Pilot Crushtec machines double production at Zambian quarry

Scirocco Enterprises have chosen a number of Pilot Crushtec machines to fit into their current plant. These include a MF4616 vibrating grizzly feeder, a Pilot Modular MC111000 conveyor, two Pilot Modular DD3615 dry screens, four Pilot Modular MC16600 conveyors and four Pilot Modular MC16800 conveyors.

Moustafa Saadi, managing director of Scirocco Enterprises, commented: ‘Pilot Crushtec have the modular semi-mobile plant which is versatile enough to incorporate into our existing plant and this saved us time and let us concentrate on manufacturing and building the other components and civils required to install and commission the plant.’

Established in 1981 as Oriental Quarries and Concrete Blocks Ltd, the company started as a small crushing operation in the Zambian capital using mainly secondhand equipment. Operations have now grown to the point where the company is the leading supplier of aggregates for the construction industry, road building contractors and for concrete blocks and ready-mixed concrete in the Lusaka region.

The heavy-duty MF4616 vibrating grizzly feeder (1,168mm x 4,876mm) is suitable for removing undersize rock and ore from feed material before the primary crushing process. It has an 18.5kW electric motor, v-belts and sheaves with variable-speed drive. This feeder is normally used with the Pilot Modular MJ3042 jaw crusher but will be incorporated into Scirocco’s existing plant.

The Pilot Modular MC111000 conveyor is designed to be used below Pilot Modular jaw crushers. The version used in this application is 11m long and 1,000mm wide and has a 15kW electric motor.

The Pilot Modular DD3615 dry screen is also a Pilot Crushtec modular design with various options for different applications. Scirocco’s chose a version with an open screen area of 3.65m x 1.52m and is driven by an 11.0kW electric motor, pulleys and v-belts.

Although it is available in various lengths including seven, 10 and 13m, Scirocco chose the 16m long Pilot Modular MC 16600 conveyor. This conveyor is 600mm wide and is driven by a 4.0kW electric motor.

The Pilot Modular MC16800 conveyor is powered by a 9.2kW electric motor. It is 800mm wide and has a belt speed of 1.5m/sec. The MC800 series is available in varying lengths (8-24m); Scirocco chose a 16m version.

Wayne Warren, Pilot Crushtec’s Africa sales manager, said: ‘The point that was really exciting was that we were able to adapt our machines to fit [the] existing plant with relative ease. Redesign and modification were both kept to a minimum.’

Mr Warren also describes Zambia as an area with huge potential and opportunities. ‘Development is happening in Zambia. The road development, which is largely donor-funded, is slow at the moment but it should pick up over time. But there are buildings going up all the time and I predict excellent economic growth there in the future,’ he concluded.