Skip to main content

Breaking at the face

Italian customer Marocca Group is using an Indeco HP18000 hydraulic breaker (the heaviest hydraulic breaker on the market at present) for primary demolition at a limestone quarry in Anagni, close to capital Rome. The 40ha quarry produces high grade limestone in 21 different sizes to meet an array of construction needs, and the bespoke fully automated crushing and screening plant is able to process over 500m³/hour of rock. By using the HP18000 in a primary winning application, Marocca Group has also been abl
July 16, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSItalian customer Marocca Group is using an 237 Indeco HP18000 hydraulic breaker (the heaviest hydraulic breaker on the market at present) for primary demolition at a limestone quarry in Anagni, close to capital Rome.

The 40ha quarry produces high grade limestone in 21 different sizes to meet an array of construction needs, and the bespoke fully automated crushing and screening plant is able to process over 500m³/hour of rock.

By using the HP18000 in a primary winning application, Marocca Group has also been able to significantly reduce operating costs by minimising its use of explosives, which are costly and subject to strict regulations. Many quarry operators are keen to cut their reliance on blasting: this has been particularly apparent in Italy, where regulations have long been much tougher than in other European countries.
Comparative research carried out on rock produced from quarries using breakers for primary winning against blasted stone shows other benefits from using hydraulic hammers. Where breakers are used, the stone produced features less micro-cracking and is said to offer high performance in civil engineering applications as it is less likely to feature crack propagation.

The Marocca Group has been using Indeco breakers in its quarries for five years and in addition to the huge HP18000 it also has an HP2500, an HP7500 and an HP12000. Maintenance for its Indeco breakers is provided by Fratelli Alpassi, while for scheduled maintenance and periodic overhaul, the Bari plant also provides servicing.

The HP18000 is being used on a 120tonne 233 Hitachi excavator fitted with a Lenhoff quick coupler. The breaker is mounted on the quick coupler as Marocca also uses a ripper and a bucket on the excavator when required.

According to Marocca, the HP18000 is able to carry out the work of two mid-sized breakers, and it can break up the hardest blocks of materials, enabling it to clean each seam faster, a critical procedure for safety and for restoring the site.
RSS

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Xcentric Ripper adds the XR 80 to its range
    January 6, 2017
    Xcentric Ripper has launched the XR 80 Ripper, the largest excavator attachment in a range of eight models. The XR 80, which has a total weight of almost 10,000kg, has been introduced following successful testing carried out last month in Spain and France. It is designed to be mounted on excavators from 80tonnes to 120tonnes and used in larger quarries and on major construction sites.
  • Xcentric Ripper adds the XR 80 to its range
    April 16, 2012
    Xcentric Ripper has launched the XR 80 Ripper, the largest excavator attachment in a range of eight models. The XR 80, which has a total weight of almost 10,000kg, has been introduced following successful testing carried out last month in Spain and France. It is designed to be mounted on excavators from 80tonnes to 120tonnes and used in larger quarries and on major construction sites.
  • Controlled demolition development
    January 25, 2017
    The development of reliable hydraulic attachments has brought a revolution in demolition technology. The hydraulic breaker, pioneered by the Krupp and Montabert brands, has firmly taken hold with a huge range of manufacturers now offering machines. Hydraulic attachment specialists such as Atlas Copco, Indeco and Sandvik (with its Rammer brand) now offer a range of tools that can deliver high efficiency and safety in demolition work. Meanwhile, developments with smaller tools offer productive methods for rep
  • Indeco hammers carry out key excavation work in Italian tunnel project
    December 2, 2014
    Indeco breakers have been instrumental in excavating the Serra Rotonda Tunnel along the new Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway in southern Italy - Lucio Garofalo reports The A3 Salerno-Reggio-Calabria highway runs for some 443km, linking the A1 Milano-Napoli with the southernmost part of the country. A tunnel is a major link on this highway and was originally built between 1966 and 1974 in an area where road construction can be a challenge due to orography, geology and seismicity. Since 2001, the A3 has bee