Penn Jersey Reverses Barrier To Productivity

Penn Jersey Building Materials is retiring dated central mixed equipment at its Egg Harbor (N.J.) Township operation in favor of a dual alley dry/wet

Don Marsh

Penn Jersey Building Materials is retiring dated central mixed equipment at its Egg Harbor (N.J.) Township operation in favor of a dual alley dry/wet plant geared for speed and high performance mix production. The reversing drum is the technology of the future for central mixed, notes Penn Jersey General Manager Gerry Brangenberg. We see greater energy efficiency, lower operating costs and less chance for equipment outage when comparing this new plant to our old tilting drum models.

Offering higher material storage capacity and much flexibility with central or transit mixed production mode, the new equipment has helped kick off the spring season at an operation 10 minutes from the Atlantic City boardwalk. As the main market supplier, Penn Jersey/Egg Harbor has dispatched thousands of loads to oceanfront casino sites, most recently the Borgata and Revel. The new plant is equipped with a 12-yd. RollMaster mixer, which discharges material when the drum Û mounted on four rubber rollers Û is placed in reverse. Fully enclosed, the equipment replaces two structures, each with 6-yd. tilting drum mixers that required two-step loading for the bulk of deliveries.

Permit-issuing township officials were receptive to Penn Jersey’s proposal of a new, single-plant configuration with overhead storage of lower profile than the existing iron. Montreal-based BMH Systems designed, fabricated and erected the new plant, including the RollMaster, plus 355-ton/six-compartment aggregate and 400-ton/four-compartment cement bins. Penn Jersey staff handled foundation and electrical work. Construction proceeded while the adjacent existing plant ran as usual from late-2007 through April. The old equipment, silos and all, will be demolished later this year once the new plant is fully tweaked.

In addition to ready mixed, the Egg Harbor site has a concrete crushing and recycling operation and building materials yard. Penn Jersey has three other ready mixed plants Û one central, two transit mixed Û and a concrete masonry business, Dial Block. The latter, along with a transit mixed plant, is located at the 1,500-acre site of sister company, Tucker Sand & Gravel, in Tuckahoe, N.J. Mining in a region short on rock reserves, Tucker is among Garden State producers that have supply and haul/backhaul contracts with quarries in eastern Pennsylvania, where sand deposits are scarce.