FIFE-based PJM Services has significantly improved its recycling efficiency by working with SCG Supplies and investing in a tailored line-up of Portafill machinery.
With the addition of three key products — the Portafill MR-6 scalping screen, MI-8R impact crusher (the first of its kind in Scotland), and the MS-3 wash plant with DW-80 fines recovery system — the company has transformed its recycling operation, delivering cleaner, higher-quality aggregate products, with greater efficiency.
Incoming material is first processed through the Portafill MR-6 tracked finishing scalper, which separates it into three product streams: 0–10mm screened soil, 10–25mm material (which is directed into the wash plant to produce 10mm and 20mm gravels and washed manufactured sand), and 25–250mm oversize, which is stockpiled for crushing.
The oversize fraction is then processed by the Portafill MI-8R impact crusher. Thanks to its closed-circuit recirculation system, the crusher ensures material is reduced to a precise top size (25mm in this case) before being fed into the wash plant. SCG revealed this guarantees optimal sizing for downstream processing.
The journey began with PJM’s first investment — the MS-3 wash plant with DW-80 fines recovery system. While the plant was revealed to have delivered ‘outstanding’ quality, it also created a challenge for owner Mick Riddell, who explained that the machine produced such high-quality products that demand started to outstrip supply.
The business required a way to increase throughput and recover more saleable products — particularly 10mm, 20mm, and sand fractions — from what was previously considered waste material.
This is where the MI-8R impact crusher came in. Designed with recirculation (the ‘R’ in its name), the machine integrated into the existing setup to close the loop, ensuring consistent sizing and maximised yields of construction-ready products.
The MI-8R supplied to PJM was also fitted with an air knife attachment, which impressed operators and visitors alike by effectively removing light contaminants such as wood and plastic from the feed before entering the wash plant. The result was cleaner final products with higher consistency.
By combining the MR-6, MI-8R, and MS-3 wash plant with the DW-80 fines recovery system, PJM Services has increased recovery of 10mm, 20mm, and sand products; reduced waste and maximised resource use; delivered consistently cleaner products for the end customer; achieved greater operational efficiency through seamless machine integration; and kept capital outlay down and resale values up by using tracked mobile equipment with minimal set up requirements and civils outlay.
