Bogaevsky Karyer JSC gains productivity and efficiency

Goal: producing better quality and larger quantity

Bogaevsky Karyer JSC, one of the largest enterprises for the processing of aggregates in Russia, was founded in 1997 in the Moscow region. The core business of the enterprise is the development of the Bogaevsky site of the Oreshkinskoye deposit of sand and gravel mix and its processing to manufacture aggregate building materials, such as class II crushed stone, gravel, and sand. Its total capacity reaches approximately 5.5 million m3 of finished GOST-compliant products annually.

The high level of demand for the finished products (class I and II sand, washed crushed stone of gravel fractions 5–20 mm, 20–40 mm, and washed gravel fraction 3–10 mm) encouraged the management of Bogaevsky Karyer to improve the production efficiency. This was done by increasing the output of aggregates, reducing production costs and improving the end product quality. The aim was achieved through effective Metso Outotec Primesite™ solution.

Reorganizing the production flow

To reduce the number of machinery units involved in daily operations (including excavators and loaders) and the personnel number and to enhance the capacity of operational units, Bogaevsky Karyer management decided to replace three crushing and screening plants (DSF-1, DSF-2 and DSF-3) and one mobile washing and screening facility with a single advanced crushing and screening plant, capable of processing the high production volume of the open pit to the end of its life, for the estimated 25 years.  

To achieve the goal, our experts proposed to Bogaevsky Karyer management to reorganize the production flow and to convert the whole process based on four production stations into a single process flow based on a single crushing and screening plant in the shortest possible time.

The design development started in 2017, and, in March 2019, the plant was put into operation. “It was critical for the customer to complete all construction and installation works during the winter period to be able to reach the design capacity in the early spring of 2019. It was possible to meet the tight deadline due to close cooperation between Metso installation supervision personnel and the customer’s team”, says Alexander Soldatov, Metso Outotec Project Manager.

Primesite solution included developing the complete operating procedure, designing the crushing and screening facility of the required capacity, including the cutting-edge conveyor system to transfer the material from one handling stage to another, and the automatic process control system, and construction, installation and pre-commissioning works within the agreed period.

The enterprise has been successfully operating for more than half a year employing the new process flow, demonstrating high performance and gaining recognition from its product consumers.

Automation brings additional benefits

The Bogaevsky Karyer crushing and screening plant is fully automatic, which enables mitigating the risks related to human factors and reducing downtime for maintenance. For example, Metso Outotec experts provided an automatic calibration feature for cone crushers, performed by the control circuit based on the extent of wear of cone crusher linings, which helps saving time for equipment maintenance and adjustment.

In order to ensure smooth and proper operation of the new equipment, a team of engineering and technical specialists was created at the Bogaevsky open pit and trained by Metso Outotec experts to efficiently operate the facilities.

Maintenance of the plant equipment now requires only one hour per shift. Besides, it is always possible to invite engineers from the Metso Outotec representative office in Russia. “It is critical that we fulfill our obligations and carefully maintain the equipment entrusted to us. This is why the efficiency of all our equipment is very high”, comments Igor Gorbunov, General Director of Bogaevsky Karyer JSC.

"Moreover, all the spare parts we use are supplied by the OEM – Metso Outotec. It is like in that saying: we are not rich enough to buy cheap materials. We understand that it is better to pay more for an expensive spare part today and be sure that tomorrow it will operate properly and not fail.”

With the optimal organization of processes with the business partners, the spare parts delivery to Bogaevsky open pit from the warehouse in St. Petersburg takes no more than eight hours.

Obvious success: enhanced productivity and efficiency

By building the new crushing and screening plant, Bogaevsky open pit managed to successfully achieve its two goals: improving productivity while increasing production efficiency. This resulted in reduced equipment fleet and service manpower requirement.

"Let the numbers speak for themselves: the cost of production has become lower, the production volumes have tripled, and the capacity is now higher. We currently produce 5,500 m3 of finished products per shift. For reference: before the reorganization, we used to handle 8,000 m3 of sand and gravel mixture daily, today we handle about 11,500 m3. The average volume of products we ship today is 25,000 m3 per day. In the past, the crushed stone flakiness was 25–28, now it is 12-15. The crushing ratio didn’t exceed 65%, now it is 85–90%. “We have achieved the desired production capacity in just two months of operation with the employment of the new process flow”, says Gorbunov.

“The crushing and screening plant built in partnership with the Metso Outotec team is a tight-knit, unique and exciting project brought to life through large-scale investments."

"Metso Outotec Primesite solution includes not only recommendation of equipment but also the complete customized engineering of the plant, the supply of machines, conveyors and related steel structures, as well as project management, site supervision and commissioning. With decades of experience in crushing and screening, our process and automation expertise, combined with wide offering of equipment, service and parts, we can truly offer a one stop shop in Metso Outotec”, summarizes Bruno Peix, Vice President, Systems, Aggregates, Metso Outotec.