilisation; Available capital; and Customer’s skills and knowledge. This leads to a recommendation for a solution from one of the product families with the aim of achieving the lowest cost per drill/metre. The component parts of this equation are: Equipment cost; Service cost; Consumables cost (drill steels and bits); and Labour.
Teräsvasara said that in a best case scenario, where all four selection criteria are in good supply, the Smartoc range will provide the lowest cost of operation. Flexitroc is a halfway house, with a higher level of automation than Poweroc. It is programmable and uses a CANbus system. Looking into the future, Atlas Copco wants to rapidly increase its Poweroc portfolio in emerging markets, and in 2013 introduced the world’s first fully-automated surface drilling crawler rig at a Rio Tinto mine.
Atlas Copco has great focus on safety in emerging markets, according to Teräsvasara. The company provides simulators at head office to aid safety training, and also provides onsite training.
While Atlas Copco audits the safe use of all its equipment, it doesn’t provide safety audits for a whole quarry. Teräsvasara said it is difficult to characterise which countries tend to provide the safest working environments.
In giving examples of the sort of quarry-based accidents that Atlas Copco is working hard to prevent, Teräsvasara cited rockfalls and drill rigs tipping over, but added that one of the most common accidents was the accidental drilling of an already-charged hole, which can lead to fatal explosions. With this in mind, all the different Atlas Copco drill rigs with cabs now have thick blast plates welded to the floor and bulletproof glass fitted in the windows.
A new CH550 cone crusher from2403 Sandvik Construction is said to be enabling the NIVET TPPL quarry in Beaulieu-sur-Layon, western France to produce 0-10mm aggregate for use in road construction and civil engineering projects.
NIVET TPPL opted to purchase a CH550 as the quarry’s tough spilite magmatic rock, which has the same geological structure as basalt and one of the hardest found in France, meant that only the most advanced cone crusher technology would be able to deliver the 0-10mm aggregate required by customers.
The CH550 has allowed NIVET TPPL to provide customers with their required aggregate at specified delivery times, and is also said to have significantly improved production efficiency at the firm’s Beaulieu-sur-Layon site. The model can be set to produce a 10mm product which is then screened to produce a variety of sizes depending on the specific customer application, and, effectively, left to crush all day.
This allows for uninterrupted production, thereby lowering the cost per tonne of material produced, and enabling the work-force to concentrate on their main tasks without having to worry about the cone crusher, which was the case prior to the installation of the Sandvik CH550.
The CH550 cone crusher can be configured for either secondary or tertiary crusher applications. It also has a wide performance range, and, with its innovative design, the model is said to provide NIVET TPPL with unparalleled adaptability and flexibility as a tertiary crusher used for the production of high quality aggregates.
In order to minimise negative environmental impact, and to allow for safer working conditions, the CH550 comes with no plastic backing, and is electrically powered. Whether electrically or diesel powered, the motor on the CH550 provides the highest energy efficiency classification, resulting in less power consumption. This means non-electrically powered CH550s minimise CO2 emissions, and, when compared to earlier models, the features found on the crusher are said by Sandvik to enable it to reduce emissions by around 30tonnes a year. Additionally, the quieter operation offered by the CH550 has enabled the NIVET TPPL quarry’s workforce and the quarry’s surrounding area to benefit from reduced noise emissions.
NIVET TPPL is part of the renowned west France-based NIVET Group of quarrying and construction companies, which employs over 700 people in a variety of sites in the region.
A new6097 Chicago Pneumatic RX46 heavy rig-mounted breaker is said to be helping Ballut Blocks, one of Malta’s largest civil engineering contractors, to meet challenging productivity targets on a major project that involves the excavation of 1,000,000m³ of rock over a period of four years without the use of explosives.
With its 3tonne service weight, the RX46 is thought to be one of the largest breakers ever used on the island. It was supplied by Swaey Bros, Chicago Pneumatic’s sole distributor in Malta for many years.
