H J Banks top the million tonne mark

A range of processing equipment from Finlay Plant Northern has helped H J Banks Mining break through the one million tonne mark at their Shotton opencast site in Northumberland.

Among the machinery supplied is a new Terex Finlay 694 Supertrak screen, which is helping drive forward increased productivity at the site, located off the A1 near Cramlington. The 694 is being used to produce valuable 3 x 12mm coal for export.

Opened in May 2008, the Shotton site has also taken delivery of an ALLU bucket from Finlay Plant Northern, to process coal that has a higher ash content.

H J Banks Mining also have two Terex Finlay 693 Supertrak screens, producing coal for use across the UK and Ireland: 10mm x 28mm for industrial use, 28mm x 40mm for the household market, and 40mm to a top size of 100mm, again for domestic use.

Michael Storey, sales and quality manager for H J  Banks Mining, said: ‘The machinery from Finlay Plant Northern has been selected for its ability to produce an excellent product, combined with the flexibility in adapting to the different requirements of our customers. The Terex Finlay 694 is producing a very accurate 3 x 12mm product.

‘In the future, we are looking to introduce other decks to produce additional sized products. The machinery offers the flexibility to increase the range.

‘The ALLU bucket is also performing exceptionally well.  Higher ash content coal can be difficult to put through the normal processing/blending plant. The ALLU bucket allows us to achieve a 0-50mm product without the risk of potential blockages and downtime to the main processing plant. There is a lot of potential for us to use this system for other processing operations in the future on the Shotton and other surface mines.
 
‘We receive excellent service from Finlay Plant Northern and appreciate the knowledge and expertize that we can call upon to achieve the best solution for our needs.’

The fleet has been modified to reduce the noise output by almost half the volume of sounds emitted, as well having new spray bars and water tanks fitted to provide maximum protection against dust emissions.

This engineering, which has been carried out by Banks’ engineers, has already won awards from the Noise Abatement Society for its performance during mining operations.