On Hawaii’s main island, Big Island, a sewer is being constructed alongside the highway from the town center to a new residential development. The challenge here is the hard volcanic rock that needs to be crushed—the so-called Hawaiian Blue Rock. A Mobicat MC 110i EVO2 mobile jaw crusher has been deployed for the production of material to be used in the laying of the wastewater sewer pipe.
POWERFUL PERFORMANCE
Big Island is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands and, with Kilauea and Mauna Loa, is home to two of the world’s most active volcanoes. The properties of the lava from eruptions vary from rocks containing gas bubbles and jagged edges to extremely dense and hard basaltic rocks from the cooled interiors of lava flows. This so-called Hawaiian Blue Rock is a hard basalt with a shiny bluish tint that is in high demand due to its exceptional quality, but is also particularly hard to crush.
For this project, contractor Goodfellow Bros. therefore required a particularly rugged and simultaneously reliable and powerful crusher that could meet these requirements. The contractor chose a Kleemann Mobicat MC 110i EVO2 mobile jaw crusher for the job, which is used for pre-crushing almost all types of natural stone and in recycling processes around the globe.
OVERLOAD SYSTEM
The Blue Rock is being crushed to produce aggregates for the sewer construction project in two grain sizes: 0-20 mm for the base layer and 0-100 mm for filling. The new-generation EVO2 mobile jaw crusher is designed to deliver an optimal material flow and, thanks to its high hourly output, is a particularly cost-efficient crushing solution. Its multi-stage overload system detects and automatically regulates sporadic overload situations caused by excessively hard and uncrushable materials. This increases the machine’s utilization rate.
EASY HANDLING
Machine operator Bully Fergerstrom was impressed by the quality and solid build of the machine and particularly emphasized the user-friendly functions like the Continuous Feed System (CFS) and the intuitive operating concept that guides him through the process workflow on the project site.
“I like the functions,” says Fergerstrom. “They make sure I can do a good job. The user-friendly display guides me through the process and shows me what steps come next to get the machine up and running. Operating the machine is pretty easy.”
RELIABLE SERVICE
Especially on projects involving the crushing of exceptional rock types, a powerful machine with easy handling and close collaboration with a trusted local partner plays a decisive role. This is why foreman Chris Pulgados appreciates not only the high quality of the machine, but also the outstanding service provided by local Wirtgen Group dealer Papé Machinery.
“The service they provide couldn’t be better,” says Pulgados. “We’re so lucky to have them nearby. If we call them, it takes them only around five minutes to get here.”
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From mining and milling to paving, compaction, and rehabilitation, Wirtgen Group’s complete range of machines and plants are smart, safe, and sustainable, consistently delivering the highest quality and lowest total cost of ownership across the road-construction process chain. For more, visit www.wirtgen-group.com.