“We recommended the RX46 to Ballut Blocks because it offers exceptional breaking performance combined with excellent value for money,” said Quintin Vella, assistant managing director of Swaey Bros. “In addition, like all Chicago Pneumatic products, it features robust construction to ensure that it has a long life even in tough operating conditions, and it is easy to maintain and service.”
Key benefits of the RX-series breakers from Chicago Pneumatic include a power boost feature that harnesses recoil energy to achieve greater breaking performance without requiring additional hydraulic input, energy efficient gas/oil hybrid technology, and advanced noise and vibration damping technology. In addition, for even greater durability in demanding applications, the latest models include a reinforced breaker box design with rock claws.
“We’ve been using breakers from Chicago Pneumatic for more than five years,” said Paul Vella, Ballut Block’s managing director. “They’re reliable and durable, and they require very little maintenance. And, on the few occasions when we have needed parts and assistance, we’ve had an excellent response from both Chicago Pneumatic and Swaey Bros.”
Ballut Blocks has now been using its new RX46 breaker for a number of weeks, and not only has it fully lived up to expectations, it has also delivered a 5% fuel reduction for the carrier which the breaker is attached to, in spite of the RX46 model’s greater productivity.
Demand for construction aggregates in the Asia/Pacific and Africa/Middle East regions is fuelling global aggregates sales growth, according to the latest research by respected industry market researchers the
The US-based firm tips worldwide sales of construction aggregates to expand by 5.8% a year to 53.2 billion tonnes in the five years to 2017.
More than 50% of all additional construction aggregates demand between 2012 and 2017 will be attributable to China where, says Freedonia in its new study titled World Construction Aggregates, massive gains in building and non-building construction activity will stimulate sales. Yet aggregates consumption in India, the Asia/Pacific region’s second largest market, will expand at a somewhat faster pace than China until 2017.
Following recent declines from 2007 to 2012, Freedonia says aggregates demand is expected to increase in North America and Western Europe after financial and fiscal crises, with new residential, commercial and public work construction stimulating sales. These regions are tipped for 3-5% aggregate sales growth, although North America’s growth, as well as Eastern Europe’s, is forecast to be faster than Western Europe between 2012 and 2017. In terms of major countries, Spain, Russia, the United States and Italy are expected to perform particularly well, due to what Freedonia says is a considerable amount of “pent-up” aggregates demand in these markets.
The non-building market for construction aggregates is expected by Freedonia to outperform the building segment 2012-2017, as many countries are investing heavily in their public infrastructures. Crushed stone is expected to account for over one-half of all new product demand generated between 2012 and 2017.
The importance of the Asia/Pacific region market to aggregate production equipment sales has been highlighted by Markku Teräsvasara, president of
Responsible for Atlas Copco’s Basic (air powered); Poweroc (basic hydraulic); Flexiroc; and Smartroc drill families, Terasvasara said he has based himself in Asia as the market there is developing at twice the speed of other markets.
Speaking at the Atlas Copco Research & Development Centre in Nanjing, China, Teräsvasara said that Poweroc is designed to keep the customer’s investment cost lower than the “more sophisticated and higher-performing” hydraulic lines, Flexiroc and Smartroc.
When evaluating any customer’s needs, Teräsvasara said the four selection criteria that Atlas Copco considers are: Location; Utilisation; Available capital; and Customer’s skills and knowledge. This leads to a recommendation for a solution from one of the product families with the aim of achieving the lowest cost per drill/metre. The component parts of this equation are: Equipment cost; Service cost; Consumables cost (drill steels and bits); and Labour.
Teräsvasara said that in a best case scenario, where all four selection criteria are in good supply, the Smartoc range will provide the lowest cost of operation. Flexitroc is a halfway house, with a higher level of automation than Poweroc. It is programmable and uses a CANbus system. Looking into the future, Atlas Copco wants to rapidly increase its Poweroc portfolio in emerging markets, and in 2013 introduced the world’s first fully-automated surface drilling crawler rig at a Rio Tinto mine.
