COMMENT
CRUSHING AND SCREENING AT A TURNING POINT
electricity is available. South Africa’s energy environment means there is unlikely to be a single solution for every application. Instead, equipment selection will increasingly depend on the availability and cost of energy at the individual site. Screening is also receiving greater attention as part of the overall production equation. Efficient pre- screening can prevent material that does not require crushing from entering the crusher, reducing wear and energy consumption. The choice of screening media, meanwhile, affects open area, throughput, wear life, maintenance intervals and product quality. This highlights another developing trend: a move towards application- specific equipment rather than standardised solutions. Producers are looking more closely at feed characteristics, moisture, abrasiveness, particle size distribution and the required end product before selecting equipment. The biggest machine is not necessarily the most productive or economical machine. Digitalisation is reinforcing this shift. Telematics, remote monitoring, production tracking and connected equipment are providing operators with more information about machine performance. Data can help identify under-utilised equipment, monitor maintenance requirements and establish the actual cost of producing a tonne. There is also a growing emphasis on retrofitting and extending the life of existing fleets. With capital budgets under pressure, upgrading machines with modern weighing, monitoring, screening or control technologies can sometimes provide a practical route to improved productivity without replacing an entire fleet. For South Africa’s crushing and screening sector, the direction of travel is therefore clear. The market is becoming less focused on machine specifications in isolation and more focused on the performance of the complete production system. That makes this an interesting time for the industry – and an important one for Capital Equipment News . Our role is to look beyond the brochure, examine the technology and, most importantly, ask the question that matters to every operator: what does this equipment actually contribute to the bottom line?
S outh Africa’s crushing and equipment to understanding what that equipment contributes to the cost and productivity of an operation. For quarrying, mining, construction and recycling companies, the fundamentals remain unchanged: material has to be processed reliably, efficiently and at the required specification. What is changing is the number of factors influencing equipment decisions. Cost per tonne is increasingly becoming the key measure The screening market is entering a period in which the conversation is shifting from simply buying
purchase price of a crusher or screen is only the beginning. Fuel or electricity consumption, wear rates, maintenance requirements, production capacity, downtime and machine utilisation can have a far greater impact on the economics of a plant over its working life. This is particularly relevant in South Africa, where operators continue to face pressure from high operating costs, challenging logistics and the need to extract more value from existing assets. Equipment that can deliver consistent production while reducing unnecessary energy consumption and maintenance is consequently attracting greater attention. Mobility is another important trend Mobile and tracked crushing and screening equipment allows contractors and producers to take processing closer to the material rather than transporting large volumes to a fixed plant. For contractors working across multiple projects, the ability to relocate equipment can also improve asset utilisation and reduce infrastructure requirements. At the same time, mobile equipment is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Hybrid and electric drive systems are providing alternatives to conventional diesel power, particularly where reliable
Wilhelm du Plessis - MANAGING EDITOR
capnews@crown.co.za
@CapEquipNews
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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS OCTOBER 2026
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