Kemper Equipment is a full-service distributor of
aggregate equipment, from sales and system design and consultation to
parts, service, and repair. Sandvik Mining and Construction is a
supplier of equipment, parts, and services for the mining and
construction industries. Kemper is Sandvik’s authorized distributor for
Pennsylvania.

A deeper appreciation

CCI’s relationship with Kemper Equipment and
Sandvik dates back to summer 2006. Chris Rettew, crushing and screening
application specialist for Sandvik, has worked with both CCI and Kemper
from the beginning. Rettew met with the Corsons before they purchased
their first piece of Sandvik equipment to gain a deeper appreciation for
their needs.

“While Sandvik supports the distributor, the fact
is we also have a responsibility to the customer,” Rettew says. “That’s
how we can help cement a lasting relationship between all parties.”

Rettew acknowledges that product availability is a
“huge factor” in CCI’s success. “While CCI is self-reliant, the company
absolutely requires and expects product support and technical advice
from Kemper and Sandvik,” he says. “The faster they are, the more
capacity they can put through and the more competitive they are. By
capacity, they’re not just talking about the capacity of the crusher,
but their overall capacity based on product availability.”

Increased crushing efficiency

Customer service is what compelled CCI to add a
Sandvik UH440i (the “i” stands for intelligent) mobile cone crusher to
its equipment fleet during the early summer of 2007. Corson says when
two customers approached CCI with hard rock jobs, it persuaded the
company to buy Sandvik’s new cone crusher. CCI turned down two similar
projects the previous year and accepted one, a customer who was down and
needed emergency crushing support for granite. This convinced CCI that
the time was right to add another mobile crusher to its equipment
lineup.

Rich says the Sandvik UH440i mobile crusher greatly
enhances CCI’s ability to efficiently crush hard, abrasive rock such as
granite, traprock, and sand rock. He credits the unit’s gyratory design
with its “exceptional performance.” Ultimately, it is the reason why CCI
chose the Sandvik crusher over other machines.

The Sandvik mobile crusher allows CCI personnel to
move in quickly to each new site and get on with processing. “This cone
has a lot of flexibility to it and has greatly expanded our ability to
serve our customers,” Rich says. The mobile unit can process up to 350
metric tons per hour.Ideal for secondary or tertiary applications, the
UH440i can produce a wide range of desirable aggregate sizes, including
re-circulation ballast-size (4 to 5 inches) stone into No. 8 or No. 57
stone used by asphalt and concrete plants.

“We also like the fact that we don’t have to
pre-screen, which would add an additional piece of equipment to the
spread,” Rich says. “You can take (from) fines all the way up to coarse
product and not hurt the machine.”

The new crusher has a “great” automation system,
according to the Corsons, providing the operator with vital information
while automatically making adjustments to maximize production. The
Sandvik ASRi (Automated Setting Regulation system) also adjusts crusher
settings to compensate for liner wear and ensure the highest level of
crusher performance.

The ASRi controls the crusher to protect it from
damaging overloads. “It’s very user friendly,” Rich adds, from the
system’s simple color graphics to the touch-screen interface and
automatic functions.

Each
month, a service technician makes a comprehensive inspection of the
mobile cone, from computer parameters and filters, to oil, undercarriage
components, and engine tolerances. CCI says the cone is a newer piece of equipment, and it doesn’t want to
take chances in overlooking anything that might lead to downtime.

CCI chose a radio remote control for the unit in
addition to the standard tethered control. “We really like it because
the operator can clearly see all around the machine and can control (the
crusher) from the cab of the support equipment,” Rich points out. Adds
Bill, “This kind of feature really helps an operation like ours.”