Epiroc leads the way with outstanding tools and technology: 60 years and counting for the hydraulic breaker

September 14, 2023

Epiroc reaches a new milestone with the hydraulic breaker completing 60 years – a celebration of vision and craftsmanship of its forefathers. What was once simply an idea in the German city of Essen six decades ago, became a breakthrough product used across the construction and mining industries globally.

Originally developed by Krupp Berco Bautechnik, the rig-mounted hydraulic breaker was patented in 1963. The first machine HM 400 was a hit at the Hannover fair in 1967. From that time onwards, more than 2,000 units were sold.

Big on time, small on cost

The breaker was exclusively designed to save time, eventually becoming a cost-effective solution in the construction industry. The demolition and mining operations at that time was all about increasing labor, time, and costs as the pneumatic tools were widely in use. But the hydraulic breaker was a real game-changer as one was enough to replace several pneumatic tools. It was soon known to be a huge time saver that comparatively costed little.

A timeless breakthrough

The hydraulic breaker revolutionized the entire construction and mining industry, and today, they become a part of the standard fleet anywhere, be it a small or large-scale project.

“Epiroc hydraulic breakers are still the market leader in most countries around the globe,” explains Gordon Hambach, Head of Strategic Marketing for hydraulic attachment tools. “With hundreds of brands in the industry today, the hydraulic breaker still offers a time-saving and cost-effective solution for demolition, utilities, rock excavation and many more applications. And of course, the breaker was only the start of the development of other attachment tools such as cutters, pulverizers, grapples, shears, magnets, crushers, screeners etc.”

Three different names, same strong values

In 2002 Krupp Berco Bautechnik was acquired by the Swedish Atlas Copco Group. In 2018, Atlas Copco announced its split from Epiroc. While the former continued focusing on industrial customers, Epiroc took the lead on mining and construction. Following this announcement, the hydraulic breakers remained with Epiroc, along with geotechnical and rock drilling tools, underground and surface mining equipment, and related service.

The future, connected

The development is ongoing and in 2020 hydraulic breakers went digital. Hydraulic Attachment Tools Connectivity or HATCON is designed to be an advanced level fleet management system, where monitoring operating hours, location and service intervals of your tools happens in a few taps across devices – phones, tablets or computers.

The data from HATCON provides a new level of control where utilization is evenly distributed, optimizing transport and increasing uptime with pre-planned service stops has never been easier.

An important groundbreaking advancement comes with the GPS-function, powering your equipment with robust anti-theft system.

For further information please contact:

Anja Kaulbach

Head of Strategic Communication

Phone: +49 (0)201-633-2233

Email: anja.kaulbach@epiroc.com

Epiroc is a vital part of a sustainable society and a global productivity partner for mining and infrastructure customers. With ground-breaking technology, Epiroc develops and provides innovative and safe equipment, such as drill rigs, rock excavation and construction equipment and tools for surface and underground applications. The company also offers world-class service and other aftermarket support as well as solutions for automation, digitalization and electrification. Epiroc is based in Stockholm, Sweden, had revenues of SEK 50 billion in 2022, and has around 17,000 passionate employees supporting and collaborating with customers in around 150 countries. Learn more at www.epirocgroup.com.

Epiroc’s Tools & Attachments division develops, manufactures and markets rock drilling tools, exploration drilling tools, ground support equipment and hydraulic attachment tools. The products are used for rock excavation, mining, construction, demolition and recycling. The division also provides related service. It has production facilities on six continents, including major facilities in Sweden and Germany. Learn more at www.epiroc.com.

Hydraulic breakers International Hydraulic attachment tools 2023 Product Press release