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INDUSTRY ARTICLES
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Atlas Copco's Breaker Features "Heavy-Duty" Technology
Construction Equipment Guide,August 24th, 2005
With the new MB 700, the engineers at Atlas Copco have developed a lightweight, compact hydraulic breaker with technical features only otherwise found on heavy-duty models. In many disciplines, the new breaker is unique within its class. The MB 700 will be launched worldwide on July 1, 2005.
Torsten Ahr, Product Line Manager at Atlas Copco Construction Tools GmbH, Essen, says: “Our intention with the new MB 700 was not only to show what is technically possible in this breaker class, but also to stick to our policy of setting new trends and offering products which meet our customers’ requirements in all respects. We’ve known for some time that users of medium-duty hydraulic breakers are more discerning than they are frequently given credit for. During our market studies we were surprised to learn that we would be the first company to offer certain technical features in this breaker class. I’m convinced that other manufacturers will have to follow suit shortly, and that the features provided on the MB 700 will soon become standard for this class.”
The five main features of the MB 700:
1. Energy recovery
To date, this technology has been the exclusive preserve
of heavy-duty hydraulic breakers, where the aim is to maximize
breaking performance, particularly in production operations.
Hydraulic breakers without energy recovery constantly have
to contend with the following problem: depending on the
hardness of the material being broken, the piston sends
signals of varying strength to the breaker’s control
unit during the upstroke. As a result, the controller may
switch too early and breaker performance will be sub-optimal.
The solution: just like Atlas Copco’s heavy-duty models,
the
MB 700 has a special pilot valve which boosts these signals
and passes them within milliseconds as clear control commands
to the control slide valve. This ensures precision control
of the percussion mechanism to provide maximum energy in
all situations. In addition, full use is made of the piston’s
recoil effect – especially in hard materials –
and the percussive performance of the breaker is improved
by the increase in impact rate. (Percussive performance
= impact energy x impact rate).
2. Single blow energy
Although the MB 700 has a significantly lower power rating
(which has a positive effect on the carrier’s fuel
consumption), it provides a significantly higher power output
than the predecessor model. At 1450 Joules, it delivers
the highest single blow energy of any breaker in the 650
to 850 kg class.
3. Automatic lubrication
The MB 700 is also the first hydraulic breaker in its class
fitted with an automatic lubrication system as standard.
The ContiLube® II lube system is mounted directly on
the breaker box, guaranteeing optimized lubrication and
eliminating the need for tedious and time-consuming manual
lubrication.
4. Noise and vibration damping
The “VibroSilenced” system provides the MB 700
with particularly effective noise and vibration damping.
At just 91 dB(A)* it is ideal for use in inner-city areas.
The vibration damping system not only protects the carrier
against damaging vibrations, it also reduces the strain
on the carrier operator.
5. Dust protection system
For all jobs with high dust emissions (e.g. horizontal/overhead
working), the MB 700 can also be fitted with the DustProtector
system.
DustProtector effectively prevents dust and foreign bodies
from penetrating the lower breaker section and thus enhances
the reliability and lifetime of the breaker.