DELIVERING MORE

As one of the UK’s leading independent suppliers of construction materials and waste management solutions, the Ashcourt Group, a family-owned company based in Humberside, has grown massively since its inception in 2012

Built on the back of a mixture of organic growth and strategic acquisitions, the company have been able to expand their operations from their original Hull base both North, South and West to deliver a high-quality and reliable service for their growing customer base.

From their roots within the construction industry developing commercial and residential properties across the region, the group has grown with the addition of virgin and recycled aggregates, ready mixed concrete and pumping services, fuel supply and skip hire whilst still retaining a laser focus on their core construction business.

With their strategically located sites offering a range of services from Newton Aycliffe in the North to Leeds in the West, a move South into Lincolnshire has seen the company purchase the Brianplant business which has added another quarry and recycling operation to their portfolio.

Located just off the M180, Manton quarry will further add to the company’s portfolio sites across the Eastern counties. The recently purchased site is already undergoing a huge transformation to become, not only a state-of-theart aggregate supplier, but also a site capable of processing many thousands of tonnes of recyclable material on an annual basis.

Their recent strategic acquisitions of Brianplant (Humberside) Limited and Manton Quarry mark a pivotal expansion into Lincolnshire for Ashcourt Group, enhancing their capacity to supply high-quality construction materials to a broader clientele.

The move into Manton Quarry has seen Ashcourt group acquire the plant assets held by previous owner Brianplant, they have quickly moved to ‘standardise’ the fleet at the site, bringing it in line with their other quarrying operations.

A huge, state-of-the-art CDE wash plant is currently being constructed allowing both virgin and recycled material to be separated and cleaned more effectively increasing both the quantity and quality of the material they are able to sell. When it comes to the primary crushing and screening of aggregates, Ashcourt are firm believers in the range of solutions offered by Kleemann and sold through Wirtgen UK just a few miles down the A1 at Newark.

Manton quarry has been supplied with several of the German manufacturer’s crushing and screening solutions including a huge Mobicat MC120i Pro jaw crusher. With an operating weight of around 85 tonnes, the crusher can produce up to 650 tonnes per hour of material. With a fully adjustable 1200mm x 800mm jaw the crusher is capable of producing material from 200mm down to 70mm in size. The diesel/electric drive system ensures low cost per tonne of material produced. The crusher is usually loaded by a 55 tonne Volvo EC550E, one of two in the Ashcourt fleet. At the time of our visit, the excavator was busy feeding material through another Kleemann crusher reducing the size down to 50mm for a specific project.

The new Mobirex MR100i NEO is a 250 tonnes per hour impact crusher designed to offer a combination of compact dimensions with high productivity and consistent material sizing.

“ITS PERFORMANCE DEMONSTRATED INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY AND IMPROVED OPERATOR EFFICIENCY, LEADING TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF FOUR MACHINES ACROSS MULTIPLE QUARRIES IN THE UK”

The MR100i NEO is the first in the growing NEO range which can be utilised effectively on a wide range of materials including concrete, demolition waste and asphalt as well as medium to hard virgin stone. The MR100i offers a large impact range with an optimised inlet geometry allowing for a high throughput of material. The crusher has been designed with ample space to allow for the rapid discharge of material keeping throughput high. Unlike many crushers which require specific tooling, the MR100i NEO uses Kleemann’s ‘Lock & Turn Quick Access’ system which allows the user to adjust settings and be ready to run in under 30 seconds. The MR100i is also fitted with an additional single deck screen box ahead of the output conveyor. The material passes over 4m2 of screening media before exiting to stock via the 3.36m high discharge conveyor or being recirculated into the material hopper via the side conveyor.

The two crushers have been supplied with a large capacity MS953EVO multi-deck screener to ensure materials sizes are constant and that all material can be segregated and used.

Whilst Kleemann crusher and screeners play a pivotal role in the aggregates production side of the business, Wirtgen Group have also secured a deal for three John Deere 824P wheel loaders to enter service across a number of the Ashcourt sites. Traditionally running Volvo loaders, the slow, but steady release of John Deere’s construction machinery into the UK aligns with the Ashcourt Group’s policy of running efficient, top-spec equipment in their fleet.

The 824P is a 26-tonne shovel capable of carrying a range of buckets with capacities up to 5.2m3 . As the density of the material at Manton averages 1.6t per cubic metre, the shovel is fitted with a general-purpose rehandling bucket with a 4.7m3 capacity. This means that the large, 8-wheeler tipper fleet operated by Ashcourt can be sent to the weighbridge in just three passes.

The 824P is fitted with a powerful, StageV, 9 litre Powertech engine developing 343hp. Mated to a 5-speed Powershift transmission with lock up clutch, the loader utilises a separate hydraulic pump for the steering system for easier control in heavier applications. The rear wheels are covered in large, swing-out mudguards which keep the worst of the mess away from the access panels to the engine. To the rear of the mudguards there is another access panel, this time opening to service the cooling pack. The rear overhang with the heavy engine and cooling pack negates the requirement for a large and obtrusive counterweight to be fitted. Instead, the 824P uses a small casting with integrated battery storage to protect the vulnerable rear of the loader.

The P series cab has recently been upgraded on the new X series models but it still offers a light and airy place in which to spend a shift. Accessed via 5 steps on the nearside of the loader, the climb into the cab is aided by well-placed grabrails which have been finished in Hi-Viz yellow for this quarrying operation. The cab interior is finished in a modern black and grey colour scheme and whilst not the largest interior available, offers enough storage space for any operator. The loader has been specified with joystick steering to reduce operator stress and fatigue. There is also the option of taking the loader with a steering wheel should it be required. John Deere’s SmartWeigh option can also be included in the package and is designed to allow dynamic weighing of each bucket load giving a total weight per vehicle and the totals moved in a day, week or month.

As the 824P is the only loader operating at the site, it is kept busy all day. Working closely with the EC550E and MR110i NEO, the loader ensures the processed material is cleared from under the conveyor belts and ferried to its relevant stockpiles. In between moving the material around site, the loader needs to ensure the almost constant stream of tippers are loaded and sent out quickly.

“For several years, our fleet has incorporated various John Deere agricultural machinery, and we have consistently found them to be impressive. When the company announced their development of construction equipment, we conducted a trial of the loading shovel. After a successful trial week, its performance demonstrated innovative technology and improved operator efficiency, leading to the deployment of four machines across multiple quarries in the UK.”