Attachment Manufacturers Choose To Kick Butt, Not the Bucket
Published: 31/5, 2021
Despite governments’ best efforts to curb the pandemic, there are no clear signs that the current global crisis will be over any time soon. Under such unprecedented circumstances, the excavator attachment industry shows a truly remarkable resilience. A number of manufacturers have reported their busiest start to a calendar year ever, and there is no shortage of new products being launched onto the market.
ALLU pioneers “side-by-side” crushing technique
With a 30-year track record in producing crusher and screening buckets, ALLU has pioneered a “side-by-side” technique, which involves using both crusher and screening buckets on demolition sites. The technique was first tested on a job site in Finland, a place known for harsh environments.
The debris - some 5,000t in total - resulted from the demolition of two two-storey residential buildings. Approximately 85% of the material was screened and partially crushed using an ALLU Transformer DH 3-17 XHD screener crusher bucket, with the leftover hard rocks being crushed by an AC 25-37 crusher bucket. The amount of material fed through the screener crusher bucket was much higher than that fed through the crusher bucket, with the goal of getting the fines out as accurately as possible by screening. ALLU screener crusher buckets currently feature a basic block type drum with a 3-in (75mm) hammer. The company is looking into using more durable and expensive hammers to at least double their service life.
Heavy-duty CBE series from Simex
The CBE crusher buckets from Italy-based trendsetter Simex feature a patented rotor system, which makes them suitable for heavy-duty applications such as processing of demolition waste. The toothed rotor activated by the high-displacement radial piston hydraulic motors in direct drive generates very high crushing force. A special valve allows the shaft to automatically invert the rotation of the drum when the material, due to hardness or size, cannot be immediately crushed, maximizing crushing force.
The shafts on the CBE series are first forged and then cold worked by numerical control centers until they reach required sizes and tolerances. The result is increased hardness and reliability to this crucial component, which is continuously submitted to dynamic stresses during operation. The teeth are wear-resistant thanks to special anti-wear treatment.
The CBE series is available in five models, ranging from the smallest CBE 10, with an operating weight of 1,940 lb (880kg) and a bucket capacity of 14 ft3 (.4m3) to the biggest 4.6t CBE 50 and boasting a 63.5-ft3 (1.8m3) bucket, to fit 8-55t excavators. The buckets’ functionality is unaffected by the presence of light or deformable materials such as wood, soil, and mud.
MB buckets help customers create new revenue streams
One of the challenges that the road-building industry faces on a daily basis is high costs of hauling and disposal of the removed pavement. A crusher bucket, mounted on a carrier of any size and brand, helps overcome this problem. Any asphalt, bitumen or old sidewalk can be crushed down to the required size for immediate reuse, such as base material for a new road.
Road-building specialists from different parts of the world report successful application of MB crusher buckets on their projects. A Chile-based contractor operated an MB-L200 crusher bucket to recycle material to re-use it as a sub-base, thus generating new material in no time and at zero cost. In Brazil, a company took delivery of a BF70.2 crusher bucket to reclaim asphalt. The landing strips at Reykjavik airport were rebuilt by using the old asphalt as a base material, thanks to a BF70.2 crusher bucket.
VTN Europe presents five-model crusher bucket range
Another Italian player VTN Europe has a five-model range of crusher buckets for its customers to choose from. Fitting 12-55t carriers, the FB series features adjustable size setting of the crushed material from .7 to 5.1 in (18 to 130mm), eccentric-moving jaws system and an interchangeable crushing jaw kit. Driven by a powerful piston motor, the FB buckets have centralized greasing system and come fitted with electromagnet as an option.
XAVA Recycling: screen it like you mean it!
XAVA Recycling is a relatively new player from Austria that focuses on manufacturing compact electric-driven vibrating screens. Established in 2014 by Stefan Löss who has an extensive background in mechanical engineering and especially in crushing and screening machinery, XAVA has been seeing exponential growth in recent years. In 2020, the Austrian company purchased 64,500 ft2 (6,000m2) of land to build its own manufacturing facilities and a large “Demopark” for machine testing.
