Western Quarries team explains how Australia’s first 50-tonne Volvo EC550E crawler excavator is helping maximise production at its Dunneworthy site.
Western Quarries was initially founded with an important goal in mind – to offer high quality aggregates that were in high demand for Australian road projects.
At the time, in 2012, there was a gap between supply and demand that needed to be filled to support these vital roadworks.
In September 2015, the company saw its inaugural blast, quickly followed by crushing activities. Today, as the only quarry with a certified NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) laboratory on-site, Western Quarries has been able to enhance quality control at the point of manufacture and ensure swift turnaround times.
Now operating at two sites just outside the western Victorian town of Ararat: Dunneworthy Quarry and Tuckers Hill Quarry, Western Quarries continues to grow, all the while supplying materials to support major road infrastructure projects across regional Victoria.
The company’s product range includes high-quality aggregates and crushed rocks that meet VicRoads standards for use in concrete, asphalt, and road surfacing projects. With a blending plant established in 2016, Western Quarries can supply wet mix and cement-treated crushed rocks, and pre-coated surfacing aggregate.
Western Quarries business manager Paul Griffin was impressed by the company’s dedication to growth, efficiency, and getting the job done safely.
He told Quarry that endeavouring for best practice across all aspects of the business – whether that’s buying the right equipment or maintaining good signage and traffic management – contributes to a safer operation and more satisfied customers.
“My experience so far within the business has been a real eye-opener for me,” Griffin said. “They know how to put everything in the right places – the degree of overall structure within the business is really impressive.”
A decade at Dunneworthy
Leading the way at Western Quarries’ Dunneworthy site is quarry manager, Daryl Potter, who started with the business shortly after its first blast in 2015.
According to Potter the business’ machinery fleet has been standardised Volvo across the board, which he said has made everybody’s life easier.
“We use all Volvo mobile plant here, including three 40-tonne A40G articulated haulers, and three front-end loaders as well,” he said. “The most recent loader is a Volvo L260H wheel loader, which the boys are really happy with. We also have two L220H wheel loaders, which we predominantly use as sales loaders around the quarry.”
And on the frontlines for Potter’s team are two Volvo excavators, a 48-tonner and a 50-tonner – the EC550E.
“The new EC550E has been a really good addition to our fleet,” he said. “We’re getting much better fuel consumption with this excavator compared to our older machine.
Daryl said the new machine is quicker and smoother to operate, with faster load times yielding more overall production.
“Our whole Volvo fleet has been purchased through CJD Equipment,” he said. “We appreciate the ease of having one brand of machine, and CJD is a one-stop shop for whatever we need. Parts are always readily available, and they give us great backup support. It’s a path we’ll continue to go down in the future.
“There is a level of confidence with knowing CJD are just down the road in Melbourne. When we’ve had any issues in the past, CJD has been there to help us out. We couldn’t be any happier.”
CJD support
CJD Equipment regional sales manager Steve Wilson has been with the business for more than 20 years and has been supporting Western Quarries since 2017. He said the Western Quarries team has been impressed by their Volvo machines’ reliability and quality. When it came time for the business to increase its output, he had just the solution for them.
“Western Quarries were after a machine that could load their dump trucks faster to get more product moved, and this was the machine to do that,” Wilson said. “They were initially looking at another EC480D with a larger bucket, but this combination wasn’t really possible. So, I suggested they look at the EC550E.
“The EC550E is Volvo’s first true 50-tonne class machine, offering greater performance and production. This machine has the highest engine power in its class, improved cycle times, exceptional operator comfort, and great fuel efficiency.”
Wilson said the EC550E offers the kind of productivity and performance usually reserved for 60-tonne excavators. Its rugged build and reinforced undercarriage make it a great choice for the toughest conditions.
“Adding the EC550E to the Western Quarries fleet has reduced the number of passes required to fill their dump truck while using less fuel, which provides greater productivity,” Wilson said.
Justin Brasser, one of Western Quarries’ veteran operators, agrees.
“It’s a vast improvement from the smaller machine,” he said. “It’s cut my load times down to two and a half minutes per truck, and burns less fuel for it – between 220 and 240 litres per day,” Brasser said.
“The comfort of the Volvos is far superior too. It’s nice and smooth to operate, and it has a really nice, clean climate-controlled cab. You’ll still feel a lot more comfortable at the end of the day, too. You’re not as worn out.
“That’s my favourite thing about it – it just makes my job a lot easier.”
Maintenance and support
Diesel mechanic and second-in-charge at the Dunneworthy site, Lachie Woods, has around 15 years of mechanical experience.
However, when he joined Western Quarries he was still new to working on heavy machinery.
He said having the opportunity to upskill by working on the latest Volvo equipment has made the transition easy.
“Volvo’s service access points are well laid out on the Volvos, making everything’s easy to get at,” Woods said. “CJD are very easy to deal with when it comes to parts – just a quick email or a phone call and they get things sorted out quickly.
“And their field service team will always get someone out here as soon as they can if we have any issues that are a bit more technical.”
Woods also appreciates his employer’s dedication to frequently rotating its machinery.
“It makes my job much easier, given we’re not running machines into the ground,” he said. “It also helps them maintain their resale value, and avoid any major issues. We just need to keep up with basic servicing and routine maintenance.”
Reliable relationships
Wilson doesn’t take his role as Western Quarries’ trusted CJD regional sales manager for granted.
“I feel the most important thing in this industry is to develop and maintain trusted relationships with customers, and I pride myself on the fact that this drives me,” he said.
“It is also a core belief of CJD Equipment and Volvo, and it’s reflected in how both entities do business: with a focus on the customers’ needs.” •
For more information, visit cjd.com.au
The post How Volvo proved its worth at Western Quarries’ Dunneworthy site appeared first on Quarry.