FEATURE

ROCK SOLID PERFORMANCE

James Carney Site Manager West Texas Rock Resources

Delivering quality aggregates is everything for West Texas Rock Resources. In the sometimes harsh, desert conditions they operate in, this requires highly reliable, heavy-duty equipment. Every part of the crushing train needs to be efficient and able to handle high levels of throughput. With the support of dealer Crushing Tigers, West Texas Rock Resources built a Sandvik mobile setup that could meet their high product standards.

Founded in 2007, the West Texas Rock Resources (WTRR) team, led by owners Cheyenne Smith and Randall Smith have always prioritised delivering the high-quality materials local businesses need to complete their projects to the best possible standards. By combining this focus on reliability and integrity with good people, they have helped the greater West Texas community on the road with their aggregate supply and civil site construction services.

Local impact

From the McMullen Pit site, the WTRR team is producing a range of aggregate types, including 057 concrete rock, rip rap and 2″ base. Depending on the demand for specific materials, their mining equipment has to be able to flex to customer requirements, without dropping in efficiency or throughput.

To get a train that could handle these needs, WTRR turned to Crushing Tigers. An authorised distributor of high-performance aggregate machinery and equipment, they’re also a community-focused company. As well as supplying machines from top global brands to purchase or lease, they support local businesses with parts, servicing and training.

This comprehensive backup and mutual values made them a natural partner for WTRR. As Brian Costello, Co-Founder/ COO for Crushing Tigers, explains, “Although we serve customers across eight states from our headquarters in Austin, Texas, we stay deeply rooted in the local communities where our customers live and work, because their community is our community. Just like the West Texas Rock Resources team, we want to make a positive difference to the local people and customers. So it’s great to be able to support them with the reliable, heavy-duty machinery they need and the equally important aftermarket care.”

Crushing results

On the McMullen site, the crushing and screening train is predominantly made up of Sandvik equipment supplied by Crushing Tigers. Raw material is fed into a primary QI442 HSI impact crusher by an excavator. Material is then conveyed into the QA441 two deck Doublescreen for processing, before oversize is fed into the QH332 cone crusher.

All the machines have heavy-duty components and are designed for high throughput. Working in unison, they are equipped with digital technologies that support their operation and monitoring. The PLC control system makes them easy for operators to control, while the fuel efficient engines keep running costs and emissions low.

The QI442 HSI is a tracked impact crusher with a feed opening of 1360mm by 800mm (54" x 31"), with a maximum feed size of up to 800mm (31") and a capacity of up to 500mtph. The impact chamber is also equipped with

Prisec technology. Designed to improve safety during maintenance and servicing, it has a new rotor position and locking device, new hammer locking wedges for quicker removal and fitting and a tool that allows for less risky removal and installation.

A patented adjustment and braking system means operators can relieve blockages without stopping operations. While a hydraulically controlled product conveyor helps alleviate rebar obstruction. Components are also designed to resist high levels of wear, meaning they can continue running efficiently even in the harsh Texan environment. An adjustable tip speed and double deck pre-screen also ensure precise product refinement.

The QA441 mobile Doublescreen is the largest two deck tracked screen of its kind in the Sandvik range. Its world class Doublescreen technology means two high velocity screens can be operated and adjusted independently, with one extracting fines and the other operating as a grader. Alongside a screen size of 6m x 1.5m (20’ x 5’) and a screen box achieving vibrations up to 1200rpm, this enables high throughput levels while allowing for adjustability and accuracy.

Built from premium components, with wear-resistant liners in the hopper and side conveyor feeds, plus a feeder load sensor, the screener can operate efficiently in the harshest environments. Combined with a well-proportioned, fuel-efficient engine, a hybrid drive option and extended hydraulic fluid change intervals, this machine minimises downtime and maximises cost-effectiveness.

The final machine in the train, the QH332 cone crusher with modular double deck hanging screen, also offers the WTRR team versatility and top-level performance. A unibody mainframe is essential for maintaining strength and stability while processing high volumes. An up-and-over metal detector allows for accurate removals while the steel pipework supports superior heat dissipation.

“THE RUN TIME IS AMAZING. WE HAVE HARDLY ANY DOWNTIME. CRUSHING TIGERS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GOOD PARTNER.”

The hydraulic cone has a Hydroset (CCS) setting and overload protection to ensure minimal downtime. With no crusher backing required, the machine can operate immediately after a liner change, again maintaining good levels of uptime. High-performance power transfer means tighter close side settings can be achieved, while larger throw variations also enable the team to achieve precise crushing performance.

With the additional modular HS323 double deck hanging screen, this provides further versatility, with the option to operate in open or closed circuit, and is easy to set-up in less than 30 minutes. All these Sandvik units provide cutting edge health and safety features to protect operators.

Quality support

For West Texas Rock Resources, the Crushing Tigers & Sandvik collaborative teams tick a lot of boxes. As well as helping them achieve precise sizing on a range of aggregates, the machines are easy to maintain and operate, with features that maximise efficiency. This is backed up with professional, on-hand support from the Crushing Tigers’ team.

“The run time is amazing. We have hardly any downtime. Productivity is up there, too. I would definitely recommend these Sandvik machines,” James Carney, Manager of McMullen and Clement’s Quarries for West Texas Rock Resources, explains.

“Crushing Tigers has always been a good partner in our mining operations, their sales group is consistently on point, I can call them at any time and they’ll provide answers. Their parts department is the same, they get parts to us as quickly. They are also very easy to work with and very affordable.”