Malta is a small country, but due to its geological characteristics it boasts a high number of quarries containing sedimentary rock. This rock, a type of limestone called calcarenite, is locally known as Globigerina and is used both as a construction material and as an aggregate. The rock has a characteristic compressive strength which ranges from approximately 20 MPa to almost 60 MPa according to the zone.
Because the Maltese archipelago consists of an area of only 316 square meters, many quarries are located near town centers or tourist destinations, so the quarrying method plays an important role; drilling and blasting or using breakers in fact can cause problems to the environment. Simex TF cutter heads, on the other hand, have the dual advantage of minimizing environmental impact and supplying the ideal sizes of material for later processing.
The most important producer on the island purchases a TF 2500
Fahrenheit Freight Forwarders is a major company in Malta and operates in a variety of sectors. One of the company’s activities is the production of aggregates, an area where it plays a prominent role on the island. For one of its quarries, Fahrenheit Freight Forwarders recently purchased a Simex TF 2500 cutter head from our MMT dealer in Catania, Sicily, who also supplied a Case CX490D excavator. The cutter head, also to be coupled to a Case CX470 already part of the company’s fleet, was immediately put to work with optimum results. Despite the fact the operator had no previous experience with the attachment, he managed on the first day to achieve an average production of about 25 cubic meters/hour, a quantity destined to increase as work progresses.
High torque, lower weight
Designed for excavators weighing 40-55 tons thanks to the lower weight compared to the TF 3100, the TF 2500 nevertheless delivers a torque of 31.7 kNm and a cutting force of 83.7 kN. The TF 2500, which has a width of 1000 mm, guarantees the power necessary to tackle the most challenging excavations, and like all cutter heads it is fitted with an integrated large-displacement hydraulic piston motor that assures high efficiency and high torque. Thanks to the double bearings supporting each drum, the shaft transmits only motion and bears no load.