Abbema: huge Volvo Penta-equipped Metso Lokotrack LT330D

Given the relatively recent surge in demand for construction materials, Benth Winqvist, owner and Managing Director of Abbema, is still congratulating himself on his wise decision more than two years ago to invest in a huge Metso Lokotrack LT330D mobile cone crusher equipped with a Volvo Penta D16 integrated generator power package. By then, his business that had begun as a decade-long side project/hobby was well established as a fully-fledged provider of construction and crushing services in southern Sweden, and business was booming, enjoying a SEK 40 million (USD 4.5 million) turnover. Now, eight of his current 25 machines are crushers – although none of the other seven are quite on the same scale as his new 71,000 kg, 20.5 m-long behemoth. 

“We were already seeing high demand back in mid-2019,” says Winqvist, “so we had to increase our operating capacity. Not only is this big new machine ideally suited to our latest production targets, but it’s also the largest size you can get without having to dismantle it before transporting it to a new site. And also, because we want to be at the forefront as a service provider, we need to stay up-to-date with the most innovative models in the market.” 

Combining a secondary crusher with a three-deck screener on the same chassis, the LT330D is innovative. Typically receiving stone directly from a primary crusher before reprocessing it into smaller sizes, three different fractions of material can be produced simultaneously. With its Nordberg GP330 cone crusher electrically driven to achieve the most economical operation, it usually relies on operating from an external mains power supply – but in Abbema’s case, when its machines can be found working anywhere up to 500 km from their base in Mjölby, this is often not possible. 

Accordingly, Winqvist selected a Volvo Penta D16 as its integrated generator power package, ensuring efficient operation at any time or place. Designed to power a wide range of standby and prime power generator sets, this compact and low-weight inline 6-cylinder, 16.1-liter diesel genset engine features dual-stage turbochargers and heavy-duty steel pistons to ensure excellent power density, providing a prime power equivalent to 596 kWm (mechanical kiloWatts) at 50Hz/1500rpm. “The D16 has proven to be very reliable, and except for during scheduled servicing, it’s almost always running,” enthuses Winqvist. “However, as the quarry environment is very harsh and dusty, we have decided to stick to a 500-hour service interval time rather than the suggested 1,000 hours – we believe it is better to err on the side of caution. Scheduled services make everyone feel secure, particularly since we have had no unplanned downtime in the two years we’ve been running this crusher.” 

With its easily accessible service and maintenance points, the D16 is designed to ensure minimum downtime through ease of servicing. Adam Johnson, the LT3330D’s main operator and person in charge of Daily Logistics has witnessed the benefits of Volvo Penta’s D16 first-hand: “It doesn’t consume much oil or fuel compared with other brands, so it’s much cheaper to run. It’s very strong too, enabling the crushing of 220 tons of small aggregates for concrete and roadbuilding per hour, or 350 tons of large fractions. And the low noise is another welcome benefit!”