Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology hold a customer day at Marshalls Howley Park Quarry.
Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology held a customer day with the assistance of Marshalls Natural Stone. The event was to allow influential people from aggregates companies to learn about and explore an entirely Sandvik designed and manufactured aggregates plant. The event was held at the Village Inn, Tingley, West Yorkshire and at Marshalls Howley Park Quarry where the cutting-edge solution has been installed.
It was organised by Mark Bodell, Stationary Crushing and Screening Sales Manager for England and Wales and supported by senior Sandvik personnel from across Europe.
Although Sandvik have sold installations like the one at Howley Park for over two decades around the world, this marks a significant step forward for the UK market, where in the past Sandvik were known for selling high quality, major components and ancillaries for fixed plant to now being able to offer a fully designed, manufactured and installed plant including electrical and civils if required.
The customer day was designed to highlight not only Sandvik’s capabilities in design, manufacturing and installation but the partnership approach with customers to fulfil their requirements.
After introductions and a safety brief regarding the quarry visit, the event began with a short presentation on the three distinct approaches Sandvik can now offer their UK customer base for fixed plants from their Plant Solutions department. These are FastPlantTM, SmartPlantTM and CustomPlantTM the latter being the approach taken for Marshalls, a fully bespoke and individual designed installation.
The group of 60 people split into two. One group left for the nearby Howley Park Quarry and the customers remaining were given the opportunity to view the plant in full virtual reality which had been set up for the event. As Sandvik use the latest 3D modelling as plant design this allows the customer to view the plant prior to manufacturing and check over details like access, how components can be maintained and how a loading shovel will work around stockpiles under conveyors. This 3D plan is also what is used on site to install the components by the mechanical engineers.
The visitors to Howley Park Quarry were treated to a unique, all access tour of the new plant. The installation was two weeks away from full commissioning so a unique time to view a competed plant just prior to any material being processed through it. Full access was given apart from the areas where some civils work was still being carried out at the stockpiles bases.
Full advantage of this unique view was taken by all the visitors and close inspection of manufacturing quality, maintenance access and design were on full display to all. The plant which consists of a CJ411 Primary Jaw crusher, a CH440 cone crusher, SS1233H and SK2163 screens, all hoppers, surge bins, conveyors, primary breaker, dust encapsulation and rubber screening media, control systems and ARSi crusher control technology was greatly admired by all the experienced people attending. Ian Conway, Consultant Engineer, over 40 years veteran of the industry and who has installed many plants all over the world was greatly impressed by the design and manufacturing. He said, “it is good to see such high quality, all galvanised structures and how apparently it all fitted together correctly with no on-site re-engineering required…something that is quite rare in this day and age!”
Colin Parke, Breedon Group’s Central Region Director was pleased with the inbuilt safety design features. He said “the plant has been designed with safety and maintenance in mind for the future. The double access conveyor walkways, high quality guarding and full access to maintenance points was of a very high standard”.
Maintenance access was also spotted by Peter Rust, a senior engineer for Tarmac who was fascinated by the design and installation. Peter said, “this plant is designed and manufactured to a very high standard and has had ease, safety and speed of inspection and maintenance built in”. His attention to detail also observed “every single nut and bolt on the plant is exactly the correct length. We all know this is as it should be but how often do we see this on new plant installations these days? I’m very impressed with the attention to detail”.
The second group of customers arrived shortly after. At all times there were plenty of people from both Sandvik and Marshalls to answer any questions and Scott Robinson, Director of Robinsons of Longcliffe, the main mechanical installation contractor who was on hand to also discuss the project. Scott had commented “the 3D drawings, how every component, down to boxes of nuts and bolts, was QRF bar coded made the installation one of the most straight forward they had tackled in their long history”.
The customers then also had the opportunity to discuss with Marshalls directors, operational management and engineers how they felt the project had gone. Andrew Robinson, Marshalls Minerals Division Managing Director, was keen to discuss the partnership approach and quick turn around by the departments within Sandvik. Having been given strict criteria of footprint and height restrictions from the Howley Park planning permit and the flexibility in seasonal and customer-based demand production requirements Mr Robinson said Sandvik were the only manufacturer who fulfilled the specification, which was almost perfect on first concept delivery. Other manufacturers either didn’t listen or could only supply a standard solution that didn’t comply. Marshalls operational and engineering management then worked closely with the Plant Solutions office in France and Applications office in Sweden to ensure the flexibility in production was achievable, to ensure all Marshalls health, safety and environmental standards were deployed and manufacturing and installation deadlines could be met.
The state of the art, turnkey plant was installed in around three months after foundations were laid. Marshalls have bucked the trend in the UK aggregates sector and have invested in a state of the art, fixed processing plant in a quarry with long reserves on a site that traditionally has had production carried out by mobile contractors. Mr Andy Robinson of Marshalls shared that the investment should pay back in three years and that they are looking at another Sandvik custom designed plant at other sites, including Scoutmoor Quarry near Bury, Manchester. He said “we are investing on our long-term commitment to our customers by increasing productivity and flexibility. The site has a long future and we are proud to have invested in a plant that will see the next 25 years through comfortably”.
Speaking about the project Mark Bodell from Sandvik said “When I became the stationary crushing and screening Sales Manager for England and Wales in July 2016, I was determined to bring the complete plant solutions concept that Sandvik had delivered to the rest of the world to the UK market. I am very proud of the plant we have built here, and the partnership approached we have had with Marshalls from day one. We will now continue to work closely with Marshalls now to ensure the return of investment and longevity of the plant with a preventative maintenance plan and continue to optimise the plant to ensure maximum productivity and profitability going forward. I am looking forward to this being the first of many complete plants that Sandvik will supply to the UK aggregates market and already have had a phenomenal interest from the major British building materials suppliers for our turnkey plants”.
For more information please contact mark.bodell@sandvik.com
Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology is part of the Sandvik Group