Skip to main content

Kemroc’s chain technology cuts trenches faster

Attachment specialist Kemroc has brought two new cutting systems to Intermat for the first time: its EK range for cutting trenches - and a new system within its Cut & Break (C&B) range which can be used for demolition of civil structures or for rock extraction. “This is the first time we have exhibited the chain cutter in France,” says Klaus Ertmer, Kemroc managing director and the inventor of all the attachments. “Because the cutting head has a chain in the middle, it means that you can dig very small, d
April 23, 2018 Read time: 3 mins
Attachment specialist 8755 Kemroc has brought two new cutting systems to Intermat for the first time: its EK range for cutting trenches - and a new system within its Cut & Break (C&B) range which can be used for demolition of civil structures or for rock extraction.


“This is the first time we have exhibited the chain cutter in France,” says Klaus Ertmer, Kemroc managing director and the inventor of all the attachments. “Because the cutting head has a chain in the middle, it means that you can dig very small, deep trenches with the machine.”

Emroc developed the machine in response to feedback from customers, says Ertmer. Standard cutter attachments have cutting wheels at either edge, and must be moved from one side to another to dig the trench, whereas with the EK tools, a straight cut is possible.  This requires less skill from the excavator or backhoe operator and also speeds up the process.

Ertmer started developing the EK range in 2012, perfecting the chain technology – which has been patented - in the Middle East. “It took us a long time to make the chain reliable,” says Ertmer. “It wasn’t easy.” To date, Kemroc has sold around 60 EK attachments, says Ertmer, largely in the Middle East but also in Europe too.

Visitors to Ertrmer’s stand, which is adjacent to that of its French dealer, Witek, can also see the combination of a slim DMW cutter wheel with its new C&B breaker tool. This system could be used to demolish reinforced concrete structures or for rock extraction.

The DMW wheel is first used to cut slots in the concrete or rock, with the spacing and depth dependent on the material being cut. The wedge-shaped breaker with picks at either side of its tip is then pushed into the grooves to force the concrete or rock apart.

“It makes a good alternative where drill and blast is not possible, due to restrictions on noise or vibration,” says Ertmer. “It can be used for breaking soft or medium-hardness rock.”

Though Ertner designed his first cutting tool attachment in 2000, Kemroc has only been in existence for just over a year - since Atlas Copco acquired Ertmer’s firm Erkat which supplies traditional trenching tools, without the central chain technology. Kemroc supplies markets around the world, says Ertner, including its home country of Germany, Switzerland, North Africa, Japan and the US.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Manitowoc celebrates 90 years of Potain tower cranes
    April 24, 2018
    Manitowoc is celebrating 90 years of Potain tower cranes with its first visit to Intermat since 2009. And it has brought three of its newest tower cranes along: the Hup 32-27, a Hup 40-30 self-erecting crane and the MDT 389, which is the largest topless crane to feature Manitou’s Crane Control System (CCS). Manitowoc shed its food equipment arm, Manitowoc Foodservice, in March 2016 and the last two years have been ‘challenging’, according to executive vice president Aaron Ravenscroft. “It’s a difficult bu
  • High performing compact loaders from Kubota and Volvo CE
    April 12, 2018
    The competitive market for compact loaders is seeing new additions Kubota, SDLG and Volvo CE are now offering compact wheeled loaders that deliver more power and performance than earlier generation models. These compact wheeled loaders are intended to carry out a wide range of tasks and can be used for truck loading or stocking purposes, as well as an array of other duties. Tight turning circles mean that the machines are able to operate on small sites, while the units have long wheelbases for their ove
  • Machine control technology allows more efficient paving
    March 3, 2015
    In the US, a specialist contractor is making savings with new 3D technology for concrete paving. US contractor Gehring Construction is a specialist in concrete paving and is a long-time customer of GOMACO. Having bought its first GOMACO unit in 1973, Gehring has a good deal of experience in this segment. The company is now using some of the latest machine control technology, having bought a Topcon Millimetre GPS 3D stringless system, which has been used on a bypass project around the US city of Colombus. T
  • Dream machines: Machine technology takes productivity to new levels
    September 9, 2016
    The adoption of new technology will boost productivity for machinery users - Colin Sowman writes Since the inception of earthmoving machinery, equipment manufacturers have been striving to make the process faster, quieter, easier and more fuel efficient. Now many manufacturers are looking at ways to improve the efficiency of drive systems to reduce complexity, maintenance and fuel use.