The breaking hammer is the oldest hydraulic impact device used to break rocks and concrete, and it is an indispensable tool for breaking stones and concrete. As a vital tool in modern engineering construction, it has had many names, such as breaker, hydraulic hammer, cannon machine, and crusher head. From its name, it is not difficult to see that the hydraulic breaker has a wide range of applications, such as the basic foundation work of demolition and deconstruction, primary rock excavation, secondary rock breaking, asphalt cutting, and trenching.

Of course, the history of hydraulic breaker development is equally remarkable. The world’s first hydraulic crusher, successfully developed by Krupp of Germany, can be traced back to 1967. The emergence of this innovative tool not only marked a breakthrough in crushing technology but also laid a solid foundation for the subsequent technological development and application of hydraulic breakers.

Several Important Stages of Hydraulic Breakers Development

  • Origin Stage: In 1963, the German company Krupp applied for a patent for hydraulic vibration equipment, marking the birth of hydraulic breaker technology.
  • Early Development: In 1967, Krupp showcased the world’s first vehicle-mounted hydraulic breaker, HM400, at the Hannover Messe in Germany.
  • International Dissemination: In the 1970s, the technology of hydraulic breakers spread from Europe to Japan and South Korea. In 1973, Konan Corporation of Japan introduced Krupp’s technology and began to produce hydraulic breakers. Still, in 1986, Soosan Heavy Industries of South Korea launched its hydraulic breaker.

Over the following decades, hydraulic breaker technology gradually developed in these countries‌ and was promoted and applied worldwide. The breaker hammer has also progressed on different levels, such as self-lubricating systems, sound and vibration-damping systems, automatic rock hardness adjustment systems, energy recovery concepts, etc. For now, the breaker has become an indispensable piece of important equipment in many industrial and construction fields, such as metallurgy, mining, railways, construction, and highways. Especially, its application in excavators is the most common.

Current Situation of Technology and Market

With the continuous development of hydraulic breaker technology, hydraulic attachments have now formed a vast industry. It has shown great potential in developed countries such as Japan and South Korea, where excavators are in high supply, and so do our emerging markets‌. The world’s leading manufacturers of hydraulic breakers are concentrated in countries such as Finland, Sweden, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and China. Their products vary in performance and quality, providing a diverse choice for global users‌.

The working weight of our ARTUS excavator hydraulic hammers ranges from 0.5t to 150t, suitable for any type of hydraulic demolition tools. ARTUS hydraulic breaker can be widely applied to excavators, flexibly installed on small and medium-sized loaders, and even common two-end busy backhoe equipment. Excavators equipped with hydraulic breakers can handle tasks such as municipal demolition, secondary rock crushing, mining, and even tunneling and underwater operations. They can cope with ease, quickly and efficiently, breaking rocks and stones.

Application of Hydraulic Breakers in China

The research and development of hydraulic breakers in China began in the 1970s. After unremitting efforts, by 1984, domestic hydraulic hammer research and development projects had already appeared which successfully passed the corresponding grade appraisal. This marks a significant breakthrough for China in the field of hydraulic breaker technology. Subsequently, in the 1990s, the Chinese market for breakers began to take off and develop. Initially, the quality of domestic hydraulic breakers was unstable due to the gap in some core production technologies compared with advanced countries, such as Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea. The development of the Chinese breaker industry faced particularly complicated challenges. However, with the continuous advancement of technology and the sustained growth of market demand, China’s hydraulic breaker industry has gradually become a spring of development.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, especially after the year of 2005, the production technology level of Chinese hydraulic breakers has been significantly improved. The common breaking products have enabled domestic enterprises manufacturing hydraulic breakers to rise rapidly and gradually gain an advantageous position in the market competition. After decades of development and changes, the Chinese hydraulic breaker industry has moved from the initial imitation stage to a path of independent innovation. Nowadays, with the joint efforts of many outstanding domestic enterprises, Chinese hydraulic breakers have occupied an essential share in the domestic market and have been successfully exported to overseas markets. Not only that, but Chinese breaking hammers have also demonstrated a strong power of international competitiveness.

Looking back on the development history of the breaking hammers and the hydraulic breakers, we can’t help but be amazed by the tremendous changes brought about by the invention and application of this unnecessary tool. From the initial simple mechanical crusher to the high-precision and high-efficiency hydraulic breaking technology, the progress of the breaker hammer has not only promoted the rapid development of the industrial and construction fields, but also made significant contributions to the prosperity of human society. In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology and the sustained emergence of innovative forces, we have enough reasons to believe that the breaker hammer and hydraulic hammer will embrace a broader application prospect and a more glorious development chapter.