When an investment in brand new equipment is not feasible, a rebuild is an option that can also result in significant improvements.
This was the case at Norstone Tau in 2012. Located on the southwest coast near Stavanger, Norway, Tau is Norstone’s largest plant in the country. Half of the quarry’s production is shipped for export, while the rest is sold in Norway, with biggest customers being asphalt producers.
The primary gyratory crusher had seen its best days and was consuming excessive amounts of power. The quarry was looking for ways to boost short-term production capacity, and the primary just couldn’t keep up. But a bigger expansion was also on the horizon, and likely including an investment in an in-pit primary crushing solution in 5 to 7 years. So, how to solve the interim bottlenecks?
Seamless collaboration helped meet deadlines
Norstone decided to call on Metso’s knowledge to assess the situation. The existing primary crusher, a Svedala Superior 54-74, had been commissioned in 1984. After careful evaluation, the decision was made to replace the spider, the top shell and the bottom shell.
Due to the nature and scope of the project, Metso experts frequented the site to share experiences and requirements with Norstone. Countless hours of measuring, drawing and designing ensued. Metso had to figure out how to increase the crusher’s capacity while lowering the power draw. The final touch, wear part design, also played a key role in the outcome of the project.
The results speak for themselves. The average power draw during operation has dropped from 250 kW to 170 kW, while the average capacity has gone from 900 tons per hour to 1260 tons per hour at a 47% load.