Powerscreen machines on top at Coxhoe Quarry

Willowtree Site Services put six-machine array to work at north-east limestone quarry

ESTABLISHED in 2001 and based in the north-east of England, contract crushing and screening specialists Willowtree Site Services are currently working in partnership with Hope Construction Materials at Coxhoe Quarry in Co. Durham.

Willowtree have been a Blue Machinery Scotland customer since the company bought its first Powerscreen rinser a couple of years ago and, during the past few months, Willowtree have made a major investment with Blue purchasing six Powerscreen crushing and screening plants.

The crawler-mounted mobile machines are now working the top bench at Coxhoe Quarry, crushing, screening and stockpiling around 350,000 tonnes a year of size-specified limestone aggregates and agricultural lime.

The Powerscreen set-up at Coxhoe comprises a Premiertrak 400 jaw crusher and 1000 Maxtrak cone crusher, and three Chieftain 2100X and one Warrior 1800 screening plants. Working largely in tandem, the Powerscreen array is producing 10mm, 14mm and 20mm aggregates and 20mm+ oversize from the quarried stone for the civil engineering and construction markets, plus 4mm lime for agricultural soil enhancement.

Willowtree Site Services’ initial contract with Hope is for two years with the potential for extending this further.

The high-capacity Powerscreen Chieftain 2100X and Warrior 1800 screening plants are well-established and site-proven machines with output potentials up to 600 and 400 tonnes/h, respectively, depending on feed size, mesh size and material type. Both models have quick set-up times, easily accessible engines and screen media for maintenance convenience and screen changes, hydraulically folding conveyors, and high-performance hydraulics.

The 1000 Maxtrak cone crusher can accept an ‘all in’ feed, thereby eliminating the need for pre-screening which would reduce the cubicity of the finished product. The machine’s feed hopper is equipped with a level probe which maintains choke feeding of the cone crusher, improving cubical shape and increasing fines production for ‘road-base’ applications. The taper roller bearing design, with hydraulic setting, tramp release and unblocking system, ensures optimum productivity and ease of operation. Adjustment can be made ‘on the run’ using touch-button controls with direct readout of the closed-side setting.

The Premiertrak 400 pre-screen jaw crusher incorporates a fully independent, high-amplitude, hydraulically driven pre-screen with increased drop angle on the bottom deck to facilitate maximum throughput and capacity. Improved pre-screened material flow is achieved by an enlarged discharge opening from the under chute which allows faster movement of material through the crushing chamber bypass.

Commenting on the Powerscreen machines, Willowtree’s founder and owner, James McLeod, said: ‘We looked at the available equipment on the market and closely consulted with our customer’s highly experienced quarry manager at Coxhoe, and we both came to the conclusion that the Powerscreen products would be best for the job in hand.

‘Also, we at Willowtree have enjoyed an excellent relationship with Blue Machinery Scotland and this, combined with the reputation, build quality and productivity of the Powerscreen machines, made our choice easy.’