Keestrack going to ZERO

21 June 2022

Join the e-volution: Keestrack shifts via e-drive to ZERO drive

“At Bauma we will present the next generation of mobile crushing and screening equipment and drive systems, together with new product lines”, says Marcel Kerkhofs, Marketing Manager at Keestrack. “The family-run group expects to increase its worldwide turnover although we are in challenging economic times. Keestrack as a company is expanding: we keep on increasing our production capacity and are recruiting workforce. Currently we have more than 1.000 employees and an international distribution network with more than 116 dealers and service partners in 100 countries” continuous Freek Hoogendoorn CEO of Keestrack.

“Mobile crushing and screening always had a positive impact on sustainability”, says Marcel Kerkhofs. “Keestrack as a company started with manufacturing crushers and screens mainly used in recycling. Due to the lack of raw materials in the Netherlands and Belgium, where Keestrack has its origin, a lot of materials are recycled and urban mining has always been important. Keestrack always used the best economic drive systems to power their equipment and started with load sensing hydraulics from 1999 which reduced the fuel costs with 30%. Keestrack started using electric drives in 2012 and introduced the e-drive; electric plug-in with onboard diesel/gen-set in case there is no electric plug-in possible. Keestrack will keep on searching for the best performance at the lowest costs and with the smallest ecological footprint. Nowadays Keestrack introduced the ZERO-drive machines, without any combustion engines on board. Electric motors drive most of the mobile crushing and screening equipment and powers some necessary hydraulics systems. At this point electric drive systems are the greenest and most effective options on the market, as they are more efficient than conventional hydraulic systems, however Keestrack will keep on searching for even better solutions to drive their equipment”.

Join the e-volution

Throughout the years Keestrack expanded to other industries and is active besides urban mining in the quarrying, mining & aggregates industry by keeping the attention to detail and performance. “As these heavy duty industries need very powerful drive systems Keestrack kept on searching for alternative drive systems. From 2012 we shifted to e-drives and now we are going to ZERO drives and we gear up to protect the planet and save money at the same time”. Kerkhofs continues.

Save by combining; plug-in and plug-out

Keestrack e-drive equipment can run plugged-in to the grid or can be run by the on-board diesel/gen set or by any other generator. The crushers, screens and stackers can all be connected to each other, resulting in even bigger savings. 

Compared to conventional diesel-hydraulic units, diesel-electric driven plants directly save up to 40% of fuel. While working in production trains, the attributable fuel consumption may even decrease by 70% when the hybrid screens and stackers are powered directly via the plug-out supply of an upstream or downstream diesel-electric crusher. When plugged in to the grid savings are even bigger (depending on the local electricity price) as both operational costs and maintenance cost will decrease drastically.

Drop off engine/gen set

Keestrack introduced a few years ago the first drop off module (diesel engine with integrated gen-set) which can power several e-driven machines and can be placed next to the machine instead of build into the chassis of the equipment. Placed a few meters from the machine in a less dusty and vibrant environment, with easier access for service & maintenance.

Tracked engine/generator unit

One step further is the introduction of the tracked engine/generator units. These supply connected Keestrack crushers, screeners and stackers directly with electricity in case there is no plug in connection from the grid available. This way the economic advantages of the complete production train will rise due to using only one engine for several machines. On show at Bauma will be the Keestrack M5 tracked engine unit which carries a Cummins X12 EU Stage V engine and Alternator which delivers 383kW, 450 kVA to drive all electric equipment at 197g/kWh. The tracked engine unit can be a perfect back up for the ZERO drive machines in case they have no electric plug in capacity on site.

ZERO-drive equipment

Keestrack introduced the ZERO drive equipment at the demo days of their Norwegian dealer as the CO2 footprint has become a major decisive factor in public tenders in Norway and Sweden. The ZERO machines do not have a combustion engine on-board, they only have electric motors, resulting in a very high efficiency with low energy requirements and with very little maintenance. The following equipment is available in ZERO-drive: R3e, K4e, K5e, K6e, K7e, S5e, B5e, B7e and the new Tracked Apron feeder A6 which will also be at Bauma.

The Keestrack tracked Apron feeder A6e functions as a buffer with its 15m³ hopper and makes sure the following machine, mostly a stacker, is evenly fed with material. The A6 can be connected to other e-machines .The A6 is easy to position with  2 drive speeds and the hopper can turn 90°, so it is possible to use the hopper in line to the tracks or in 90° position.

