Pilot Crushtec launching new triple-deck screen

Latest DynamiTrac TDH6118 model designed to combine production volume with versatility

SOUTH Africa-based Pilot Crushtec International’s recently unveiled DynamiTrac TDH6118 triple-deck screen is being hailed as one of the most exciting product developments in the company’s 25-year history. Designed and built completely in-house, the crushing and screening specialists say it represents a new departure in high-output screen technology.

Explaining the rationale behind the new screen, Sandro Scherf, CEO of Pilot Crushtec International, said: ‘The mining and construction industries have become even more competitive as a result of current market conditions, both locally and globally. This puts increased pressure on margins and more emphasis than ever on designing and building equipment that will bring down the average cost per tonne of a given material. That is the purpose for which the DynamiTrac is intended.’

The new track-mounted, triple-shaft, triple-deck horizontal screen is designed to produce up to four products simultaneously with a capacity exceeding 350 tonnes/h. Mr Scherf said he believes the DynamiTrac TDH6118 screen will be a success in both domestic and export markets.

‘On the one hand, it will serve as a key import replacement, providing local operators with a homegrown solution for the cost-effective production of high-quality aggregate,’ he commented. ‘We believe, however, that the economies offered by the DynamiTrac also make it a paying proposition in export markets, especially with exchange rates at current levels.’

The TDH6118 screen will be going into production in the last quarter of this year. In the meantime, the initial prototype is undergoing an extensive 2,000-hour field trial at a quarry in Ventersburg, 180km north of Bloemfontein.

Danoher Contracting, who is managing the operation, are keeping a critical eye on the DynamiTrac unit and director Royden Webster has already been impressed with the machine’s potential. He said: ‘Even at this early stage we rate it as a very capable screen; highly productive and easy to operate. As this is a brand new product, we’re taking things cautiously and operating at around 150 tonnes/h, but estimate that it could be capable of delivering as much as three times that amount.’

Mr Webster also said that, in addition to the DynamiTrac’s capabilities in volume terms, the screen offers other capabilities that assist operational efficiency. ‘The machine is currently producing four different sizes of material, ranging from fines to oversize, and it is getting each product correct first time without the need for rehandling.

‘Another advantage much appreciated by our site team is the quality of design, especially the layout of the engine bay. The space available allows for easy access to the power the plant for routine inspections and maintenance, which is a major time-saver during site operation.’

With more than 1,000 hours already completed, engineers from Pilot Crushtec International and Volvo (engine suppliers for the machine) are satisfied that the DynamiTrac is performing precisely in accordance with its design specification.

Other important features include the large screen’s inherent stability and manoeuvrability. With the aid of the onboard remote-control system, for example, it is easy to slot the screen into place at a quarry site and to negotiate relatively steep gradients.