by Jon M. Casey
When the need for the addition of a compact, Tier IV portable crusher to Pine Bush Equipment’s (PBE) rental fleet arose, the crusher of choice was an Atlas Copco Powercrusher 2 with the optional HS 1 screen box. “We were looking for a new line of jaw crushers to complement our existing fleet of crushing and screening equipment, a fleet that includes 8 Komatsu crushers,” said Steve Boniface, PBE CEO. “We have had the Komatsu line for years and currently have units in service at various locations in our marketing are. We needed a Tier IV compliant unit and after researching several brands of crusher, we went with the Atlas Copco PC2.”
For dozens of customers who rely on PBE for their heavy equipment needs, PBE hosted an April 26 demonstration at the Fred Adams Excavating facility, adjacent to PBE company headquarters in Holmes, NY, where PBE gave industry professionals the opportunity to see the unit in action. Visitors were able to meet with Atlas Copco company representatives to satisfy their curiosity about how the Powercrusher could help them at their own jobsites. More than fifty attended throughout the morning, during PBE’s normal Saturday business hours.
Holly Bodnar, president, PBE Group noted that Pine Bush Equipment has been proud to represent products within the Atlas Copco family for years, so it was only natural they would look to feature a reliable crusher line.
Configuration and Performance
As a supplement to the Powercrusher, this unit is outfitted with the single-deck HS1 screener. The HS1 screen box has large clearances to help eliminate blockages even when the crusher is producing a high volume of output. The re-circulating conveyor option deposits oversize materials directly back into the hopper of the crusher. Ewald said that the HS1 screen enables customers to produce two salable products, both fines for pre-pavement work and also aggregates for drainage or fill.
Wolfgang Schwaha, Atlas Copco field technician, said that today’s demonstration had the crusher operating at a reduced rate, but when in full production mode, it has a capacity of 330 tons per hour. He said that the Powercrusher PC2 jaw crusher features a unique “Quattro Movement” that causes a figure-8 motion in the moving jaw. That increases the feed capacity and producing a post-crush at the crusher outlet. The initial swing-stroke movement of the jaw gives 100 percent crushing across the entire surface of the jaw plate. The PC2 material inlet is an opening 40 by 28 inches wide.
The HS1 screen box has large clearances to help eliminate blockages even when the crusher is producing a high volume of output. The re-circulating conveyor option deposits oversize materials directly back into the hopper of the crusher. With a jaw adjustment that ranges from 2 to 5.5 inches, a variety of aggregate sizes can be produced. Today’s run with a 1-1/2” screen deck in the HS1, produced a ballast-sized material out of the jaw, with a screened fill material as the second product.
Eric Amberson, Powercrusher product line manager in the U.S., added that the versatility of the equipment is a key feature. “The screen offers the advantage of being able to produce two products from one machine,” he noted. “The PC2 can also create its own spec product out of the end of the jaw when the screen is not attached.”
As a dealership that has evolved since 1956, Pine Bush Equipment has become one of the leading construction equipment providers in the region. Pine Bush Equipment now serves 10 counties in southern New York, the state of Connecticut, Pike County, Pennsylvania and Sussex County, New Jersey. PBE operates from locations in Pine Bush and Holmes, N.Y., and Newington, Conn.
For more information on Pin Bush Equipment, visit their website at PBEINC.com. More information on Atlas Copco may be found at ATLASCOPCO.com.
