international
construction
july-august 2013
QUARRYING
36
The big payback
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Surowce Skalne – is believed to be
Poland’s largest producer of aggregates.
The facility can produce 5 million tonnes
per year in grades suitable for both road
and rail projects. Bulk deliveries are
made by rail in a 60 km radius of the
site, and the quarry’s location near the
E67 highway also allows for efficient
road transport of materials.“This is the
first Hitachi that I’ve worked with,” said
quarry manager Janusz Rydz, “but from
what I’ve heard in the market, Zaxis
excavators are very reliable and durable.”
He continued, “We hope that the ZX670LC-5 will enhance
the level of productivity on this site. Our aim is to reduce
the cost of every tonne of stone extracted. To do this, we are
renewing our fleet of construction machinery and in this case
we believe that we have found the best solution.”
Machine operator Boleslaw Gazda estimates the ZX670LC-5
excavates and loads some 600 to 700 tonnes of materials per
hour, depending on the size of the rocks.“The Hitachi provides
a very stable platform – even working in the
challenging conditions of this quarry –
and the loading cycle is good,” he said.
American return
Bell establishes US distribution & support
B
ell Equipment is returning to the US market after more than a decade, offering
customers the choice of another supplier for ADTs. The company is currently setting
up a distribution network to handle sales of its existing D-Series and forthcoming
E-Series trucks.
The return is linked to the end of a licensing agreement with John Deere, which saw Bell
providing the truck technology and Deere manufacturing and distributing machines under
its own brand. Deere has now developed its own range of ADTs.
Bell’s push into the US market will be headed by a new sales company, Bell Trucks
America (BTA), in Houston Texas, which has already appointed several dealers in the US.
This company is a joint venture between Bell and other investors, and it will be supported
by a Bell wholly-owned subsidiary, Bell Equipment North America (BENA) for factory
sales, after-sales support and technical advice. This will extend to Canada, outside BTA’s
territory.
BENA is headed by Neville Paynter, who previously ran Bell Equipment’s operations in the
UK. “The Bell brand is founded on providing strong reliable machines, backed by strong
reliable support. We believe we have the right team and business model in place to deliver
these qualities to the North American market,” he said.
“It’s also fast and precise thanks to the simplicity and efficiency
of the hydraulic system.”
Meanwhile in the UK, quarry operator and civil engineering
contractor GD Harries & Sons is expanding its business with
the addition of four new Case machines, supplied by local dealer
Riverlea. Based near Narberth in West Wales, UK, the last 18
months has seen Harries acquire four granite and two
limestone quarries. It also runs three
concrete production plants and three
asphalt facilities, and has expanded its
interests into road surfacing and other
civil engineering contracting operations
alongside its quarries.
The two new two CX350C crawler
excavators, 1021F wheeled loader and
821F loader replace existing machines
as part of fleet renewal plan. The 35
tonne CX350C excavators are now the largest
machines in the Harries fleet and, along with the two
wheeled loaders, will contribute to an increase in production
levels within the quarry operations.
“We did price other equipment but Riverlea was able to put
together the best deal for us in terms of price and quality,“ said
Harries business manager Janet Phillips.
XCMG has supplied a 250 kW LW800K wheeled loader to a
quarry site in the Gobi desert, where the company says it
continues to perform and provide impressive fuel efficiency
despite temperatures that can reach 50° C.
Business expansion and a drive
for greater efficiency prompted
GD Harries & Sons to buy two new
Case excavators and two loaders
for its quarry operations in Narberth
in West Wales, UK.
W.S. Tyler has launched a 4 ft (1.22
m) wide version of its F-Class
vibrating screen, expanding
the lower end-of the range.
The double eccentric provides
consistent forces, which helps
reduce blinding and pegging, even
when screening sticky material.
