Latest from Pilot Crushtec International is Metso Outotec’s Lokotrack® ST4.10™, the largest model in the Lokotrack® mobile screen range. With a nominal capacity up to 600 tonnes per hour (tph), it is ideally suited for high-capacity aggregate screening in a closed-circuit crushing process. 

While static plants have always been preferred in high-volume aggregate applications, mobility and flexibility have become principal factors for aggregate producers, prompting the migration to mobile screens at several operations. 

A major talking point is the plant’s extensive 9 m² screen area with three 6,060 mm x 1,520 mm screen decks producing up to four end products. The wide feed box with an 8 m³ capacity and the 10m side conveyors with adjustable angles and speeds, enable the unit to be deployed as part of a multi-stage crushing process in closed circuit with large scale crushing plants such as the Lokotrack LT120™ or LT300HP™. 

The wide grizzly rock box also makes loading with a wheel loader easy when using the Lokotrack® ST4.10™ as a stand-alone unit in sand and gravel applications. Despite its large size and its 33,000 kg weight, the new mobile screen is fast and easy to set up. With its 19,650 mm (length) x 3,040 mm (width) x 3,560 mm (height) transport dimensions, it can be transported between sites as a single unit on a low bed truck. 

The screen is equipped with a diverter chute that enables blending of products from different decks. Side tensioned top and middle decks make changing screening media quick and easy, thus maximising uptime on site. 

As all Lokotracks, the Lokotrack® ST4.10™ can be equipped with the optional Metso Outotec IC™ process control system, which offers a safe single-button start-up and the possibility to interlock the screen with other Metso equipment in a train. 

The new mobile screen is powered by a 106-kW CAT C4.4 106 engine. 

KEY FEATURES

• The machine comes with an extended grizzly feed hopper for easy closed-circuit production
• Despite its large size, the Lokotrack® ST4.10™ can be transported between sites as a single unit on a low bed truck
• Side tensioned top and middle decks make changing screening media quick and easy
• The optional Metso Outotec IC automation system allows for easy and safe process control 

and connectivity to other Lokotracks

Pilot Crushtec is known for being there when the customer calls, and for providing the expertise and the spares that each job requires. 

“Our reliability, skill and experience are key reasons why Southern Africa’s top crushing contractors rely on us,” says Pilot Crushtec director of sales and marketing Francois Marais. “For more than 20 years, we have built this capability with a passionate focus on superior service levels.”

This includes R250 million in critical spares and wear items in the company’s inventory, ensuring that customers get the components they need in good time. It also comes from a strong talent pipeline that is continuously sourcing and selecting the best technical expertise, and nurturing technicians until they are ready to serve customers on site. 

“We take our technical trainees through four years of practical experience in our workshops, choosing the best to stay on with us,” says Marais. “This ensures that by the time they go to customers on-site, we have full confidence in their ability.”

He highlights that the service division has a key role in enabling customers to get optimal value from their machines, maximising output each day and minimising downtime as well as always trying to reduce the operating costs per tonne of material produced. They help customers to plan and predict spares requirement, using their in-depth knowledge of the machines in a range of working conditions. 

Pilot Crushtec’s solid commitment to service excellence has already been recognised on the global stage. As the local distributor for Metso, it was awarded the title of ‘Best New Services Distributor’ by this leading global company after just 16 months as its distributor in Southern Africa. Metso praised the way that Pilot Crushtec focused not only on the sale of new machines, but on its stockholding and availability of spare parts, combined with training and expertise. 

“Customers realise that when they acquire our products, they also buy themselves peace of mind,” he says. “We support them in a holistic way, so that they can get on with performing their contracts and building their reputation; only with this high level of aftermarket service can they earn their customers’ trust and win the repeat business that underpins sustainable brands.”

He notes that regular contact and communication with customers also helps to understand the conditions of each project, giving Pilot Crushtec the necessary insights to be an effective technical partner to its customers. This assists in predicting the likely requirement for wear parts, as well as informing product selection in the longer term.

Leveraging the new Lokotrack® LT200HPX™ mobile cone crusher’s two-deck pre-screen, contractors are not only able to increase their material throughput by up to 30%, but also reduce unnecessary wear and energy costs by limiting the amount of fine material that reports to the crushing chamber. 

