MacLeod Construction has marked 20 years as a Sandvik customer by purchasing its third set of crushing machines from the Swedish manufacturer.
MacLeod – based in Lochgilphead, Scotland – has acquired a new QJ341 mobile jaw crusher and a QH332 Hydrocone mobile crusher, complementing its existing Sandvik QA331 tracked screener.
The company was founded in 1975 by twin brothers Murdo and Kenny MacLeod as a traditional house building business, but has successfully embedded modern construction and quarrying practices into its operations.
In 2020 MacLeod employs over 200 people locally and has diversified to include owning and operating two quarries in the locality and a factory in Lochgilphead which produces kits for residential and commercial properties of every size and type. The company has expanded beyond being building and timber kit specialists and into UPVC double-glazing and conservatories.
The need to provide stone and aggregate of the highest quality, at the right time and in the right quantities, has proved to be crucial in the further development of the construction side of the business. Initially MacLeod’s Sandvik crushing machines were used to assist in the delivery of its own construction projects, but the company has now developed to accommodate changes in the industry. MacLeod now uses the machines to stockpile product which is used for a variety of applications and sells aggregates to local councils and other contractors in the area.
Business development manager Greig MacLeod, a second generation family member, says that the business trusts Sandvik for the dependability and versatility of its machines: “The after sales service has been fantastic and that’s why we use Sandvik time and time again. They have local representatives who come out if there’s ever a problem and it’s dealt with very quickly.
“The use of Sandvik equipment allows us to produce the materials we need and to the quality levels our customers need. We predominately crush to 20mm, 40mm and dust which we mix together to get Type 1, the main material we produce.”
The company’s three Sandvik machines can operate together as a crushing and screening train, or separately as independent units. The QJ341 mobile jaw crusher reduces the quarried rock down to a manageable size with the QH332 producing accurately sized and shaped aggregate for use on the building projects. If the material requires further sizing, or cleaning, then the QA331 finishes the process producing three accurate gradings.
The QH332 tracked, self-contained cone crusher is fitted with a CH430 cone and has a hydroset system which provides closed side setting (CSS) adjustment at the touch of a button. The automatic setting regulation system is designed to optimise production and to keep track of liner wear, making it easy to plan liner changes and minimize interruptions in production.
The CH430 cone has choice of six concaves and three eccentric bushes providing a range of throws from 16mm to 36mm, with these providing flexibility regarding CSS ranges, production and material gradation.
Sandvik My Fleet is fitted as standard to McLeod’s latest equipment. This remote monitoring system has been purpose developed to help customers know how to best utilise their plant. Through the collection and accurate monitoring of a wide array of parameters, it is designed to facilitate accurate production forecasting and ensure that the most efficient use is obtained from equipment.
