CONSTRUCTION materials specialist Breedon has added a Finlay J-1480 jaw crusher to its fleet in an effort to increase production of blasted material whilst delivering the quality products customers expect.
Breedon supplies aggregates, concrete, asphalt, and cement to support building and infrastructure projects across the country. The firm recently decided to invest in a static plant at its Daviot Quarry site south of Inverness, in response to demand for type 1 aggregate, while keeping the mobile plant to produce the blasted material down to a 6-8 inch size range to supply the static plant.
Daviot Quarry has a projection of 500,000 tonnes moved this calendar year, which represents more than a 20% increase from the year before. This was only possible due to the new systems in place.
Breedon has worked with the Terex Finlay range for years, so upgrading to the latest J-1480 – purchased from Molson Finlay – was described as a ‘straightforward’ decision. Known for its solid build and ability to handle tough materials, the J-1480 is said to be more than capable of dealing with the hard metamorphic limestone found at Daviot Quarry. Alongside this, Breedon runs a J-1175 hybrid jaw crusher, a C-1550+ cone crusher, and a TC-80 conveyor, with all the kit playing a part in achieving production targets.
Material crushed by the J-1480 heads to the static plant, which once processed will supply the on-site asphalt plant, the concrete plant in Inverness and Breedon’s customers. With its 10m3 hopper, the Finlay J-1480 allows for consistent high-volume loading, helping Breedon process up to 300 tonnes per hour throughout a 10-hour day.
Material is then passed through a pre-screen system, which separates out finer material before it reaches the jaw. This means only the largest rock makes it to the crushing chamber, helping reduce wear on the jaws. With a 1,415mm x 820mm inlet, the J-1480 has no problem delivering ‘excellent’ reduction ratios at Daviot Quarry. Mark Keith, quarry manager at Daviot, said, “We’ve had Finlay machines for the last five years and they handle this material the best. Fuel efficiency in these conditions is also a big plus for us.”
The Finlay 1480 jaw crusher runs a Scania DC13 six-cylinder engine that provides 450hp at 1,800rpm. Scania’s reputation for engine reliability was a further reason for Breedon continuing to use the Finlay range.
“The end products that we get from the Finlay machines are a lot better, better shape and more suitable to our customers’ needs,” Mark added. The J-1480 offers adjustable closed-side settings of 75mm to 225mm, to deliver a wide range of production goals.
Operating in tough environments, it’s essential that Molson Finlay and Breedon work together to guarantee downtime is minimal. Mark continued, “The service we get from Molson is excellent, and if we do ever need anything with the machines, the service engineers are out by the next day.”
