English debut for Terex Finlay 984

Finlay Plant SW supply Terex Finlay 984 screening machine to Kelston Sparkes Group

THE next-generation Terex Finlay 984 has made its debut in England, where it is doing the work of three machines – transforming the screening of limestone in the West Country.

Representatives from the Kelston Sparkes Group visited France to see one of the machines in action before specifying the 984 for their screening operation in Frome, Somerset, where the company is contracted by Tarmac to handle dry stone production at Halecombe Quarry.

Supplied by Finlay Plant SW, part of the Finlay Group of companies, the machine is currently operating at a rate of 300 tonnes/h, although Terry O’Callaghan, general manager of Kelston Sparkes Group, says it could run up at to 320 tonnes/h if required.

The economic benefits are compelling – as well as removing the need for two screens and their associated running costs, the machine is also producing 50 tonnes/h more than was previously achieved on the site.

To aid productivity, Kelston Sparkes Group worked with Gareth Johnson, managing director of Finlay Plant SW, to develop a larger hopper so that 75mm aggregate could be shovel-loaded into it.

‘The 984 was the only type of machine on the market that could do what we needed,’ said Terry O’Callaghan. ‘It does the tonnage and has accomplished what we set out to achieve.

‘The need for two screeners which were previously used to take out the dust on 4mm decks has also been eliminated, as this new machine takes out the dust sufficiently well.’

Representing the latest in high-volume screening technology, the Terex Finlay 984 is a horizontal, three-deck screener that is easy to set up, versatile in operation and suitable for handling large volumes of material in quarrying, mining and recycling applications.

It incorporates a 6,100mm x 1,930mm Terex Cedarapids 6203 triple-shaft screen, allowing the screening of four sizes of products for maximum output. The four on-board product conveyors, which provide generous stockpiling capacity, fold hydraulically into one of the smallest transport envelopes for this class of machine.

Other features include an oval-throw action, which makes the horizontal screen virtually non-plugging, and the ability to fine-tune stroke angle, amplitude and the speed of the screenbox, to allow throughput of materials up to 800 tonnes/h.

Over the years, Finlay Plant SW has worked with Kelston Sparkes Plant Hire to deliver nine machines into the business, which has been established for 60 years.

‘Finlay Plant SW have always given us good service,’ said Mr O’Callaghan. ‘We do our own maintenance and back-up support and advice is always available. Access to spare parts is also reliable and the machines we’ve had over the years have all been good.’

Tarmac’s Halecombe unit manager, Garry Wason, said: ‘We’re really pleased to have a machine on site that so greatly improves our productivity, and we are happy to be working with Kelston Sparkes to achieve maximum efficiency and maintain a high-quality output.

‘The extra tonnage per hour makes our production targets more achievable while keeping in line with our company’s cost-reduction plan.

‘Sustainability is an important consideration for Tarmac, and the 984 has had a big impact on this by allowing us to dispense with two other machines, improving our specific energy consumption and reducing our carbon footprint.’

Gareth Johnson, managing director of Finlay Plant SW, said: ‘The introduction of the 984 has transformed the volume of aggregate produced at Halecombe. The plant can work with other Terex Finlay machinery at the site, and offers maximum performance.

‘This is the first installation of the 984 in England and Wales and we are sure its unique qualities will soon see it become increasingly valued across the quarrying, mining and recycling sectors.’