Collier Lead the Hybrid Screening Revolution

March 15, 2021

Fife based quarried and recycled aggregate specialists, Collier Quarrying and Recycling Ltd. invest in the first Terex Finlay 694+ hybrid screener in Scotland, supplied by Molson Finlay Scotland as they continue to switch to electric powered machinery.

Established in 2007 and operating from their 117 acre base in Goathill Quarry, Cowdenbeath since 2010, Collier has built a strong reputation throughout central belt for providing a cost effective and high quality aggregate products and services. With a Ready Mix concrete plant and an Ashphalt plant also on site, diversity is the key to success for the team at Collier.

Although due to their location, Edinburgh and Glasgow represent a significant proportion of their distribution – particularly for their fast growing recycled aggregates division. Thanks to the particularly high PSV of their quarried aggregates, it is a popular choice for road dressings throughout Scotland and as far south as the Midlands.

There is however a downside to the type of material extracted from their Goathill Quarry. Seen as one of the toughest materials in the UK, to process it can be too tough for many machines available on the market, as the team have found out over the years.

With 30,000 tonnes of armour stone on order for a sea defence project in Dundee, their notoriously hard rock is used in a wide veriety of applications. This does mean the team are required to use a variety of approaches when processing the material to a finished product. These challenges have made the team at Collier’s take a different approach to many, something very evident in the equipment they ustilse.

True to form, 2013 saw the forward thinking team invest in a 1.5 mega watt wind turbine and the start of a switch to electric powered, or hybrid powered machinery where possible. Utilising some of the energy generated by this monster turbine to power as much of their processing equipment as possible became a natural choice, one that lead them to the latest purchase of a Terex Finlay 694+ Hybrid inclinded screener.

The 694+ hybrid sits infront of their electric powered drive QMS B4 cone crusher, featuring a staggering 4ft diameter cone mantle. Despite the monsterous capacity of the B4, the 694+ is more than capable of meeting the throughput required, processing 15,000 tonnes per day of salable products created; 75-40mm, 40-20mm, 20-5mm and dust.

The Terex Finlay 694+ Hybrid Inclined Screen, offers operators the flexibility to power the plant either by an electrical connection or diesel/hydraulic configuration. The plant features a triple deck screen configuration providing three full sized 6.1m x 1.53m (20” x 5”) screens. An innovative hydraulically folded fourth (oversize plus) conveyor allows simple adjustment with variable tilt and slew discharge, between 18 degree and 30 degree, for recirculating in a closed circuit with a crusher or stockpiling of finished material.

The team at Collier find running a hybrid machine are not just limited to the reduced fuel costs. The electrically driven power system provide significant cost advantages and efficiencies in true life costs, as well as versatility.

Collier Operator, Brian Crawford said, “As the 694+ hybrid is still a mobile machine, when it comes to cleaning up the site, we are able to simply track the machine out of the way to clear any material build ups using the deisel engine – meaning we are not limited to the range of the cable. Once we have done this, we can then track it back into place and instantly start production again. This would not be possible with a static electric drive machine.

We also benefit from less down time with this hybrid machine compared to a standard diesel drive machine. Not only in terms of less breakdowns as thanks to not constantly running an engine, there is less heat generated and less moving parts. There are also less filters to replace during planned maintenance and a significant time saving by not having to re-fuel the machine.”

With the upcoming change in fuel duty set to come into effect from 2022, many others in the construction industry will be looking at how they can mitigate the dramatic ramifications this is set to have. With estimates on the cost impact to the sector ranging from £280m – £490m per annum, a switch to Hybrid and electric drive machinery seems the natural choice to mitigate this.

Collier Operator Alan Crawford added, “We have been monitoring the consumption of the 694+ hybrid and calculated that it is saving us in the region of 150 litres of diesel per day when compared to running a diesel drive machine.

The machine has also proved to be a reliable addition to the fleet, but we also have confidence in the team at Molson Finlay Scotland to be on hand if we have had any questions or issues, as they have been throughout the life of all the other equipment they have supplied over the years.”

Molson Finlay Scotland Sales Manager, Euan Fairweather said, “With hybrid options now available throughout the Terex Finlay range, I expect more and more customers to start switching to this Hybrid setup and mitigate the running cost increases expected when the fuel duty changes.

The team at Collier have always been one of my most forward thinking customers and it is very impressive to look at the business they have created in such a short time. It is also great to see them benefiting from the features of the 694+ hybrid machine. The insight into the savings they have generated has given a great, “real world” example of how this can benefit a wide range of customers.”