Atlas Copco has great focus on safety in emerging markets, according to Teräsvasara. The company provides simulators at head office to aid safety training, and also provides onsite training.
While Atlas Copco audits the safe use of all its equipment, it doesn’t provide safety audits for a whole quarry. Teräsvasara said it is difficult to characterise which countries tend to provide the safest working environments.
In giving examples of the sort of quarry-based accidents that Atlas Copco is working hard to prevent, Teräsvasara cited rockfalls and drill rigs tipping over, but added that one of the most common accidents was the accidental drilling of an already-charged hole, which can lead to fatal explosions. With this in mind, all the different Atlas Copco drill rigs with cabs now have thick blast plates welded to the floor and bulletproof glass fitted in the windows.
A new CH550 cone crusher from
NIVET TPPL opted to purchase a CH550 as the quarry’s tough spilite magmatic rock, which has the same geological structure as basalt and one of the hardest found in France, meant that only the most advanced cone crusher technology would be able to deliver the 0-10mm aggregate required by customers.
The CH550 has allowed NIVET TPPL to provide customers with their required aggregate at specified delivery times, and is also said to have significantly improved production efficiency at the firm’s Beaulieu-sur-Layon site. The model can be set to produce a 10mm product which is then screened to produce a variety of sizes depending on the specific customer application, and, effectively, left to crush all day.
This allows for uninterrupted production, thereby lowering the cost per tonne of material produced, and enabling the work-force to concentrate on their main tasks without having to worry about the cone crusher, which was the case prior to the installation of the Sandvik CH550.
The CH550 cone crusher can be configured for either secondary or tertiary crusher applications. It also has a wide performance range, and, with its innovative design, the model is said to provide NIVET TPPL with unparalleled adaptability and flexibility as a tertiary crusher used for the production of high quality aggregates.
In order to minimise negative environmental impact, and to allow for safer working conditions, the CH550 comes with no plastic backing, and is electrically powered. Whether electrically or diesel powered, the motor on the CH550 provides the highest energy efficiency classification, resulting in less power consumption. This means non-electrically powered CH550s minimise CO2 emissions, and, when compared to earlier models, the features found on the crusher are said by Sandvik to enable it to reduce emissions by around 30tonnes a year. Additionally, the quieter operation offered by the CH550 has enabled the NIVET TPPL quarry’s workforce and the quarry’s surrounding area to benefit from reduced noise emissions.
NIVET TPPL is part of the renowned west France-based NIVET Group of quarrying and construction companies, which employs over 700 people in a variety of sites in the region.
A new
With its 3tonne service weight, the RX46 is thought to be one of the largest breakers ever used on the island. It was supplied by Swaey Bros, Chicago Pneumatic’s sole distributor in Malta for many years.
“We recommended the RX46 to Ballut Blocks because it offers exceptional breaking performance combined with excellent value for money,” said Quintin Vella, assistant managing director of Swaey Bros. “In addition, like all Chicago Pneumatic products, it features robust construction to ensure that it has a long life even in tough operating conditions, and it is easy to maintain and service.”
Key benefits of the RX-series breakers from Chicago Pneumatic include a power boost feature that harnesses recoil energy to achieve greater breaking performance without requiring additional hydraulic input, energy efficient gas/oil hybrid technology, and advanced noise and vibration damping technology. In addition, for even greater durability in demanding applications, the latest models include a reinforced breaker box design with rock claws.
“We’ve been using breakers from Chicago Pneumatic for more than five years,” said Paul Vella, Ballut Block’s managing director. “They’re reliable and durable, and they require very little maintenance. And, on the few occasions when we have needed parts and assistance, we’ve had an excellent response from both Chicago Pneumatic and Swaey Bros.”
Ballut Blocks has now been using its new RX46 breaker for a number of weeks, and not only has it fully lived up to expectations, it has also delivered a 5% fuel reduction for the carrier which the breaker is attached to, in spite of the RX46 model’s greater productivity.
