Tim Segal, president of Segal Sand and Gravel in Delphi, IN, had a problem with losing too much sand and fines to his settiling ponds.

He wanted to streamline the company’s operation and improve the size, texture and cleanliness of its sand.

So Segal did some research. He considered adding another screw or cyclone to solve his quality issues and met with representatives from several companies.

Segal heard one proposal for a completely new system, but he worried that this would require a great deal of engineering development and customization, adding substantial cost to the operation.

Jay Beland, of Powerscreen Indiana, tried to quell those concerns by taking Segal to visit several facilities already using the system and demonstrating its real world benefits. With engineering and technical assistance from Brian McCammon, of Terex Powerscreen, Powerscreen Indiana proposed a component system approach, employing a fully self-contained unit that required only the building of a concrete pad. According to Segal, the visits with Beland as well as the cost savings and the installation interval were the deciding factors in choosing a Powerscreen.

Because the screws at the plant were still working fine, Segal Sand and Gravel really only needed to purchase one machine, the Powerscreen FinesMaster 100 —the 100 standing for 100 tons of sand per hour.

The FinesMaster takes all of the water and sand into a holding tank and pumps it through a cyclone, with the pump as the only moving part. By centrifugal force, the cyclone forces the heavier sand to the outside where it falls to the dewatering screen. Being lighter than the sand, the water and silt get siphoned off and discharged as waste.

From the dewatering screen, which is able to catch everything above 200 mesh, clean and dry sand is placed onto a conveyor belt.

Segal said he was pleased that the machine was fully assembled by a team of three men in only eight hours. Once the piping was in place and the electric hooked up, Powerscreen Indiana spent approximately 30 minutes making adjustments and the system has been running smoothly ever since.

In addition to the quick set up time and high capacity, the FinesMaster boasts a number of other features that appealed to Segal, including high-capacity twin bucket wheels, specially designed inlet boxes, a weir discharge system, an underflow rubber lined slurry pump, rubber lined hydro cyclones and a high-frequency screen fitted with micron polyurethane modular mats.

Now that the system is fully operational, Segal Sand and Gravel is reaping the benefits.

The company is saving on costs from the diminished need to clean out its waste ditch. Prior to putting the new Powerscreen FinesMaster 100 to work, it had to clean out the ditch two or three times each month. Now it can go a full year before cleaning and no longer loses product to the settling pond.

According to Segal, the company also has tripled its production of consistent dry high quality mason sand and was able to increase sales and gain additional contracts that had eluded the company in the past.

Construction of another 30-mi. stretch of the Hoosier Heartland Highway is scheduled to begin in the next couple of years and Segal is confident that Segal Sand & Gravel will be ready to serve.

For more information, visit www.powerscreenindiana.com. CEG

Today's top stories

Eagle Bridge Co. Works On Final Leg of U.S. 35 Upgrade

Fay Preps Way for Pittsburgh International Airport Modernization Project

Volvo CE Continues to Perform, Transform During Slower Q1 2024

American Bridge Co. Leads Conn.'s East Haddam Swing Bridge Project

Pettibone Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Cary-Lift

Common Ground Alliance Hosts Conference & Expo in Colorado On Preventing Utility Damages

Going Beyond Diversity: Star Equipment's Rental Advantage

Volvo CE Launches Updated L30, L35 Compact Wheel Loaders