Birla Cements’ operation near the city of Chittorgarh, in Rajasthan, northern India, is home to the world’s largest fleet of 17 giant HB 10000 heavy breakers. The company runs a fleet of HB 10000s in its limestone mining works.
Headquartered in Kolkata, Birla Cements is part of cement production group M.P. Birla. Chittogarh, where Birla Cements’ limestone mining operation is situated, is home to the historic Chittor Fort UNESCO World Heritage site.
Due to its status, no conventional mining activities are allowed within a radius of 10km of Chittor Fort. Therefore, Birla Cements opted for blast-free mining using rig-mounted heavy hydraulic breakers for primary rock excavation. For this purpose, they invested in a total of 17 Epiroc HB 10000 heavy breakers, and a further five HB 10000’s are on order.
In 2015 Birla Cements was looking for a reliable breaker which could work for 3,500 hours without major breakdowns. Epiroc introduced them to the HB 10000, a machine legendary for its sheer breaking power. The power generated in a single impact between piston and working tool is said to correspond to a weight force of around 760 tonnes. And impact frequency is up to 380 blows per minute.
However, to optimise the HB 10000 for the specific task of primary rock excavation, the customer discussed certain upgrades with Epiroc’s design engineers. These included features like double ContiLube II for enhanced lubrication, easy-to-fix split wear bushings and modified flange seals to withstand the high temperatures.
Epiroc’s patented Intelligent Protection System (IPS), a fully automated, state-of-the-art system that provides simpler, more efficient, and more economical operation, was implemented as well.
