KOMATSU Hydraulic Breakers

Breakers are a flexible and crucial attachment used for a wide variety of jobs, including tunneling, trenching, foundation removal, dredging, bridge demolition, quarry excavation, mining and more. To meet growing demand in North America, Komatsu is expanding its product line of hydraulic breakers.

Designed and tested for compatibility with Komatsu excavators from the PC78 up to the PC490, the high-percussion efficiency and unique variable energy technology of these breakers are built to provide high production in multiple applications, according to the manufacturer.

To protect the breaker, carrier and operator, Komatsu built in several features and benefits. The breakers have an accumulator that eliminates hydraulic pump cavitation to prevent flow surges back to the carrier hydraulic tank. By recycling high-pressure oil internally, this allows more energy with a lower flow, to reduce hydraulic pressure spikes and protect the carrier’s hydraulic system.

JTHB-G Line of Breakers

Easy to maintain with only two moving parts, the JTHB-G line utilizes a hybrid design of hydraulic flow and pressure along with a nitrogen-filled chamber that provides striking energy. The tie-rod design is engineered for durability in tough rock and concrete applications.

Adding to longevity and durability, blank firing protection is standard and includes a hydraulic cushion at the base of the cylinder, to reduce metal-to-metal contact. Larger models feature special key slot dampers that help reduce vibration to the excavator, adding to operator comfort.

The simple design of the JTHB-G hydraulic breakers translates to reduced maintenance and fewer parts to buy, to help lower equipment-running costs. A one-year warranty comes with all G-series breakers and also applies to breakers used for mining and quarry applications.

The breakers have an accumulator that eliminates hydraulic pump cavitation to prevent flow surges back to the carrier hydraulic tank. By recycling high-pressure oil internally, this allows more energy with a lower flow, to reduce hydraulic pressure spikes and protect the carrier's hydraulic system. JMHB-H Line of Breakers

Compact yet powerful, the JMHB-H attachments are accumulator-type hydraulic breakers for a variety of rock and concrete demolition applications. Unlike gas-fired breakers, the JMHB-H series does not require a nitrogen recharge. It is equipped with blank firing protection to help prevent piston movement via a hydraulic brake.

For consistent impact power in a variety of environments, sound dampening housings help assure compliance with noise ordinances, even in urban applications.The breaker protects itself with a pressure regulator valve to prevent overflow, and its dampening system helps prevent damage to excavator booms and housing cracks.

To enable the use of more powerful breakers on smaller excavators, a single powercell eliminates heavy tie rods to provide a better weight-to-power ratio on compact models, while the mounted automatic lubrication feature helps protect against dust and debris. Similar to the G-series, all H-series breakers come with a one-year warranty.

For more information, visit komatsuamerica.com. 

Ride-On Trencher Attachments Help Increase Uptime

TRENCHERS from page 87 Safety Best Practices

As with any machine or attachment, it’s always important to read the operator’s manual before boots hit the ground. Remember that anytime crews are digging into the ground, they should always call 811 to get a job site located. Understanding where existing utilities are located is one of the most important steps in mitigating damage and reducing the chance of costly strikes.

Additionally, it’s important to take precautions when installing attachments. While attachments are built to have the ability to be changed out, we always recommended that users contact a local equipment dealer when looking to remove or install attachments. Personnel at a dealership have been trained and have access to the proper equipment to ensure a safe attachment exchange.

Trenching for Efficiency

Ride-on trenchers are consistently one of the most popular machines in underground construction. Now, with the growing number of attachments available, operators can customize their machine to meet almost any job site need, maximizing uptime, improving job performance and increasing ROI. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham Says Construction Will Be Heart of Infrastructure Bill

MAULDIN from page 8

and then assemble and sell these products,” Calder noted. “Most of our equipment is designed for the small commercial work that is done all over the U.S. and Canada. Ninety percent of asphalt manufactured is used to build roads and bridges.”

“Your company is in the high-end of the food chain as far as skilled labor, then,” Graham asked.

“Yes, our industry pays 35 percent above the national average,” Calder responded. “A trained welder, for instance, will make $23 to (L-R) are Cameron Calder; Glen Calder; Wayne Calder; Sen. Lindsey $25 an hour and we offer a full host of health Graham; David Calder; Johan “Kip” Eideberg, AEM; Brian Bieller, and retirement benefits. Our top hourly pay Dynapac. is $28 per hour.”

