Ontrax Step Up with Metso Jaw Crusher

Ontrax Contract Crushing NSW recently purchased a Metso LT3054 Jaw Crusher from Metso’s Australian distributor Screenmasters Australia. Ontrax have owned and operated main Jaw crushers over the years, but made a decision some 18 months ago that they needed to ‘step up’ with the size and quality of their equipment. “We needed to offer our existing customer base a larger more versatile machine, to satisfy their needs as much as our own” says Managing Director Bernie O’Keefe, “our current client base was insisting on higher productivity and lower costs, we couldn’t achieve this with our existing machine, the Metso Jaw allowed us to do this. In addition this size Jaw allows us to broaden our horizons and get work from the bigger mines in the area, this has already proved to be the case.”

Ontrax, well known in the industry for being very thorough, looked at the LT3054 for some 12 months, considering all the options available with the machine, Ontrax’s Managing Director and Owner, visited many similar machines throughout Australia, and even took the time to fly to the Metso Factory in Finland for 4 days to see the machine working.

“It was the visit to Finland that really convinced me that the LT3054 was the way to go. I saw how the machines were built; the components that went into the machine were all of the highest quality. I then saw the LT3054 crushing granite, boulders of granite, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. The size of the feed material 700, 800mm size rocks with few fines, the 3054 just swallowed them up, a very impressive sight.”

Ontrax site personnel have nicknamed the machine ‘Big Bertha’ and at 75 tonne it’s certainly an apt description. The crusher purchased in late April 2009 currently has 1000 hours. The daily maintenance is straightforward, Ontrax fitters have commented how easy and safe access is for changing filters, access to the gear box, v-belts and as Bernie says “if it’s easy then the maintenance is done, if it’s difficult it’s ignored”.

Fuel economy is another thing that has impressed Ontrax, the unit is fitted with a C15 CAT engine 540HP. During a recent rock crushing job this unit used 220 litres every 9 hours consistently over the entire duration of the job, with a closed side setting of 80mm.

The unit Ontrax purchased came with a major optional extra a ‘split feed hopper’. Basically the hopper is cut in two with a pan feeder and a heavy duty integrated pre-screen. This pre-screen weights 4 tonne and is 2.7 metres long, 1.3 metres wide, with 2 MVW synchronised vibrating units attached. A 10 metre long side conveyor is needed to stockpile the pre-screened product. This pre-screen is capable of 300tph in dry material and to date has proved invaluable to Ontrax when weather conditions change. “With the work that we do throughput is everything” says Bernie, “and this split feeder assists us every day, the vibration in the screen is amazing.”

The LT3054 is controlled by an IC700 PLC system, as are all of Metso’s machines. This system has proved extremely reliable around Australia and globally. The PLC gives the operator complete control over every aspect of the crushing process, allowing change of pressure settings and feed settings to allow for different types and sizes of rock. This in turn guarantees the operator the optimum throughput.

At all times the IC700 is monitoring the machine, checking hydraulic temperature and pressure settings, it can even tell if the main belt gets a rock caught in it and will raise an alarm to warn the operator thereby saving unnecessary damage to the belt. The IC700 is specially designed to help the operator, but at the same time protect the machine itself. It really does place the machine in a class of its own.

The LT3054 has a standard weight of 66 tonne, plus optional extras, it can have 8 different Jaw dies, depending on the size and type of rock the customer requires. Optional extras include: hydraulic hammer, extended hoppers, magnets, split feed hoppers, side conveyors and much more.

For more information and a comprehensive solution to your crushing and screening problems contact Screenmasters Australia on (02) 6332 4722 or email info@screenmasters.com.au.