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There are several different rock crusher options, and each is used for slightly different purposes. When choosing a rock crusher for your operations, it’s important to first identify the stage of crushing you’re using the machine for. This will determine the appropriate solution for your needs.

Impact, Cone, and Jaw Crushers from Power Screening Equipment

Rock Crushing Stages

There are three different stages of concrete crushing:

• Primary – This stage involves crushing coarse materials in order to allow them to be transported on a conveyer belt. These machines need to be able to handle a large capacity and accept the raw materials without suffering a blockage.
• Secondary – In this stage, the coarse materials produced during primary crushing are broken down even more in preparation for final crushing. The purpose of secondary crushing is to achieve the greatest possible reduction in particle size for the lowest possible cost.
• Tertiary – This stage further refines particles to make them as fine as possible. The quality and quantity of fine products must be considered when determining the right concrete crusher for this phase of the process.

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Screening equipment performs essential functions for a variety of aggregate processing applications. In order to ensure this important task is completed properly, you’ll need to choose the right screening equipment for the specific sorting task associated with your application.

Screening plants are used to size and separate rock materials after crushing. During the screening process, these materials are separated into grades based on their particle size. In some instances, screening plants are used to separate materials immediately following the primary crushing phase, while other applications use screening equipment later in the process, right before materials are stockpiled for transport.

The following factors will determine which screening plant is right for your specific application.

Why Are You Screening Materials?

One of the most important factors impacting the right screening equipment to choose is the reason why you are screening these materials. There are several reasons this task is performed:

• To split a feed stream into different processing lines
• To compile a product containing specific particle characteristics
• To remove a specific product in preparation for a future crushing step
• To remove fine particles from larger ones

Choosing the right screening plant for your specific purpose will significantly impact both the quality of your finished product and the capacity of your processing system.

Screen Plant Operating Characteristics

Make sure you consider the following operating characteristics when choosing screening equipment:

• Feed rate – Consistent feed is crucial to ensuring the process is completed properly. Otherwise, you may end up with too much oversize material when the screen load is low and too many fine particles when the screen load is high.
• Bed depth – The depth of material on the screen impacts how well it will separate the material to remove your desired particle size.
• Screen Openings – The design of the screen openings will impact the efficiency and capacity of the equipment, as well as the quality of product produced. As the space between holes decreases, capacity often increases.

Types of Screening Equipment

There are two types of screening equipment:

• Horizontal screens
• Incline screens

Each option is ideally suited to provide optimal performance in different situations. Therefore, you’ll need to evaluate your specific screening application when choosing between horizontal and incline screens.

Horizontal Screens

Horizontal screens use either a linear or elliptical vibrating motion to move materials down the length of the screening deck. Because these decks are flat, they are more efficient at separating materials that are of similar size to the screening mesh. Horizontal screens are ideal for use:

• When portable screening or mobile screening is required
• When sorting sticky materials which may blind the openings
• When angular materials are passing through coarse openings
• When smooth, round materials are being screened (such as gravel)
• When maximum separation is required

Incline Screens

Incline screens use gravity to move material down an incline of approximately 20 degrees to the screening deck. Forces of gravity cause the material to increase in speed throughout the process, allowing higher volumes to be sorted. Incline screens are preferred when:

• Rinsing fine crushed materials
• Materials aren’t sticky
• Volume of material sorted is more important than the efficiency of the sorting process
• Thick, heavy rubber or urethane screen materials are used

Power Screening Can Help

As the leading dealer for mobile screening equipment in the Rocky Mountain region, Power Screening can guide you through the process of choosing the right screening plant. We have a wide range of new and used screening equipment to choose from. We offer only the most durable, high quality equipment.

Contact us today to receive customized recommendations regarding the right screening plants for your application.

Aggregates are literally the foundation of our lives as Americans. They underlie everything: our homes, our roads, our schools, and our churches. Most things we encounter and use in modern life are made using aggregates, and after metals, aggregates are the second largest category of domestic nonfuel mineral production. The total value of processed aggregates for construction is $27 billion annually, with $17.8 billion worth of crushed stone. This is the largest single nonfuel mineral commodity and accounts for 22% of the total value of US nonfuel mineral production.

But what are aggregates, and how do we process them?

What Are Aggregates?

