Breaking, Drilling & Blasting

Italian breaker manufacturer Indeco is pushing the back barriers of breaker design with its new 11tonne HP18000 hydraulic hammer. This is now the world's largest and, according to Indeco, now also the most powerful hydraulic breaker both in terms of size and performance. The HP18000's size and power is designed to suit quarrying operations, for primary winning of material, although it can also be used in secondary breaking, as well as large demolition and tunnelling projects. The unit measures 4.6m long, fe

Noise pollution has become an issue for both construction and quarry sites across Europe. Many equipment manufacturers are looking for ways to minimise the audible impact of their machines and Sandvik is the latest to equip its rigs to tackle the problem. Sandvik's NoiseGuard muffler system has been developed for surface top hammer drilling applications and the company claims that it significantly reduces the level of drilling noise. The system reduces noise emissions by up to 10dB(A) through use of a speci

Astec subsidiary BTi has launched its largest-ever hydraulic hammer with the 5.5tonne BXR150. The company had a prototype of the hammer on display on its stand at ConExpo and the unit is expected to be commercially available soon, following completion of field testing in a California quarry. According to BTi the hammer has an extra long stroke design which improves the power-to-weight ratio. The hammer is designed for use with carriers in the 55 to 100tonnes operating weight range with a flow range of 300 t

Sandvik has added to its hydraulic breaker line-up with the launch of the BR2155, which breaker marketing director Teemu Teelahti said sets new standards in flexibility. "It is an industry first for a breaker with a range of different options to be made available," he said. "The unit also sets new standards in terms of design, with a lube system built into the impactor with no external hoses. The benefit is that the grease is at the same temperature as the breaker so there are no viscosity issues and the op

Development of mechanical drills represented a significant step forward for extracting aggregates. ABE takes a look at the development of the Tampella drill The crushing of rock has always been one of the most difficult tasks for man - the innovation of mechanical hand-held drills was a significant improvement in terms of productivity. Chisel and hammer required two men, but air powered hand-held drills were operated by one man only. Naturally the productivity increased tremendously through the fact that th

Atlas Copco continues to develop its comprehensive range of drilling solutions in the shape of its latest down-the-hole (DTH) rigs as well as adding new compact rigs and new consumables to the line-up. The firm's latest Roc L630 DTH rig benefits from a new feed as well as improved cooling. The new aluminium feed is said to improve hole straightness and quality. It also allows the machine to be made ready for transport more quickly and easily, while the rig also features an upgraded cab with more space than