Stelex Construction Equipment, manufacturerof the renowned Hercules range of trommels, has standardised on Dodge Imperial ISNmounted spherical roller bearings for its new HT182M road-going trommel. Launched at Hillhead 2010, the HT182M is already generatinga very high level of interest in the quarryingindustry. In fact, Stelex sold two machinesduring the course of the event, to customers from Australia and the USA.
One of the major features of the new stone cleaning and sizing machine is deployment flexibility, thanks to the design’s incorporation of a low loader trailer. Aside from deployment flexibility, one of Stelex’s key design parameters for the new trommel was ease ofon-site maintenance. The company therefore chose to standardise on Dodge Imperial ISN bearings for all of the machine’s main rotationalload-bearing parts. These bearings usea patented thin wall push-pull adapter system which can be either metric or imperialsizes and achieves clearance setting without the use of feeler gauges; the bearing can beinstalled or uninstalled simply by turning a locknut clockwise or anticlockwise.
According to Stelex’s Managing Director, Richard Evans, “Every Dodge Imperial ISNbearing does what it says on the box - it canbe installed and uninstalled in less than 15 minutes. What’s more, the bearings can befitted without specialist tools and are supplied pre-lubricated and fully sealed, making them perfect for on-site maintenance purposes. Not that they need replacing very often we are getting in excess of 10,000hours service, which is a very good figure, especiallygiven the aggressive operating environment. We currently use 90mm Dodge Imperial ISN bearings - there are eight of these on the HT182M, which are contained in ISN pillow blocks - but we are also looking at using the 140 mm models on larger trommels in development.”
The HT182M road-going trommel is the ideal solution for cleaning and sizing quarried stone, regardless of location. The machine’s integrated low loader trailer enables it to be driven to the exact point of need on site. It is capable of handling blasted, ripped or as-dug material, and can process up to 500 tonnes/hour. Typical applications include quarry over burden clean up and the removal of fines prior to crushing.
The trommel’s main components are a 42-tonne capacity feed hopper equipped with a variable speed reciprocating trayfeeder, and a 1.8m diameter x 9.8m long screening barrel. The barrel sits on hydraulically-driven support rollers - the main drive pump can be powered by an electric motoror a diesel engine - and its rotational speed can be varied to accommodate different material flow rates. The complete machine sits on support legs or an under-frame, and the desired grade of material is obtained via an extraction hopper placed beneath the appropriate section of the screening barrel.