Ideal for secondary and tertiary hard rock crushing, the Lokotrack® LT200HPX™ features the proven Metso Outotec Nordberg® HP200™ cone crusher unit, which is renowned for its high productivity, low operating costs and long service life. With over 10,000 units sold globally, the Nordberg® HP200™ has over the years established itself as Metso Outotec’s most popular cone crusher. 

When designing the Lokotrack® LT200HPX™, Metso Outotec paid particular attention to increased productivity, which largely hinges on the machine’s two-deck pre-screen, as well as the wide feeding and production conveyors, resulting in up to 30% more capacity. 

“In many instances, the crusher is fed with a high proportion of fine material, which needlessly passes through the crushing chamber, resulting in reduced throughput and increased wear and energy consumption. With the 1.2 mm x 1.8 m two-deck pre-screen, the fine material in the feed can bypass the crusher and go straight to the stockpile or further in the process. This not only increases overall output, but also decreases wear and packing in the crushing chamber and can enhance product quality,” explains Francois Marais, sales and marketing director at Pilot Crushtec. 

The standard H12-10 main conveyor’s adjustable discharge height (2,900 mm / 3,900 mm) allows the LT200HPX™ to be combined easily with other machines in the train. It can also be lowered to ground level for easy maintenance.  

Further optimisation of crushing results is achieved through Metso Outotec’s IC™ process control system. The user interface enables single-button start and stop and features built-in troubleshooting as well as various parameter selections. It also allows for connection between all Lokotrack® crushers and screens in the same process. 

With efficiency in mind, the Lokotrack® LT200HPX™ comes with a CAT® engine and direct v-belt crusher drive, ensuring optimum fuel efficiency. Direct drive for crusher with purposely designed gearbox and hydraulic clutch increases machine reliability. 

A key attribute of Metso Outotec’s Lokotrack® ST2.3™ scalping screen is not its compact design but its ability to be deployed in several applications and process various feed materials. Leveraging the machine’s unique versatility, contractors can transfer productivity from one jobsite to the next despite the changing conditions.

Contractors know that every jobsite is different. However, they are also aware that they don’t have the comfort of purchasing specific pieces of equipment to match the needs of every project. With a growing requirement to do more with less, contractors can take advantage of the Lokotrack® ST2.3™ scalping screen’s versatility, which allows it to be adapted and deliver the desired results on a broad range of applications.

Newly launched and now available locally from Pilot Crushtec International, the Lokotrack® ST2.3™ scalping screen is a multi-use scalping screen perfectly suited to heavy duty scalping, fine screening and recycling. Dubbed the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of screening, the machine is designed to process a range of materials, from topsoil and recycled concrete waste, to road base material and fine aggregates. 

The machine can be used as a standalone unit or as part of a multi-stage crushing and screening process. Its versatility is enhanced by the various screen media options, including grizzly, punch plate, finger grizzly and wire mesh. 

Despite its compact build, the machine punches above its weight with a 4.6 m² screening area, the widest in its class. This is complemented by an aggressive stroke up to 13 mm with 5G acceleration, resulting in a high screening performance. 

Contract crushing is a nomadic venture by its nature, which often calls for moving of machines from one site to the other. With that in mind, Metso Outotec paid particular attention to ease of transportation during the development of the Lokotrack® ST2.3™ scalping screen. With its compact screen box size (3,040mm x 1,520 mm) and optimised weight (17 000 kg), the machine can be moved from one site to another using a standard trailer, thus helping contractors cut back on transportation costs. 

Amid record high fuel prices, fleet owners will benefit from the machine’s fuel efficiency. Powered by a CAT® C3.6 diesel engine, the machine consumes as low as seven litres of fuel per hour, translating into lower total cost of operation. 

With Metso Outotec’s IC automation system, fleet managers can monitor, control remotely and automate the screening process for better performance. With information on upcoming maintenance needs, fleet managers can plan their maintenance breaks effectively to reduce machine downtime. IC automation also makes the work of operators safer with the remote-control features.

Talking points 

• The machine sets new standards in versatility with its ability to process various feed materials across primary scalping and fine screening applications
• With its compact screen box size (3,040mm x 1,520 mm) and optimised weight (17 000 kg), the machine can be easily transported in one piece using a standard trailer
• With a 4.6 m² screening area, the Lokotrack® ST2.3™ has the widest screen in its size class
• An aggressive stroke up to 13 mm with 5G acceleration results in high screening performance 
• The machine’s fuel economy helps fleet owners reduce their operating costs

Under the pressure of demanding timelines and production targets, operations staff on a crushing site will always want the best equipment with the most responsive service offering. Too often, however, they are at odds with the procurement division, who can be over-focused on upfront capital costs and operational expenditure.

