A Review on the Types of Machinery Used in the Quarry Industry

Quarrying is the process of extracting and removing natural resources from the ground. Once extracted, these natural resources, which include rock, sand, gravel, or other minerals, are subsequently used as construction materials.

The quarrying process typically starts with the digging of a specific site to access the deposit until a defined rock surface is exposed. Afterward, huge chunks of rocks will be dislodged from the surface by controlled blasting or any other processes that can do the same thing. The quarrying goes on with the crushing of rocks and the removal of impurities, which will result in the collection of aggregate. The aggregates will then be transported for civil construction or concrete production purposes. Alternate steps or processes are performed when extracting other types of minerals or raw materials.

All these quarrying processes are only possible with the right types of machinery. Here is some information about the types of machinery used in the quarry industry.

Excavation Equipment

Stripping and drilling processes are important in removing the ground surface. Surface stripping is typically done through crawler tractor or large-scale bulldozers. These bulldozers have front-mounted blades that can move large amounts of unnecessary debris or dirt. Additionally, their rear-mounted ripper arms can easily rip through the rock surface of the ground or site to better access the materials underneath the ground.

Alternatively, the quarry industry utilises blasting so that they can easily access the needed rocks and minerals. To initiate the blasting process, specialised auger bits must drill some holes on the ground. Once the holes are drilled, explosives with a primer booster are placed into the holes. Through blasting, a large portion of the ground will be moved and exposed for the continuation of the quarrying process.

Crushing Equipment

As previously mentioned, some types of rocks and materials must be crushed first before they can be transported and used for construction purposes. Crushers, which handle the crushing process, are comprised of jaws, vibrators, and fixed steel plates that can effectively crush or even pulverise extracted materials and rocks from the quarry. This machinery can be adjusted according to the required size of stone or gravel. All crushed materials are then transferred into trucks through wheel loaders.

Wheel Loaders

Wheel loaders have specific components that are deemed helpful in loading and transferring crushed or processed materials to specific locations or loading trucks. They are usually equipped with a hydraulic arm and bucket that are responsible for the loading and unloading of materials. These wheel loaders can normally handle up to 35 tons of material, which are already enough in transporting products for processing or delivery.

Off-Highway Trucks

Off-highway trucks or rock trucks are huge trucks that can transport hundreds of tons of material to specific construction or mine sites. This special type of truck plays a crucial role in increasing the productivity and efficiency of any quarrying operations since they can carry up to 3,600 tons of material.

These types of machinery can truly help quarrying activities perform efficiently and optimally. If you want to know more about these tools and equipment, then just give us a call at Hawk Machinery. We have various types of equipment that have been used by mining & quarrying companies throughout Asia and Australia over the past 25 years.

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