A Northern Rivers company has been blown away by the durability and performance of its new Epiroc rockbreaker.
The Northern Rivers quarry industry is as busy as ever in recent years, with demand for quarrying products in high demand as part of the region’s restoration post the 2022 floods.
Grant funding from the Federal and NSW governments has been announced to fix up damaged roads in the area.
The region’s quarry producers need durable machines to get the tough jobs done, given the demand for material.
Quarry spoke to Graham’s Quarry Ruthven quarry manager, Tom Carlton, and Epiroc’s Queensland dealer, BA Equipment Groups national sales manager, Nathan Parziani, about how their emerging partnership will help the Northern Rivers producer.
Graham’s Quarry is a family-owned venture operated by Rodney and Karie Graham. The two grew their operations to include quarrying in 2015, which marked a significant expansion for a company that began solely in concrete.
Graham’s Quarry operates six quarries across the Northern Rivers to provide various materials to suit various needs. This includes four basalt pits at Cedar Point (Kyogle), Woodview (Casino), Ruthven (Coraki), Corndale (Bexhill), one sandstone pit (Woodburn) and one sand pit (Dyraaba).
The variety in the company’s quarry sites is reflected in its production, which supplies local councils, local infrastructure projects and private developments with everything from roadbase to concreting sand and topsoil and drainage aggregate.
Carlton said the company was one of the largest quarrying producers in the Northern Rivers and a supplier for Graham’s Concrete.
Projects in the area have increased since the recovery work across the area has heightened after the 2022 floods, which affected large parts of the region, especially Lismore.
In the years since councils have backed in local businesses to help fix roads left heavily damaged by the floods.
When Graham’s Quarry was in the market for a rock-breaker, they knew they needed a versatile machine that would be durable across the quarries.
“There’s been a lot of work for local projects, especially with councils needing to repair damaged roads and even private landowners,” Carlton said.
“We knew we needed a rock-breaker that had versatility because we’ve been so busy since then, and we have a range of products that need to be covered, including the basalt and sandstone.”
Hydraulic rock-breakers have been on the market in the Australian quarrying industry for years. The first serial-manufactured rock breaker was produced in 1967, the same year Graham’s Concrete was established.
In a competitive marketplace, Epiroc’s MB1650 stood out to Graham’s Quarry with its ability to work across different conditions and the aftersales service.
“It was pretty clear that the BA Equipment Groups sales team knew their stuff and provided great support to us; we had two people on-site when they delivered it,” Carlton said.
“They explained the process and how to use the attachment best; that experience was consistent with the feedback we got from other people who had used them.
“Everyone we spoke to said Epiroc was the brand to go with, and it’s been a pretty good experience ever since.”
Epiroc designed the MB1650 to have increased durability.
The M1650 uses vibration-dampening tie rods and innovatively designed retainer bars – which create a reliable locking system – to enhance the machine’s durability. The machine has a self-priming lubrication pump and optional dust protector, which combines two independent wipers to handle coarse debris and fine dust and protect components.
Parziani said the company designed these features to protect operators from expensive downtime and repairs, which can cost thousands.
Epiroc designed the auto control feature to adjust the output balance automatically to maximise performance while the MB1650 operates.
The MB1650’s energy recovery feature uses the piston’s recoil energy to reduce vibration and improve performance.
Parziani said the MB1650’s level of performance made it ideal for blast-free primary rock excavation and secondary rock breaking across several types of quarries.
Carlton said he was initially sceptical, but a test demonstration of the MB1650 at the company’s sandstone pit impressed him.
“I thought the breaker was going to take a while to get through it, but I was left being very impressed at how easy it was to use and the power in the machine,” he said.
“It was easy to use and understand, and Epiroc’s dealer BA Equipment Groups support team that came down to help us set it up were brilliant with their advice.
“It did the job perfectly, and it’s going to be a big part of our business going forward.”•
For more information, visit epiroc.com