ARGYLL-based A&L McCrae Limited has taken delivery of the first Premiertrak 450 jaw crusher sold in Europe.
The machine builds on the success of the Premiertrak 400X, which has long been one of the world’s best-selling jaw crushers.
A&L McCrae, established over 50 years ago, has grown from a single owner-operator into a multifaceted civil engineering firm and quarry operator. The company offers a range of services including contract crushing and screening, heavy plant hire, bulk haulage, ready-mix concrete and the supply of aggregates from its hard rock and sand and gravel quarries.
Previously, A&L McCrae managed with a single crushing and screening train shared between two quarries. However, the company now faces a large volume of material to process over the next five years. The growing demand necessitates dedicated trains for each site to maintain efficiency and productivity, leading to the recent purchases of a Premiertrak 450 jaw crusher and a Chieftain 1700X inclined screener.
The Premiertrak 450 is a heavy-duty, quarry-specification jaw crusher designed for the toughest rock. The machine is said to boast several improvements over the Premiertrak 400X, including a new hopper design built from 15mm Hardox steel, compared to the 12mm Hardox used in the PT400X. The steeper hydraulic folding hopper sides also increase the capacity to 10.3m3. The crushing chamber has been tilted by 7° to allow better material flow, increasing potential throughput to 450tph.
Calum McCrae, MD at A&L McCrae, said, “We have seen a massive increase in production since the arrival of the new crusher. The redesigned feeder and angle on the chamber have been game-changers.”
The Premiertrak 450’s direct drive system is designed to result in lower fuel consumption. Calum has observed significant cost savings, noting, “This machine offers more tonnes for less fuel, with our tonnes crushed per litre rising significantly.”
Calum was introduced to the machine at the Powerscreen World Dealer Conference last year. He explained, “Austin (Carey – MD of Blue Scotland) invited us to Italy, where we saw the machine working and immediately knew it was the right fit for us, specially designed to meet the rigorous demands of quarry operations.”
Over the past five years, A&L McCrae has worked closely with Blue Machinery (Scotland), replacing its entire crushing and screening fleet with Powerscreen machines. During that time, Blue has supplied the business with a Terex wash plant, two SEMIX concrete batching plants, and various attachments from Murray Plant (a Blue Scotland company).
Calum added, “We have a very strong working relationship with both the sales team and the service team at Blue Scotland. It’s probably the best backup service we get from any supplier we deal with. I See Blue Scotland as a key business partner in our growth plans in the years to come.”
