Pilot Crushtec products put in the hours

One of crushing and screening specialist Pilot Crushtec's largest and longest-standing customers, Genet Mineral Processing previously Gecko, now operates a fleet of more than 30 Pilot Crushtec products in a variety of sites around its Witbank-based headquarters.

According to regional sales manager Rasheel Sukdhoe, one of the reasons behind the growth of this strong inter-company relationship has been the reliability of Pilot Crushtec equipment.

"One of Genet Mineral Processing's largest markets is the coal industry, which is under pressure to deliver the maximum amount of product for the generation of electrical power. As a consequence, much of Genet's equipment operates 24/7 and a recent calculation of its operating hours has given us some revealing statistics," says Sukdhoe.

The figures show that the current fleet, excluding conveyors, has operated for almost 125,000 hours, in other words, 14 years and two months.

Genet's eight Terex Finlay J-1175 jaw crushers account for more than 80,000 hours, while its three Terex Finlay 883 scalpers have notched up nearly 24,000 hours among them.

Sukdhoe emphasises that these figures have been achieved as a result of close technical collaboration between both companies, something with which Genet's crushing manager, Piet Hamman, emphatically agrees.

"Service is the key. We get excellent service and support from Pilot Crushtec which we use in the implementation of our rigorous in-house maintenance programme which produces these results," says Hamman.

The company's extensive fleet of Pilot Crushtec products comprises seven Terex Finlay J-1175 jaw crushers, two Terex Finlay J-1480 jaw crushers, one Terex Finlay C-1540 PRS cone crusher, three Terex Finlay 883 scalpers, two Terex Finlay screens, two Pilot Modular DD3615 screens, a Terex Finlay 683 supertrak, a Terex Finlay 595 hydrascreen, a Pilot Modular/TRIO MJ 3254 jaw crusher and a Roll Crusher. All of these have demonstrated admirable levels of operational longevity.

The roll call of materials handling equipment is also impressive, and includes two Pilot Modular GFH560 grizzly feed hoppers, two Pilot Modular MC800 16 metre conveyors, four Pilot Modular MC600 13 metre conveyors and a MegaStak tracked conveyor.

Genet Mineral Processing is continually being awarded new contracts, which influences its needs both in terms of capacity as well as adjustments in process technology. It is Pilot Crushtec's sensitivity to its customer's needs that Hamman believes has done much to cement the ongoing relationship.

"With Pilot Crushtec we have instant access to company leadership which is very important to us. They are innovative and flexible and we are working together on a new crusher specifically built to meet our needs."