Transformer buckets
CRUSHING and screening is at the heart of any mining operation and any improvements made in this area reflect positively on the bottom line.
ALLU Transformer D and M-Series attachment buckets are entirely driven by the hydraulics of the carrier machine and were designed to deliver a one-step screening and loading solution capable of handling all materials from wet soils to coal and rock.
The M series was developed specifically for the mining industry and has attachments to suit 50-160 tonne excavators and 30-90 tonne wheel loaders.
The D-series was designed for use in soft rock quarries, handling of sand and gravel aggregates, material loading at ports, de-clumping of hardened materials and processing of green waste and compost materials.
When looking at ALLU case study projects with an holistic approach — given multiple equipment mobilisations — fuel costs and the cost to process in low margin return ore or reclaiming projects have shown savings between $1.50-$2.50/t in running costs, in comparison to multiple unit processing configurations.
Custom configuration
The buckets can be fitted to either excavators or wheel loaders and instantly converts them into a mobile primary screening and loading plant.
Depending on the model, each bucket is fitted with three or four shafts, which are chain-driven by the on-board, 1400cc heavy-duty, hydraulic motor – powered by the carrier’s hydraulic pressure. These shafts either feature a hammer mill profile for impact crushing and screening or a cam lobe design for screening.
A range of blade and drum sizes are available to provide fragment sizes of 50mm, 75mm, 100mm and 150mm.
Each application is different, so by interchanging drums, the bucket can be configured for optimal undersize and oversize to meet the needs of a particular site.
Built tough to suit these harsh environments, the frame of each Transformer bucket is made from 100pc wear-resistant steel and utilises genuine CAT ground engagement tools, ensuring that replacement teeth can be sourced anywhere in the world. All blades, hammers and bars are hard-metal coated for added durability.
Single step operation
As the Transformer bucket begins processing, the undersize material falls through the bottom screen and can be tipped directly into a truck or processing plant.
The oversize remains in the bucket and can be tipped onto a stock pile or conveyor.
In terms of crushing power, the ALLU buckets can process material rated between 1 and 4 on the Mohs scale.
This typically includes coal, gypsum, dolomite, limestone, sandstone, shale and talc. An added bonus is the bucket’s ability to handle wet material without clogging, which is often a serious challenge in clay-bound areas.
Machine to material
Apart from their diversity, Transformer buckets offer the most portable processing solution available – they allow the machine to go to the pile, the pile no longer needs to be hauled to the machine. This creates significant transport cost savings as haul trucks are not required to bring material to the processing plant and there is no need for an additional excavator to load the hauled material into a fixed crusher.
Such mobility also permits a machine fitted with the Transformer attachment to be quickly and easily transported via low-loader to a satellite location, or even a different site, where it can be put into production immediately.
Again, this eliminates the necessity for a separate remote plant and associated wiring and infrastructure.
Data acquisition
Processing data is of huge value to production and financial personnel and the M-Series buckets tick that box too.
Using ALLU’s proprietary ALLU-DARE data recording system, information such as processed tonnes, bucket count, processing time, total working time, down time, cycle time and even hydraulic temperature can be recorded and viewed via the web app.
This allows the actual throughput of the attachment to be monitored, recorded and included in production schedules, new project quotes and when estimating project finish times, just as it would be from a fixed plant.
Australia-wide
ALLU Transformer buckets are distributed to more than 30 countries around the world and are now available across Australia.
RD Williams is the Australian importer of the ALLU buckets, and has partnered with an experienced network of successful businesses which ensures that all sales, parts and servicing of the Transformer attachments is taken care of by a dedicated dealer in each state.
The network includes:
• Walkers Hammers (Victoria)
• Groundtec (NSW)
• QLD Rock Breakers (QRB) (Qld and NT)
• Total Rockbreaking Solutions (TRS) (WA)
• RAM Equipment (SA); and DLM Machinery (Tasmania).
ALLU’s Transformer attachments provide processing and handling solutions for a number of industries.
Nick Angus from QRB said their unique design delivers increased efficiency and productivity on site, capex savings by eliminating the need for remote processing plants, transport savings with only a low-loader required to move the carrier from location to location and reduced operating expenses from the ‘one operator, one machine, one attachment’ philosophy.