CASE STUDY

Knife River Corporation

Sauk Rapids, Minnesota
LOCATION
Aggregates: Sand & Gravel
INDUSTRY
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The Challenge

Knife River Corporation’s North Central Division, a leader in the aggregate industry with operations across Northern Minnesota, faced a significant logistical challenge at their St. Cloud, Minnesota site.

With the pit nearing depletion and the site set to be handed over to the local airport authority, the team had only two months to extract as much material as possible. The material had to be transported from the crushing plant to a wash plant located 1,000 feet away.

Traditional methods, such as using haul trucks or assembling multiple shorter transfer conveyors, were either too costly, labor-intensive, or impractical given the tight deadline.

"Once we understood how the system works, how to coordinate the crew and where all the components need to line up, we understood how easy it would be to set it up or dismantle in the future.”

Craig Raske
Aggregate Equipment Manager

The Solution

Knife River found the ideal solution in the Trailblazer®  Conveyor, a one-of-a-kind, fully-belted and assembled groundline portable conveyor system designed by Superior Industries.

The Trailblazer Conveyor, with its 500-foot length, provided a rapid deployment option that could be set up in just an hour, compared to the days or weeks required for traditional stationary conveyors. This system minimized the need for multiple transfer points, reducing potential maintenance issues and energy costs.

Knife River also utilized Superior’s Slide-Pac™ Conveyors to efficiently transfer material from the crusher to the wash plant, further optimizing their operation and ensuring that they could maximize material extraction before the deadline.

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The Results

The deployment of the Trailblazer Conveyor allowed Knife River to meet their material extraction goals within the tight two-month timeframe. The system’s quick setup and teardown capabilities enabled the team to focus on production rather than on cumbersome equipment assembly, significantly reducing labor and maintenance costs. 

By eliminating the need for multiple transfer conveyors and haul trucks, Knife River saved on energy costs and reduced operational complexity. The streamlined material handling setup not only enhanced efficiency but also provided a safer working environment by minimizing the number of machines in operation. 

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