XAVA’s latest addition to the product portfolio is the LS14X vibrating screen designed primarily for gardening and landscaping applications. Drawing power from a standard 230V socket, the LS14X can also operate with a 220V outlet. This versatile machine allows screening a wide variety of materials from compost and soil to wood chips and gravel using different types of mesh. The processed material is ready for immediate re-use. Thanks to a purely electric drive system, there is no risk of site contamination by oil spilled from ruptured hydraulic hoses. The screen is easy to move around by using a lifting device or chains.
Due to its low weight and compact dimensions, the LS14X fits in a regular car trailer. The introduction of the LS14X brings the current number of standard models in the range to five, with tailor-made screens also available.
Trevi’s extends an olive branch to a Greek customer
The BVR series of screening buckets from Italy-based Trevi Benne currently comprises nine models ranging in operating weight from 242 lb (110kg) to 4.9t to fit 1.5-65t excavators. The buckets come with interchangeable perimeter kits that allow separation of the processed material in accordance with required particle size.
Weighing in at 2.5t, the BVR 19e model fitted on a CAT 330B excavator is being employed on a site just north of Athens for the reclamation of stony soils to prepare the land for olive plantations. Both the perimeter and bottom nets are made in HARDOX 400 steel with 10 in2 (6,400mm2) 80mm dimensions to pick out and remove large stones.
Xcentric Ripper is on its A-game
Xcentric Ripper International, based in the Basque country, has added the XS60 model to its XS range of screening buckets designed for 18 to 70t excavators. As with other SX models, this new attachment is a high-performance rotating trommel-type bucket. Highlights include a 12-sided polygonal trommel to shake the material up more efficiently, the hexagonal profile of the screening mesh for maximum yield and homogeneous screening, the transmission between the main hydraulic motor and the trommel via a time belt for high torque and maintenance-free operation, and the Powerboost system applying vibration to the rotating trommel for increased productivity. Since vibration is of high-frequency low-amplitude kind, it does not affect the mechanical components of either the screener or excavator.
Xcentric Ripper has developed a new 12-moel “Series A” of maintenance-free crushers for 8-50t excavators. Compared to the forerunning series, the new buckets feature a different mechanics system and much simpler internal assembly. A new granulometry adjustment system offers a bigger choice of output sizes. The absence of a drain line in the hydraulic motors and the flow control valve make the attachments easily interchangeable between excavators, with a low risk of failure in case of poor hydraulic adjustment. The maintenance-free power train increases the machine reliability in the long term. The bucket can be fully opened, which makes jaw replacement very easy.
Meet Gyru-Star compact screening systems!
The Gyru-Star compact screening systems are bucket-type attachments used primarily for screening soil, compost and aggregates. They can be fitted on to excavators, tractors, telehandlers, compact loaders, wheeled or tracked loaders and skid steers, replacing a standard digging bucket. The company offers six ranges E, HE, HDX, MAX, L, and SL suitable for 1-30t excavators. Three different fragment kits are available for each model so the customers can achieve the desired fragment size.
The bucket shafts are packed with flexible polyurethane stars. In operation the shafts rotate creating a rolling action, which keeps the material fluid, and allows the fines to fall through the gaps. When employed in landscape renovation, Gyru-Star screening buckets remove stones, vegetation, and oversized particles to prepare the soil to be reused. Once screened the topsoil can then be used to level out sports fields and gardens to create raised beds and improve the existing soil quality.
Gyru-Star buckets screen materials without crushing, which makes them suitable for pipeline and cable padding, as there are no sharp stones or fragments in the screened material. These compact screening systems can also be used to screen demolition waste before crushing. They can also be used to separate compostable and non-compostable items.
The latest addition to the Gyru-Star family is the MAX buckets, which boast a longer, wider cutting edge and non-stick floor. A special design makes it easier to pick up longer smaller piles of material—perfect for padding and backfilling where the buckets can screen directly into the trench. The MAX range currently comprises eight models.
Mantovanibenne features the MVR series
The MVR series of screening buckets from Italy-based Mantovanibenne is available in six sizes to fit 3 to 40t carriers. The attachment’s sturdy body is made of high-resistance steel to protect the rotation motor and the screening basket. The support rollers are adjustable and keep the basket perfectly aligned with the rotation motor, thus avoiding stress on the moving parts. Different baskets sieves can be interchanged according to the type and dimension of the materials being separated. Baskets are available with holes size ranging from 1.2 to 7 in (30 to 180mm). The bucket’s front edge can be equipped with teeth or blades upon request.