New QH443E electric cone crusher ticks all the boxes for Carrickamore Quarries

Voted the best recycled aggregates supplier in 2026 in the Irish Enterprise Awards, Carrickamore Quarries has been delivering quality products to customers in the road, construction and farming industries across the northeast of Ireland for more than a quarter of a century.

Headed up by owner and manager Phil Connolly, the company, which is also fully licensed to recycle concrete and other construction materials, prides itself on its commitment to sustainability and community engagement, striving to operate in an environmentally responsible manner, minimising its impact on the surrounding ecosystem.

It is that focused approach that attracted the business to the Sandvik brand. “A couple of years back, we took a strategic decision that any machinery we would invest in going forward into the future would have to meet our requirements of mobility, fuel efficiency, sustainability, and consideration of the environment,” said Phil Connolly. “It would also have to stand the test of time as it would represent a major investment for us.

Cost effective & reliable

“When we began our search for a new cone crusher in 2025, we were looking for a supplier who had a good track record in offering cost effective and reliable equipment that met those demands. It wasn’t long before we realised that Sandvik ticked all the boxes, leading us to trial a new QH443E electric prototype machine.”

That trial lasted around eight months, during which time the team at Carrickamore Quarries became increasingly impressed with how the electric driven cone crusher handled the hard Greywacke volcanic sandstone being extracted from the site.

“We saw very quickly that the prototype offered high productivity, low emissions, fuel efficiency and reliability,” added Phil. “And something that we perhaps didn’t expect was the quality and very good shape of the finished material, so at the beginning of this year we took the plunge and purchased this new QH443E cone, which you can now see working here. It’s essentially the same as the prototype, but with a few improvements and refinements, and to date we are very happy with it. It is working very well and is doing everything we expect of it.”

Versatile & operator friendly

One of the first QH443E cone crushers sold globally since its launch, it has been designed with a focus on sustainability and productivity – characteristics that attracted Carrickamore Quarries to it in the first place – and it represents a significant step towards bridging the gap between tracked mobile, wheeled portable, and stationary plants by combining electric drives and track mobility on a single platform.

Versatile and operator friendly, the QH443E features a new and improved heavy duty feeder design and is equipped with electrically driven components. Its advanced design allows for operation through a connection to an external electrical grid supply or on-board generator, providing flexibility and reducing operational costs.

In addition, the integration of the latest generation of fuel-efficient engines further enhances flexibility, allowing the unit to be operated via HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) or diesel when required, leading to lowering emissions and operating noise.

The electrification of the onboard components means that running the QH443E via the genset can result in up to 25% fuel savings and a 78% reduction in hydraulic oil usage compared with previous generations.

Its robust design, featuring a unibody mainframe and premium components, ensures durability and strength. The load-sensing system for the feeder drive, camera, and level sensor guarantees continuous crushing, while the choice of chambers, throws, and settings allows for customization to suit a wide range of applications.

Precision crushing is made possible thanks to the renowned versatility and reliability of the Sandvik CH440 Hydrocone, Constant Liner Performance, and Hydroset CSS adjustment, while its Optik™ intuitive automation system and My Fleet remote monitoring provide fleet management, geo-fencing, and remote operator support.

Safety comes first at Sandvik

Safety is paramount in the design of the QH443E. The unit includes multiple platforms and ladders with self-locking gates giving 270° access around the crusher for easy inspection and maintenance, remote camera viewing of the crushing chamber, and mandatory audible and visual warnings for safe operation while tracking and start-up / shut down. There are also emergency stop buttons and conveyor pull stop cords around the plant, in addition to LED lighting for low ambient conditions.

So successful has been the new Sandvik QH443E in boosting productivity at the quarry that the company had to invest in a new Sandvik QA452e hybrid screen to help handle the increased output.

Retec Equipment provide excellent service & support

As we mentioned earlier, Carrickamore Quarries acquired the new crusher – as well as the screen - from family owned Retec Equipment which was established in 2019 by Ronan Herity who has a long history of experience working in the industry.

Carrickamore Quarries enjoy a very good relationship with Retec Equipment, dealing in the main with the company’s Iain Herity and his team. Iain has worked in the crushing and screening industry for his whole adult life, and it is that knowledge that is regarded key to Retec Equipment’s continued growth and sustainability.

“We are very happy with the service and support from Retec Equipment and from Sandvik,” said Phil. He continues,

The new equipment has given our business a real boost and helped us to become even more efficient and productive in terms of tonnes per hour and cost savings.

Phil says going forward, if ever they need to invest in more equipment in the future, they would strongly consider Sandvik as they have proved they are a quality supplier of reliable and robust equipment.

For further information, please contact:

Retec Equipment
Tel: 0203 9835099 
Email: sales@retecequipment.com, www.retecequipment.com

Melissa Baker, Marketing Communications
Sandvik Rock Processing, Mobile Crushers and Screens
Email: melissa.baker@sandvik.com