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Big River Industries earns pair of safety awards
The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) and National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) have recognized Big River Industries Inc., a producer of expanded clay lightweight aggregate, with their annual safety awards. Big River’s plants in Erwinsville, La., and Livingston, Ala., each received an award for the number of hours worked accident free. The Erwinsville plant was acknowledged for 102,462 safe hours, and the Livingston operation was awarded for 92,357 safe hours. This was the sixth consecutive year the ICPI and NCMA partnered to recognize the concrete masonry, segmental retaining wall and concrete paver manufacturers with the best plant safety records. Nearly 150 member facilities entered this year’s competition. Keep Reading
Sandvik leaders share vision for crushers, screeners
Global and North American management of mobile crushers and screens within Sandvik Construction met with North American distributors earlier this year in Las Vegas to share the company’s new direction and developments in its track-mounted crusher and screener product line. “The construction business area is a core area within Sandvik,” says Duncan McGregor, president of breakers, mobile crushers and screens. “We are very well-positioned to build stronger customer focus with faster decision-making, clearer goals and accountability.” In other Sandvik news, the company has appointed ASC Construction Equipment USA Inc. as the exclusive distributor for the sales and aftermarket service of its drill rig product range for the Southeast region. The range includes surface construction track drills and blasthole drills for Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. ASC Construction Equipment will also distribute surface construction drills to Alabama for Sandvik. Keep Reading
Transportation reauthorization going down to wire
It’s well documented that the 112th Congress last year was the least productive Congress in modern U.S. history, passing 80 bills as both Democrats and Republicans rarely compromised. Neither party seems to be budging much anytime soon, but as the June 30 transportation bill expiration date looms closer, NSSGA’s 29-person executive committee is urging Congress to enact surface transportation reauthorization legislation before the current extension expires at this month’s end. The association’s goal at this point is to have Congress enact a “multi-year, well-funded highway bill.” If Congress does not enact legislation, it’s possible the program could get lost in a lame duck session of Congress – and that means a loss of more funding. Fortunately, after what had been described as “negotiations [that] were going down in flames,” there is optimism on Capitol Hill this week based on bipartisan meetings about the transportation bill that took place last week between key House and Senate leaders. "The conferees have moved forward toward a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a highway reauthorization… Keep Reading
Graniterock’s chairman, president, CEO dies tragically
On Sunday, June 24, a tragic accident took the life of Graniterock’s chairman, president and CEO, Bruce W. Woolpert. The board of directors and the Woolpert family have implemented the succession plan developed by the company. The first step of the plan is that Mark Kaminski, a long-time member of Graniterock’s board, is now chairman of the board and acting CEO. The Woolpert family released a statement saying they have "complete confidence in the current management team and Graniterock team members and plan to continue operating the company for another 112 successful years." Keep Reading
Astec Mobile Screens now part of AggFlow program
BedRock Software LLC has added Astec Mobile Screens’ high-frequency screens to its AggFlow program that simulates aggregate and mining operations. AggFlow users can calculate mass aggregate and mass water balances flowing through a plant simulation using both stationary and mobile equipment, thus optimizing and maximizing production of desired products. "By including the track plants, it enables us to insert one item versus the multiple items required previously to represent a plant,” says Andy Bryan, sales engineer at KPI-JCI, whose engineers also worked with BedRock Software to introduce the screening equipment. “The combo screen addition allows any user to represent the increased efficiency of the screen design. Previously, BedRock Software says there was no way to accurately determine the capacity and efficiency of a high frequency screen in a simulation program. Users can select from the pre-populated equipment data library or install their own equipment models in the program using the generic equipment application. Currently, the program provides calculations for more than 5,000 models of aggregate crushing, screening and washing equipment.… Keep Reading
Attendance up at Hillhead
More than 17,000 visitors attended Hillhead 2012 in the United Kingdom, a 10-percent spike from the 15,500 people who attended the trade show in 2010. This year’s show also had a record 459 exhibitors. Dates for Hillhead 2014 will be announced shortly. Keep Reading
Fairmount Minerals earns award for community service
Fairmount Minerals’ Wedron Silica sand-mining facility has earned a community relations award from the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) for outstanding community involvement, according to IAAP. Wedron Silica has donated materials and loaned employees to create a 2,000-ft.-long walking path and install more than 1,000 ft. of split-rail fence at Wedron Park during a day of caring. The sand-mining facility also cleaned up two miles of highway on two different routes. Additionally, Fairmount Minerals’ Wedron Silica facility has helped fund educational programs at schools in two Illinois cities, a mobile computer lab for students in Harding, Ill., an at-risk pre-school program at an elementary school, and the traveling Lincoln Exhibit at the Ottawa Scouting Museum. Keep Reading
Track-mounted radial stacker is latest Superior conveyor
Superior Industries revealed its newest conveyor design last week in the Geotrek, a track-mounted radial stacker that can be directly linked to portable crushing and screening equipment in applications that require material stockpiling. Equipped with independent hydraulic cylinders at both the head and tail ends of the conveyor, the unit can be used as a mobile transfer or link conveyor. For smooth and steady handling during travel, Superior engineers equipped the unit with proportional track drive controls. According to Superior, the technology allows for smoother, steadier travel when the tracks are engaged. Geotrek conveyors feature the company’s powerfold design. During unfolding, the stacker’s hydraulic cylinders retract, protecting the cylinder rods from damaging dust and debris during operation. The new track-mounted stacker also comes equipped with a remote control to operate the unit’s belt and tracks. Keep Reading
Portable frac sand plant coming to market
McLanahan Corp. has engaged Cemco Inc. to produce a portable frac sand plant that offers the ability to produce two sizes of frac sand used in oil and natural gas drilling applications. The plant’s design is based on McLanahan’s Hydrosizer, which takes sand from the top while a column of water pushes upward from the bottom of the machine. The water moves at such a rate that only particles of plus 70 are carried up and over the unit, while coarser materials drop from the bottom of the Hydrosizer. The plant offers an average output of 150 tph. From the initial feed, material first reports to a sump, which pumps the sand and added water up to a cyclone. The cyclone is mounted to the Hydrosizer, which separates sand of plus 70 mesh and transports it to a system of vibrating dewatering screens. Screens dewater the sand and convert it to a stackable, removable material. Meanwhile, the minus 70 mesh sand is recycled through another system of cyclones, which again… Keep Reading