The senator was impressed in hearing that, saying, “Those schools for their career days. We also have a standing policy are good jobs.” that if a kid wants to try welding or machining, they can

When Graham inquired about how existing U.S. steel tar- spend a day here to learn a bit about those professions.” iffs have affected Mauldin and other AEM-member companies, Calder answered by saying, “My steel pricing has gone Graham, AEM Ready for from 33 cents a pound to over 90 cents a pound. We are Economic Jump-Start understanding that this latest price increase has more to do Later, in his public remarks in the Mauldin factory, with the uncertainties over whether the current tariffs will Graham said that in discussing the infrastructure bill with the continue or not. The steel producers are unwilling to load up asphalt equipment maker and the AEM he better understands on inventory that could be on the wrong side of the tariff if it the ramifications of passing a legislation that is properly goes away. funded to overhaul the American road, bridge, port and rail

Calder also said that the equipment manufacturing busi- systems. ness was robust before the pandemic hit in early 2020. “The AEM and its members have told me that if Congress

“It was very steady and solid and increasing every year can pass an infrastructure bill it would do more to jump-start until COVID-19,” he told the senator. “An infrastructure bill this part of the economy than any other single thing,” he would help our industry directly and all manufacturers in remarked. “That is what we are trying to push for the coungeneral for us to be more competitive globally. To pay the try. It would be a big benefit to the employees in this busiwages that we pay, a world-class infrastructure should ness.” accompany those wages to compete against countries with Graham said the demand will go up for all of Mauldin much lower wages.” Paving’s equipment to fix and repave, not only South Carolina’s roads and bridges, which are badly in need of

Finding Workers — an Industry Headache repair, but also those across the country.

The AEM also hoped that provisions for job training for In answer to a reporter’s question about bolstering the people wanting to work in its industries would be included in country’s cyber security in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline the comprehensive infrastructure bill. ransomware attack earlier in May, which caused long lines

If that were to happen, Calder believed it would help solve and shutdowns for consumers at the gas pumps, Graham a daily worry about the shortage of qualified factory workers, acknowledged that the attack exposed the need to diversify such as machinists and welders. the pipelines and strengthen their protections.

“We currently recruit from all over [Upstate South Such measures could possibly be accomplished within the Carolina] and from the technical schools,” he noted. “We are infrastructure bill. partnering with them on welder training to get more employ- “Clearly, a single source is not good. It proves a cyber–ees. Mauldin Paving has 75 employees now, back to where Pearl Harbor could happen, a massive attack on multiple we were prior to when the 2008 recession hit, when we laid fronts that could shut us down as a nation,” the senator said. off about half our workforce. But we still need to find people “The best way to prevent that is to be strong and to let other to hire. I could hire about five welders and five assemblers countries know, like Russia, who allow these criminals to right now.” operate with impunity, that we will hold them accountable

He added that several of his workers attended a machine for the next cyber-attack coming from Russian soil. Without trade school and have become invaluable to the manufactur- that, these attacks will keep continuing.” er. In closing, Graham remarked, “So, my hope is that some-

“So, are we including all the paths to success, not just col- time this year, Republicans and Democrats can do something lege, when they get out of high school?” he said to Graham. other than yell at each other and find a way to help the econ“Are we encouraging them along a path to become machin- omy grow. Now is not the time to raise taxes, people have ists and welders? I find, in our experience, that they get lost been hurting for the last year or so, so let’s get folks back to for several years before they wake up one day and decide work again and show the world that the best place to do busiwhat they want to do. Mauldin has sent welders to the high ness is still in America.”  CEG

All Island Equipment 39 Jersey St. • West Babylon, NY 11704 631-643-2605 www.allislandequipment.com

ATS Equipment, Inc. 33 Locust Street • Boston, MA 02125 617-825-3600 487 Washington Street, Route 20 • Auburn, MA 01501 508-832-8500 51 Fall River Avenue • Rehoboth, MA 02769 508-379-6200 ww.atsequipment.com

Baschmann Services Inc. 1101 Maple Road • Elma, NY 14509 888-655-1101 www.baschmann.com

Chappell Tractor 454 Route 13 South • Milford, NH 03055 800-698-2640 251 Route 125 • Brentwood, NH 03833 800-616-5666 391 Loudon Rd. • Concord, NH 03301 800-358-6007 www.chappelltractor.com

Highway Equipment Company 615 State Route 33 • Millstone Township, NJ 08535 732-446-7600 www.highway-equipment.com

Westchester Tractor 60 International Blvd. • Brewster, NY 10509 845-278-7766 www.wtractor.com