Most productive and modern quarry in Poland with help from Sandvik

A modern stationary plant, together with related mobile screening and crushing equipment, all supplied by Sandvik Mining and Construction, are set to transform the productivity of a melaphyre quarrying operation located in the small town of TÅ‚umaczów.  The plant is currently in the final stages of construction, and when complete will possess an annual operational capacity of 2.4 million tonnes. When fully functional the plant will be one of the most advanced, efficient and productive operations in the whole of Poland.

 

Near the small Polish  town of TÅ‚umaczów, located at a picturesque Central Sudetes, large melaphyre (a basalt composed of compact black or blackish-grey igneous rock, consisting of a matrix of labradorite and augite, in which are embedded crystals of the same minerals, and sometimes uniaxial mica, hornblende, and iron pyrite) deposits have been quarried since 2010.  The deposits were located over one hundred years ago, and possessed an operational quarry until the 1930s. Recently however, and due to the increasing demand for aggregate possessing the high quality of the TÅ‚umaczów deposit, quarrying has resumed. The new quarry operation will possess a total output estimated at over two million tonnes per annum, and is now considered to be one of the largest and most advanced quarrying operations in Poland.

 

Major capital investment

The principal mover behind the redevelopment of the TÅ‚umaczów quarry was Strateg Capital, who in 2008 launched an investment project to develop the quarry, and initiate what would become one of Poland’s most up to date aggregate processing plants. Their success has been rapid as in 2009, utilising the two melaphyre deposits as the basis of operations, Strateg Capital launched the TÅ‚umaczów Melaphyre Quarry (TMQ).

 

The initial stages of quarrying operations saw the construction of the local railway line, which has allowed shipments of melaphyre aggregate to be resumed to customers throughout Poland. The need for the construction of the railway line was identified at the outset of operations, as local government authorities did not grant approval for the transportation of the aggregates by trucks, as this would paralyze local traffic, increase risk of road accidents and destroy the roadways. The compromise agreement reached was to rebuild the mine railway siding together with eight kilometres of track stretching from Tłumaczów to Ścinawka Średnia.

 

Current production has until recently been in the region of one million tonnes per annum, with the aggregate being produced by a mobile crushing and screening train. This has been supplied by Sandvik Mining and Construction’s Polish distributor, Grausch & Grausch Maszyny Budowlane, and consists of a QI430 impact crusher, together with a UH640 cone crusher and UJ440E jaw crusher as well as other equipment. This modern, efficient and highly productive processing line has proved to be perfect for the initial stages of the operation, as the use of mobile crushers and screens has ensured that the produced material is of the highest quality, whilst minimising environmental harm and at the same time meeting the demands for the aggregate.

 

However, from the very beginning of the redevelopment project, it was decided to invest in the construction of a modern aggregate plant, as the TÅ‚umaczów plant needed to possess high levels of production quality, effectiveness and operational efficiencies to ensure profitable operation.  It was soon realised that the highest quality of material produced could only be guaranteed by not only high levels of technical quarrying expertise, but also through the use of some of the most advanced crushing and screening equipment. As the melaphyre resources are estimated to last for forty years, the investment in production capabilities has been assessed on the basis of a very long term plan.

 

After the first phase, which consisted of the construction of the railway line, it was essential to resume production as soon as possible, and hence production was based on the mobile crushing and screening train. The next step however reinforced the long term objectives of the project, and underlined the major investment that has been required. "The investment plans of Strateg Capital have always assumed construction of a modern stationary plant, which would achieve the required output of 2.4 million tonnes with optimised costs, and at the same time focus on product quality. This is essential for the customers for our aggregate so that they can be assured they are dealing with a reliable partner," states Andrzej Kaźmierczak, Sales, Marketing and Development Manager at Strateg Capital.

 

The stationary plant is due to be commissioned and fully operational by Autumn 2011, and following a trial period to ensure that technical parameters are met, production targets achieved and product quality assured, the two operational mobile crushing lines will be decommissioned and removed. This will leave only the Sandvik mobile compound-aggregate plant (consisting of tracked UH640 and UJ440E cone and jaw crusher) in order to manufacture railway grade breakstone. That said, a Sandvik DP1100 crawler drilling rig has proved to be perfect for shot hole drilling, and will continue to play an important role at the quarry.