The Portland Cement Association (PCA) defines aggregates as “inert granular material such as sand, gravel, or crushed stone.” Sometimes they are referred to as “construction aggregates.”

Paradoxically, aggregates are created mostly by separating material. Using screens and filters, aggregates are separated into particles of different sizes to create selections of particles of roughly the same size and/or shape. Aggregates are often classified by the size of screen that they can fit through, with the classifications being grouped into “fine” and “coarse” classifications.

How Aggregate Processing Works

Aggregate processing can include many different steps depending on the specific material desired. However, all aggregate processing includes two steps: extraction and screening. Most aggregate processing also involves crushing.

Aggregate Extraction

The first step in aggregate processing is extraction. Aggregates must be extracted from their source. Usually this is a natural source such as a quarry. Stone, sand, and other materials are removed from the earth with heavy machinery such as excavators. However, sometimes aggregate extraction is performed at build sites, such as demolished roads and buildings, where broken concrete can be recycled into new aggregate.

Aggregate Crushing

Most of the time, aggregate emerges from extraction as masses larger than the final product desired. Aggregate crushing is the process of breaking down the large pieces into smaller particles, using several types of heavy machinery, including:

• Jaw crushers
• Impact crushers
• Cone crushers

Aggregate Screening

Screening is the process of separating aggregates into their different size categories. Depending on the type of heavy machinery used, the source material, and the desired number and type of size categories, aggregate screening might be conducted in multiple stages.

Other Aggregate Processing Steps

In addition to the above, aggregate processing often involves other steps. Conveying, for example, is an automated process for transporting aggregate materials between the different steps. Washing might be necessary for some types of materials to help them meet the material standards. Calcination (exposure to high heat) might also be required to remove impurities.

Heavy Machinery for Aggregate Processing

All steps in aggregate processing require some type of heavy machinery. Here is a summary of some of the most common types of heavy machinery for aggregate processing.

Earthmoving

Earthmoving equipment like crawler or wheeled excavators, help extract aggregates from their source. Loaders, either crawler or wheeled, can transport the extracted materials from where they’re excavated to where they’re crushed and/or screened.

Conveyors

Conveyors are an efficient automated way to transport aggregate materials. Rather than have loaders move all the material, conveyors can transport a steady stream of materials to the place where they are crushed and/or screened. Conveyors can also help control the flow of materials so that it doesn’t overwhelm the crusher and/or screener.

Screens

Screens separate aggregate materials into their different size categories. Depending on the type of screen, they can separate the source material into multiple different categories at the same time.

Crushers

Aggregates often come out of the earth in much larger form than desired. Crushers break down the material into smaller pieces.

Wash Plants

Some types of aggregate must be washed to remove impurities and meet certain standards. Wash plants are heavy machinery that performs this task on the job site. Some are portable, while others are modular for assembly at the site and removal.

Do You Need Heavy Machinery for Aggregate Processing?

If you’re in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, or Nebraska, and need heavy machinery for aggregate processing, let us help. Power Screening rents and sells heavy machinery for aggregate processing, demolition, and construction from three locations.

Request a quote with our online form or call us at (800) 231-5005 today to learn how we can help you.

You need a rock crusher for your next big job, but you don’t have one now. It’s time to get one, but should you buy or rent? Some people would have you think this is a simple math problem, but you know that when you’re running a company like yours, there’s a lot more than math involved, and the problems are never simple.

Here’s a quick guide to deciding which is the best choice.

Rock Crusher for Sale or Rent—Do the Math

Okay, so let’s get this out of the way. Here’s the simple math problem that people think answers the question: does it cost more to rent or to buy?

To calculate this answer, take the hourly cost of the rock crusher for rent and multiply it by the number of hours you expect to use the tool over its lifetime. Then compare that to the cost to buy the tool instead. Simple, right?

Not exactly. You have to consider both the cost of a new rock crusher for sale as well as a used rock crusher for sale. Considering the cost of the used rock crusher, you have to consider how much less time it might last. That’s always a tough question, especially for a piece of equipment that might get as much hard use as a jaw crusher for sale.

The number of hours you’re likely to use it isn’t easy to figure out, either. If this is your first real job that needs this equipment, you can’t be sure that you’ll get more, and then you end up getting stuck with an expensive piece of equipment you’re not using.

Do You Have a Good Storage Option?

