Metso's orders up 18 percent, and a complete river gravel plant for Iceland
This week features Sami Takaluoma of Metso, Shannon Putman of Astec, Sarah Martin of Dodge Construction Network, and Joe Gibson of Superior Industries.
Here is what is important:
- Metso's half year: orders up 18 percent, demand holding
- Terex ships a complete river gravel processing plant to Iceland
- June construction starts step back, still up 11 percent on the year
- Watch: the Astec Versa Jet burner with Shannon Putman (3 minutes)
- Superior: the biggest causes of conveyor fires, and how to avoid them
1. Metso's half year: orders up 18 percent, demand holding
This morning Metso published its half year report: second quarter orders up 18 percent to EUR 1.46 billion, Minerals equipment orders up 50 percent, and Aggregates sales up 7 percent with North American demand described as solid. President and CEO Sami Takaluoma pointed to healthy cash generation and a strong balance sheet. The line worth noting is the outlook: Metso expects market activity in Minerals and Aggregates to hold at current levels through the next six months.
2. Terex ships a complete river gravel processing plant to Iceland
On Tuesday Terex MPS detailed a complete plant delivered to a river gravel operation in Iceland. Dredged gravel with feed up to 180 mm runs through an MSF24 modular surge bin and Simplicity variable speed pan feeder into a TG220 cone crusher, then a Canica MV2000 VSI running rock on rock for shape, with Terex Washing Systems dry and horizontal screens splitting the output into multiple saleable products. A clear example of modular building blocks combining into a full washing, crushing, and screening plant.
3. June construction starts step back, still up 11 percent on the year
On Tuesday Dodge Construction Network reported that total construction starts fell 19.9 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.42 trillion, following May's megaproject surge. Director of Economic Research Sarah Martin said starts "came back down to earth" after that run. The year to date picture stays solid: total starts up 11.1 percent, and nonbuilding work up 33.8 percent on data centers, ports, and transit projects. Aggregate demand follows those groundbreakings, so the year to date pipeline matters more than one soft month.
4. Watch: the Astec Versa Jet burner with Shannon Putman (3 minutes)
On Monday Astec posted a 3 minute video on the Versa Jet burner with Shannon Putman, Astec's product manager for combustion systems, on camera in the yard. Putman walks the unit and the features behind efficient operation, reliable performance, and long term value, including the multi fuel flexibility the Versa Jet is named for. If a plant burner is on your replacement horizon, this is three minutes well spent.
5. The biggest causes of conveyor fires, and how to avoid them
Superior published a rundown of what starts conveyor fires and how to prevent them last Friday. Conveyor Components Engineering Manager Joe Gibson notes that most fires come from an external ignition source or from heat the conveyor itself generates: welding slag, failed bearings, seized idlers, belt mistracking. The fixes are unglamorous and effective. Housekeeping around the structure, proper belt tracking, routine idler maintenance, and hot work procedures with a fire watch cover most of the risk.
