by Bob Lindsay
Sandvik Mining and Construction hosted an ambitious four-day customer event, June 23-26, at Sandvik’s Swadlincote factory and live demonstrations of new machinery at Armac’s recycling center near the Birmingham, England airport. 
The Demolition and Recycling live demonstration featured a variety of feeds showing the QE330 (F640) tracked scalper, QA330 (F542) double deck tracked screen, and a QI430 (F1440) tracked impact crusher feeding a QA440 (S-6) tracked double screen.
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The customer event, which included a daylong introduction of newly rebranded Sandvik machines and equipment for the international media, was held to formally mark the integration, and rebranding, of the Extec and Fintec products lines as part of Sandvik’s product offering.
The occasion also helped to create greater awareness of the Sandvik product offering throughout the UK, and to publicize the new global centre of excellence that has recently been created at the former Extec factory in Swadlincote. The success of the event can be seen as over a thousand visitors participating from all corners of the globe, with people attending from a variety of places such as Venezuela, China, Spain, Ireland, Norway and Scotland.
“Two years ago almost exactly now Sandvik acquired Extec and Fintec,” said Duncan McGregor, vice president of Sandvik Construction Equipment. “And the plan was to rebrand” by the fall of 2009.
“The main event this year,” he said, “was the plan for Hillhead. Twelve weeks ago, Hillhead got canceled. And picking the same as Wimbledon, with their new roof for center court, we knew it wasn’t going to rain, that we would have absolutely perfect weather.” 
Getting up close to Sandvik’s new machines.
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After they were run in a live demonstration, the QE330 tracked scalper and the unveiling of the brand new BR2577 breaker.
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Sandvik acquired the two manufacturers of mobile crushing and screening equipment —Extec Screens and Crushers Ltd, and Fintec Crushing and Screening Ltd. — in the spring of 2007. As leaders in the design and manufacture of mobile crushing and screening equipment, Extec and Fintec complement Sandvik’s mid-size and light equipment offerings, which McGregor said helps to position Sandvik as a market leading supplier in a rapidly growing industry.
According to Steve Powell, Sandvik Mobile Screening and Crushing managing director, “Sandvik brings its global network with access to quarry and mining customers. Extec and Fintec bring access to contractor customers and a competitive product line of tracked mobile crushers and screens. Extec and Fintec also benefit from Sandvik's global resources, and technical know-how, as Sandvik brings advanced crusher and screener product technology combined with excellent process knowledge.” 
The live demonstration featured the worldwide introduction of Sandvik’s new BR2577 breaker.
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On the production floor of Sandvik’s Swadlincote factory.
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Anders Kjellberg, vice president, Business Development, Construction, offered an overview of Sandvik’s key business areas — Materials Technology, Tooling, and Mining and Construction. Growth, he said, will be a combination “of organic growth (and) expanding the product line.”
“We believe the world was going mobile and we believed that to take the lead, we needed to go mobile,” he said. “That is why we bought Extec and Fintec.’
The purchase extends Sandvik’s mobile crushing and screening offerings, and services existing customers. “The Extec and Fintec businesses were fantastic businesses,” Kjellberg said.
He said that in taking on the rebranding effort, Sandvik consolidated its research and development, merged the financial operations as well as parts and distribution, and improved overall quality. “And we believe there’s always more to learn,” Kjelberg said. “We’ve implemented lean supply, and how we have the rebranding.”
The event was not limited solely to mobile crushing and screening, as a major purpose was to highlight exactly what Sandvik offers to all its customers. “Sandvik offers a full range encompassing drill rigs, tools, breakers, static plants that possess direct applications to companies of all sizes that are involved in quarrying, construction, demolition, recycling, surface mining,” Kjelberg said. “These products also possess attributes that are suited to the contractor segment. The mobile screening and crushing division now allows our customers to enjoy a one-stop shop, so that we can truly be the solutions partner of choice for all our customers, worldwide.” 
From the left, a QJ340 (C-12+) tracked jaw crusher, feeding a QH330 (F1080) tracked cone crusher, and then feeding directly into a QA450 (S-7) tracked triple deck screener.
