PRODUCT FOCUS
T
he South African government has
allocated R834.1-billion over the
next three years to infrastructure
development. A fair proportion of this
infrastructural spend will be for the
supply of crushed aggregate.
Africa comes with its own set
of operational rules — from harsh
environmental conditions and remote
locations to labour issues — and it is
therefore critical for any crusher OEM
to factor in durability, ruggedness,
and reliability as imperatives. Ongoing
investment in research and development
remains a priority to ensure that delivery
meets dem and.
Local South African manufacturer
Bell Equipment became the exclusive
distributor of the Finlay range of mobile
crushing and screening equipment at
the beginning of 2013. At that time, Bell
Equipment group chief executive Gary
Bell said that the addition of a world-class
tracked mobile crusher product line would
“complement our existing product offering
and is in line with our strategy to provide a
one-stop shop for equipment solutions to
our customers throughout southern Africa.”
Finlay’s innovation is driven by the
objectives to deliver efficient production,
low operational costs, and ease of
maintenance.
The Finlay tracked mobile crusher
product line includes jaw, impactor, and
cone crushers. This range of crushers
is internationally renowned for their
versatility and flexibility in the reduction
and sizing of aggregates for construction
materials and recycling construction
waste, Bell Equipment marketing product
manager, Stephen McNeill, emphasises.
“The Finlay mobile screener product
line comprises three-way and four-way
split inclined, horizontal, and trommel
screening units. All units in the range
combine the functions of scalping,
screening and stockpiling into one
integrated unit,” McNeill adds.
Customised total cost of ownership
(TCO) solutions, incorporating equipment
selection and supply, together with
appropriate training and aftermarket
service, are considered non-negotiable
elements of a customer service level
agreement (SLA). This forms the crux of
customer demands for maximum uptime,
adequate parts stockholding, ongoing
maintenance contracts, and technical life
cycle support.
A spokesperson for another local
OEM says that the goal is to implement
a simple but effective crushing operation.
This starts with customer consultations
whereby OEMs gain a comprehensive
understanding of the customer’s
operations and needs. They can then
leverage their cumulative experience to
design and provide a solution that best fits
the parameters of the application and site
for optimised plant operation.
He adds that while the main burden
of responsibility for devising an optimal
Even quarries are
seeing the benefits of
using a mobile crusher
to process their
surplus dumps, then
bring the material to
the static crusher for
final processing.
solution rests on the OEM’s team, there
is a vital need for the mine or quarry
engineers to provide the OEM with the
correct data and information on the various
commodities to be crushed.
In keeping with technological advances,
in 2015, Bell launched the Finlay dual
power train, giving southern African
customers the option to run machines on
electricity to lower production costs and
deliver a lower cost per tonne. Currently,
the dual-powered offering includes the
J-1175 jaw crusher, C-1540 cone crusher,
694+ inclined screen, the 883+ screen,
and the two-deck 693 screen.
Safety and maintenance
Safety and maintenance go hand in glove
in crushing operations, according to Glenn
Schoeman of Sandvik Mining and Rock
Technology. “In essence, one cannot
have high levels of productivity without
ensuring a safe working environment, and
similarly, safety is contingent upon reliable
and trustworthy equipment that is well
maintained on an ongoing basis.”
Safety comprises a number of
elements, including specific features
on the equipment that disallow physical
contact between the operators and the
moving parts; noise reduction to protect
employee hearing; and dust reduction
to ensure minimal negative effect on
both employees specifically, and the
environment in general. Concurrently,
safety and maintenance will be enhanced
through training.
Since technology development is
accelerating, it is important that crusher
teams are exposed to comprehensive
training. This, says Schoeman, should be
undertaken before the crusher is installed
JULY 2018
21