A vertical shaft impact (VSI) crusher with European sophistication has been a hit down under after helping reduce up-front costs and save on repairs.
The United Nations issued a warning in 2022 that the world was facing a global sand shortage after a surge in demand for the product. Data from the U.N. Environment Programme report into the sand shortage showed demand was expected to reach 50 billion tonnes a year due to population growth and urbanisation.
The ability to shape asphalt and sand is set to become increasingly important not just overseas but also in Australia as a result of this situation.
Patrick Croix, business development manager at Magotteaux said more companies are looking to manufacture different aggregates from existing materials.
“The sourcing of materials in the future will move from natural resources to the cities,” Croix said.
“This is the future, we believe in Europe that from 2050, the material sourcing for highways and buildings will become more from old buildings and roads.
“And there will be a trend in countries who are looking into the circular economy to look to preserve the environment and use what is there.”
While Magotteaux has mainly made its name in Europe, working with major brands across the continent, the brand’s large range of impactors can easily have applications for the Australian market.
It has grown into a company that today has more than 3000 employees, 28 sales offices and an annual turnover of $1 billion globally since it began in 1918.
The company, which started in Belgium as a foundry, is recognised in the industry for its differentiated solutions across wear with patented ceramic technology.
Magotteaux’s VSI crusher traditionally comes in three sizes – 2700, 2400, 2100 with the 2100 available in a specific manufactured sand model – and all the units can crush and shape in a single pass and be retrofitted onto installations.
“A lot of other companies say they have a VSI, but they don’t, they don’t have an impact crusher VSI, which means you can improve the shape coming out of a cone crusher,” Croix said.
“We produce and sell a real crusher and it would be hard to find a VSI doing that as successfully worldwide, with the ability to accept big feed size and abrasive stone.”
The VSI can also be adjusted to manage asphalt and concrete cleaning which enables the machine to produce more re-usable fractions from each recycled product.
The ability to provide a specific focus on asphalt and sand is important given the high-level shaping which is required to get high-quality versions of those materials.
Given the future trends towards sustainable extracting and manufactured aggregates, the Magotteaux VSI’s versatility would be a useful addition to an Australian site.
“It’s not just about the quantity but also the quality of what you produce, for example, when you’re producing concrete you desire a stable output sieve,” Croix said.
“What we’re finding is customers are appreciating the stable output sieve for sand and a qualification that it is very good.”
Magotteaux’s team of more than 200 sales staff are trained in providing expert advice, services and resources, products, equipment, and systems to find the best solution to optimise a site’s applications.
Australian companies have benefitted from this optimised technology. Magotteaux account manager Darren Bowley said one company managed to double the life of its impellers.
Other companies have used the VSI in a fixed plant, which has removed the need for up to two cone crushers and the requirement for a separate VSI.
This has allowed them to save on up-front costs and the associated costs with maintenance and repairs in the long run.
Most of the units working throughout Europe in the past 20 years or so are in fixed plant applications. These can be mounted onto tracks or semi-mobile platforms.
Bowley said the Mag’Impact is a versatile crusher with high capability and quality.
“It is a highly flexible crusher that can be changed out to suit other configurations.”
“You can essentially move the 2100 crusher from sand to asphalt to rock.
“It enables you to be making manufactured sand one day, but if you want to make recycled asphalt, aggregate, or road base it can do that, it can do all three.”
For more information visit magotteaux.com