This tension is natural, explains Pilot Crushtec director of sales and marketing Francois Marais, but the answer lies in a strategic alignment of company priorities across all its functional units. This will ensure that the incentives of different parts of the business do not conflict.

“Successful companies are those who can direct all their resources in the same direction and towards a common goal,” says Marais. “In the crushing business, this means meeting production targets on time with optimal equipment uptime and the lowest possible cost of ownership in relation to output.”

Getting this equation right requires that companies have quick access to core information on product output and maintenance costs, but are also able to measure aspects that are more difficult to quantify – such as downtime and production losses. Over time, the business is able to identify whether its capital and operational expenditure are balanced in line with expectations. As importantly, it can continuously assess whether it is getting optimal value from its equipment investment.

“Without this kind of in-depth data, it can be difficult for businesses to know if their capital investments are effective in driving their value proposition to customers,” he says. “If a piece of equipment is purchased at a discount price, for instance, the business’s tracking maintenance costs should raise a red flag if that capex discount has been swallowed up in opex within months of the purchase.”

The focus on value-for-money, he emphasises, needs to be based on the output achieved from both the upfront investment and the ongoing costs of maintenance and repairs. Businesses also need a disciplined method of calculating the cost of project disruption due to unplanned downtime.

“The cost of unexpected equipment failure is much higher than the cost of regular maintenance, as the resulting disruption usually has knock-on effects across the project, including standing time of other equipment and human resources,” he says. “There may also be financial penalties payable if the contractor does not meet contractual obligations.”

Perhaps the most devastating impact of procuring equipment which does not deliver to expectation, however, is on the reputation of the business. He warns that unplanned breakdowns on site will always undermine the end-customer’s faith in a contractor’s promise to deliver. This puts future work in jeopardy and puts a brake on any efforts to build a lasting and reliable brand.

The popularity of mobile plants which host a crusher and a screen on a single chassis is testament to the benefits they deliver to the market; but the design should not compromise production performance. 

This is according to Charl Marais, Pilot Crushtec’s sales manager for South Africa, who highlights how the Metso LT220D embodies an innovative new way of combining crusher and screen. 

“The powerful Nordberg® GP220™ cone crusher feeds the ample three deck screen of 1,524 metre by 5,480 metre (18’x5’), with crusher and screen being optimally matched to ensure high throughput capacity of a single sized product or up to three calibrated end products,” says Marais. “The fact that the screen does not constrain the crusher output – or vice versa – is an important factor making the LT220D a real world-beater.”

Combining both elements on a single chassis through a compact design reduces the number of service parts, lubricants, moving parts such as engines and conveyors, making for more uptime and lower cost of ownership. Using crushers and screens in a train, he says, the maintenance of the engines for each component often doubles the downtime – this leads to an interruption in production and the double handling of material while the other is being serviced. 

Driving both crusher and screen, the powerful CAT® C9.3B diesel engine also delivers better efficiency with the direct drive power transmission through a Katsa gearbox, with optimised consumption levels of around 35 l/h. 

The versatility of the Metso LT220D has made the unit a star performer in both construction and mining applications in South Africa – thanks to its considerable production capacity and easy mobility. In road building, the units sold locally have produced sub-base material from G1 to G5 categories, as well as aggregates. In the local mining sector, it has been successfully employed to crush and screen lower grade chrome and in other cases blast hole stemming material. 

“In our South African context, the LT220D unit has achieved G1 production rates of 260 tph, and 300 tph of G4 and G5 material,” says Marais. “It has also produced 140 tph of aggregates, products split into a minus 19 mm, minus 13 mm and minus 6 mm categories. In the mining space, production rates of 160 tph on average have been achieved, generating a minus 8 mm chrome product.”

The screen-first feed configuration means that natural fines and fines generated by the primary crushing stage are removed by the screen so that only material which requires crushing actually reports to the cone crusher, enhancing production capacity. Contributing to its performance and economy is the centrifugal conveyor returning crushed material onto a lifting conveyor to feed the screen. Using centrifugal forces rather than pinching material between two conveyors means less conveyor wear and lower replacement costs. The one metre wide centrifugal conveyor also supports the high tonnages and ensures there are no limitations on the GP220 cone crusher’s throughput.

