Capital Equipment News June 2022

HYDRAULIC HAMMERS

“Doosan International offers hydraulic hammers ranging from 1 t to 120 t that will fit any excavator, mini excavator, TLB, skidsteer and pedestal boom on mobile or fixed crushers.”

Vinesh Naidu, Montabert sales manager at Doosan International

“Maximum Equipment’s Komac range has redesigned moils and pistons that alleviate blank firing.”

Vaughan Ellis, MD of Maximum Equipment.

Tecman South Africa is seeing a move to simplicity after many years of higher and higher technology in hammers.

Carrier equipment designs When asked how developments in carrier equipment such as excavators, skid-steers and truck loaders are affecting today’s hydraulic hammer designs, Naido says that, due to technological inroads, most of the equipment that carries hammers is equipped with hydraulic piping systems, hydraulic return filter systems, accumulator systems, and electronic switch-over between attachments, and offer the advantage of fixed quick couplers used for change-over between attachments, making hammers an easier option to install. “We supply only plug and play units for 90% of our client base and we insist on complete handover, inclusive in the purchase price. This includes installation, commissioning and on-site product training for operators and maintenance crews,” he says. Bendall says Tecman South Africa is seeing a move to simplicity after many years of higher and higher technology in hammers. “The main requirements are now driven by the compact end where higher back pressures are having to be accepted by hammers. Excavator manufacturers simplify hammer circuits to run through the main control valve on the return line.” Ellis notes that most modern machines have auxiliary hydraulics as standard to cater for hydraulic Hammers. b

“To prevent blank firing, the Tecman hammer range uses simple oil cushion technology with a piston design that is stopped by oil before the piston hits the thrust ring.”

Darrell Bendall, MD of Tecman South Africa.

TALKING POINT

production volumes in shorter times, hammer lifespan and fuel. “Montabert is the only OEM that produces variable speed hammers in 2-speed, 12-speed and 15-speed. Due to variable speed, the hammers offer less stress on the cradles, adaptor plates and excavator booms, pins and bushes as they adjust accordingly to absorb rebound percussions with the help of independent internal suspensions.” Tecman South Africa, on the other hand, has not integrated variable speed technology into its hammers. “We see very little use for it in a production mining environment,” says Bendall. “It is just another layer of complexity that can go wrong.” Blank firing Naidu says blank firing protection is a complex part of the hammer and that,

with the aid of the Montabert system, the hammer will not begin percussion if the actual moil does not have sufficient downward pressure pushing the moil against the piston to effect the hammer operation. “This leads to a huge saving on tool damage and mainly piston strike surface damage common in hammers that don’t have blank firing protection. The heat generation between piston and moil is also kept in check with this system,” he says. Bendall says the Tecman hammer range uses simple oil cushion technology with a piston design that is stopped by oil before the piston hits the thrust ring. “This system is very simple and negates the need to have valving that induces heat and hammer inefficiency,” he says. Maximum Equipment’s Ellis says the company’s Komac range has redesigned moils and pistons that alleviate blank firing.

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JUNE2022 16