Weight reduction campaign accelerated Lokotrack® crusher’s rise to bestseller status

“Compact transport dimensions and a weight suitable for trailer transport are key factors for successful crushing operations, and at the same time major challenges in equipment design. We managed to reduce the weight of our most popular Lokotrack® jaw crusher by around 10 tons, which helped turn the LT105 model into a true bestseller worldwide,” says Kari Rikkonen.

Rikkonen, who holds a Master of Science in Engineering, has accumulated crushing industry experience across five decades at Metso and its predecessors. After completing his thesis, he contributed to the design of wagon-mounted plants, the conceptualization of the first Lokotrack model, and later to the development of serial production and local operations management.

“After the invention of the Lokotrack crusher, things moved quickly. Soon, there were already around twenty different track-mounted crusher models available. By the turn of the millennium, annual production of the Lokotrack LT105 jaw crusher launched in 1995 had exceeded one hundred units,” Rikkonen recalls.

“The unit was especially popular in Germany and Japan, where markets for recycling crushing were beginning to emerge. Initially sold under the name Citytrack, the LT105 could efficiently crush not only hard rock but also demolition concrete, brick, and asphalt. Later, the most popular recycling crusher became the LT1213S impact crusher model, equipped with a screen,” Rikkonen adds.

Finland emerged as a hub for mobile crushing expertise

Around 40 years ago, the potential of track-mounted crushers was being explored not only in Finland but also across other Nordic countries. Lokomo’s Norwegian representative, Haahjem, manufactured over one hundred Belteknusere track-mounted crushers equipped with C100 jaw crushers. Early track-mounted concepts were also being developed in Sweden.

So why did Finland and Lokotrack clearly win the Nordic product development race?

“In a country like Finland, with long distances between sites, 80–90% of crushing used to be done with wheel-mounted units. There were only a handful of large, fixed crushing plants. That’s why the transition from wheels to tracks happened relatively naturally here,” Rikkonen explains.

“Another key factor was Lokomo’s experience in excavator manufacturing, particularly with diesel engines and hydraulics. We weren’t afraid to move away from electric-powered units. As a result, we captured the Nordic market with Lokotrack crushers in just three years,” he adds.

Assembly time from weeks to hours

In the early days of Lokotrack production, assembling a single unit could take several weeks. As demand grew, production processes had to be restructured to meet the increasing volume.

Rikkonen played a key role in designing a fast-assembly production line for the popular Lokotrack models weighing under 50 tons.

“The foundation of fast production lies in modular design. The assembly line starts with a frame and track base, onto which the crusher, engine package, conveyors, and customer-specified options, such as a magnet for separating metal from crushed material, are installed. Depending on shift arrangements, a Lokotrack unit can move through the fast-assembly line in just 24 to 32 hours,” Rikkonen explains.

More electricity and remote operation ahead

What might the Lokotrack crusher look like 40 years from now?

“Lokotrack crushers will run on electricity, supplied by a separate battery pack mounted on tracks or wheels. The battery will last for one to two work shifts before being recharged overnight. Hydrogen, produced using low-cost electricity, may also become a more common power source. Lokotrack could operate fully autonomously, or at least be remotely controlled, possibly even via drone. Crushing will still rely on jaw and cone crusher technology. It would take a major technological revolution to move beyond compressive crushing,” Rikkonen predicts.