Fully electric: customer crushes gravel with RM crusher using power from the grid

RM customer Welbers in Wemb, North Rhine-Westphalia, crushes up to 110 tonnes of gravel per hour with their RM 100GO! hybrid, fully electric, connected to the grid. The results speak for themselves because fully electric drive reduces energy costs by around 50%, the total operating costs by 11% per year, and it also protects the environment. The family-owned business also benefits from maximum flexibility. Thanks to the hybrid crusher, they can crush other materials, such as C&D waste, in addition to fully electric gravel processing.

Welbers in Germany have been operating a sand and gravel plant for generations. In July 2023, they purchased their first crusher, an RM 100GO! hybrid, to process gravel to the highest quality 0-16 fraction final aggregate. The reason is that the cone crushers they used to hire cannot achieve the quality of results achieved by impact crushers. “With the new RM 100GO! hybrid, we get a much better geometry of aggregate compared to the cone crushers we used to use. Asphalt adheres better and decorative chippings look better; essential criteria for our customers, who range from landscape gardeners and building contractors to private consumers,” says Jonathan Schaffers, Managing Director of Welbers Kieswerke GmbH.

Impressive trials on the company’s premises

Although the German company was initially sceptical about the performance of the RM crusher, a test run in May dispelled their concerns. The long-standing RM dealer Christophel, a competent partner and supplier of mobile processing technology with plenty of experience in gravel plants, organised a test run directly on the customer’s site to demonstrate how the RM 100GO! processes 16-40 mm gravel and oversize feed material of 32-130 mm to produce the highest quality 0-16 mm final aggregate. In addition to processing gravel, Welbers also tested the machine briefly with C&D waste. Indeed, the machine confirmed what many satisfied RM machine owners from the surroundings have already discovered: a finished 0-45 mm final aggregate, as well as a screened oversize aggregate at a high output with good operating costs. The impressive results convinced the customer, and they ordered their RM 100GO! hybrid at the end of May.

Protect the environment and save on fuel costs with hybrid drive

The aim of leaving land in better condition from an ecologically standpoint than it was before excavation started, has always been the philosophy of the Welbers’ family business. That is why they decided to go for the hybrid version of the RM crusher, in addition to capitalising on the grid connection they already had on site. Now nothing stands in the way of emission-free, fully electric operation. An attractive side advantage is the saving on running costs: already high fuel costs are reduced by using electricity. Since taking delivery of the new machine in June, it has already saved EUR 1000 on diesel.

Previously, hardly anybody processed gravel fully electrically using mobile crushers. If you have an existing connection to the grid, however, this is easier than you might have thought. To power the crusher, Schaffers first connects the 15-metre cable to the grid transformer station and then to the crusher. This simple step sees the machine ready for action in just a few minutes. “We are very satisfied with the crusher because it really delivers the performance it promises in electric mode and does an excellent job of processing gravel,” says Schaffers.

Maximum flexibility & mobility

In addition to cost efficiency and reducing emissions, Schaffers appreciates the additional advantages in terms of the flexibility and mobility of the hybrid crusher. Because the crusher is mounted on a chassis with crawler gear, they can move from processing gravel in electric mode to crushing 0-45 fraction C&D waste directly on site in diesel mode. In contrast to the processing of C&D waste being outsourced, as it was previously, this can now be done flexibly and independently at any location. This level of mobility paired with low-emission drive technology is something that the owner really appreciates. Particularly with regard to the new substitute building materials directive, which took effect in Germany at the beginning of August 2023, because now the company’s major advantage is that they no longer have to constantly obtain proof of suitability from external service providers, but can do that themselves.

They have processed several thousand tonnes of gravel since July, and all without fuel. The company plans to follow a processing schedule, whereby every couple of months C&D waste will be crushed for two to three weeks. The rest of the time they will process gravel in fully electric mode. They will therefore crush around 40,000 tonnes of gravel a year using power from the grid. “The RM 100GO! hybrid is ideal for handling both process applications: C&D waste and natural stone. I am delighted we have found Welbers the perfect solution, which is both cost-efficient and environmentally friendly,” says Christian Knepperges, Sales Manager at C. Christophel GmbH.