A concrete crusher is not like a rotary hammer that you can hang up on your pegboard – you’ve got to have someplace to put your concrete crusher. If you aren’t sure you have a good place to put it, maybe now’s not the time to buy.

How Will You Transport It?

Just as you can’t hang a concrete crusher on your pegboard, you can’t just toss it in the back of your truck. You need to have a solution to transport it to your job site. Maybe you already have a tractor-trailer that can handle the rock crusher, but if not, you have to add transportation cost to the price of buying. On the other hand, if you rent the equipment, you can often get it delivered to the job site and picked up. That can save you a lot of time and hassle.

Can You Bill It?

One way to cut your costs whether you’re looking for a jaw crusher for sale or a concrete crusher for rent is to bill it to the job. This will depend on what you bid on the job, the terms of the contract, and other variables. Whether you can bill it to the job – and how much you can bill for – will make a big difference in the net cost of the tool to you.

How Much Can You Deduct?

Whether you buy or rent, you can likely deduct all or part of the cost of the tool. For a tool of this price, it’s worth talking to your accountant and figuring out how much of a difference it might make on your taxes to rent vs. buy the tool. Then you can add this into your cost calculations, because it could significantly cut the net cost of the tool.

Will It Help You Get More Work?

When you’re bidding for jobs, you might find that having a rock crusher could be a competitive advantage. You might be able to bid a lower cost, promise a better schedule, and offer to do more work depending on the features of the rock crusher. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about finding a rock crusher when you need one in the event that there aren’t many available for rent.

Can You Get Value Even If You’re Not Using It?

If you have a rock crusher that you’re not using, you might be able to loan it to other companies who need it. Potentially, you could even rent it out yourself and make back some of the purchase cost.

How Much Is Maintenance?

Don’t forget to factor maintenance into your cost calculations. A rock crusher takes a beating and can need a lot of regular work to keep it in top shape. When you get a concrete crusher for rent, the rental center handles the worst of the maintenance costs.

Get a Quote to Make a Decision

As you can see, there’s a lot of factors to consider when trying to answer this question. At Power Screening, we have both rock crushers for rent and for sale. This helps us stay neutral on the question and lets us talk to you about your options to find the one that is most practical and profitable for your operation.

Whatever decision you come to, however, you have to start by knowing the cost of the two options. To get those costs, please contact Power Screening for a free quote.

With aggregate processing, you depend on the machines to get the job done and choosing the best equipment for your job can make a big difference in your overall profitability. Here are a few important considerations to take into account when deciding on the aggregate equipment you want to rent or buy.

Considerations for All Aggregate Equipment

Before deciding on any aggregate equipment, you should consider these factors.

• Cost
• Quality
• Durability
• Maintenance

Of course, you need to factor in the cost of the equipment. All things being equal, you want to choose the less expensive aggregate equipment to support your profitability. However, all things are rarely equal, which is why you need to take some other factors into account.

You expect to pay more for more quality equipment. However, it’s important to not just assume that a piece of aggregate equipment is better because it costs more. Do your research and make sure you’re really getting what you pay for.

Aggregate equipment gets hard use. Rocks, sand, and dust all take their toll on the machines you use. And when the machines fail, it can cost you money and time. You want to make sure that the equipment you’re choosing is capable of standing up to the stresses you expect to put it under.

It’s important to factor in maintenance costs. Machines that are more expensive to buy are often more expensive to maintain, too, which can eat up the savings from not having the machine go down as often.

Don’t forget to factor in the time cost for maintenance. If a machine doesn’t have people around who can work on it, or a ready supply of spare parts, you might lose a lot of time from choosing an unusual aggregate machine.

Considerations for Aggregate Crushers

Crushing is one of the most important parts of aggregate processing, and crushers are expensive pieces of equipment. You want to make sure that the one you get is capable of doing the job you need it for. When you’re choosing a crusher, you need to take into account:

• Material hardness and uniformity
• Desired final product
• Mobility

Make sure the crusher you choose is capable of handling the material you want to process. It isn’t just hardness. Some crushers are better suited to dealing with homogeneous material – all one type – while others are better at mixed materials. Looking at the material you’re processing can help you decide between jaw crushers, cone crushers, and impact crushers.

You also have to factor in what type of product you’re trying to produce. Some crushers produce aggregate of certain shapes, while others produce them of different shapes. Some crushers produce more uniform particles, while others are less consistent.

