Power Plant with Pop-Up Control House

In the midst of these highly productive plants is the heart of the system: the diesel generator with switchgear for every electric motor, and a push button control console mounted in the control house. The control house is approximately 8’ square with safety glass windows on all four sides for excellent visibility, extra large windows on three sides, a trap door for access from the trailer and a separate rear door to access the walkway which extends over to the jaw crusher. The trailer houses the genset, fuel tank, electrical motor control center, and the control house with its hydraulic raise and lowering mechanism. It also provides sufficient space for maintenance tools and supplies on-site. Insulated and air conditioned, the control house provides the creature comforts that enable the operator to concentrate on material flow through the system.

Frank Frattalone went on to discuss the recycle market in the Twin Cities area. While there are several recycling operations around the cities, there are only three major contractors offering custom crushing.  Frank is actually his own biggest customer. He generates most of his own material, and uses the majority of it on his various projects. Frank maintains a recycling center under the name Fra-Dor, located in Little Canada, Minnesota. Here they accept concrete rubble and ripped asphalt with a $2 per yard tipping fee and $5 per yard for reinforced concrete (comparable to C&D landfill charges). Their primary product is a Class 5 aggregate which sells for about $4 per ton in the Twin City area. They also produce a sewer stone (3” minus), and have the ability to simultaneously produce three sized products if necessary.

Frank intends to move his recycling system about six times in any given year. Portability is a concern, but productivity is paramount. The dual crusher system is the most cost-effective way to produce high tonnage, and the Cedarapids system allows it to be done with very little down time and minimal wear cost.

During our visit to the job site, I also had an opportunity to speak with Todd Tiffany, the plant superintendent. Todd has been associated with crushing and screening equipment for about 18 years and has worked with several of the Twin City operations. According to Todd, this is the only closed-circuit crushing and screening system owned by F M Frattalone Excavating.

Todd was with F M Frattalone Excavating when the Cedarapids Recycling System was delivered. He said the system was much easier to commission than the Nordberg HP300 he worked with in 1994.  

Todd also had experience with a larger Telsmith model 57 cone that proved to be a very unforgiving crusher (known for breaking the brass). He remarked that the Telsmith offered high capacity, but down time was a problem. The Nordberg HP300, in Todd's estimation, just didn’t compare to the MVP380 for throughput capacity.

Todd also appreciates the layout of the entire system. He commented on the ability to adjust the system from making only Class 5 to producing sewer rock with less than one hour of down time. The cross conveyor designed into the secondary plant is reversible. By simply repositioning a stacking conveyor, Todd can interrupt the closed-circuit operation and take the crusher-run from the Rollercone, and stockpile 3” minus sewer rock--all while the plant continues to make Class 5 aggregate through the screen.

Todd is working with a crew that has been with him since the system was delivered last August. Since then they have processed more than 85,000 tons with this equipment. Most of that was processed at their home site at Little Canada, where they also employ another in-line magnet and have processing tools (a hydraulic breaker and pulverizer) on hand. Once the job at the airport is finished they expect to move to a new location near Maplewood, Minnesota. Frank has a land development project underway in Maplewood, and has a sizable pile of recyclable concrete ready and waiting.

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