Significant equipment orders in Saudi Arabia reflect the success of Astec Industries’ strategic partnership with Riyadh-based Saleh Abdulaziz Al Rashed & Sons Co. (Al Rashed & Sons). The recent contracts also strengthen Astec’s footprint in the Kingdom’s fast-growing mining and aggregates sectors.
Astec entered into a dealer partnership with Al Rashed & Sons in 2022 to enhance and expand the sales and service of its high-quality crushing and materials handling equipment throughout Saudi Arabia, including the Telsmith, Osborn, KPI, BTi and Telestack brands. Al Rashed & Sons operates across six business sectors, with a strong focus on mining and contracting.
The latest orders – for two Astec 2624VM high-frequency screens and a GT125 mobile jaw crushing plant – highlight the growing demand for advanced, high-performance processing solutions in Saudi Arabia and underscore the value of strong in-country support, according to Astec regional sales manager Ricardo Isaacs.
The screens have been commissioned at a quarry operation located approximately an hour outside Riyadh. Isaacs explains that the client required a solution to reduce the number of micro fines in its concrete sand production process, specifically targeting a reduction of 75-micron fines to below 10% at a feed rate of 100 tonnes per hour per screen.
“Our customer evaluated several technologies, including a washing plant, before selecting an Astec screening solution. Working closely with the client, Astec and Al Rashed & Sons conducted multiple flow sheet simulations before determining that the 2624VM High Frequency Screen was the ideal fit for the application.”
Manufactured at Astec’s Brazil facility, the 2624VM utilises high-speed vibration ranging from 3 600 to 4 200 rpm that is directly induced into the screen media. This enables significantly improved screening efficiency at high production rates when compared to conventional screening technologies.
“This technology has made its mark at operations around the world and our customer in Saudi Arabia has been pleased with the screens’ excellent performance to date,” Isaacs says. “Credit must go to our dealer partner, Al Rashed & Sons, for their outstanding work in identifying this opportunity and successfully completing the high-impact project. The success of this installation demonstrates the importance of combining innovative technology with strong local expertise and support.”
Isaacs notes that Al Rashed & Sons is now fully trained and equipped to commission and support Astec High Frequency Screens throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, strengthening aftersales service capabilities for customers across the market.
In a second major order completed through Al Rashed & Sons, Astec has supplied a GT125 mobile jaw crushing plant to a gold mining operation approximately 1 000 km south of Riyadh. The customer needed a reliable primary crushing solution capable of reducing 500 mm feed material down to 125 mm for secondary processing at a throughput of 200 tonnes per hour, explains Isaacs.
“We recommended the Astec GT125 mobile jaw crusher, which was immediately available in Saudi Arabia from dealer stock. This was a critical factor that enabled a rapid response to the client’s operational requirements.
“The GT125 has proved ideally suited to the application and exceeded our customer’s expectations in performance and operational efficiency. It features a class-leading 1½-inch stroke and large flywheels that help reduce peak horsepower requirements while maintaining a powerful crushing performance. This plant’s quick setup and smooth operation enabled the client to begin processing ore within a very short timeframe after delivery.”
Isaacs emphasises the critical role that local dealer inventory and technical support play in ensuring minimal downtime and fast project execution. “Al Rashed & Sons’ ability to hold capital equipment and spare parts inventory in-country was instrumental in meeting our client’s timeline. Equally important was the team’s ability to commission the plant quickly, train operators and provide ongoing technical and spare parts support.”
Al Rashed & Sons commissioned the plant, trained the mine’s operators and continues to provide aftermarket support and technical assistance for the equipment.
“These orders reflect Astec’s commitment to delivering unmatched solutions that improve productivity, efficiency and operational performance for our customers across the Middle East. As Saudi Arabia continues to invest heavily in mining, infrastructure and industrial development under Vision 2030, Astec and Al Rashed & Sons are well positioned to support the Kingdom’s evolving materials processing requirements with advanced technology, strong local expertise and responsive customer support,” Isaacs concludes.
