Kuljetus ja Kuormaus Judin Oy expanded to crushing with Lokotracks

 “We are happy not to be forced to say ‘no can do’ to our customers: now that we have the two Metso Lokotracks, we can offer crushed stone for every need. We are learning the ropes of crushing, and the start seems promising,” says Kari Judin, the managing director of Kuljetus ja Kuormaus Judin Oy.

Judin works in the company that was established in 1983 with his four sons. Early this year, they made a major investment decision when they decided to expand their operations from traditional transport and earth construction to crushing and screening.

They did not dawdle: the first brand new Lokotracks, an LT106 jaw crusher plant and an LT220D gyratory crusher and screen plant, were started in July at a site close to the center of Kontiolahti.

Manufacturing zero-based end products at almost 300 metric tons per hour

When Kristian Judin, who is in charge of the company’s crushing operations, arrives at the gravel pit, it does not take him long to have the double-stage Lokotrack process running at full speed, quickly crushing and screening egg-shaped boulders into zero-based end products of 0–16 mm and 0–32 mm.

The LT106 is operated at a setting of 76 mm, efficiently scalping the gravel already before the crusher. The crushed stone goes from there to the LT220D screen and then to the GP220 gyratory crusher, where the 27 mm setting guarantees a sufficient end product size. Overflow goes via the screen back into the crusher.

“At this setting, we are producing more than 270 metric tons of end products including 0–30 mm materials. In future, we will expand the jaw setting to 90 mm and the gyratory crusher to 27 mm. With these settings, we should reach a capacity of 300 metric tons,” says Kristian Judin.

Saving fuel

The new Lokotracks have proven economical in terms of fuel consumption. The jaw crusher has consumed some 14 liters and the intermediate plant consisting of a gyratory crusher and a screen some 31 liters per hour. This means that the entire chain consumes around 45 liters per hour.

“In addition to the low fuel consumption level, we are satisfied with our decision to select a Finnish manufacturer. The machines are modern, the process control works, and the machines can understand each other when connected with a cable. Maintenance and spare parts are never far away and we can do our business in Finnish. In addition, the machines are easy to move, as both of them can be moved without the need to apply for any special permits and without dismantling any parts,” Kari Judin says.

“We were especially pleased with the commissioning project, during which Metso’s maintenance personnel stayed at the site for several days. The Lokotracks are also environmentally friendly: their rubber-lined feeder reduces noise and the dust removing system is efficient. In addition, the charts provided by Metso’s Bruno tool, which exactly simulate the processes, are an excellent addition to offers,” he adds.

Care-free operation with extended warranty

Kuljetus ja Kuormaus Judin acquired for the Lokotracks an extended warranty of five years and 10,000 hours that includes periodic inspections, original wear parts, and the replacement of parts. The LT220D has been equipped for the first time with a bleed-off filter that keeps the crusher oil clean and multiplies the oil replacement interval.

“We have five trucks, two tractor units, and other machines. We always have enough to work on, which is why leaving the crushers to Metso’s experts seemed a great idea. As soon as we have learned more about crushing, we plan to tour around the province and also include cement sand into our delivery product portfolio,” Kari Judin explains the future of the company’s crushing operations. 

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