Astec Australia is about to bring the next generation track-mounted cone plant, the FT200DF, to the Australian market.
The Federal Government is investing millions of dollars into waste and recycling industries in a bid to reach a national resource recovery rate of 80 per cent by 2030, recovering an extra 15 million tonnes of valuable resources every year.
According to the National Waste Report 2020, recycling rates have reached 60 per cent, up two per cent from 2016-17, but council waste, commercial and industrial and construction and demolition waste are the three largest waste streams in 2018-19.
World-first export bans on some waste, including unprocessed glass, tyres, paper and cardboard, coupled with commitments to increase the use of recycled content by government and industries, has forced the domestic recycling sector to look at its readiness and capability to reach recovery targets.
Astec Australia has built a reputation on designing, manufacturing and servicing material handling and mobile equipment for everything from heavy-duty mining and quarry operations, to crushing and screening aggregates for construction and repurposing recycled materials.
Shaun Quinn, Senior Account Manager – Materials Solutions says the K200+ Kodiak cone crusher used on the FT200DF, and the GT205MF multi-frequency screening plant are proven in the recycling field, crushing glass, including full bottles, back into a usable sand product. Production rates range from 80tph to 100tph depending on the feed quality.
The next generation FT200DF, about to hit the Australian market, includes significant upgrades.
“These Generation 2 improvements are going to cement the machine’s place in the marketplace,” Shaun says. “Engineers have taken a proven design, that’s already working, and improved it. I’m excited to get it out into the marketplace.”
Shaun says a hydraulic cone brake is now standard on the FT200DF and FT300DF, removing the need to get underneath the machine and replace shear bolts.
The “Gen 2” has a Trac 10 control system instead of Kodiak Control System (KCS). The Auto Protect System senses impending bowl float and adjusts the belt feeder to optimise crusher performance, while a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)-based system with touch screen is more responsive, actively monitoring performance and adjusting, instead of using pre-determined time intervals.
The Overload Protection System adjusts feed to the crusher based on engine horsepower, pinion speed and hydraulic motor pressure.
Crusher drive is now a variable speed hydrostatic direct drive, which means no v-belts or clutch, which allows the crusher to recover from an overload without stalling the engine. It also allows for the engine package to be rotated 90 degrees on the chassis so the radiator fan can draw fresh air from the side of the machine rather than pull dusty air from the under-crusher conveyor. Platforms allow access to both sides of the engine enclosure and views into the cone feed hopper.
Shaun says the Gen 2 will improve production because it continually monitors and adjusts accordingly. He says several machines are being used in the United States and have been given the thumbs up by operators.
“For recyclers, the Kodiak’s proven to be robust,” Shaun says. “Its origins date back to crushing alluvial river gravel and hard rock for aggregates, so it’s up to the job for repurposing recycled materials.”
The GT205MF Multi-Frequency plant features a 20 x 5 inch 2 deck multi-frequency screen – meaning it uses a conventional screening action throughout the whole screen but also uses high frequency technology on the bottom deck.
The high frequency action provides additional frequency directly into the media on the bottom deck, which helps with separation in finer or wetter applications.
Couch Aggregates in Alabama uses the GT205 multi-frequency screen to pull fines out of high-moisture, clay-rich aggregate and organic material.
Todd Barnes, Plant Manager, says the GT205 is “in a class of its own” and has resulted in about a 35 per cent increase in production at the facility – up to about 50-60,000 tonnes a month.
“They are more portable, self-contained and easy to move around on site,” he says. “They’re robust and tough. These plants can run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We push the GT205 hard and it’s a dependable machine.”
Astec stands by its equipment and offers service, maintenance and training support across its entire network.
“If you’re working, we’re working,” Shaun says.
For more information, visit: www.astecindustries.com