Article_Index

Comparing hydraulic breakers Published 10/27/2009

Most demolition, utility or general contractors understand that while one hydraulic breaker can handle a given project, another may be needed for a different job. Usually what contractors are most interested to know is how hard a breaker hits — or, more scientifically, how much impact energy it can produce.

A typical breaker spec sheet includes impact rate, working tool diameter, operating specifications and a weight range of appropriate carriers. But things can get complicated with power output claims that are often just based on estimates. Click here to read more.

Cutting up: scrap processors now use hydraulic attachments for processing in addition to their loading and unloading functions Published 02/3/2007

Recyclers of scrap metal have long used lifting magnets and grapples to unload and load scrap, as well as to move it within the yard and feed it to larger processing equipment. Magnets and grapples remain on the job in those capacities at scrap yards, but they have been joined by growing numbers of hydraulic shears (and on demolition sites, shear hybrids) that also process and prepare scrap to increase its value. The shear market has been hot for the last several years, as demolition scrap and other forms of obsolete scrap flow into scrap facilities where yard managers are eager to quickly turn this stream into marketable secondary commodities. Click here to read more.

The Management Challenge: Equipment Profession Facing Management Reset

Published on Construction Equipment (http://www.constructionequipment.com)

By Rod Sutton, Editorial Director Tue, 2011-02-01

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Read other installments in the series: In-House vs. Outsourced Maintenance

The prolonged downturn has forced the nation into an economic reset as government, businesses and citizens adjust to what many are calling the new financial realities. The construction industry has struggled even more with these new realities. Organizations are emphasizing the financial management of their equipment assets, and equipment executives find themselves with more responsibility for and involvement in tasks that directly affect the bottom line.

This is not a recent development, although the recession has clarified and intensified it. Equipment management has been moving in this direction for nearly 15 years. The new realities of asset management, however, are forcing a management reset for fleets and managers. Click here to read more.

Excavators: Regulations split market in two

Written by Chris Sleight - 17 Jun 2011

Visitors to construction equipment exhibitions like Samoter, Smopyc and ConExpo earlier this year would have seen the first in a new range of excavators from many of the sector's leading players. These have been launched in response to the new US Interim Tier 4 regulations on exhaust emissions, and the equivalent European legislation, Stage IIIB.

The key change from the previous laws (Tier 3/Stage IIIA) is that manufacturers have had to make a massive cut in the amount of particulate matter (PM) emissions - the visible black soot that comes out of a machine's exhaust pipe. To achieve this, manufacturers have added to emissions reductions systems they already had in place, with aftertreatment modules into the exhaust system - devices like diesel particulate filters (DPFs) that physically trap and burn-off the soot. Click here to read more.

Hydraulic Breaker Maintenance Published 06/6/2007

All hydraulic breakers, regardless of design or manufacturer, have the task of shattering, cracking or splitting material. The assignment isn't exactly gentle on the equipment. Wear and tear is an outright certainty, so maintaining the breaker is vital to keeping it running at peak efficiency.

Little can be done to prevent a breaker from eventually meeting its demise years down the road. But the life cycle and performance of a given unit can be greatly enhanced through proper maintenance, which can be viewed from three separate perspectives: routine maintenance by the contractor, periodic rebuilds by the manufacturer and preventative maintenance features within the breaker itself. Click here to read more.

Hydraulic Breakers: Better Than Ever At Bustin' Hard Stuff Published 10/1/2006

Considering all the tough jobs that mounted hydraulic breakers can take on, it's no wonder why these powerful tools are so popular. Chores range from demolishing buildings, to removing cracked sidewalks; from trenching in rock, to breaking frozen ground for utility repairs; and from secondary reduction of blasted material in quarries, to selectively uncovering pockets of ore in large mines.

Unofficial estimates place North America's current annual mounted-breaker market between 10,000 and 15,000 units — a market shared by a multitude of brand names. Many of the familiar names, however, are the result of private-labeling agreements in which, for example, an excavator or skid-steer-loader manufacturer places its own brand on products purchased from a breaker manufacturer. Click here to read more.

Impacting Hydraulic Breaker Longevity Published 06/11/2007

Rock has literally been around forever. Breaking rock is still a work in progress, but the evolution of breaker technology over the years has made the task considerably easier. New and improved features of hydraulic breaker attachments have even allowed some breakers to work in applications where they otherwise could not. These features directly influence performance and can also have a tremendous impact on the longevity of a breaker.

The different environments in which breakers must work present a variety of challenges, almost all of which can be overcome with the right technology. Noise level regulations and the density of the material to be broken are just two of many potential issues. While almost any breaker on the market can accomplish the basic task of breaking material, not every breaker will have the same service life or perform up to the requirements of a specific job. Click here to read more.

