Prichard’s is one of Wales’s largest family-run, privately owned multidisciplinary businesses, specialising in demolition, recycling, rail, remediation and civil engineering. Located in the South of Wales, Pant-y-Ffynnon Quarry, also known as Seth Hill Quarry, is home to one of four recycling facilities operated by Prichard’s. It produces a wide range of aggregates including high-quality crushed carboniferous limestone. This supports construction, recycling, environmental remediation, earthworks, rail, demolition and support services for both public and private sectors.
Finlay Jaw Crusher Allows Single-Pass Processing
Prior to adding the Finlay J-1280 hybrid jaw crusher, Prichard’s operated a train consisting of the I-140RS impact crusher and both a 693+ and 694+ inclined screener. Whilst effective, this setup required aggregate to be processed twice to achieve the high standards that Prichard’s demands.
The introduction of the J-1280 primary jaw crusher has eliminated this need, allowing for single-pass processing, which significantly improves efficiency. Prichard’s also utilises a Finlay C-1540 cone crusher to complete the train and produce a high-quality chippings product with a consistent shape and size.
Significant Savings on Fuel
With a 1200 mm x 820 mm jaw chamber, and a hopper capacity of 9.3 m³, the J-1280 jaw crusher has substantially increased production at Seth Hill Quarry. Additionally, thanks to its hybrid features, including an onboard electric drive, Prichard’s has been able to lower their cost per tonne while increasing output. As Mark Lunn, crusher operator at the quarry, explains, “This is now our primary crusher for the site, and we are seeing great fuel savings. We’re really happy with the tonnage.”
Crusher operator Mark Lang, who is hands-on with the machine every day, agrees: “We’re seeing consistent fuel savings with the hybrid,” he explains. “We’re producing our target tonnage figures comfortably. And when you add in the reliability and ease of use it’s exactly what we need for the conditions we work in.”
Hybrid Power Lowers Costs Without Compromise
Guided by Molson Finlay sales manager for the South West, Gareth Johnson, the team quickly identified the J-1280 jaw crusher as the best solution for Prichard’s requirements at Seth Hill.
What sets this unit apart is its hybrid setup, giving operators the flexibility to run on mains electricity where available, significantly lowering both running costs and environmental impact. This hybrid flexibility is essential for sites like Seth Hill, where the infrastructure can vary, enabling the company to futureproof their operations with confidence.
Backed by £ 16 million worth of Parts in Stock
“The service and backup for parts is very reliable,” Mark remarked. “Whenever we need anything, Molson is quick to respond.” You may assume that this is a given, but sadly it is not, despite the harsh working environments of the industry that create a situation where a reliable source of consumables and spare parts is essential to keep operations running. With over £16 million worth of parts in stock, strategically positioned across their nationwide network of service centres, Molson is in a unique position to support their customers in the quarrying and aggregates sector.
“It isn’t enough to have the right parts on the shelf, we need to get those parts into our customers’ hands when they need them,” says Gareth. “A big part of achieving that is knowing our customers’ machines, and having the industry experience to make sure we guide them to the right solution.”
As anyone running heavy equipment will have experienced, this process is littered with complexities. With many machines having different part numbers for the same model of the same year, and the only way to find the right one is by the machine’s serial number.
A Bespoke Parts Platform Makes it Easy
Molson stands out from its competitors by creating a team of experts who can guide customers to the right solution. This is backed up by a new bespoke spare parts platform that is available to customers and the Molson team. The Molson team have the knowledge, tools and infrastructure to get the parts required fast, significantly reducing customer downtime. .
“Our new parts platform is a great tool for our customers to find the exact part, right down to the nuts and bolts they need,” explains Gareth. “Whether they have their own engineers or they use our service team, they can view their fleet of machines, click into the one they require parts for and even use schematic diagrams to drill down to the exact parts needed. This is backed by an Amazon-style checkout system and order tracking, making it easy to use, and telling them exactly when their parts will arrive.”
Investing in the Future
As demand for high-quality aggregates continues to grow, Prichard’s are strategically investing in the latest equipment. This ensures they can continue to meet the needs of their customers by keeping their costs competitive, without compromising on product quality, and all at scale.
With the Finlay J-1280 jaw crusher now a key part of their fleet, supported by the Molson Finlay parts department, they are well-positioned to deliver both productivity and sustainability in their quarrying operations.