Marais highlights that the single chassis configuration makes the model ideal for applications where it needs to be moved frequently around a site – or between sites. Transport costs are reduced, as the whole structure – weighing just 48 t – can be moved on one lowbed truck. There is also the benefit of not having to align and configure separate mobile screen and mobile cone crusher components every time it is moved.

“By reducing the set-up time, contractors can enjoy more uptime – which of course boosts production levels,” he says. 

The compact inline mobile cone crusher and screen combination allows for a smaller plant footprint. The smaller footprint is a distinct advantage, especially as it  enhances the high product stockpile heights. The fines conveyor has a stockpile height capacity of 4,3 metres, while the side conveyors can create 3,7 metre high stockpiles. All these stockpiles are well spaced from each other due to the inline footprint of the Metso LT220D.

“The benefit of these high stockpiles is that you can reduce the movement of the front-end loaders which conduct the clearing-out function,” he notes. “Less movement is more economic, and also improves health and safety on site.”

The unit even offers a power take-off (PTO) feature that can drive an additional conveyor for more stockpile capacity. The IC600 intelligent controller monitors key operational process parameters. The information can be viewed by the customer from a remote location. The IC600 is also responsible for protecting the machine, looking after its health; where a jaw crusher is added to the train, it can also communicate with this unit to balance throughput rates and optimise production.

Leading crushing contractor B&E International has invested in Metso’s latest mobile screening solutions from Pilot Crushtec, in advance of what is hoped to be a better year for road-building and other construction in 2022.

Ken Basson, director plant and engineering at B&E International, says the new acquisitions will expand the company’s crushing fleet in anticipation of more work, and will also optimise the cost of aggregate production. The equipment order, which is to be supplied in Q1 2022, comprises a Lokotrack LT220D mobile crushing and screening plant and a Lokotrack LT120 mobile jaw crushing plant.

“Over the years we have built up an extensive fleet of Metso equipment, with close to 95% of our crushing units this brand,” says Basson. “In our target markets, we have found these product line configurations are optimal for servicing our customers’ needs.”

He notes that B&E International’s technical and operator teams have gained extensive experience in using Metso equipment, which ensures smooth operations all round. A vital consideration in the purchase decision is the high level of service and support the company receives from local Metso distributor, Pilot Crushtec.

“With their extensive spare parts supply inventory on hand, Pilot Crushtec reacts rapidly when we need them,” he says. “In our industry, this ability is paramount to achieving sustainable profitability – both for ourselves and our customers.”

The Metso LT220D, which boasts an innovative combination of high-performance cone crusher and screen on the same chassis, is an exciting addition to the B&E International fleet.

“B&E is already operating Metso’s LT330D – the ‘big brother’ of the LT220D – and the performance results from this unit have been exemplary in all respects,” Basson says. “The new unit is part of our replacement of older models in the LT1100 range, bringing a number of modern benefits.”

For instance, the Metso LT220D is about 5 t lighter than its predecessor, and comes fitted with a GP220 cone crusher combined with a Metso ST4.8 screen. It delivers more crushing power, and has more stroke options available. This is key to optimising both the quality and capacity of production.

“When combined with a Metso jaw crusher, the LT220D can produce up to three calibrated end‑products by using a two‑stage crushing circuit,” says Basson. “Crushing reduction ratios achieved by this crusher are also further optimised as a result of the increased number of crushing cavities available.”

With the rising cost of fuel, he also emphasises the enhanced fuel consumption as a factor in B&E International’s selection, with the Metso LT220D’s crusher being able to use efficient direct‑drive power transmission from the C13 Caterpillar engine onboard. 

The Metso LT120 is the latest and most advanced of Metso’s track-mounted jaw crusher plants, with its 1200 mm by 870 mm feed opening providing sufficient capacity for tough applications. The hydraulic drive ensures reliable operation and enables crusher direction to be changed in case of blockage.

Basson highlights that the lead time for the supply of the new units was also important, as the economic recovery in regions like Europe and North America was making it difficult for some OEMs to deliver orders within reasonable timeframes.

“We are making sure that we are well positioned for new work, as the construction and road-building sector seems be gradually more buoyant,” he says. “There are high hopes for an upswing in in this year and the sector can rely on us to perform to our usual standard.”

