Tom's Forest Quarry, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is where a proud history meets modern day technology.
It is one of around 80 quarries operated throughout the UK and Ireland by leading construction materials group Breedon, which also has a network of ready-mixed concrete, cement and asphalt plants, in addition to contract surfacing businesses, import/export terminals and two slate production facilities. awesomeearthmovers.com
An impressive mix of machinery was working in perfect harmony when we visited the quarry.
Joining a Chieftain 2200 screen already well established on this busy site were a new Powerscreen 1300 Maxtrak Cone Crusher, a Powerscreen 1000
Maxtrak Cone Crusher, and Powerscreen Chieftain 2200 triple deck inclined screens, all recently supplied by Blue Machinery (Scotland).
With a history firmly rooted in granite quarrying, it is understood Tom's Forest Quarry has existed since the early 1800s. Along with other notable quarries like Rubislaw, Paradise Hill, Whitestones, and Leschangie, these quarries were collectively employing around 300 men by 1860.
Back in the day, Tom’s Forest Quarry was a significant producer of granite connected by a tramway to the Great North of Scotland Railway at Forest Siding. A portion of the original quarry face and retaining walls remain, along with a smithy building.
Situated in the Garioch area of Aberdeenshire, the quarry today remains a hive of activity, with granite, gravel and sand extraction. Part of a network of quarries, it is also associated with concrete and asphalt production. Reddish granite from Corrennie Quarry located near Tillyfourie in Aberdeenshire is also brought to Tom's Forest for processing.
Productivity & Efficiency
The new machinery represented a significant investment for Breedon and is already proving its worth in terms of productivity and efficiency at Tom’s Forest Quarry.
Blue Machinery Scotland’s Technical Sales Manager Owen Gourlay and Senior Field Service Engineer Robbie Brennan spent five days on the site installing the machines and providing Breedon personnel with full training, which included indepth practical and classroom sessions for the operators and managers at the quarry, covering everything there is to know on how to get the very best out of the three new machines.
Based around the 1300 Automax® cone crusher, the Powerscreen 1300 Maxtrak has certainly impressed the operators. A portable cone crushing plant designed for optimal performance in secondary applications, it is exceptional in producing high-quality sub-base and aggregate materials, delivering outstanding cubicity, high throughput, and superior reduction ratios.
Working alongside the 1300 Maxtrak and designed for direct feed applications without pre-screening on clean rock, the high performance Powerscreen 1000 Maxtrak cone crusher has at its heart an Automax cone crusher which provides excellent reduction and product cubicity for the production of high quality aggregate and subbase material.
“THANKS TO THE LIVELY DOUBLE DECK SCREEN BOXES THIS MACHINE OFFERS
UNRIVALLED THROUGHPUT
AT TIGHTER SPECIFICATIONS.”
Robbie Brennan Senior Field Service Engineer Blue Machinery Scotland
Tried, tested and proven all over the world and like the 1300 Maxtrak, it is economical to operate with a highly fuel-efficient direct drive system. It benefits from hydraulic release capabilities designed so that any uncrushable material entering the chamber is safely discharged.
Meanwhile, the new Powerscreen Chieftain 2200 triple deck inclined screen, designed for operators who require large volumes of high specification products with maximum versatility, has two highly versatile double deck screen boxes which provide a total screening area of 22.5m2 . It has a revolutionary patent pending drive system which allows switching between 2 and 4 bearing with bolt-on parts.
The maximum variability of the Chieftain offers improved capabilities over its class rivals, especially in sticky applications. User benefits include a quick set-up time (typically under 30 minutes) with hydraulically folding conveyors and track mobility. Its high aggression screen boxes handle dirty, sticky material with ease.
The material is then fed back into the first Chieftain 2200 which is de-dusted and then sent to the second Chieftain 2200 3 deck which is producing smaller aggregates, screen sizes of 12mm, 8mm, 5mm and dust. Thanks to the lively double deck screen boxes this machine offers unrivalled throughput at tighter specifications.”
He said customers like Breedon come to Blue Machinery Scotland to invest in Powerscreen cones not just because of their world-renowned build quality, ease of operation and reliability, but equally important because of their low cost per tonne.
After spending a week at the Breedon quarry helping to get operators familiar with the new equipment, his colleague at Blue Machinery Owen Gourlay commented: “It was a pleasure to share our combined knowledge and experience with the team, it’s always rewarding to see operators grow in confidence and skill when we are carrying out these training sessions.”
Low Cost Per Tonne
Senior Field Service Engineer Robbie Brennan explains how the new Powerscreen equipment is working seamlessly together at the quarry.
“The 1300 Maxtrak feeds the first Chieftain 2200 3 deck producing aggregate screen size media of 24mm,16mm and 5mm. The oversized material is then fed into the 1000 Maxtrak cone crusher which is in a closed loop.