The Management Challenge: In-House vs. Outsourced Maintenance __________________________________________________________________________________________
Read other installments in the series: Equipment Profession Facing Management Reset

Published on Construction Equipment (http://www.constructionequipment.com)

The care and maintenance of each piece of heavy iron in a fleet directly affects the balance sheet of all departments in the organization. Fleet management is more and more about asset management, and whether equipment professionals choose to build a team to keep maintenance operations in-house or turn maintenance and repair tasks over to their dealers, they are still looking for an ownership experience built on reasonable costs, maximum equipment uptime, and reliability.

To meet the challenges of more complicated machines, new data-collection technologies, new diagnostic tools, and ever-changing environmental and economic rules, the “shop and yard” segment of Mike Vorster’s management hexagon needs dedicated attention. Some organizations are putting maintenance under secondary leadership; others are looking for outside expertise. These changes are driving the features and benefits of equipment management business models. Click here to read more.

Owning Hydraulic Breakers – Five Important Points Published 12/27/2008

They give a beating and they take one. They leave a job site much different than when they arrived. They are destructive, which is why contractors like them so much.

Hydraulic breakers turn compact loaders and excavators into powerful demolition machines, breaking concrete, asphalt, rock and other materials. Often, these materials need to be removed before replacement or new construction can begin. That means contractors who use hydraulic breakers are under deadline. Like any piece of equipment, keeping a hydraulic breaker maintained is the key to keeping it running productively so contractors can stay on schedule. Running a hydraulic breaker correctly makes it easier to maintain. Click here to read more.

Proper Maintenance Key to Hydraulic Breaker Life, Performance Published 06/11/2007

As tough as hydraulic breakers are, they still demand a crack maintenance program to keep them hammering away. All hydraulic breakers, regardless of design or manufacturer, have the task of shattering, cracking or splitting material. The assignment isn't exactly gentle on the equipment. Wear and tear is an outright certainty, so maintaining the breaker is vital to keeping it running at peak efficiency.

Breakers will eventually fail after years of service, but the life cycle and performance of a given unit can be greatly enhanced through proper maintenance, which can be viewed from three separate perspectives: routine maintenance by the contractor, periodic rebuilds by the manufacturer, and preventative maintenance features within the breaker itself. Click here to read more.

Boom ends - the latest in demolition attachments Written by Lindsay Gale - 01 Jun 2011

The last two years have been challenging for attachment suppliers, with demand reported to be as low as 50% of that experienced during 'the good times' experienced up to 2007. Since 2008, contractors have not been buying and making the most of what they already had. However, there are signs that market conditions for suppliers in this sector are beginning to improve at last, even if recovery seems patchy in geographical terms.

Stanley Hydraulic Tools is one company that is more optimistic than in past months. At the National Demolition Association convention in Las Vegas, Lou Maggio told D&Ri: "Europe is rebounding, with stronger growth to be seen in the UK and Germany, although in Spain conditions are still challenging. In the US, it is the scrap sector that is fuelling demand, with the demolition sector still slow. Scrap prices are strong following their sharp dip last year, driven by a lack of supply." He went on to say that: "providing oil prices do not get of hand, we are positive about the potential for sales in 2011." Click here to read more.

Equipment Executive: Three Decisions for Parts Management

Published on Construction Equipment (http://www.constructionequipment.com)

The companies that seriously manage their spare parts are likely to be the ones that survive in the long run. Parts costs for most construction equipment, especially dirt fleets, run about two-thirds (yes, 67 percent) of all repair costs. That’s way too important to mismanage or manage casually. All the equipment supervision and managers in the company should be on the same page for these three parts questions:

1. Do we use OEM-supplied or aftermarket parts?
2. At what levels should the organization stock parts?
3. Will we use remanufactured parts?

Some dealer salesmen like to refer to non-OEM as “spurious” or “will fit parts,” but these are negative descriptions that I don’t accept. Non-OEM or aftermarket parts have a real place in any fleet that closely manages its operating costs. Aftermarket parts generally run anywhere from 25 to 50 percent less than OEM parts. This is even more important for fleets than run equipment to its full economic life because those fleets will use more parts. Click here to read more.

Using a Hydraulic Hammer as a Primary Breaker Published 02/3/2007

Using a hydraulic hammer instead of explosives to free rock from the quarry face occasionally has been reported in some European operations but is virtually unheard of in North America. However, as hammers and carriers increase in size and durability, sound attenuation is improved, and residential and business developments encroach upon urban quarries, there may be a few applications where hammers work. According to Krupp Bautechnik (now Atlas Copco), a German manufacturer of hammers, field results reveal five advantages to using a hammer for primary breaking. Click here to read more.

New Lubricator Pump for Hydraulic Breakers

HAMMERDOCTOR.COM is now offering the new HTL 429 Lubricator Pump for hydraulic tools. Designed to deliver precise lubrication each time a hammer or other hydraulically driven tool cycles, the pump is ideal for construction OEMs, hydraulic hammer retrofits, demolition attachments and medium to large breakers/hammers.

The pump is manufactured by Lincoln of St. Louis, Missouri, a world leader in the manufacture and sale of lubrication and pumping equipment for use in vehicle service and industry. Click here to read more.