This Sandvik QE241 scalper might be a second-hand machine, but it’s doing a first-rate job for its owner deep in the forests of the Otago coast
The Sandvik QE241 that has recently arrived onsite for Forestry Roading Services 2018 Limited (FRS) in the Otago Coast Forest might look like any other heavy-duty mobile scalper that the Swedish manufacturer engineers. But prior to delivery, this one had what Zak Reilly, Porter Equipment industry manager for crushing and screening, describes as the “full birthday treatment”.
“The machine was repossessed and came back to the Porter Equipment workshop after having endured a pretty hard life under its previous owner,” says Zak.
“It only had around 2000 hours on it, but it needed a full refurb. We got it into the workshop and our team there did an absolutely amazing job bringing it back to life for the second-hand market, including a full strip down, new OEM and bespoke fabricated components, and a new paint job. That’s the sort of stuff the Porter Equipment workshop guys do day in, day out, and the engineering skills and attention to detail they possess are next level.”
With the reset button hit and the Sandvik QE241 looking box fresh again, FRS then came into the picture.
An independently run business under the umbrella of Blair Skevington’s Skevington Contracting Limited, FRS builds and maintains forestry roads and skids, as well as complete earthworks, aggregate crushing, cartage, transportation and rural fuel services from its headquarters in Milton, 50km south of Dunedin.
While many forestry blocks the company works in for the likes of Dunedin Forest Products, Earnslaw One, PF Olsen, Wenita Forest Products, Calder Stewart and others, are second rotation – meaning a lot of infrastructure is already in place – a series of recent damaging spring storms that have hit Otago mean the ongoing maintenance FRS provides for clients is absolutely critical.
As FRS operations manager Daniel Blackie explains, it was a desire to be able to produce higher grades of aggregate material that led them to acquire the mobile scalper.
“We originally just relied on a jaw crusher to produce all of our roading material,” he explains. “It was a good enough set-up, although it would produce quite sharp material. So, in 2020, we purchased an impactor to help protect both our own equipment and the wheels of log trucks coming in and out of forestry blocks.
Right: The Sandvik QE241 delivers high-speed throughput for FRS
“We definitely knew we could get a better product with a scalper though. Not only does it give us the ability to create a 32mm or 40mm finishing layer, but it also helps get a lot of silt content out of the aggregate, which is a feature of the rock here.”
Having purchased a Hyundai HL760-9 wheel loader from Porter Equipment in 2019, Daniel says he knew the ability of the distributor to source used machinery in a fuss-free manner would prove second-to-none. And while the company hadn’t purchased a scalper before, they knew the brand they wanted to look at first.
“Sandvik has such a good reputation in the mining and quarrying game. It seems like a tried-and-tested type of brand, so that’s where we started looking. We did our research and looked at other brands too, but the high strength and quality of the Sandvik stood out.”
Daniel says FRS originally looked at a larger 60-tonne model from the manufacturer, but the 18-tonne Sandvik QE241 works better for their style of operation.
“The scalper we have is pretty much the perfect size for us. We do move it between blocks a fair bit, so transportation is a factor. Also, we’re often limited by space a lot of the time and don’t have the room to stockpile. We might only be processing 3000 tonnes of aggregate at a time before moving it elsewhere, so its processing power and dimensions work for us.”
Combining tracked mobility for on-site movement, and relatively compact transport dimensions of 9.9m length x 2.5m width, the Sandvik QE241 also features a class-leading open scalping area, which ensures reliable rates of production. Its 3.35m x 1.24m screen box supports high speed throughput and an aggressive throw, but not to the detriment of fuel efficiency: Sandvik’s latest generation engines are their most efficient yet and are designed to operate at a reduced engine speed in order to lessen emissions, minimise fuel consumption and maximise intervals between refuelling.
The mobile scalper’s standard feature set also includes a light mast and cabinet lights, walkway platforms with integrated safety guarding, a two-speed wireless radio controller, a variable speed feed conveyor, and a ‘Toughflex’ belt.
Back at Porter Equipment, Zak says that he was pleased to be able to help get the Sandvik QE241 delivered to the South Island and Daniel and his team up to speed on operating the mobile scalper.
“We ensured FRS had a loaner Portafill screen while the Sandvik was being prepped to head out, and once it was delivered on-site, we took them through the basic operational training as well,” he says.
“The scalper was sold in a three-way side conveyor configuration, but FRS had it converted to two-way, as that better suits their operation. It was a great exercise, not only to be able to give the machine a second life, but also to work with FRS to make sure the investment is going to do the hard yards for them.”
Daniel affirms the service he and the FRS team receive from Porter Equipment is top notch.
“Yeah, they’re excellent to deal with. Zak has been very helpful and Tony [Pool, service manager] in Dunedin is also very prompt at helping with anything we need.”
With the severity of the recent storms evident everywhere in the form of half hillsides wrecked with windthrown trees, it’s vital forestry crews can access the wood quickly. In other words, they’re ever-reliant on the roads Daniel and his team of 12 maintain.
“That last storm we had hit hard, without any warning. It created a lot of damage, so we’ve been very busy on the clean-up ever since,” Daniel says.
“The emphasis for the forestry crews is getting that wood out and processed while protecting its value. The clock’s ticking on it. So yes, we must have machinery that is going to give us maximum performance too. Thanks to Porter Equipment, we have the right equipment in the right place.”