Terex Evoquip crushing machinery conquers Manchester mud
February 10, 2025
They say that crushing and screening is an easy job…
Maybe so if you are working on clean, easily processed materials. This wasn’t the case for Yorkshire based Utley Plant Hire when they were asked to supply crushing machinery to process hundreds of tonnes of material which had been tipped as a waste product at a recycling centre on the outskirts of Manchester.
Operating a state of the art wash plant, cleaner material was screened and cleaned to provide a wide range of recycled aggregates whilst the pile of material facing Tom Utley was gradually getting larger and larger. After weeks and weeks of trials with a range of crushing machinery, such as jaw, and impact crushers, with very little progress being made thanks to the material’s high soil and clay content, the site was getting ready to forget the potential recycling of this material. “We were getting a lot of clogged up equipment!” Tom explains. “I scoured the market looking for alternatives and whilst I found some really large scale crushing machinery which was well out of our price range and too big for the site, we found a potential solution in the EvoQuip Caiman 150 from Molson Green.”
The Caiman 150 is one of 33 models of compact crushing machinery and screening equipment designed and built by Terex in Northern Ireland. The Evoquip range fits into the Molson crushing and screening portfolio perfectly complementing the larger Finlay range.
Unlike traditional jaw, impactor, or cone crushing machinery, the Caiman 150’s design is more akin to that of a waste shredder. In fact, it does have a dual purpose of being able to cost effectively shred waste material doubling its versatility.
The compact machine weighs just 16.5 tonnes and is easily transported between sites on the back of an 8×4 hook lift. With a transport length of 8.4m and a width of just 2.5m, the Caiman is an ideal solution for operators wanting a powerful and productive compact shredder/crusher.
Once transported to site, it takes just a few minutes to set up the Caiman with the main body and conveyor extended ready for work. Powered by a Stage V, CAT C4.4 diesel, the Caiman uses a hydrostatic drive unit to provide unbeatable power to the twin shredding shafts. Material is placed into the 1.8m x 2.6m, 2.5m3 hopper where the 1.5m long, 250mm diameter, aggressive C&D shafts process the product. Thanks to the hydrostatic drive, the torque rating of each shaft is an unbelievable 80,000Nm allowing them to tackle any material with ease. Thanks to the variable speed of the shafts, controlled by the remote control in the excavator operator’s cab, the material is steadily worked on. The asynchronous crushing action ensures the shafts continually work the material ensuring production is maximised. Whilst the material prior to processing was only fit for landfill, following being worked on with the Caiman, the material resembles a stabilised product which can then be fed into the adjacent wash plant. “Where the conventional crushing machinery we tried was producing around 50 tonnes per hour because of the regular blockages, the Caiman is consistently producing in excess of 120 tonnes per hour.” Tom commented. “We have now been able to turn a useless material into one which can be effectively recycled fulfilling our client’s request and further removing material destined for landfill.”
Handling concrete, brick, stone, clays and other materials often found in street work excavations puts a strain on the shafts, requiring them to be regularly inspected and rebuilt every couple of weeks. “There is always a downside in finding a solution to a problem and with the Caiman crushing machinery in this material is the issue of the wear on the shafts.” Tom explains. “We have factored this into our daily inspection and maintenance regime and have found that whilst the wear and tear is slightly higher than we would get from crushing a cleaner material, the financial and environmental benefits gained by the client massively outweigh the added cost of repairs to the crushing machinery. There is also a huge benefit with the design of the crushing chamber and the shaft mounts that help reduce downtime. We can swap out a set of shafts in about an hour replacing them with a set we have refaced keeping the costs and downtime to a minimum. This also means we can move the Caiman onto other material quickly if it is required with just a change of shafts.”
Such has been the success of the first piece of crushing machinery that Tom has quickly invested in a second machine to capitalise on the versatility and productivity of the machine. “We have received great feedback on the Caiman and this made it a simple choice to add a second machine.” He commented. “It is such a good design and easily maintained, it is a credit to the manufacturer. Having the back up we receive from the team at Molson has also made it an easier decision as we find them to be very proactive in keeping the customer happy and the machines running.”