Another machine of the ZERO range on show will be the B5e ZERO jaw crusher. Without an onboard combustion engine, the B7e will be driven only by electro motors. At Bauma the B5e will be connected to the tracked engine unit M5. The B5e ZERO jaw crusher has a double deck pre-screen and a feed opening of 1.110 x 750 mm and an outlet adjustment C.S.S. min.-max. 45 – 180 mm and can take a feed size up to 600 mm. Optional the B5e can be equipped in closed circuit with a single deck screen, oversize, recycling and fines conveyor. Also a pre-screening stockpile conveyor is an option on either side of the machine. The jaw crusher is equipped with the patented N.S.S., non-stop system, which protects the crusher from uncrushable feed and resets the C.S.S. automatic.

New redesigned Keestrack R5e impact crusher with drop off engine

The new R5e impactor of Keestrack is now available in full electric plug-in mode or it can be powered via its own drop off engine/gen set unit. The R5e is very mobile and can be transported in one piece even equipped in closed circuit.

The double deck pre-screen ensures perfect screening and the material can be stockpiled by the side conveyors, or can go via the crusher bypass. The impact crusher is driven by a 200kW motor and drives the rotor, with a width of 1.000 mm and a diameter of 1.260 mm, with an extremely high mass moment of inertia, which gives high productivity and stability.

The optional 2-deck precision screen can be placed in closed circuit and the middle and fine fraction can be stockpiled as an additional option.

The R5e can power also other machines with its plug-out functionality. The drop off engine can also be taken off the machine to place it in a less dusty and vibrant environment or you can stock it as a backup when the machine is plugged into the grid.

New Keestrack H7e cone crusher

The biggest machine in the Keestrack range is its new cone crusher. The impressive H7e cone crusher with a heights over 7m, a cone with proven technology of 26t, has a 2-deck pre-screen and 3-deck after screen and weighs fully equipped 92t. The H7e also has the plug-in and plug out possibilities to drive a complete production train via mains connection, or, with the drop off diesel engine/gen set which can be placed away from the machine in a less dusty and vibrant environment. The H7e cone has a feed size up to 250 mm, C.S.S. min. – max. 16 – 48 mm depending on the crusher chamber configuration and a capacity up to 415 t/h.

New Keestrack I4e tracked mobile reversible impact crusher

One of the key products that Keestrack will be presenting at Bauma is the completely new designed Keestrack I4e tracked mobile reversible impact crusher with an advanced diesel-electric drive concept. Thanks to the innovative RIC (Reversible Impact Crusher) technology, this machine can be used very flexible in the secondary and tertiary crushing of rock and recycling building materials (e.g. Asphalt). The specific design of the reversible horizontal impact crusher with a large variable crushing chamber, powerful rotor (Ø 1100 mm; 4 blow bars) and electronically monitored hydraulic gap adjustment (+80 to -220 mm with new tools) allows feed sizes of up to 250 mm and ensures consistently high-quality end products of up to 0/2 mm in closed circuit. Secondary and tertiary crushing can be now combined in one highly mobile solution, which makes the Keestrack I4e a real alternative to mobile cone crushers or vertical impact crushers, especially with regard to its outstanding production capacities from 100 to 250 t/h. According to Keestrack, the system offers also lower wear, better quality of the end products (grain shape) and significant energy savings in typical applications (e.g. sand production 0/4 mm: approx. -30% compared to cone crushers; -30 to -40% compared to VSI impact crushers) also due to the advanced diesel-electric drive concept.

The material enters the hopper of the I4e, the loading apron feeder, which grants no loss of fine material and ensures a long life time is then gradually feeding the reversable loading conveyor which has an integrated metal detector. When metal is detected the conveyor reverses and a drum magnet separates only the metal.

The compact system (transport dimensions: 15.270  x 3.000 x 3.310 mm), weighing 42 t includes a single-deck after screen with return conveyor of oversized material. The closed circuit ensures a production of 100% final material with very high quality for any European norms!     

As with other Keestrack large crushers (Cone crushers H4e / H6e/H7e, Jaw crusher B7e), the drive unit with 447 kW diesel engine and 300 kVa generator is designed as a removable drop-off module. Electric drives for the crusher (160 kW), feeders and conveyor belts as well as the system hydraulics enable particularly cost-efficient and emission-free plug-in network operation. Three specific patents illustrate the innovative potential of the new Keestrack I4e concept.

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