As part of a large equipment upgrade, Cameron Quarry Ltd have recently commissioned a twin shaft Coarse Material Washer at their Pukehina quarry
Since re-establishing their family quarry operations after a lengthy period of time leased to another business, the owners of Bay of Plenty-based Cameron Quarry have put in place some serious new infrastructure to ensure the efficient production of quality construction and roading materials for their fast-growing region.
“The quarry sat idle for some time, so it has been like a ‘start-up’,” says general manager Jimmy Conway. “We looked at what the local market needed and based our equipment needs on that.”
The need for a wash
Case in point, is the just-commissioned twin-shaft Coarse Material Washer (CMW), supplied by Sanland Equipment Ltd. Put in place specifically for aggregate washing, the piece of plant is one of a number of types and sizes of washing solutions supplied by Sanland for applications such as aggregate, sand, logs, and the recycling of aggregate from left-over ready-mix concrete.
“In our situation, the raw material can at times be a bit dirty, so we identified that a washed product would alleviate this issue and ensure a consistent quality to our customers,” says quarry operations manager Mike James.
For Cameron’s application, they selected a Standard Twin CMW model, the twin-shaft machine being fed from a high-output impactor, which is being used as the primary crusher. In its current configuration, the material washer is quickly processing a crushed GAP65 being fed direct from the crusher’s main output conveyor – the CMW easily handling what is being delivered to it at a significant flow rate.
We will be making all our GAP and AP products, as well as M4 with this plant,” says Jimmy. “The crusher will be adjusted to the meet the specifications of the product being made at the time.”
According to Sanland’s brochure specs, the Standard Twin CMW is capable of processing up to 350 tonnes per hour, with its bigger sibling, the Large Twin CMW model, able to churn material out at up to 500 tonnes per hour. Impressive figures, but believable after seeing the equipment in action.
Coarse material washer set-up
Setting up a Coarse Material Washer is relatively straightforward. Position the machine under a crusher conveyor, connect up a source of water and power to turn the shafts, and it’s ready for the twin augers and wash paddles to do their stuff.
The auger edges and wash paddles are where the main amount of wear will occur, and being bolt-on, they are easily swapped out when the time comes.
Okay, I’ve probably oversimplified the setup a bit, as handling water always comes with runoff and sediment mitigation requirements. Cameron Quarry has this well under control by sourcing clean water directly and returning it to an adjacent dam for reuse. So, there’s always a pump and pipe system to consider, but suffice to say, installing a wash plant is an achievable task and can add a whole new dimension to a business.
Right: Mike James, quarry operations manager
Once the material is washed, the CMW could easily output material into a small stockpile or bin, but a wheel loader would be kept busy staying in front of a quickly growing stockpile and to my mind it would be diesel being burnt unnecessarily. As a thoughtful alternative, Cameron Quarry elected to use a mobile stacker conveyor, and this makes much more sense.
“We made a few adjustments to the plant and are happy with how it is now running,” says Jimmy.
Vertical shaft impactor
Part of the infrastructure upgrade is an adjacent separate plant that at the time of writing was almost ready to begin production and when fully underway will process concrete aggregate, sealing chip and coarse sand.
Central to the operation is a Sanland Equipment supplied Vertical Shaft Impactor (VSI) at the first stage of production. The VSI will break the crushed material into smaller aggregate and fines before passing it through a wash and screening process.
“The mobile stacker from the other plant will be repositioned, and the intention is to feed the VSI directly from the primary impactor crusher, although we have made allowances to feed it from the Coarse Material Washer if the primary aggregate needs to be cleaner,” says Jimmy.
For Cameron Quarry, the heavy investment in all the new infrastructure is an impressive sight, and one that will support the Bay of Plenty region for the foreseeable future. Sanland Equipment can feel satisfied that they have put more quality plant into the hands of another Kiwi-owned business.
For more information, contact sanlandequipment.co.nz
Images by David Lott