Mobility can matter for your crusher, though it’s less important. If you expect your crusher to move around the site, you need to make sure it’s capable of doing it reasonably. However, if you plan on bringing all the material to your crusher, mobility doesn’t matter as much.

Considerations for Aggregate Screens and Conveyors

When choosing screens and conveyors, make sure to take into account:

• Initial/desired moisture
• Type of media
• Number and type of decks and outputs

Dealing with wet aggregate is very different than dealing with dry. If you’re going to be dealing with wet mixtures, make sure your equipment is capable of handling it. Also, make sure that your machine can help with drying and/or introducing the material to a dryer when necessary.

The type of media is also very important for your screens and conveyors. You need to be sure that the material won’t break your screens or overload your conveyors.

If you are going to be breaking your aggregate up into multiple categories, it’s important to make sure your screens are capable of handling this. Some screens have two, three, or more screen decks. Getting one that separates into the right number of categories can save you time and money at the worksite.

Let Power Screening Help You Find the Best Aggregate Equipment for You

At Power Screening, we are dedicated to helping all our customers find the best aggregate equipment for their application. We can talk through all these issues for you, and help you determine which is the one that will do best for the job you are working on. We can either rent or sell the equipment to you, and we’ll consult about how to make the choice about which is better for you.

With locations in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, please contact Power Screening today and let our knowledgeable team assist you.

There’s a big job you want to bid, but to do it efficiently you’ll need a wheel loader. Or another wheel loader – it seems like you never have enough. Perhaps you even won the bid, and now you need to get the wheel loader to do the job. There’s just one question: is it better to buy or rent one?

This is a complicated question, but if you work it through, you can get the answer that works best for your business.

Wheel Loader for Sale or Rent: Start with the Math

There is a simple equation that should always be your starting point for making the decision to rent or buy a wheel loader: does it cost more to rent or buy?

To calculate this answer, take the hourly cost of renting a wheel loader and multiply it by the number of hours you expect to use the tool over its lifetime.

Estimating the number of hours you’ll use the tool is always challenging. For a versatile vehicle like a wheel loader, you’re likely to use it a lot. But maybe this is a compact wheel loader or a really large one that you will use less often.

Don’t forget to consider the cost of buying a used wheel loader. They might be much cheaper, but they might also not last as long, depending on how well they’ve been maintained.

Where Will You Store It?

When you buy a recip saw, you can just put it on the shelf or hang it on pegboard if you’re not using it. But a wheel loader – even a compact wheel loader – takes significant storage space. Maybe you’ve got a spot in your yard where it’d just fit or know a farmer who’ll let you park it in a fallow field. But if you don’t have a place to store it and would have to pay for parking when it’s not in use, factor that cost in.

How Will You Transport It?

Yeah, a wheel loader is faster than most of the equipment you use on a job, and sometimes you’ll drive it to the site, but if the loader is too large or the job is too far (or you don’t trust your drivers on the roads), you’ll need to have a transportation solution. If you’re renting, the rental company might provide a rental solution to make it easier.

Can You Bill the Wheel Loader?

One way to make your wheel loader cheaper is to bill some or all of the cost to the job. While you might be able to bill all the rental cost, even billing part of the purchase cost to the job might make buying cheaper.

If you’ve already won the job, make sure you review the terms of the contract and bid before trying to bill equipment to it.  If you’re thinking about adding the cost to your upcoming bid, be aware that adding the cost of the wheel loader might make your bid less competitive. (However, if it’s the difference between having the job be profitable and making it a loss for you, it’s better to be less competitive.)

How Much Can You Deduct?

The cost of tools you get for a job can be deducted on your taxes whether you rent or buy. If you’ve done this before, you might have a sense of how much difference this makes, but if you’re not sure, talk to your accountant.

Will It Help You Get More Work?

Buying a wheel loader might be a better investment if it lets you bid and win more jobs. Maybe having another wheel loader is what’s been holding you back from running two teams simultaneously. Just make sure you have someone you can trust to promote to site manager before you invest too much into this strategy.

Can You Get Extra Value from It?

Some tools just sit in the yard when you’re not using it, but a wheel loader is a versatile, in-demand machine. You might be able to get extra value by renting it out when you don’t need it.

How Much Will You Pay in Maintenance?

