Currently, dozens of companies produce hydraulic hammers of various sizes and modifications, hung as a replaceable working body. It is not surprising that the owners of excavators and other equipment have a question, which hammer should be purchased?
When laying trenches in frozen and rocky soils, when destroying old foundations, demolishing concrete and reinforced concrete structures, when tamping bulk soils in hard-to-reach places, and also in the mining industry, the hydraulic hammers are the best option to crush oversized rocks. They are also used in the building materials industry.
Previously, wedges were used on mechanical excavators and cranes, as well as manual jackhammers and mounted pneumatic hammers for such work. But in connection with the spread of mobile construction machines since the 60s of the last century, as well as with the advent of hydraulic hammers on the market, all these technologies have faded into the background. The experts of earthmoving equipment Australia have all types of necessary tools and equipment that can handle every type of work. So, how to choose a hydraulic hammer for your work? Let’ s have a look.
Table of Content
How to Choose a Hydraulic Hammer?
Take into Account Condition of Work
Determine the Capability of Hammer
Check the Pressure Level of Hydraulic Hammer
Technical Performance of Hydraulic Hammer
Reliable Hammer Design
Maintainability of Hydraulic Hammer
Bottom Line
How to Choose a Hydraulic Hammer?
Take into Account Condition of Work
You need to take into account the upcoming type and conditions of work, as well as the dispersion of objects. If the hydraulic hammer will be used relatively rarely and for small amounts of work, then cheaper models without the highest technical indicators and consumer properties should be preferred. For large volumes of work and intensive operation of a hydraulic hammer, one should choose one to maximize the capabilities of the excavator. The mass of the hydraulic hammer should be approximately 0.1 mass of the excavator, but not exceed the mass of the bucket with soil. The smaller the mass of the hydraulic hammer, the better for the excavator.
Determine the Capability of Hammer
The next indicator that determines the possibility of using a specific model of a hydraulic hammer on an excavator is the flow of working fluid. It is always given in the technical specifications of the hydraulic hammer. This indicator should correspond to the performance of the pump supplying the pressure line. If the pump capacity exceeds the flow rate required for the hammer, then during its operation pressure peaks may occur. It can adversely affect the durability of both the hydraulic hammer and the hydraulic units of the base machine. If the pump supply is less than the minimum flow rate of the hydraulic hammer, then the operation of the latter may be unstable or the hammer will not work at all.
Check the Pressure Level of Hydraulic Hammer
An important indicator is the operating pressure level of the hydraulic hammer. Obviously, the pressure that the pump of the base machine can provide must not be less than the working pressure of the hydraulic hammer. If the maximum pressure of the hydraulic pump is 10-15 or more than the working pressure of the hydraulic hammer, then a secondary safety valve must be provided in the pressure line for supplying the hydraulic hammer. Otherwise, in an abnormal situation, when the pressure will increase, the hydraulic hammer or its parts may fail. Pumps with a power regulator are installed on modern excavators. It reduces the pump flow if the pressure in the hydraulic system exceeds a predetermined value. It is desirable that the value of the working pressure of the hydraulic hammer be lower than the pressure level at which the power regulator starts to operate.
Technical Performance of Hydraulic Hammer
The technical performance of the hydraulic hammer is determined to a large extent by its effective power and the frequency of the impacts. The frequency of impacts depends on the performance of the pump that feeds the hammer and can be adjusted by changing the engine speed. In many cases, the value of the impact energy is not given in the technical specifications. In addition, the value of this indicator is unstable and depends on the performance of the pump of the base machine, the charging pressure of the hydraulic accumulators, and the pneumatic chamber of the hammer. So, you should be aware that the values of the maximum energy and the maximum frequency of impacts are mentioned in the technical specification of hydraulic hammers.
Reliable Hammer Design
Of course, consumers are interested in learning not only about performance but also about the reliability and life of the hammer. These properties are greatly influenced by its design features, as well as production technology and materials used for the manufacture of parts. If the shape and cross-section of parts subjected to shock loads smoothly change, this also helps to increase reliability. Reliability and resource of a hydraulic hammer are higher if it has a self-locking system. This means the hydraulic hammer is automatically turned off when its working tool is not supported by the material being processed. Therefore, it is recommended that you also pay attention to the design and properties of your hydraulic hammers.
Maintainability of Hydraulic Hammer
Important criteria when choosing a hydraulic hammer are ease of maintenance and maintainability. Serviceability is ensured by good accessibility to lubrication points, as well as the ease of replacing working tools. Some models of hydraulic hammers are equipped with devices for automatic lubrication of the tool shank, which reduces the time spent on maintenance. The maintainability of a hydraulic hammer is determined by the ability to replace tool bushings, hydropneumatic accumulators, and a control valve without completely disassembling the hammer. This information can be obtained by reading the instruction manual. It is easier to service the unit if the package includes the necessary accessories for filling the batteries with nitrogen, as well as mounting and dismounting individual parts.
Bottom Line
After choosing a model of fortress equipment or hydraulic hammer, taking into account its technical parameters and other consumer properties. It is necessary to clarify the possibility of its connection to the hydraulic system of the base machine. If you need a tool with high performance for regular use, then it is highly advisable to pay attention to the models of well-known manufacturers. But hydraulic hammers of world-famous manufacturers are guaranteed to have high quality, reliability, and meet declared performance.