As the economic pinch continues in sectors like construction and mining, there has been an alarming increase in the number of companies let down by underperforming crushing and screening equipment, spares support and technical aftermarket support, according to Pilot Crushtec director of sales and marketing Francois Marais.

“We have fielded a growing number of calls recently from companies using other manufacturers’ equipment, requesting urgent assistance in providing alternatives or support to help them meet their contract obligations,” says Marais. “It appears to us as if many companies have selected equipment based purely on price, rather than its suitability for their application.”

He highlights the devastating impact which these constant – and sometimes catastrophic – technical failures and lack of spare supply have on the performance and reputation of these crushing service providers. With crushing contracts being invariably linked to strict time and output requirements, any downtime can place delivery and fulfilment at risk.

“Even if the equipment can be kept functional, these unexpected repair and maintenance costs can end up rendering a project unprofitable,” he says. “What is happening in these cases is that any savings from the capital expenditure on the equipment is being eaten up by fast-rising operating expenditure.”

The irony is that it is often the companies whose profitability is already marginal, who try to survive by purchasing low-priced equipment upfront. He points out that this exposes the business to dangerously high levels of operating risk, as any unexpected downtime quickly wipes out the narrow profit margin. 

“One bad purchasing decision can push these players over the edge,” says Marais. “There is a mistaken belief that they can ‘save their way’ to profitability – which simply does not make financial sense in this competitive sector.”

He emphasises that successful crushing contractors recognise the vital importance of mission-critical equipment in their enterprises and contracts. They earn their success and reputation by top-class performance, ensuring the production levels that customers demand – and thereby winning the return business necessary for sustainability and growth.

“The economic environment certainly makes many firms risk-averse, and this tempts them to trim their capex budgets to unsustainable levels,” he says. “This suggests that they are incentivised by the wrong metrics, and may not have a proper alignment between their procurement mandate and their strategic business objectives.”

He notes that this challenge is also reflected in a prevailing business culture in which buyers feel they are only justified in purchasing after the price is substantially reduced. 

“Our approach at Pilot Crushtec has always been clear: we provide the assurance of performance, so that customers do not put themselves at unmanageable risk by purchasing our equipment,” he says. “With this approach, we try to set them up for success, and support them in meeting their own customers’ expectations in turn.”

Marais argues that Pilot Crushtec can achieve this because of its 30 years of experience, and the proven quality of its equipment, service, spares stock holding and backup support. The company invests heavily, for instance, in its on-site stockholding, so that customers do not have to wait usually for parts. It also configures its equipment with everything that customers need, so they are not left stranded in the middle of a project without mission critical features.

“Our decades of experience in the field means that we know what our customers use to improve performance, and we supply these features as standard on our equipment,” he says. “When you consider all the added features that our machines come with as standard, it is easy to be impressed by the value for money that we provide.”

By way of example, he points to the Metso Lokotrack LT120 mobile jaw crushing plant, which comes standard with a hydraulic rock-breaker which is a very expensive item to include as a standard. The unit also boasts the innovative Metso lifting tools system for changing the liners on the jaw crusher, saving more than half the time to replace liners. It also has 30% less hydraulic oil, making for considerable savings that the average customer would not expect. Pilot Crushtec has been the local distributor for Metso for the past six years.

“By saving on downtime and enhancing safety, we help customers remove excessive risk from their projects, so they can build sustainable brands and successful businesses,” he says. “It is no coincidence that the top five contractors in the crushing space rely predominantly on equipment from Pilot Crushtec.”

Crushing equipment specialist Pilot Crushtec is seeing growing demand from the mining sector as rising commodity prices breathe new life into this industry. 

This contrasts with the construction sector, which remains challenged, according to Francois Marais, director sales and marketing at Pilot Crushtec. Sluggish demand for construction materials has meant that capital expenditure for aggregate crushers remains under pressure.  

“The upturn in mining is spurring local demand for our mobile crushing equipment as contractors – who are our traditional market – move onto mining sites to conduct crushing contracts,” says Marais. This shift from quarry-based or on-site crushing to the mainstream mining sector is demanding crushing equipment from the larger end of the product range.

“We’ve seen a move towards much bigger equipment than what our customers in aggregates would typically use,” he says. “Whereas we might in the past have been supplying operations producing 250 to 350 tonnes per hour, we are now working with customers who work in the region of 500 to 600 tonnes per hour and upwards.”

