Cracking throughput for Crapper & Sons

Independent and family-owned, Crapper & Sons has been growing for more than 40 years. Having started out as a waste disposal business based at a site in Wootton Bassett, they’ve now expanded into several different services. With an increase in production, they’ve switched to an Eggersmann TERRA SELECT T60 Trommel Screen...

Even as they’ve expanded their services, Crapper & Sons have kept product quality, efficiency and sustainability at the forefront of their operations. Now offering waste management, landfill operations, aggregates recycling and groundworks, any machines they bring into their fleet need to support these values. 

As Richard Crapper, Managing Director, explains, “We have a high volume of material being screened every day. We want to get as much usable material out of the process as possible so we can keep it out of landfill and meet our 85% recycling target. It’s also important to ensure the quality of our product. Our peat-free compost is BSI PAS 100 standard, for example.

“Initially, we were using two screeners to get this job done, which meant our processes were more complicated than they needed to be. To simplify operations and make them more efficient, we started looking for a single machine solution.” 

Designed for efficiency

With their own sites and plants, Eggersmann understands exactly what recycling and material processing businesses need. As such, one of the key features of TERRA SELECT T60 Mobile Trommel Screen is the widest drum diameter on the market, which gives operators an above-average screening surface. Its capacity of up to 200m³, the machine helps Crapper & Sons keep up with high demand. 

There are also bars between each section of the drum. This and the extra baffles that the business had fitted to their machine, throw up the material more effectively, significantly improving separation. “This has made a huge difference to getting the material how we want it,” says Richard. “It already effectively supports our higher recycling and recovery rates.”

Alongside maximising efficiency, the TERRA SELECT T60 is designed to be really easy to operate. Completing a trommel screen change is quick and easy, making it straightforward for the business to get the exact cut they want. Its diesel hydraulic engine also delivers up to 102hp, meaning it can work efficiently, whatever material it’s processing. 

For John Williams, Machine Operator, it’s the simple controls that make a big difference, “I’m happy with the interface on the machine. We’re handling different materials all the time, but we can easily change the settings just by pressing the right button on the interface. This helps us achieve quality products quickly, even with high throughput.”

Richard adds, “Unlike the previous machines, the engine on the T60 is at the far end. This makes maintenance a lot easier. Its straightforward trommel bearings and drives alongside a broom scraper that cleans build ups also help keep our operations running smoothly. We’ve had it for two and a half months and it still looks in good condition.” 

At the end of the day, the fact we’ve been able to achieve better throughput with a single machine and one lot of fuel says it all really.”

Smooth service

The machine purchasing process was just as straightforward for the Crapper team. “We dealt with Martyn Tucker all the way through. It was great, there were no problems at all. A lot of the slack was taken up by Molson, so the T60 was really easy to buy and appeared on site quickly.”

Working with their partner business JR Machinery, they were able to get extra help with financing and are now renting the machine between the two companies to maximise its value. This allows them to get better return on investment faster, as well as enjoying all the machine benefits. 

When it comes to aftermarket support, the Crapper team couldn’t have asked for more either. As Richard says, “Whenever we ring them up we get a positive response and good feedback, which is all you can ask for in a dealer.”