 

Highly productive total solutions package

The Tłumaczów quarry now operates the largest jaw crusher in Poland, the Sandvik CJ615, which was recently delivered, commissioned and made operational. This true giant of a crusher has been chosen specifically for its production capacities that currently exceed demand. This is essentially due to its place at the very centre of the production process, and thus at the heart of the production line. As Andrzej Kaźmierczak explains: "We cannot afford any risk of choke points which would interrupt the production process, or decrease the product quality. This is why we have decided to erect a stationary plant with the most reliable and efficient machines on the market." In addition to the CJ615 jaw crusher, the configuration of their stationary plant includes the following Sandvik supplied equipment:

 

  • -       SH1661 reciprocating feeder
  • -       SG1842 grizzly screen
  • -       BR2064 hydraulic hammer
  • -       BB350 breaker boom
  • -       CH660 cone crusher with ASRi control system
  • -       CH440 cone crusher with ASRi control system
  • -       CH430 cone crusher with ASRi control system
  • -       CV217 impact crusher with 3rd and 4th stage vertical crushing shafts (for grain formation)
  • -       CS173 circular motion screen (two-deck)
  • -       CS173 circular motion screen (three-deck) equipped with rubber screening media
  • -       CS173 circular motion screen (three-deck)
  • -       SC2783 screen (three-deck), newest circular motion screen generation
  • -       SC2782 screen (two-deck), newest circular motion screen generation
  • -       Belt conveyor, 815 m long

 

Sandvik stationary equipment was chosen as it is engineered for maximum productivity offering advanced, customer focused solutions for any material size reduction — essentially a total solutions package. The extended offering includes such items as wear parts, extended warranty and retrofits, with focus on customer’s productivity and profitability.  This, combined with comprehensive knowledge of customer’s raw materials supported by an in-house laboratory with a full scale test plant, enables Sandvik to deliver plant-crusher optimization audits at customers’ own sites. This is accomplished through a dedicated engineering and quality team whose overall objective is to achieve zero defects in the supply chain processes, but at the same time never lose focus on the environment, health and safety. Thus, using the above equipment, the quarry is now able to supply the following products:

 

  • -       crushed sand 0/2mm
  • -       fine grain aggregate 0/5mm
  • -       grits 2/5 5/8 8/11 11/16 16/22mm
  • -       key aggregate 5/31,5mm
  • -       railway breakstone 31,5/50mm
  • -       road breakstone 31,5/63mm
  • -       continuous grain size aggregate 0/31,5mm
  • -       continuous grain size aggregate 0/63mm
  • -       blends for frost-resistant layers 0/31,5mm
  • -       blends for frost-resistant layers 0/63mm
  • -       hydro technical stone

 

Customer and environmental focus

The quality of the plant supplied and of the material produced is based not only on industry leading manufacturing values, but has its basis in Sandvik’s and TMQ’s perception of the plant supplied, combined with the outcomes derived. Thus Sandvik’s engineering and quality teams have focused on facilitating and securing product quality through their engineering know-how within the supply chain and production process at the TÅ‚umaczów quarry. It is Sandvik’s goal to meet TMQ’s needs with an overall objective of achieving zero defects in the processes.

 

Crushing efficiency and environmental protection are often seen as mutually incompatible, but Sandvik places equal emphasis on both. For example, dust encapsulation improves the work environment, extends the life of equipment, and reduces clean-up costs thus improving process efficiency. This has proved to be essential at the Tłumaczów quarry operation as the local authorities have stressed the need for tight environmental controls.

 

The resumption of quarrying at Tłumaczów has seen a major capital investment in the locality, infrastructure and production capabilities. The high quality of the aggregate deposit has allowed TMQ to develop markets throughout Poland, and the use of Sandvik stationary and mobile equipment has not only ensured flexibility of operation, achievement of production goals, but also minimal environmental effects.

Associated Businesses

  • FOLLOW SANDVIKMOBILESSandvik Mobile Crushers and Screens are world class manufacturers of high quality tracked, wheeled and portable plant which provide a total solutions package for a large variety of applications worldwide. Desi...