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.

In the spacious room-and-pillar mine that has been carved out more than 300 ft. beneath the surface, the company blasts, hauls and crushes material, before conveying it to the surface for stockpiling and shipping. One job that is critical to the safety of the underground working environment is scaling, or the removal of loose material from the face, back and ribs, prior to further drilling and blasting.

Joliet Sand and Gravel, which opened the underground portion of the facility on October 15, 2001, had some success with its existing scaling equipment, but found that it needed bigger, stronger equipment to maximize productivity and perform the job in a more effective manner. So company management and production managers decided to bring on Breaker Technology Inc.'s (BTI) QS Series scaler, designed with BTI's signature components and rugged construction.

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