South Africa-based supplier of quarrying and mining equipment Pilot Crushtec says that its dealer in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, Sanland Equipment, reports a rapid uptake of the Pilot Modular VS100 vertical shaft impactor (VSI) since its market launch in 2021.

Sanland Equipment’s Trevor Heaphy says Twister VSI crushers have, in the past two decades, proven to be cost-effective and high-performance solutions for tertiary and quaternary crushing requirements in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Heaphy notes that, since its introduction in 2021, the Pilot Modular VS100 has been particularly successful in the New Zealand market, with five units delivered in just under two years. The machines are predominantly deployed in hard rock quarrying and sand processing applications.

“In our market, sand has traditionally been obtained from natural sources such as coastlines. However, in recent years, sourcing sand from riverbanks and shorelines has been severely restricted because of the dire environmental consequences. On the back of growing demand for manufactured sand, the VS100 is proving to be the ideal solution for sand processing operations,” he says. “In addition, customers are pleased with its ability to enhance the shape and quality of aggregates.”

One of the success factors of the VS100 in this market is its size, says Heaphy. With a production capacity up to 100 t/h, the machine is ideally suited to the size of customer operations and production requirements found in this market, he adds. “The VS100 is also the right fit for our market because of the 110 kW rated power. In the Pacific Islands, for example, some of the countries are very small and don’t have power reticulation to run anything bigger than that.”

Heaphy highlights that a key benefit of the machine is the hydraulic lid lifting. The hydraulic pack opens and automatically rotates the lid, revealing the modular rock chamber and rotor, making daily inspections easy.

Heaphy also makes special mention of the on-board jib crane installed as a standard item for safe removal of the rotor.

“The VS100 has a special design focus on ease of maintenance. The discharge chute on the machine is primarily rubber, which reduces wear. The adjustment of the motor for belt tensioning purposes is also very easy. It’s also important to point out the smart design and simple operations of the crusher,” he says.

Safety features of the VS100 include a new inclined staircase and a three-sided platform that is both non-slippery and chemical-resistant. The galvanised handrails and non-metallic walkways are of particular benefit to New Zealand and Pacific Islands customers, where machines are susceptible to rust.

Sanland Equipment says that it keeps a substantial stock of wear- and spare parts, as well as major components such as complete rotor and bearing sub-assemblies.

Pilot Crushtec sales and marketing director Francois Marais adds that another key feature of the Pilot VS100 is the modular rock chamber, which allows you to go from autogenous crushing to anvil ring crushing configuration, and is designed for efficient rock-box build up.