This is well within the capacity of the Metso crusher range – represented regionally by Pilot Crushtec – which includes mobile units with throughput capacity of up to 1000 tonnes per hour. Recent orders include the supply of a mobile crushing train to an iron ore operation in the Northern Cape, where it is successfully processing up to 550 tonnes per hour.

“We welcome these new opportunities, as we have the quality of product and depth of expertise to ensure the material volumes and operational uptime that mines require,” he says. “We know what this environment demands and can confidently support our customers and equipment at this scale.”

This is opening the door to an exciting era of expansion for Pilot Crushtec, where the company is introducing new models and configurations. At one of the iron ore projects in the Northern Cape supplied by the company, for instance, a global ‘first’ is on the cards for Metso. 

“We are changing the feed arrangement on a mobile cone crusher to include a vibrating grizzly screen feeder configuration – upgrading from the traditional apron feeder,” says Marais. “This means that the upgrade kit is being installed in a completely novel manner at this mine.”

In another pioneering project, the company will, for the first time, be bringing in two Metso large-format, triple-deck ST4.10 mobile screens. While it is not a new product, this installation will be the model’s debut into the South African market. The first unit will arrive in September and the second in October.

“We have high ambitions for these robust units, and expect them to be leading performers in their segment,” he says. “The iron ore application – with its high densities and abrasiveness – is among the most demanding, and these Metso products are well suited to it.”

In neighbouring countries, the aggregate market is holding up better than in South Africa, he notes. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been an active market for Pilot Crushtec, with a 250 tonne per hour aggregate plant recently installed and a mobile jaw crusher delivered. Another mobile jaw crusher was also recently supplied to an aggregate producer in Zambia. 

When South Africa’s aggregate industry recovers, Pilot Crushtec is looking forward to the contribution that will be made by its recently launched mid-market Nordtrack range of mobile crushers and screens. 

“Having launched this range locally just before the Covid-19 lockdowns began, it has not yet had much opportunity to prove itself,” he says. “However, sales of these units have been strong internationally, signalling that our product quality and pricing has met expectations.”

Metso Outotec recently renewed its distributorship agreement with Pilot Crushtec for another five years, after a very successful first five-year period in a formalised relationship. 

Pilot Crushtec also continues to locally manufacture its own range of crushing equipment, managing the various logistical challenges posed by the pandemic’s impact on global freight movement. 

When a project to re-mine stockpiles at a large iron ore operation discovered its planning assumptions had been too optimistic, Pilot Crushtec was able to save the day with its experience and its ready fleet of Metso crushing equipment.

The plan was initially to feed natural fines – less than 8 mm in size – from run-of-mine (ROM) stockpiles to the smelter, later introducing a mobile jaw crusher and then mobile cone crushers with a sizing screen. It was found, however, that the portion of fines in the stockpile was much less than expected, putting the whole project in jeopardy. 

To rescue the situation, a fully mobile three-stage crushing and screening plant was urgently required to meet the required tonnages. Crushing and screening specialist Pilot Crushtec, who is also the local distributor of Metso equipment, had the answer and was able to deploy the necessary equipment on site within a few weeks. This included a Metso Lokotrack LT106 mobile jaw crusher, two mobile cones crushers – a Metso Lokotrack LT200HP standard and an LT200HP Short Head – and a Metso Lokotrack ST4.8 triple-deck mobile screen.

This was not the end of the challenges, though, as it soon became apparent that the concentration of iron within the stockpiled ore was lower than believed. Fortunately, the natural fines were richer than anticipated, presenting the opportunity of blending them with the lower-grade crushed ore. Here the Metso ST2.8 screen proved to be the key, with its two-way split providing a consistent supply of iron-rich natural fines to be blended with the stockpiles where required. 

The next step was to find ways of improving production of minus 8 mm material, although the 150 tonnes per hour being achieved was already regarded as good. With Pilot Crushtec’s experience, supported by Metso’s Bruno simulation software, a further increase of 10 to 15% was targeted. The strategy involved a range of complex ‘tweaks’ including an optimised liner profile, a change in screening media and apertures, and splitting the process train. 

This delivered the production target, with better continuity in the process while ensuring that the first two stages of crushing were not constrained by bottlenecks in the tertiary crushing and screening stage. This also reduced fuel and wear costs, as the equipment in the first half of the train could produce the same amount of material in fewer hours.