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Portable ‘mega’ cone contributes to doubling plant output
Single portable ‘mega’ cone is key to doubling output of Elam Construction’s aggregate production plant. Keep Reading
Aggregate operation opens new flagship plant
Memphis Stone & Gravel opens its new flagship plant in northern Mississippi. Keep Reading
Refurbished air classifier continues to produce sand
Rockydale Quarries Corp. has operated in the Roanoke Valley since 1932, and continues to provide a wide variety of aggregates, agricultural lime and bio-mix soils to serve the needs of many industries in Virginia and the Carolinas. A 12-ft. air classifier installed at Rockydale’s Roanoke, Va., operation in 1961 is still making agricultural lime and minus-1/4-in. sand for asphalt production. The machine was refurbished by Rockydale with parts supplied by the manufacturer in 2015, after more than 53 years of continuous operation. The refurbishing cost was 40 percent of the cost of a completely new machine. “We worked closely with [the manufacturer] Sturtevant throughout the refurbishing process,” says Rockydale Vice President of Operations Gary Hubbard. Refurbishment was an option, because the basic design of the unit hasn’t changed much. The air classifier is a Whirlwind model, and essential parts such as the fans, distributors and cones were readily replaceable, which eased the refurbishing process. Most of the original rotating parts did not need to be replaced, including the heavy-duty drive… Keep Reading
Operation aids in Florida freshwater conservation
Florida does not have a freshwater supply problem. But it does have serious freshwater storage problems. Palm Beach Aggregates is a core part of South Florida’s solution that could meet freshwater demands for Palm Beach and Broward counties for the next 50 years, and could assist in flood control and Florida Everglades restoration, as well. Palm Beach Aggregates Inc. (PBA) is located on 4,400 acres near Loxahatchee in western Palm Beach County, about an hour north of Fort Lauderdale. The quarry was opened in 1993 and purchased by PBA in 1997. “We’re turning our mined-out aggregate pits into freshwater storage reservoirs,” says Albert J. Carbon III, the engineer in charge of the project who has been with PBA for about two years. “Previously I was the city of Fort Lauderdale’s public works director, which includes freshwater management. “So I have been acutely aware of and involved in South Florida’s crucial water storage needs and associated problems for some time. “Palm Beach Aggregates is in a distinctive position to develop water… Keep Reading
Technology spotlight: Mobile air classifier
Many aggregate and sand producers own multiple quarries. A portable air classifier eliminates the cost of owning and maintaining multiple stationary air classifiers. For major paving projects, it is more economical to move the air classifier to a quarry closer to the jobsite or onto the jobsite than to haul the de-dusted manufactured sand. So says Joe Muscolino, senior product manager for Sturtevant Inc., based in Hanover, Mass. Muscolino says there has not been a mobile air classifier that can go from transport to production without delay from special lifting equipment. “People have been asking us for years to design a portable plant to solve this serious problem,” Muscolino says. He says Sturtevant’s answer to the problem is its Whirlwind air classifier and conveyor, which is the only self-contained, 100 percent mobile air classifying plant with integral collapsible conveyors. The plant allows for parking and processing in one hour or less. According to Sturtevant, the Whirlwind hydraulically unfolds for setup and folds away for the breakdown and transport, without cranes,… Keep Reading
Powerscreen holds dealer event
More than 450 distributors and customers from 36 countries attended the Powerscreen World Dealer Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The distributors gathered to learn about how the company is addressing the latest challenges facing its customers, including the need for higher-quality, more-closely specified products; efficiency and operating costs; and environmental pressures for cleaner, quieter equipment. Attendees shared best practices, learning from the Powerscreen team and each other, as well as through hands-on equipment demonstrations. The event featured seminars and conferences, an evening yacht cruise, an Everglades airboat adventure tour, and an extensive demo day display of 19 Powerscreen crushing and screening machines held at the large Palm Beach Aggregates quarry site north of Fort Lauderdale. The open day included an exclusive introduction of seven new machines in operation, including the following: The Trakpactor 260SR compact mobile impact crusher is available as standard with no post-screen, or with an optional post-screen and recirculating system. Primarily used for recycling and demolition for one-stop production of sized aggregate from raw feed material, it… Keep Reading
Southern Crush: Portable plants keep a company ahead
A Georgia company relies on portable crushing and screening equipment to stay ahead of competitors. “We travel all over Florida, Georgia and Alabama for concrete- and asphalt-rubble crushing jobs of 10,000 tons and up,” says Scott Conyers, equipment vice president for Conyers Concrete and Asphalt Services Inc., Albany, Ga. “To do that in this rugged, demanding, highly competitive business we absolutely need crushing and screening equipment that is exceptionally efficient, dependable and mobile.” Conyers Concrete and Asphalt Services was founded in 1976 by Danny and Sue Conyers. Danny is president, and Sue is the owner and office manager. Their two sons, Josh and Scott, are running a four-man operation that crushes concrete and asphalt, about 50 percent each, in southern Georgia, Alabama and Florida. An additional four-man crew crushes asphalt only, mostly in and around Birmingham, Ala. “We are constantly on the go, with no shutdown time between jobs,” says Josh, operations vice president. “When we finish one job, we pack up and move on to the next one immediately.… Keep Reading
