A rig-mounted hydraulic breaker from Chicago Pneumatic has enabled an Indian metal quarry to increase productivity by 40%.
After purchasing an RX14 medium hydraulic breaker from the US-based construction equipment manufacturer, Sushmit quarry claims to have experienced significant savings on its operational costs.
The blue metal quarry, which is located in the Indian state of Gujarat, bought the breaker to minimise the number of secondary drillings it was conducting. Secondary drillings are time consuming and expensive procedures that are often needed to shape metal boulders so they can be fed into crushers.
The RX14 hydraulic breaker has a service weight of 800kg and an impact rate ranging from 650 to 850 blows per minute. The breaker is constructed from the fewest number of components possible, and uses a recoil-absorbing and polyurethane-insulated breaker box system to minimise noise emissions. The device also features an internal control valve for higher efficiency and a power booster for improved performance.
With over 5,000 hours of work to date, Sushmit’s RX14 has helped to improve efficiency and productivity at the quarry. The number of secondary drillings performed has fallen by 80% and the quarry’s consumption of explosives for use in breaking operations has also been significantly reduced.
“My top priority was to produce metal with lower operational costs, so I chose Chicago Pneumatic equipment, which has – for decades – had a strong reputation in the Indian market,” said Sushmit quarry director Monish Patel. “After reading about the RX14 breaker, I was impressed to hear about its innovative features, including a new double body system and a compact design with fewer moving parts.”
Patel purchased the unit after witnessing an onsite demonstration. He claims the RX14 has increased his quarry’s overall productivity by 40%.