Pilot Crushtec empowers small sand producers

Small scale sand producers now have a cost effective, reliable and integrated solution to their production needs, taking the guesswork and risk out of daily operations. Pilot Crushtec has invested its decades of design and engineering experience into a range of dedicated, modular sand-making plants that give users the latest fit-for-purpose technology within a short lead time of just two months.

According to Francois Marais, Sales and Marketing Director at Pilot Crushtec, many smaller operators tend to make do with second-hand equipment, which is often not ideal for their application.

“Many operators put together the components – from crushers and screens to feeders and conveyors – but lose time and money during operations due to inefficiencies and unreliable performance,” Marais says. “Alternatively, if they choose to go with a bespoke plant, tailored for their purposes, this comes at considerable cost and can take many months to design and manufacture.”

The Pilot Crushtec modular sand-making plants reduce risk by delivering a turnkey solution that is purpose-built for sand production. These plants have been designed as a complete ready to run solution. The major advantage lies in their convenience and cost effectiveness as they offer a fully integrated plant that dramatically reduces site preparation and set-up time.

“This makes for fast deployment, without compromising performance or reliability,” Marais explains. “It’s all about packaging the well-known components for the user’s convenience and peace-of-mind.”

This is central to Pilot Crushtec’s modular approach, ensuring that all components fit seamlessly together and are ready to commission – with minimal site preparation costs. While a concrete base can be beneficial, these modules are skid mounted and designed to work on a flat level compacted surface. There is no need for added platforms, welding or extra items like chutes to be specially fitted on site.

“As a leading crushing and screening OEM in South Africa, we have been designing and manufacturing for more than 35 years, which means we have all the necessary in-house designs and engineering for this range,” Marais explains. “This means that customers don’t have to foot the bill for custom engineering – and this alone will save them on upfront capital expenditure and reduces the risk of budget overruns.”

Being built from tried-and-tested well-engineered designs also ensures that these standard plants are well proven in the field. Refined over years to work seamlessly across various applications, they are less likely to experience unexpected breakdowns or operating inefficiencies.

“A standard plant also brings the benefit of having already been debugged and optimised, so you’re starting with a solution that’s less likely to have hidden flaws,” he says. “This also simplifies the maintenance and support for the equipment, as parts are off-the-shelf and easier to source.”

He emphasises that Pilot Crushtec’s established support networks ensure that customers do not scramble to find parts or fix issues – which can be a risk especially on remote sites.

The sand-making plants come in three sizes. The smallest in the range is the SMP100 which can produce up to 40 tonnes per hour of minus 5 mm sand with a recirculating load capacity of 85 tph through the rotor. Next in the range is the SMP200, capable of producing up to 55 tph, while the SMP300 can produce 100 tph.

“Our modular systems also have the advantage of scalability, which is ideal for those customers that will require increased capacity later,” he says. “Our well-engineered modular systems allow you to add units or upgrade without overhauling the whole setup, making it easier to scale as your operation grows.”

The sand-making plants are manufactured locally to the highest quality standards at Pilot Crushtec’s modern ISO-accredited facilities in Jet Park, Johannesburg. Marais reiterates that the quality of this new equipment helps customers to mitigate risks that could undermine a project’s viability or threaten their reputation in the market.

“Investing in a turnkey solution like our sand-making plants removes the unknown operational elements for the customer allowing them to make reliable forecasts of their returns and expenses,” Marais concludes.