Ahosen Palvelut has invested in a top-equipped Lokotrack LT1213S recycling crusher

“By selecting a well-equipped machine, we wanted to ensure that we could crush recycled materials profitably and produce clean end products that are small enough to meet our customers’ needs,” says the CEO and second-generation entrepreneur Joona Ahonen.

“Finnish origin, spare part service in close proximity and maintenance services were the crucial factors affecting our decision. We didn’t want to buy a machine from a manufacturer operating behind the Brexit wall.”

First trial in the freezing weather

The first trial of the new Lokotrack recycling crusher was in the freezing weather of downtown Kuopio at the beginning of February. The machine had to crush approximately 10,000 metric tons of concrete that was heavily reinforced with steel and asphalt. The material was demolished from an old swimming hall.

The site was next to the Niirala ice arena, a bowling center and a residential area. It was therefore important to suppress dust emissions by water sprinkling. Crushing was allowed from 7 am to 6 pm on business days.

Due to the large volume of concrete reinforcing bars, an excavator first went through the material with a magnet attached to it to remove some of the bars. A Volvo excavator with a 1.5 m³ bucket fed the material to the Lokotrack® LT1213S™.

The crusher used the 90-mm setting, and the screen was equipped with 110-mm steel meshes. Overflow was directed from the screen back to the crusher on reclaimers.

A height-adjustable magnetic separator installed in the unloading conveyor separated reinforcing bars from the crushed material before ready aggregates were transferred to a pile conveyor.

Wind sifter removes wood and plastic

Ahonen’s Lokotrack plant is the first machine in Finland to have an efficient Votex wind sifter, fitted to the frame in the factory. It blows away material like wood and plastic that is lighter than concrete. The wind sifter ensures that recycled material is clean, which facilitates recycling.

“The wind sifter seems to work efficiently. It accurately throws even wet pieces of 2x4 timber onto their own pile from the front end of the unloading conveyor,” Joona Ahonen says.

A completely new belt weigh feeder will be retrofitted to Ahonen’s Lokotrack so that the crushed material can always be weighed accurately. It will also be possible to monitor the process remotely.

Continuous production is important

CEO Joona Ahonen saw his new crusher in operation for the first time at the Kuopio site. There was plenty to see and study.

“The start looks promising. The Volvo excavator can scoop material without interruptions, and the unloading conveyor seems to deliver material at a steady pace. Compared with the Citytrack 80 model dating back to the 1990s, the productivity of the new crusher is from another world. In the future, the most important thing for generating profit will be that the machine continues to work with no sudden shutdowns. With the new Lokotrack, we can crush demolition concrete and asphalt, and produce good volumes of clean grades that meet the customers’ needs,” says Ahonen.

From cellulose fiber insulation to demolition contracting

Ahosen Palvelut, established by Tommi Ahonen, became an incorporated company in 2002. At first, it was known for blowing cellulose fiber insulation in Central Finland. Later, the business expanded to high-power vacuuming and demolition.

Currently, the successful business employs approximately 40 people, and is run by the father and three brothers – Joona, Eetu and Samu. Ahosen Palvelut owns a modern 1.7-hectare recycling center in Leppävesi, Laukaa.

“There seems to be a plenty of work in the demolition and recycling business. After Kuopio, our new Lokotrack will travel to Juva and Saarijärvi to crush demolition concrete there,” concludes Joona Ahonen.