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Sandvik QE342e hybrid scalper

Playing its part in the drive towards a more sustainable future, Stuart Partners Ltd has recently invested in a Sandvik QE342e hybrid scalper for its recycling operation and will soon see the benefits both in terms of lower operating costs and a reduced carbon footprint, in addition to the operational benefits of the latest model.

Originating back to the 1940s, Stuart Partners Ltd is a family run company located in Devon. It has evolved over the years from a cattle haulage business into various industry sectors, such as farming, truck sales and servicing, landfill, recycling, skip waste, as well as renewable energy.

Based at the original Hill Barton Business Park in Exeter, the inert waste recycling sector of the business grew in the 1990s, when it started to clean aggregate to make crushed concrete. This is when the company first purchased a screener. The process has developed over the years to today where the wash plant is required to operate all year round. Most of the material brought onto the site is now recycled, including the processing and sorting of over 80,000 tonnes per year of inert waste. Upwards of 70,000 tonnes per year is re-usable and sold as quality recycled aggregates.

Needing to upgrade its existing plant, Stuart Partners was in contact with Retec Equipment Ltd, UK & Ireland distributor for Sandvik mobile crushers and screens, to discuss its requirements. A QE342e hybrid model was proposed and seemed the ideal fit for the firm's recycling operation.

The QE342e hybrid variant offers a plug-in option to operate either in electric or diesel mode to suit the customer’s preferred energy choice. Purpose designed for durability, its crusher-style chassis incorporates a wear resistant rigid hopper and is compatible for 2-way or 3-way split configurations, as well as having the ability to interchange side conveyors.

Its heavy duty 16’ x 5’ / 4.7 x 1.45 m screen with high speed and aggressive throw is built for tough applications and can handle high volumes of infeed material. It offers user-friendly features for ease of operation, including an electrical control system which improves both operational effectiveness and machine safety, as well as two-speed tracking for faster mobility on site. The unit also comes fitted with My Fleet telematics as standard to optimise the machine performance and maximise productivity.

Stuart Partners has been granted planning permission to build a new gasification plant which will produce renewable energy on site. This will incinerate waste for electricity rather than sending it to landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and recovering valuable energy. To be able to produce its first energy from waste plant, running on a neighbouring site, will mean that the company will be able to power the wash plant and then also the Sandvik QE342e using renewable energy.

The QE342e is currently operating through an external generator and is being used to separate larger fractions of material, which would be too large to go through Stuart's wash plant (60mm plus), from the smaller fraction (0-60mm). It is used as the main feed and regulates the speed of throughput of the wash plant.

The smaller fraction is fed into the wash plant. The larger material is then processed through a crusher and sold as a crushed concrete, or 6F5. Once the screened material is processed through the wash plant, the aggregates are used by a wide range of customers, such as utilities, commercial builders and even farmers for the sand. The larger material that is crushed is mostly used by commercial builders.

Lower operating cost, higher uptime
In addition to the sustainability of the hybrid drive, the QE342e offers many additional benefits in terms of lower cost of ownership and higher uptime, reckons Sandvik. With less moving parts and filters, less time is required for maintenance meaning the machine can be operational for longer.

The unit is fitted with the latest generation, efficient Stage 5 engine for maximum performance, reduced fuel consumption and lower environmental impact. The hydraulic system is optimised and reduced engine rpm lowers fuel consumption, whilst a well-proportioned fuel tank maximises intervals between refuelling. There is also a 50% hydraulic fluid saving with extended service intervals from 2,000 to 4,000 hours. All mobile units also leave the factory in Northern Ireland with HVO renewable fuel in the tank, contributing to cleaner operation and a lower CO2 footprint. 

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