South African equipment supplier, Pilot Crushtec’s latest distribution agreement with industrial heavy-weight, Metso, to market its complete range of Jonsson primary and secondary crushing and screening equipment, is a game-changer for the mining sector, which seeks bigger equipment for improved productivity and output.
Metso acquired Swedish mobile crushing and screening solution provider, P.J. Jonsson, in 2018. Founded in 1953, Jonsson has been building and selling mobile tracked crushers since 1998 and has sold over 800 mobile units.
Pilot Crushtec launched the Jonsson range at its customer day on 24th April where it engaged consumers, contracting clients and mining clients on the latest product range.
According to Francois Marais, Sales and Marketing Director at Pilot Crushtec, the Jonsson philosophy is to focus on the most demanding customers who strive for the lowest operating costs and highest levels of productivity. This ties in well with the mining sector, which requires large-scale robust equipment to handle the arduous African mining conditions.
“Over the past three years, several commodities have been experiencing market volatility, which has put mines under pressure to mine cost-effectively. Contractors to the sector have thus been seeking larger equipment to deliver greater output at the lowest cost,” Marais tells Modern Mining.
To capitalise when commodity prices are favourable, mining houses have been enlisting contractors with extensive fleets to mobilise swiftly to site.
Given this scenario, Pilot Crushtec has been seeking new and innovative solutions to meet customer expectations with the latest distribution agreement underpinning the company’s confidence that the Jonsson range will deliver swift return on investment for its customers.
Jonsson product range
The Swedish manufacturer of bespoke multi-stage crushing and screening mobile plants powered by a single diesel engine, offers “a unique opportunity for contractors looking to deploy a single piece of equipment on a small footprint.
“Jonsson is the only manufacturer to build mobile tracked crushers with double crushing processing abilities. There is currently no other manufacturer that produces a similar one-stop offering, which places Pilot Crushtec in a favourable position to meet industry demands. The Jonsson double crusher concept saves on handling, has a single point of power, allows for a smaller plant footprint, and provides complete mobility of a processing plant. It is also available in two power options of full electric or dual power.”
The Jonsson range of crushers is available from a C 120 primary jaw crusher up to a C 160 jaw crusher capable of 1000 t/h.
Apart from its sheer size and ability to deliver as a one-stop shop, the Jonsson range of crushers and screens offers several benefits, including total processing on a single chassis, which translates to low maintenance costs.
Marais explains that the products are built with a high level of attention to detail and include heavy duty construction with thicker hoppers, vibrating motors on chutes and thicker conveyor belting, which equate to an unrivalled heavy-duty mobile tracked crushing and screening plant.
“With the distribution agreement in place, we also become responsible for the after-sales and product service, which is why the team has been through an intensive training programme on the Jonsson product range.”
Marais, who is confident that the company will “finalise at least one sale on the Jonsson range during 2024”, notes that the niche product is favourable for high volume bulk commodities, including iron-ore and manganese as well as being suited to Greenfields projects in remote locations.
“We offer contractors an opportunity to buy a single piece of equipment, at probably less than half the time of setting up a fixed operation, and to begin generating revenue immediately. Given the market volatility across key aspects, such as exchange rates, commodity prices and transport to export markets, we believe that the larger Jonsson range is ideal for the African mining sector.”
Since launching the brand, a year-and-a-half ago, Metso has achieved product success in Australia, the UK and New Zealand with Pilot Crushtec now looking to replicate this success locally.
Mining becomes key for Pilot Crushtec
Discussing mining, Marais explains that for most of Pilot Crushtec’s existence, which spans 34 years, supply of equipment has been dominated by the aggregates sector. However, since 2021 mining has accounted for as much as 70% of equipment sales, with aggregates and recycling accounting for 20% and 10% respectively.
“Equipment sales have historically enjoyed a roughly 50-50 split between aggregates and mining; however, last year was the first time where we experienced an exponential move towards mining as the dominant equipment sales procurer. The current state of the quarrying sector is unstable for us – we have noted an influx of price competitive products from China and India which are beginning to gain traction in the local market.”
With mining emerging as an important segment, Pilot Crushtec continues to re-evaluate how it aids contractors to the mining sector. Some of the key differentiators between the aggregates and mining sectors are the timeframes related to decision making when purchasing large-scale equipment, with the aggregates sector being the more agile. The mining sector though has a greater focus on aftermarket expectations as miners rely heavily on after-sales support and backup spares.
Pilot Crushtec will provide after sales service and support for the Jonsson range from its head office in Jet Park on the East Rand.
