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When Holcim took over operations of the Kiwi Point Quarry in Wellington last year it turned to the Porter Group to upgrade the site’s frontline equipment.
The deal with the Porter Group, which has the Hyundai agency, was cemented not long after Holcim expanded it quarry interests by taking over the operation of the Wellington City Council owned Kiwi Point quarry in August 2009. The 27 hectare quarry, located in the Ngauranga Gorge, produces around 350,000 tonnes of aggregates each year with 25 staff. The product is used for concrete construction and for asphalting roads and highways across the Wellington region. “Our choice of new excavator came down to best value and quality,” says quarry manager Brian Bouzaid about the purchase. The 50 tonne 500LC-7 excavator has replaced a 45 tonne machine which no longer met the site’s needs. “It was important that we purchased a machine that was the best suitable for the site and the job,” he adds. Two primary requirements in the selection of a new machine were safety for the operator and environmental emissions, says Bouzaid.
Kiwi Point Quarry has held ISO certification since 1996 and all Holcim New Zealand sites have ISO14001 environmental certification. “The 500LC-7 effectively reduces our machine operating emissions from the working site and improves our fuel consumption.” Compared with the older machine it is replacing, the new Hyundai also features a bigger bucket and breakout force for improve efficiency, he adds. The standard all-weather steel cab of the Hyundai 500LC-7, with its transparent cabin roof cover, features all-around visibility with safety glass windows, fully adjustable air suspension seat with seat belt, and slide-able joystick controls. Extra operator comforts include a hot and cool box, radio/CD remote switch, and air-conditioner of 5000 kcal/hr – 20,000 BTU/hr.
“When you expect an operator to be in there for 10 hours a day, then they have got to feel fresh and comfortable all day, and we believe the Hyundai excavator has the right sort of ergonomics for their comfort, including plenty of legroom and good air-conditioning,” Brian iterates. Standard on the machine is a computer aided power optimisation with two-power and three-work modes, auto deceleration and one touch deceleration system. A self-diagnostic system and centralised monitoring are displayed on a LCD screen, and the boom cylinder and arm cylinder have safety lock valves with an overload warning device. The machine is available in various optional arm lengths, from super short arm (2.40 metre) to super long arm (5.85 metres) and various optional buckets, including standard (2.15 cubic metres), a light duty bucket with a 3.60 cubic metre load capacity, and rock buckets capable of handling up to 3.20 cubic metres. Brian says the company has also been very impressed with the relationship with Porters and their service back-up. “I’ve never had a lot to do with the group in the past from a purchase point of view, but certainly from a hire perspective, which has always been very good. It was our hire relationship with Porters and their performance that made us look at an outright purchase of a new excavator.”
Darren Ralph, sales and marketing manager for the Porter Group, says it is pleased to be able to supply the Hyundai 500LC-7 to Holcim. “Holcim has a solid sustainable business base – and it’s no surprise that the ‘efficiency’ of the machine was an important aspect of the sale. “The excavator has a tier three mission compliant engine which is the current European and US emission standards that are tougher than actually needed under New Zealand legislation.” Darren says that the service capabilities of the Porter Group go beyond just supplying a machine. They offer an entire “value-added experience” over the low lifetime cost of that machine and its return on investment. “After just a few hours on the new machine Holcim will see the full benefits of the Hyundai 500LC-7’s low-fuel burn, parts pricing and low service costs – all part of Porter’s total package and their whole ownership experience,” says Darren.
Q&M Vol.7 No.2 April-May 2010 |
The purchase of a Hyundai excavator was a first for Holcim New Zealand – a powerful, new 50 tonne 500LC-7 model to work as a front line extraction machine at the hard face of its new greywacke quarry near Wellington.
“We are located in a combined industrial residential area, so we have very strict consent conditions. Plus Holcim, as a responsible company, has a comprehensive environmental policy with very high standards of practice.
These features mean the new excavator offers its operators more visibility through its roomy, ergonomically designed cab, improved ventilation through its large air intake system, a fully adjustable operator seat to reduce fatigue, proportional pressure controls, and reduced noise levels (inside and out) through improved door and compartment seals and insulated diesel engine compartment sound damping.
Kiwi Point quarry was set up in the 1930s and has always been owned by the Wellington City Council as a very important resource for roading projects within its region. Holcim New Zealand also operates quarries at Bombay, south of Auckland and at Hastings, and has a small quarry operation at Martinborough. These quarries supply around 1.3 million tonnes of premium aggregates annually, primarily to the concrete and roading markets. In addition, Holcim also has a 50 percent stake in Milbrook Quarries and a 25 percent stake in Atlas Resources.