The Premiertrak 400X has long been one of the world’s best-selling jaw crushers, and Powerscreen has built upon this success with the introduction of the Premiertrak 450. In April, A&L McCrae Limited, based in Argyll, Scotland, received the first Premiertrak 450 sold in Europe.
A&L McCrae Limited, established over fifty years ago, has grown from a single owner-operator into a multifaceted civil engineering firm and quarry operator. The company offers a wide range of services, including contract crushing and screening, heavy plant hire, bulk haulage, readmix concrete and the supply of high-quality aggregates from their hard rock and sand & gravel quarries. Renowned for reliable service and a commitment to modernising equipment, A&L McCrae ensures they meet the demands of large-scale projects across Scotland.
Previously, A&L McCrae managed with a single crushing and screening train shared between two quarries. However, the company now faces a large volume of material to process over the next five years. The growing demand necessitates dedicated trains for each site to maintain efficiency and productivity, leading to the recent purchases of a Premiertrak 450 jaw crusher and a Chieftain 1700X inclined screener.
The new Premiertrak 450 is a heavy-duty, quarry-specification jaw crusher designed for the toughest rock. It boasts several improvements over the Premiertrak 400X, including a new hopper design built from 15mm Hardox steel, compared to the 12mm Hardox used in the PT400X. The steeper hydraulic folding hopper sides also increase the capacity to 10.3m³. You won’t find a stronger hopper anywhere else in the market.
The crushing chamber on the Premiertrak 450 has been tilted by 7° to allow better material flow, increasing potential throughput to 450tph. Calum McCrae, Managing Director at A&L McCrae, comments, “We have seen a massive increase in production since the arrival of the new crusher. The redesigned feeder and angle on the chamber have been game changers.”
The Premiertrak 450's highly efficient direct drive system results in lower fuel consumption. Calum has observed significant cost savings, noting, “This machine offers more tonnes for less fuel, with our tonnes crushed per litre rising significantly.”
Calum was first introduced to the machine at the Powerscreen World Dealer Conference in September. “Austin invited us to Italy, where we saw the machine working and immediately knew it was the right fit for us, specially designed to meet the rigorous demands of quarry operations,” he recalls.
Over the past five years, A&L McCrae has worked closely with Blue Machinery (Scotland), replacing their entire crushing and screening fleet with Powerscreen machines. In addition to this Blue Machinery has supplied A&L McCrae with a Terex Wash Plant, two SEMIX concrete batching plants, and various attachments from Murray Plant (a Blue Scotland Company). Calum adds, “We have a very strong working relationship with both the sales team and the service team at Blue Scotland, it’s probably the best backup service we get from any supplier we deal with. I See Blue Scotland as a key business partner in our growth plans in the years to come”.
The acquisition of the Premiertrak 450 marks a significant milestone for A&L McCrae Limited, demonstrating their commitment to operational excellence and efficiency. With this state-of-the-art jaw crusher, the company has significantly boosted its production capacity while reducing fuel consumption. The strong partnership with Blue Machinery (Scotland) has been instrumental in this transition, providing not only world class machinery but also unparalleled support and service.