Productivity has increased tremendously

Two KLEEMANN crushing plants and a KLEEMANN screening plant have commenced work in the quarries operated by the New Zealand construction contractor Simcox Construction in the Marlborough region located at the top end of the country’s South Island. Those responsible at Simcox were immediately impressed with the “Made in Germany” technology: "Processing of the stone types is so much faster and there is far less downtime compared to our old machines," concludes Antony Clark, General Manager at Simcox Construction.

The three KLEEMANN plants – the MOBICAT MC 110 Z EVO jaw crusher, the MOBICONE MCO 9 EVO cone crusher and the MOBISCREEN MS 16 D screening plant – are the first of their kind in New Zealand.

Simcox produces two different products in the quarry described here. The first are blocks of rock with an edge length of more than 400 mm which are used directly as armourstone. The second is used as base layer material in road construction. For this product, the mineral material ranging in size from 0 to 400 mm is processed as follows:

• In the first crushing stage, material ranging from 0 to 400 mm in size is fed into the MC 110 Z EVO. Prescreening takes place using the independent double-deck prescreen. The prescreened material is transferred directly to the crusher discharge conveyor via the bypass.
• In the next screening stage, the material is conveyed from the MC 110 Z EVO jaw crusher to the MS 16 D screening plant, where material measuring < 20 mm is separated by screening and discharged. Material measuring > 20 mm is fed into the MCO 9 EVO cone crusher for the next processing stage.
• In the second crushing stage, the MCO 9 EVO breaks the material down to 0–20 mm. It is then returned to the screening plant for further screening in a closed cycle.

Once the decision to invest in KLEEMANN equipment had been made, Simcox wanted the plants to be commissioned as soon as possible. "Gary Payne from WIRTGEN New Zealand put the wheels in motion," says Clark, with the result that the crushing and screening plants were delivered within a few weeks". The general manager was also highly satisfied with commissioning: "Having the first machine on site right on time without disruptions to our schedules was crucial for us – and confirmed we had opted for the right partner." The plants’ performance was also impressive: "Our biggest benefits are greater efficiency and increased production." Plant operator Richard Price agrees: "I've been involved in the processing of rock and stone for over 30 years and I'd never actually seen a KLEEMANN before our machines arrived, but now I am absolutely amazed. In the event of a material accumulation, the plants are all self-regulating. This kind of smart technology is great because it safeguards the plants’ operational availability and prolongs service life." Simcox now manage to process such large quantities that, for material feed, they had to change from a 12t to a 23t excavator in order to fully exploit the plants’ capacity. Furthermore, an additional wheel loader was needed to haul away the aggregates. Based on this experience it soon became clear that the investment in KLEEMANN equipment pays off. Antony Clark says: "The implementation of these technologies is a big step forward for us."