Eureka Sand and Gravel, St. Louis, MO, was losing approximately 200 tons per week of saleable sand from its concrete and mason sand screws because fine sand was being carried off to settling ponds in overflow water.
Further, the company was absorbing significant costs from digging out the ponds each month.
A Powerscreen Finesmaster 120 solved the two-pronged problem and Eureka is now making “more sand than ever, and better sand than ever before,” according to Bill Kopp, Eureka president and owner. In addition, Kopp projects a 50 percent reduction in pond size.
The Finesmaster 120 replaced a 32 in. by 24 ft. single sand screw being used to produce mason sand. And overflow water from the 36-in. by 24-ft. twin screw producing concrete sand is now fed into the Finesmaster, as well.
Mason sand, concrete sand, topsoil and gravel are the prime products produced and sold by Eureka. Sieve analysis of material collected from the settling pond ranges from No. 4 to No. 200 sand. Anything under 200 is essentially fine dirt and is blended with topsoil, adding to Eureka’s saleable product volume.
In 2003, Kopp was looking for a way to increase production and reduce pond costs. He had read about Powerscreen Finesmaster equipment and was in contact frequently with the local dealer, Powerscreen Midwest.
Kopp was no stranger to Powerscreen products. He had been using a Mark II screen plant and was very pleased with the performance of that machine and the service provided by the dealer. Furthermore, he knew Powerscreen’s reputation for product quality and its ability to produce equipment designed and built for specific application requirements.
Since the Finesmaster was new to the United States in 2003, (several have been sold in 2004), Kopp got the names of two companies in England that were using it. Both contacts confirmed that the Finesmaster 120 is everything Powerscreen claims it is. They both had increased sand production and reduced pond size by as much as 65 percent.
The Finesmaster 120 was installed at Eureka in November 2003. Eureka had prepared a concrete slab to serve as the machine base. Powerscreen Midwest placed the Finesmaster 120 on the base and it was set up and ready to run in one hour. Only the piping took longer to install.
The Finesmaster 120 provides increased production, lowered machine maintenance costs, reduced pond maintenance, and can cut pond size by approximately half.
Powerscreen Midwest carries a supply of parts for the Finesmaster 120 and provides service and operator training. Kopp reported that he is very happy with the performance of his Finesmaster 120 and Powerscreen Midwest.
Powerscreen Midwest has been a Powerscreen and Terex Pegson dealer since 1998. The company serves all of Missouri and Kansas, and is headquartered in Kansas City with offices is St. Louis and Wichita.
“Like most Powerscreen/Pegson dealers nationwide, we specialize solely in materials processing,” said John Donahue, president of Powerscreen Midwest. “We have to provide superior equipment, parts availability and after-sales service if we are to remain Number One in the business. We are privileged to have great customers like Eureka Sand and Gravel, and we strive to provide a service to all our customers that is a win-win for everyone.”
The Powerscreen Finesmaster 120 includes variable-speed twin bucket wheels (zero to 3.3 rpm), a rubber-lined centrifugal slurry pump, twin hydro cyclones, weir discharge to a collection tank, and a 122 by 52 high-frequency de-watering screen — all mounted on a road-portable, pit-portable or stationary chassis.
The bucket wheels recover 80 percent of the product to the de-watering screen, which is fitted with .02-in. (.05 cm) polyurethane mats that de-water the product.
The screen has a split deck, which enables one or two products to be produced simultaneously. Twin hydro cyclones recover the remaining 20 percent of the product, also to the de-watering screen.
For more information, visit www.powerscreenusa.com.
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