Metso cone crusher increases capacity at Wisconsin quarry

In late 2011, US company Milestone Materials began to evaluate an equipment upgrade at their Cisler Quarry, with the goal of increasing capacity. At the time, the quarry was using a range of portable crushers including a Metso C140 primary jaw, an HP500 secondary cone crusher and an HP500 tertiary crusher.

Milestone Materials is a division of Mathy Construction, a leader in the aggregates and asphalt paving industry throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Milestone Materials’ Cisler Quarry in central Wisconsin features extremely hard granite that exceeds 70,000 PSI and produces rail ballast and asphalt products.

Evaluating new crushing equipment always brings challenges and opportunities and Milestone Materials wanted to create the most efficient equipment configuration for their site. They contacted RB Scott Co., Metso distributors based in Eau Claire, WI.

Tom VanWagner, Adam Stolt and John Mickelson of RB Scott worked on the project, along with Floyd Gast of Metso. Following extensive discussions with Milestone Materials’ management, the company decided to purchase a new tertiary portable HP6 cone plant.

The decision was based on two primary factors:

• Design features of the new HP6 crusher - The HP6 provides increased manganese liner thickness for longer wear life, liners without epoxy for rapid replacement, a new anti-spin feature, and a robust frame design and geometry, among many other new features.
• Increased capacity - From a feed gradation of 3in x 5/8in granite, the previous HP500, a 500hp crusher, produced a steady 240 net tons of minus 5/8in material. The new HP6, with 600hp and its advanced geometry and horsepower utilization, produces a consistent 325 net tons.

The 27% increase has exceeded Milestone Materials’ expectations. According to John Urlaub, equipment superintendent at Cisler Quarry: ‘We have been very pleased with the crusher’s performance. It has done everything we have asked, and then some.’

The HP6 at Cisler Quarry is the second installation in the United States, and the first portable plant. GreyHawk Design and Fabrication, a sister company of RB Scott, designed the portable plant with their 3D software, in cooperation with Milestone Materials’ operations managers.

John Urlaub commented: ‘After reviewing our options, it made good sense to go with the HP6 portable plant. The rear discharge plant has worked out well and we’re pleased with the performance, production and design of the GreyHawk plant.’

The HP6 cone crusher was first launched as HP5, but was renamed HP6 in July 2013 to better illustrate the crusher's power range.