Motor and inverter combine to cut quarrying costs

A WEG 250kW Eff1 high-efficiency motor and IP54 inverter are enabling Enstone Breedon's Cloud Hill Quarry to achieve the twin benefits of improved grading control and cost savings.

The package of a WEG 250kW Eff1 high-efficiency motor and IP54 inverter is enabling Enstone Breedon's Cloud Hill Quarry to achieve the twin benefits of improved grading control on its tertiary crushing plant, and projected cost savings of GBP 7111 per annum, based on a yearly operating cycle for the crusher motor of 2250h.

Cloud Hill Quarry in Derbyshire border is Ennstone Breedon's premier UK site.

The quarry has recently undergone an extensive redevelopment costing in excess of GBP 4 million.

The objectives of this investment were threefold: to enable Cloud Hill to respond quickly to changes in market demand, boost output and reduce operating costs.

The GBP 4 million project has brought-in much new and refurbished equipment to the site, including a Hazemag APSM 1020 tertiary impactor for recrushing.

This was purchased from Requip Supplies of Newark, a specialist in all aspects of crusher plant for quarries.

The function of the Hazemag APSM unit is to reduce oversized stone down to size, a task it can achieve at a maximum rate of 250t/h.

The acquisition of the Hazemag impactor provided Cloud Hill with a prime opportunity to improve the flexibility and control of its tertiary crusher process, and control the amount of dust generated during the 9h day operational cycle.

Owen Batham, the Operations Director at Cloud Hill, asked Requip Supplies to provide a motor/drive package that could provide all these benefits, and, as an added bonus, also help to reduce energy costs.

Requip Supplies responded with a package comprising a WEG 250kW, high efficiency motor and a 250kW, IP54 rated inverter.

"The inverter allows infinite control of the crusher rotor speed and ensures close control over the percentage of dust produced and the grading of the material", said Owen Batham.

"As a result, we are able to produce a range of aggregates much more closely matched to the needs of our product base".

"Previously, to adjust crusher speed meant up to half a days lost production in changing pulleys, now we can do the same job in seconds".

In addition to its primary function of providing improved control, WEG's package is also providing opportunities for the quarry to reduce its running costs.

The choice of a WEG W21 Eff1 high efficiency motor on the crusher, rather than a standard induction machine, should provide savings for Cloud Hill of GBP 7111 per annum, based upon an operating cycle of 2250h (50 weeks) per year for the crusher motor.

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