Athos Crushing and Screening, a sister company to Pilot Crushtec International, recently launched what is believed to be the first fully electric line of mobile crushers and screens in Southern Africa.

The first three units introduced are the Powertrack PT Pro J-11E mobile jaw crusher, the Powertrack PT Pro C-20E mobile cone crusher and the Powertrack PT Pro ST-08E mobile triple-deck screen, with the Powertrack PT Pro SP-08E mobile scalping screen unit expected to be available at a later stage.

“Ahead of the launch, a contractor operating outside South Africa placed an order for two machines, a Powertrack PT Pro J-11E mobile jaw crusher and a Powertrack PT Pro ST-08E mobile triple-deck screen. The machines will be deployed to crush aggregates for the maintenance of haul roads at a mine,” confirms Pilot Crushtec International sales and marketing director Francois Marais.

Marais says there is an increasing recognition of the cost benefits of adopting this technology, especially where grid electricity supply exists.

“The fully electric Powertrack range ushers in a new era in cost efficiency. Firstly, the range comes at a competitive price point. The absence of the diesel engine alone shaves off 30% to 40% of the capital cost compared to comparable diesel units,” Marais says. “Secondly, the elimination of diesel fuel expenses provides significant reduction in operating costs. Based on our own calculations, we expect operators to realise a 40% to 50% cost benefit by running these machines on grid electricity versus diesel.”

The absence of a diesel engine also results in reduced maintenance requirements, since electric motors have fewer moving parts than their diesel counterparts, reducing the need for frequent servicing, oil changes and replacement of components such as filters, explains Athos Crushing and Screening technical support director Jorge Abelho.

“Simplicity is another key feature which makes these machines easy to fault-find and maintain, maximising uptime. The simple nature of these fully electric units also means that there are no specialised skills required to look after the machines. Most existing technicians who have worked on static plants will easily service these machines,” Abelho asserts.