Kleemann machines a compelling choice for Sylvestre
Three Kleemann impact crushers with double-deck post-screening units impress in southern France
SYLVESTRE is a family-run business in the south of France with a workforce of around 80 employees at different sites. The company’s activities range from quarrying to recycling. Last summer, when it came to expanding their fleet, three Mobirex MR 110i EVO2 mobile impact crushers with double-deck post-screening units and a Mobiscreen MSC 953i EVO classifying screening plant were purchased for use at different locations.
‘We were impressed with many aspects of the detailed presentation of the Kleemann plants by Wirtgen France and Kleemann,’ said Rudy Sylvestre, managing director of the company. On the one hand, Sylvestre were keen to take a significant step towards protecting the climate and reducing consumption, which also significantly lowers operating costs. And on the other, the overall handling of the plants was very compelling. Overall, there were many factors that persuaded the company to invest in the Kleemann machines.
Limestone is crushed at Sylvestre’s Robion Quarry. The material here is very soft, fine and tends to create dust. But it is also sticky, especially in the winter when the weather is damp, which can be a challenge for the crushing and screening process.
The new equipment used in the limestone quarry includes a Mobirex MR 110i EVO2 impact crusher with a double-deck post-screening unit and the Mobiscreen MSC 953i EVO classifying screening plant. With this combination, a large number of different products can be processed. In the pre-screening stage, a grain size of 0–30mm or 0–63mm is separated from the 0–400mm feed material.
Immediately following the crushing process, the 22–50mm grain size, which is used for various industrial lime applications, is discharged through the MR 110i EVO2’s double-deck post screen. The 0–22mm mineral mixture is conveyed to the screening plant, whilst oversize larger than 50mm remains in the MR 110i EVO2’s closed circuit and goes through the crushing process again. The triple-deck screening plant separates 0–22mm into four classified final grain sizes: 0–4mm, 6–16mm and 16–22mm fractions, which are used directly for concrete production, and 4–6mm, which is used for various underground engineering applications.
The two machines are intelligently linked, which ensures a stable process thanks to automatic control. The connection also guarantees safety – if an emergency stop is pressed on one of the machines, both are safely stopped.
Previously, an impact crusher with two screening plants and 12m2 of screening surface was used at the site. The new plant combination achieves the same output – with one less machine – and with a reduced screening area of 9.5m2. One less machine to refuel and maintain in combination with the already reduced consumption significantly decreases production costs.
‘We used to consume 300 litres of fuel a day. Today, we only fill up with 500 litres every other day,’ said operations manager Marion Daffos. ‘So now we need 50 litres less per day while benefitting from reduced downtime due to less frequent refuelling. The results are impressive: the new plant combination excels in limestone with an output of up to 2,500 tonnes per day.’
The Mobirex MR 110i EVO2 impact crushers face very different challenges at two other sites, where they are used to process recycled material and mixed construction waste in the 0–600mm size range. Although the same plant is used as for limestone, the equipment at these sites includes a wind sifter, which reliably separates light materials such as wood or plastic, minimizing time-consuming manual sorting work.
Marion Daffos is especially impressed with the ease of operation: ‘Work has really become much more comfortable for our operators. All parts are easily accessible and there is plenty of space to work. The intuitive SPECTIVE operating concept also makes it easy for employees to operate the crushing plants, even if they have no previous experience with the control system. A great feature is that, in the event of a problem, the system directly indicates which component is causing the issue. This greatly reduces troubleshooting and associated downtime.’
Managing director Rudy Sylvestre feels he was very well looked after and advised throughout the entire process – from the initial discussions all the way through to commissioning: ‘You’re dealing with people who are very passionate about their work and who know their machines incredibly well,’ he said. ‘Of course, there were one or two things that had to be finetuned during commissioning. This is to be expected with such complex processes. But we could always rely on the very fast, straightforward support from Wirtgen France and Kleemann.’
