According to Voigt, Superior designs for quick setup and teardown.
“While most manufacturers offer systems that must be continually leveled and readjusted using pins, the Superior systems feature ‘pinless’ hydraulic jacks that quickly lift and hold the plant in the desired position,” Voigt says.
“This eliminates the need for cribbing or the time-consuming task of fitting the pins into place while trying to level the plant.”
Voigt adds that the mobile spread at Hopkins Sand & Gravel features a portable P400 Patriot cone crushing plant and a portable 6-ft. x 20-ft. Guardian horizontal screening plant – each of which is mounted on its own chassis.
“We’ve designed the plants to run in greater conjunction with each other for peak production levels,” Voigt says, adding that the convenient on-plant conveyors eliminate the need for additional off-plant conveyors to feed and transfer material between the circuits. “On the Hopkins spread, the screen plant features an overhead feed conveyor, and the cone plant has a rear feed and rear discharge conveyor. This allows them to simply pull in their screen plant and back in the cone plant at 90 degrees to it, and they’re ready to go.”
Safety, efficiency & automation
Hopkins Sand & Gravel equipped its Patriot cone crushing plant with the Vantage automation system from Superior Industries. Originally designed just for cone crusher diagnostics, the Vantage system is a controls system that links the entire cone plant, allowing for safe, automatic startup of the cone and all plant components – including the lubrication and hydraulic systems, heaters and multiple conveyors.
One of its biggest advantages is safely controlling motor starts and stops with one touch of the screen, Superior says. With no operator intervention needed, the system ensures the crusher is always starting up and shutting down safely, as well as in the proper sequence to protect the machine and its performance.
Hughes says the Vantage system is key to maintaining safe, efficient operation for Hopkins.
“The crew doesn’t have to manually interact with the machine,” he says. “We can do all of our diagnostics while we are running right from the screen, such as monitoring temperatures and pressures. Should any event occur, the system will automatically shut down the cone and the crusher feed.
“The whole automation package is so user-friendly with everything you need being right at your fingertips,” Hughes adds. “It saves a lot of time and energy on the troubleshooting side of things.”
Carol Wasson is a veteran freelance writer for the aggregate and construction equipment industries.