AutoControl is a system that allows the breaker to adjust its output performance based on the material.

Deep beneath the ground in Joliet, Ill., there is a lot of rock to be produced. At Joliet Sand and Gravel, owned by Lafarge North America, this task is undertaken with a great attention to detail and a high degree of professionalism. And there is no doubt that this approach is a necessity since the company transitioned from an above-ground operation to an underground site.

Many operators are facing situations where they have piles of unwanted materials, which they are looking to reduce into concrete and asphalt aggregates without creating a high level of fines. Others are looking for ways to take similar piles and create a well-graded fines output. A discussion of which tool or tools are the right selection for any installation cannot be complete without a resolution of the actual production requirements and the associated revenue and profits per product. Before we can assume any progress in the proper equipment selection, we must decide what needs to be produced and in what quantity.

One of the main benefits of today's cone crusher is the ability to produce a quality shaped material.

A Washington producer upgrades its cone crusher to downsize its portable spread -- realizing cost savings in the process.

An Ohio operation increases yearly production with a new automated plant.

Highland Sand Co. in Crab Orchard, Tenn., produces manufactured sand at its quarry operation. The site produces only manufactured sand, with screened out fines sold as masonry sand.

While piloting his helicopter over east central Alabama about six years ago, Rodney Walker spotted a granite ridge gleaming in the sunlight. To him, this was literally buried treasure. After all, he understood the serious need for additional sources of high-quality aggregate. As a general contractor, he had to haul in material from 40 miles away.

Few people would relate the everyday work of a diamond cutter to that of an operator running a hydraulic breaker in a quarry. While each makes a living working with rock or stone, the similarity between the two occupations seemingly ends there.