Power to crush!

Volvo Penta is providing power and performance to aggregates company McCloskey International

Volvo Penta is providing power and performance to aggregates company McCloskey International. McCloskey is using a D13 engine in one of its mighty jaw crushers, currently operating in Ballycastle Quarry, Northern Ireland.

Machine operator Gary Mooney is at the controls of a McCloskey jaw crusher. Against the dusty backdrop of Ballycastle Quarry in Northern Ireland, this mighty machine is moving in close again to collect more rock, just blasted from the quarry face. Featuring a Volvo Penta D13 engine, it’s a combination that matches power and performance under extreme conditions.

“It’s a seriously impressive machine – that needs an equally impressive engine. It has just the right power to cope with the tough, repetitive work we put it through,” says Mooney. “We’re under a lot of pressure to deliver, so knowing that we have the right power onboard from the start makes operators like me very happy.”

After initial blasting, the rock from the quarry face is fed through the crusher. The stones are then lifted from a screener to make chippings. These are transported from the quarry and used in the construction industry for concrete, tarmac and other purposes. 

When the McCloskey jaw crusher is not hard at work at the Ballycastle quarry, it can be found working on recycling applications. According to Neill Suitor, Engineering Director at McCloskey International, it’s the torque that sets the Volvo Penta engines apart. 

“The engines have great torque curves, which make a good difference to the running of our machines. They have the ability to keep the machine running under the tough conditions they work in,” he says. 

The demands of one recent assignment in Arklow, County Wicklow required additional Volvo Penta horsepower. 

“The jaw crusher was originally built with a 360Hp D11 engine,” adds Neill. “The rock in Arklow was so hard we uprated the engine to the current 510Hp D13 and an uprated hydraulic drive to transmit an additional 100Hp to the crusher. The productivity increased significantly, and the fuel consumption actually reduced.”

The relationship between Volvo Penta and McCloskey International goes back several years, and McCloskey employ five different power ranges of Volvo Penta engines in their range of jaw crushers. 

“Volvo Penta work alongside us and guide us to the best solution and aid the initial design process right through to after sales support and backup. We are planning ahead together,” says Neill.