When you rent a tool, the rental company takes care of all the wheel loader maintenance, but when you buy it all the costs are on you. Estimate how much this is likely to be, then factor that into the relative cost.

A Quote Can Help You Make the Decision

Before you can make your final decision, you need to know how much buying and renting a wheel loader will cost. Power Screening can supply you with a quote to help you make a decision on your wheel loader.

Please contact Power Screening today for a free quote and find out what we have available in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico.

At Power Screening, we offer some of the highest-quality equipment available to our customers in all aspects of the waste and recycling process. Some great examples of this are the composting and shredding equipment we offer from Komptech. This equipment can be an indispensable addition to a recycling operation, improving efficiency, productivity, and profitability.

We wanted to take time to focus on some of these quality and efficient products to help you understand what sets them apart and how they can improve your recycling and/or composting operations.

About Komptech

Komptech is a leading international supplier of technology, machinery, and systems for the mechanical and mechanical-biological treatment of solid waste. Komptech equipment can even help turn waste biomass into a renewable energy source. With over 30 different types of machines that cover all steps of the modern waste handling process, the company’s focus is on innovative technology and solutions that provide the most benefit for your field operations.

Power Screening has maintained a strong and long-term relationship with Komptech Americas. We offer their high-quality mobile windrow turners and composting equipment as well as the genuine OEM parts necessary to keep them running properly. In addition, our trained team of technicians offer both shop and field support to keep your Komptech equipment up and running.

Compost Equipment: Windrow Turners

Windrow turners are great for open-air composting operations. The Komptech windrow turners efficiently stir large amounts of organic waste. This ensures the best processing for composting operations, turning waste into valuable product. Komptech machines provide power and reliability, combined with advanced technology and operator comfort. Most come in wheeled or tracked configurations so you can get the machine that’s best for your business.

We offer numerous types of Komptech compost equipment so you can find the best machine for your operation. The Komptech Topturn X4500 is a lot of composter in a little package. It provides the reliability and performance of the X-series in a small size that’s perfect for small- and medium-size operations. It’s a great entry-level turner.

The Komptech Topturn X5000 is a high performance compost windrow turner engineered to deliver optimally sized compost windrows, while being easily transportable and production-ready for most or operations. The Komptech Topturn X63 is an ox of a windrow turner. Capable of handling rows up to 6 meters in width (nearly 20 feet), it has a powerful engine and a well-designed drum to ensure smooth and fast operation in all conditions.

The Komptech Topturn X6000 is a modern engineered machine built to perform efficiently in the most demanding commercial composting applications with ease, comfort, and reliability. Shredding Equipment: Single-Shaft and Dual-Shaft Shredders

Shredding equipment is essential for recycling and waste operations. At Power Screening, we offer both Komptech single-shaft and dual-shaft shredders. These high-quality low-speed high-torque shredders utilize Caterpillar engines for power and efficiency.

Single-shaft shredders are optimal for shredding tires, mattresses, carpeting, municipal solid waste, and highly contaminated construction and demolition waste. Features like a remote-controlled hopper and a hydraulic drum drive capable of reversing at any time for self-cleaning make the Terminator shredders an excellent choice for appropriate applications. Depending on the material processed, the Terminator 3400 S can shred up to 55 tons per hour, while the 6000 S can double that.

Dual-shaft shredders are the best choice for stumps, green waste, food waste, construction and demolition debris with extensive wood, asphalt shingles, railroad ties, hay bales, pallets, and rigid plastics. Auto-reverse overload protection helps avoid damage and keeps the machines running smoothly. Low maintenance, operating, and fuel costs help the profitability of your waste operations. The Crambo 3400 can process up to 50 tons per hour, while the 6000 can process up to 110 tons per hour, depending on the type of material processed.

Let Power Screening Match You with the Best Waste & Recycling Equipment for Your Operation

If you are looking to add or upgrade machinery in your waste and recycling operation, Power Screening can help you find the best option for you. Since 1984, we have been serving customers in the West, and we understand the benefits and limitations of each machine so we can steer you to the ones that will work best for you.

From our locations in Henderson, CO, Albuquerque, NM, and Salt Lake City, UT, we serve clients in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nebraska, Eastern Wyoming, and Southwest Kansas. Please call (800) 231-5005 or contact us online today to talk to an aggregate equipment expert at Power Screening.