32
MODERN MINING
July 2014
EQUIPMENT
T
he Fractum breaker is manufac-
tured by Danish company Frac-
tum and is said to be the biggest
and most powerful hammer in the
world, able to deliver up to 300 kJ
of energy in a single stroke – which, according
to Fractum, is at least 15 times more than any
conventional hydraulic hammer can achieve.
A number of the units are working around the
world and they have reportedly proven partic-
ularly popular in Europe and China.
The Fractum breaker is simplicity itself. It
essentially consists of a hammer head which
is lifted to the top of a tube and then released
to freefall onto the material to be broken. The
target material is unable to absorb the kinetic
energy imparted by the blow and therefore
disintegrates. In the mining environment, the
Fractum has proven capable of breaking rocks
of up to 200 t in mass and eliminates the need
for any secondary blasting. An interesting phe-
nomenon is that the harder the rock, the more
efficient the Fractum tends to be as harder mate-
rial is less able to deform and absorb energy.
The Fractum breaker is mounted on an
hydraulic excavator. The vibration from the
breaking process is contained in the ham-
mer head and is not transferred back to the
excavator as for conventional chisel-operated
systems. As a result, wear and tear – on both
the breaker and the excavator – is minimal. In
addition, the Fractum breaker’s noise levels are
significantly lower than those of conventional
chisel systems.
The machine being used at the opencast
mine is owned and operated by Joburg-based
Bel Quip Centre (BQC), a company founded
by Mario da Silva and his son, Zack, as an
aftermarket workshop for the refurbish-
ment of older earthmoving machines. The
venture proved successful, with much of its
client base being in the mining sector. The
company’s workshop is currently located in
Sebenza, Edenvale, but – as this article was
being written – a new, modern facility was in
the process of being opened in Midrand.
Fractum breaker
proves its
worth at
South African mine
The Fractum about to break
a boulder at a South African
opencast platinummine.
Mario da Silva and his son, Zack, the partners in Bel Quip
Centre (BQC).
An innovative Fractum rock breaker has now been in
operation at a large South African opencast platinummine
for roughly two years and has proved such a success – in a
secondary breaking role – that it will soon be joined by two
more Fractummachines.
