Innovative Products

Cat B Series Hammers

The modern worksite requires a unique mixture of impressive high-end performance, versatility, safety and precision. All of which are the foundations and hallmarks of the Cat range.

Yet it is often the attachments and in particular the hammers that are used on Cat loaders, backhoe loaders and excavators of all sizes that see the machines excel in a broad range of applications from civil construction, road building, earthmoving, quarrying and mining.

Three models recently added to the Cat hammer range include the top mount B20, B30 and B35, which are ideally suited to the Cat medium excavator range – a range that has been extremely successful here in Australia.

“B20,B30 and B35 hammers will change nomenclature from Jan 2019; H120GC, H130GC and H140GC will be new name replace B20, B30 and B35.

“Additionally, there will be H120GCs, H130GCs and H140GCs added to Australia and New Zealand market from second quarter 2019.

“New H120GCs,H130GCs and H140GCs will have Silence Body, Auto Lubrication and Anti blank firing features which are critical to those customers working in municipal construction sites where silence model hammer is compulsory,” Cat Work Tools Consultant, Jason Zhang said.

“Regardless of the application, hydraulic hammers are designed to ensure high-level productivity on site. With the ability to be quickly attached to an excavator, a hammer can ensure work continues in trenchingor earthmoving when rocks or tough conditions are encountered, and of course, they are a primary tool in quarrying and mining operations.”

Jason said it was important to choose the right hammer for the application and the carrier.

“This B Series not only expands the Cat Hammer range but combines optimum power-to-weight ratio with simplicity and cost effectiveness for users in municipal, general construction, demolition, quarrying and mining tasks.

“Importantly, these new B Series hammers feature a range of design and build features that will be familiar to Caterpillar customers and draw on our 20 years of experience in developing hammers to deliver long-term performance and durability.”

Key Features

Stand out features of the new B Series include a weld-free mount and the ability to regulate hydraulic flow, which helps protect both the carrier and the hammer.

“Cat B Series hammers are built for everyday tasks on any worksite. Tasks that will add huge time saving features allowing projects to surge forward with enhanced capabilities and progress,” Jason explained.

“The new Hammer range combines design simplicity with straightforward features to ensure productivity, durability, ease of use and serviceability whether in trenching or rock breaking tasks.

“Most importantly they are user-friendly and deliver excellent performance.”

Cat B Series hammers are designed with mounting bracket lines and valves to specifically suit fitment to Cat linkages on Cat excavators, and they may readily be fitted on machines of other brands in certain applications.

The B20 model has an operation weight range of 1826kg to 1866kg and is suitable for excavators such as the Cat 320D through to the 326D.

The B30 has an operation weight range of 2364kg to 2384kg and is an ideal match for the 326D to the 330D range of excavators.

“The B35 has an operation weight range of 3017kg to 3074kg and is suitable for carriers ranging from the 330D to the 40 tonne, 340D. The B35 also features a 153mm tool diameter offering impact rates – or blows per minute – ranging from 250 to 550,” Jason said.

“The B20 features a 135mm tool diameter combined with 400–800 blows per minute while the B30 offers a 150mm tool and a BPM range from 350 to 700.”

All models run 62 bar accumulator pressure to absorb hammer pulses and require hydraulic operating pressure of 160 to 180 bar. The rated flow ranges from 125 litres per minute to 220 litres per minute.

“It is important to match the hammer to the application in the first instance to ensure success in managing the materials on the job-site. It is also important to note that attaching a larger hammer than needed will not necessarily deliver the results you are after. There is a relationship between the size of the hammer and the rock in primary or secondary breaking tasks,” Jason explained.

The Right Hammer

“Matching the right hammer to the application and the carrier will also improve production and should help lower operating costs.

In combination with the right carrier will better withstand hammer wear and fatigue,” Jason said.

“B Series hammers are uniquely designed with a larger N2 gas chamber, which delivers greater breaking power and absorption of piston recoil. This improves the tie-rod life while the lower pressure N2 gas chamber design increases N2 gas retention and extends N2 gas recharge intervals,” Jason said.

The B Series hammers also feature a stroke adjuster meaning the speed or frequency of the hammer blow can also be easily adjusted to suit the specific applications and deliver the best productivity.

“A hammer with a stroke adjuster means the operator can match the hammer blow frequency – or blows per minute – to the material hardness,” Jason said.

“Adjusting the strike rate to the optimum level reduces energy being transferred back to the carrier, improves productivity and reduces unnecessary wear and tear on both the hammer and the carrier.

“Key to ensuring productivity is the range of tools available to suit the B Series from cones, moils and chisels to a blunt tool that is suitable for most demolition tasks and primary rock breaking.

“Operators should also understand that blunt tools are designed to direct force in all directions compared to a pointed cone, moil or chisel-style tool. This makes them most suitable for breaking oversize rocks because it allows the operator to better position the tool on larger material. Chisel style or pointed tools direct the hammer energy to a point that can be used to weaken material by opening a seam or crack,” Jason explained.

All Cat hammers, including the B Series, are designed for easy in-field maintenance.

As the size of your contracts grow and new machines and/or attachments are required, don’t get caught out with substandard or under performing hammers. Time is money and it is often the quality hammer that can make or break your next project’s time frame and budget.

[colored_box color=”yellow”]For more information visit www.cat.com [/colored_box]

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