Skip to main content

Sandvik supporting aggregate production in Panama

Located 40km north of Panama City, Panama Development of Infrastructure (PDI) is assisting the Petaquilla Gold Mine, part of Petaquilla Minerals, in producing high quality aggregates from excavated materials at the mine. In order to support the activities of Petaquilla Minerals, the only mining company currently operating in Panama, PDI is using a selection of Sandvik drilling, crushing and screening equipment, all manufactured by, which has been supplied, and is supported by, Sandvik’s distributor in Pana
February 20, 2014 Read time: 3 mins
Located 40km north of Panama City, Panama Development of Infrastructure (PDI) is assisting the Petaquilla Gold Mine, part of Petaquilla Minerals, in producing high quality aggregates from excavated materials at the mine.

In order to support the activities of Petaquilla Minerals, the only mining company currently operating in Panama, PDI is using a selection of Sandvik drilling, crushing and screening equipment, which has been supplied, and is supported by, Sandvik’s distributor in Panama, Grupo Tecún.  

The Petaquilla Gold Mine is not just a mine, but also a major source of aggregates for the local construction industry. Due to the diverse activities of mining and aggregates production at one site, Petaquilla Minerals identified a requirement for a drilling, crushing and screening solution that was both flexible and adaptable, not only for their demanding requirements, but also to those of their customers. Hence, in seeking a productive and versatile solution for their requirements, the company decided to invest in Sandvik equipment, selecting a DX800 drill rig, a UJ440i mobile crusher and a QA450 triple deck Doublescreen mobile screener.

Of the relationship that has developed with 2403 Sandvik Construction through Grupo Tecún and PDI, David Baralt, general manager and chief operations officer at Servicios Mineros de Petaquilla (Petaquila Minerals), said, “We are seeking friendly suppliers, who understand how their products are connected to our production. We strongly believe in Sandvik for the recognised quality of their equipment worldwide.” As Baralt indicates, it has proved vital for Petaquilla that the world renowned excellence of its purchased Sandvik Construction equipment is supported by a first class after-sales service from Grupo Tecún.

The extensive range of Sandvik mobile crushing and screening equipment is designed for maximum productivity, offering advanced solutions for virtually any crushing application, stationary or mobile. Furthermore Sandvik, due to its global presence, is able to supply key components and a wide range of consumables, all supported by teams of aftermarket professionals who are able to support the equipment wherever it is operating. In Petaquilla’s case, the UJ440i jaw crusher is used to process Andesite rock from the quarry, crushing down from 700mm to 150mm, at an average production rate of between 450-500tonnes/hour. Due to the demanding nature of both the material and the production requirements, the UJ440i operators are able to call on Sandvik’s support via Grupo Tecún in order to ensure that this impressive productivity is maintained. In processing the aggregates, and in addition to the UJ440i crusher, the company also uses a QA450 triple deck Doublescreen, which is able to achieve a production rate of up to 600tonnes/hour, depending upon the material, the feed size, and the required fractions. This highly productive unit provides an extremely flexible solution as it can produce four material sizes, plus an oversize from the grid. The high production capability is due to the patented Doublescreen screen box, which features two independent triple deck screen boxes, with independent drives, that are able to have their amplitudes and screen angles adjusted depending upon application.

The delivery and use of the QJ440i, together with the equally impressive QA450 and DX800, strengthens the position of Sandvik in Central America. The interesting application at the Petaquilla Gold Mine highlights how the faith displayed by the customer in Sandvik’s history and reputation, the quality of the product, and the support provided Grupo Tecún, has presented benefits to all parties, facilitating what is hoped to be many years of successful partnership.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Metso’s a Norwegian big screen legend
    April 2, 2014
    Aggregates producer Franzefoss has turned to Metso as it looks to upgrade capacity on its existing Steinskogen quarry site outside of Oslo, Norway. The new crushing and screening installation from Metso, which Franzefoss is looking to help secure healthy commercial growth, includes design, fabrication, installation and commissioning for secondary and tertiary aggregate production. In addition to the fully automated crusher and screening installation to monitor and ease the control of the operation, the n
  • 'Blinding success' at Welsh quarry
    February 14, 2012
    Wales is renowned for many things but dry weather is not one of them. A combination of being close to the Atlantic and having lots of mountains means that it rains a lot and this is bad news when fine screening limestone using conventional steel wire mesh, which tends to clog and blind over in damp weather.
  • Accuracy from Sandvik’s WX6500 screening media
    April 13, 2018
    NCC Industry in Södra Sandby, Sweden has been using Sandvik’s latest screening media technology, the WX6500, for over a year The company reports that the first fine screening test panels are still in place and performing reliably. NCC Industry's Stone Materials division said that it has long chosen rubber screening media over wire mesh. The choice is crucial in Södra Sandby, where abrasive quartzite produces excessive wear on metal components. Yet despite its preference, the company said that it had stru
  • Powerscreen crushing it at bauma!  
    October 25, 2022
    The high-performance Premiertrak 330 jaw crusher and Chieftain 1700X three-deck incline screen are standout models for Powerscreen.