Mining and infrastructure equipment manufacturer Epiroc is not resting on its laurels in its attempts to better support its market and service its clientele.
In March last year, Epiroc split its tools and attachments division into two business lines, appointing a new division president for each segment.
This followed the division’s significant expansion through organic and inorganic growth, which had become larger after the completion of the acquisition of Stanley Infrastructure.
Epiroc Business Development Manager of Business Partners, Australia, Glenn Illingworth, said by dividing up the business into two dedicated divisions, Epiroc aimed to optimise the focus for all the business lines and support sustainable, profitable growth.
Under the restructure, the Rock Drilling Tools division will cover products and services, including top-hammer and handheld; DTH, rotary, and raise boring; ground support; and supply chain.
The Attachment Tools division (ATD) will cover ground engaging tools, hydraulic attachment equipment, and Stanley Infrastructure products (now rebranded as Industrial Attachment Tools (IAT) & CR Mining).
“The ATD has stepped out of its shared business with the drilling division to create this dedicated attachment business focused purely on its core businesses,” Glenn said.
“It should be emphasised the ATD is still part of the Epiroc Group and this restructure is purely an internal change to give greater focus on our attachment customers.”
The divisional revamp was followed up by Epiroc’s expansion of its portfolio through acquisitions aimed at growing its global footprint in the construction and mining industries.
US-based Wain-Roy, an excavator attachment manufacturer based in Wisconsin, was secured to strengthen Epiroc’s presence in the North American construction market, and enhance its capacity for manufacturing advanced attachments in the region.
In May 2024, Epiroc acquired ACB+, a French manufacturer of attachments and quick couplers for excavators used in construction and related sectors such as scrap recycling and deconstruction. Based in Saint-Lager, ACB+ operated several production facilities and was a market leader in France, with customers throughout Europe.
Glenn said the acquisitions and changes benefitted customers in several ways.
“We now have a much broader offering: we can almost be a one-stop shop for our valued customers,” he said.
“We are creating three customer configuration centres strategically located to service Europe, Asia -Pacific and the Americas, with the first based in Europe, commencing January this year.
“These configuration centres will enable Epiroc to support OEMs and large hire customers with attachments fully fitted out and ready to mount on their carriers, all in house.”
Product focus
The CR Mining division of ATD produces ground engaging tools (GET) for both surface and underground mining buckets, as well as related digital solutions and much more.
The Industrial Attachment Tools division (formerly Stanley Infrastructure) comprises of LaBounty steel shears — “the original and the best,” Glenn said — Paladin construction and agricultural attachments, while manufacturing such attachments as mulchers, brush cutters and various types of buckets.
The line also includes Pengo, which makes a range of auger drives and augers; French- based Dubuis, which produces hand-held hydraulic power tools powered by batteries; and Stanley hand-held hydraulic construction tools, including speciality rail tools.
“Then we have the ACB+ and WainRoy factories producing mechanical attachments for carriers such as bucket, quick hitches and numerous other products,” Glenn said.
“Finally, we still have our well established products that we have produced for many years.
“Out of our German and Swedish factories, there are our hydraulic breakers that have changed over the years from their original Atlas Copco and Krupp brands to the Epiroc brand we supply today; we have our Erkat range of drum cutters, also made in Germany; and our range of Silent Demolition Tools comprising of pulverisers, concrete busters, combi cutters, grapples, compaction plates, bucket crushers, bucket screens, and magnets.”
Glenn said over the years, Epiroc had introduced many innovations that are now standard on most of the competitors’ products, such as silencing and “contilube” auto greasers that mount on the breaker.
“But some are still unique to us, such as intelligent protection systems that control the start and final stroke of a breaker, reducing the effect of blank firing; and power adapt units that protect a breaker from oversupply from a carrier’s hydraulics,” he said.
Aftermarket excellence
Glenn said Epiroc has robust aftermarket support, with a comprehensive trained dealer network stocking parts and consumables as well as full service capabilities.
“We also have our HATCON digital solution, which enables customers to track where their attachment is, as well as many features such as monitoring operating hours, geo-fencing, and service notifications, just to name a few.
“We were the first to offer Bio Chisel Paste for greasing our working tools with a product that not only is fully bio-degradable, but also extends the working like of the breaker’s wear bushes.
“And we have introduced hex picks for our drum cutters; they reduce the wear of the picks by enabling them to rotate more freely. This also means that when they do need to be replaced, it is a much easier task due to both the quick snap retaining system and the hex design allowing a spanner to be used if they are bound up.”
List of Epiroc dealers
Epiroc is represented by the following dealers throughout Australia.
- NSW: Australian Hammer Supplies
- WA, Victoria, NT, Queensland: Breakers & Attachments Equipment Group
- South Australia: Australian Construction Equipment
- Tasmania: JF Machinery