McLanahan has provided vital equipment for a major sand supplier — the equipment it needed to meet the demand for washed sand.
Newcastle Sand supplies some of the largest concrete producers in the Hunter Valley with construction-grade sands. However, in 2019 when it commenced its operations, it faced a challenge.
The company had opted to dry wash its sand products with an air separator, which meant rainy days would put a damper on the dry process.
To solve this, Newcastle Sand purchased a small-scale wash plant consisting of a small screw washer and later supplemented the screw washer with a higher-volume plant to meet increased demand.
But even with the two wash plants, the smaller one and the higher-volume plant, Newcastle Sand was still struggling to meet the demand for washed sand.
“We sought to find a screw washer that could increase our production to keep up with the current market demand,” quarry manager Eliott Laver said.
Laver had a previously worked with Lincom, McLanahan’s dealer for aggregate wet processing equipment in Australia, prior to joining the Newcastle Sand team. Working with Lincom and McLanahan, Newcastle Sand installed a McLanahan fine material double screw washer and UltraDRY modular dewatering screen.
“We assessed all the options in the market, and we chose McLanahan based on the ability for McLanahan to work with us to give us the confidence that this product, this machine, is going to do the output required,” Murray Towndrow, one of the owners of Newcastle Sand, said.
The McLanahan fine material screw washer washes, classifies and dewaters Newcastle Sand’s washed sand product, while the UltraDRY dewatering screen removes excess moisture from the final product.
An integrated sump underneath the UltraDRY dewatering screen captures the water that is removed from the sand product and recirculates it back to the screw washer via a pump to aid in the washing process.
Towndrow said the sales process was very collaborative, with all parties providing information and feedback to ensure the right wash plant was chosen to handle Newcastle Sand’s product demands.
“They worked with us to solve a problem,” he said. “They really just gave us confidence that this size plant was going to do what we needed it to do.”
Towndrow said he was “exceptionally happy” with McLanahan throughout the sales and commissioning process.
“They’ve worked with us, not against us, and that’s probably the biggest strength that we’ve had,” said Towndrow. “They just haven’t given us a plant and said, ‘Here you go, good luck,’ they’ve been with us to make sure that this thing works.”
Since installing the McLanahan wash plant, Newcastle Sand has more than doubled its production.
With the UltraDRY dewatering screen reducing the moisture content of the final product, Laver said Newcastle Sand can sell the product straight from the belt, minimising stockpile requirements.
“Being able to sell our material straight off the belt rather than stockpiling and letting our material dry allows us to reduce the amount of haul times, reduce our product movement or handling,” Laver said.
In addition to being able to sell the product more quickly, Newcastle Sand has experienced additional benefits from the UltraDry dewatering screen, such as improved site housekeeping and recirculation of water back to the wash plant.
“The McLanahan UltraDRY dewatering screen allows us to keep our stockpiles clean and tidy,” Laver said. “We have less water runoff, and we’re able to harvest that water and reuse it in the wash plant.
“We’re able to recover up to 90 per cent of the water from our washing process. In turn, we recycle that water, reducing our environmental footprint in the location.”
Towndrow said the McLanahan wash plant is an integral part of their business. It gives Newcastle Sand the confidence to seek out new customers in the market.
“When we assessed all of the other options, I’m fairly confident in saying that we would not have gotten the support from any other brand like we have with McLanahan,” he said.
“They’ve been right there beside us the whole way through this, and that’s ensured that we’ve got a great outcome and a great plant that we’re going to use for the rest of our resource.
“I can confidently say that in choosing McLanahan, we’ve had the best pre-purchase advice and recommendations that followed through during the delivery and construction process of the plant. What you see today is a genuine collaboration between Newcastle Sand and McLanahan to get a plant that’s the right size, that works for us, and is going to be reliable and give us consistent material.”
Visit mclanahan.com for more information.