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He then shows a list of recent product launches, including the QA450 mobile screen and the QI430 mobile impact crusher and the UH421 mobile cone crusher, and the worldwide launch of Sandvik’s new BR2577 and BR2150 breakers.
At the Armac demonstration site, Michael Brookshaw, a product specialist and area sales manager, Mobile Screening and Crushing, presented the new pieces of equipment. The live demonstration included:
• Quarrying demonstration of a QJ340 (C-12+) tracked jaw crusher, feeding a QH330 (F1080) tracked cone crusher, and then feeding directly into a QA450 (S-7) tracked triple deck screener.
• Demolition and Recycling: with a variety of feeds showing the QE330 (F640) tracked scalper, QA330 (F542) double deck tracked screen, and a QI430 (F1440) tracked impact crusher feeding a QA440 (S-6) tracked double screen.
As the quarrying demonstration played out, Brookshaw called the Quarry Plants QJ340 the “best selling plant in the world.” It was shown in operation with the QH330 second stage tracked cone and the QA450 tracked triple deck screen with 8 cubic meter hopper with two-deck double screen, with any oversize going back to a second QH330. 
Anders Kjellberg, vice president, Business Development, Construction and Duncan McGregor, vice president of Sandvik Construction Equipment, during a Q&A period with the international media.
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The tour of Sandvik’s Swadlincote factory included this static presentation of how the company inspects each machine as they’re put together.
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Sandvik’s scalper, the QE330, is based upon technology started 6-7 years ago. “We have a very strong hopper with a feeder…scalping, as we say, the product line here.”
The QI440, Brookshaw said, is “the very first unit made by ourselves. These units are user friendly.”
Also shown for the first time was the BR2577 breaker, which Brookshaw said boasts many near features “on a retrofit design.” The new unit includes a soft blow sensor, which reduces impact power and frequency in softer conditions. “This is very good in the life of this hammer,” he said. “It’s a fantastic design. And also, this hammer is a very quiet hammer. We think the BR2577 is going to be one of our best products, and one that our customers will” embrace. 
The live quarrying demonstration featured a QJ340 (C-12+) tracked jaw crusher, feeding a QH330 (F1080) tracked cone crusher, and then feeding directly into a QA450 (S-7) tracked triple deck screener.
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During the live demonstration, a variety of materials were processed in differing sizes so as to highlight the inherent flexibility of the product range, whatever the application.
In order to provide an over view of the full Sandvik product offering, the event featured a static display as well. The machines shown included:
• UH440i Tracked Cone Crusher
• QJ330 (F1107) Tracked Jaw Crusher
• QE440 (E-8) Tracked scalping and screening system
• QE140 (Robotrac) Tracked scalper
• Hammer Tree
• BR2150 Breaker
• BR2577 Breaker
• BR3890 Breaker
• RG22-N (TIC) Grab
• RG28-N (TIC) Grab
• BB1300/BR825 Boom with breaker
• DP1500i (TIC) Drill Rig
The live demonstration also featured the worldwide launch of the QE440, which has been in development over the last 18 months through Sandvik’s R&D program. Based on in-depth customer and market analysis, the QE440 has been developed in order to deal with real operating requirements, which traditional screening solutions are unable to adequately cater for. Its impressive screening area, yet robust construction, makes it ideal for serious producers of aggregates, whether comprising secondary or virgin materials. 
Factory personnel at Sandvik’s Swadlincote factory building a machine.
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Getting an up close look at the QH330 tracked cone crusher.
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Following the live demonstrations and onsite static displays of the new machines, visitors and press alike were taken to Sandvik's Swadlincote factory. The former Extec headquarters today is Sandvik's global center of excellence for mobile crushing and screening, as well as the center for Mining and Construction within the UK and Ireland. The visitors were treated to a light lunch and refreshments, followed by a factory tour showing the world-class production and engineering facilities. A major point of interest proved to be the Global aftermarket center, where visitors were shown the full parts and service operation, together with the newly operational Global Customer Service Centre. At the tour's end, visitors were presented with opportunities to participate in interactive seminars hosted by a Sandvik's training specialists. The seminars included: Demolition and Recycling, Aggregate production, and Mobile crushing and screening Health and Safety. To comment on this story or for additional details click on the related button above. |