Whether it’s used for paving highways or producing asphalt mix, heavy machinery and the stewardship of that equipment is paramount for our success. Lehman-Roberts, a Granite Company, hosts a Total Process Reliability (TPR) program that demonstrates our core values through proper care and maintenance of our tools of the trade. In line with this, we aim to celebrate the people and teams who are excelling in this display of stewardship.
Recently, we saw the root of this program in action at Asphalt Plant 5, located in Memphis, TN, with the rebuilding of the site’s aggregate crusher unit. Essentially, this crusher is utilized to break down chunk and milled RAP into smaller, more manageable pieces for fractionating and use in our hot-mix asphalt (HMA) products.
VP of Production John Paul Finerson summarized, “Maintenance Superintendent Richard Shankle and his team of Bobby Runions, Dennis Knight, and contractor JGM (Trey Guy and Jarred Shields as primary leads on this project) did a fantastic job of revamping the old Rebel crusher at Plant 5. They left no stone unturned on this project. They, and our other contractors, are the unsung heroes that keep our plants producing. They are typically tasked with minimal patching and repairs to get everyone back to work. When allowed the time, they were able to display all of their skills by bringing this piece back to new condition.”
He continued, “While a new crusher unit was installed, the rest of this 1987 unit was renewed by this team, and that saved the company a considerable amount of money. This was a TPR project that wasn’t the typical one-week project, but the end result turned out truly phenomenal. It should be set for the next generation.”
Assistant Maintenance Superintendents Bobby Runions and Dennis Knight shared insight on the benefits and ease of use this new crusher unit would provide. They explained, “The entire process spanned March through June. To summarize such an in-depth process, the team completely removed the old crusher and reconstructed several portions of the unit (shakers and conveyors) and additional safety guards.”
They added, “The other crusher was a model that was decades old and worn out. Instead of buying a new crusher and putting it on the same frame, we decided to craft a more stable setup. In short, this model is safer and simpler to take apart and fix up.”
Bobby highlighted, “This set-up is maintenance-friendly, and the newly built frame supports good housekeeping on the plant site. Not only will it keep our team safer, but it should also save us money in the long run since the design allows for ease of access when changing parts.”
