Oettinger heap praise on new Epiroc concrete buster

German contractor hails strong performance of CB 5500 demolition attachment  

RECYCLING contractors Oettinger Group have completed the purchase of a new CB 5500 concrete demolition attachment, adding to their growing fleet of Epiroc attachment tools.  

In Germany’s Baden-Württemberg region, Oettinger – a long-standing customer of Epiroc Deutschland GmbH – were asked to carry out rigorous prototype testing of a CB 5500 concrete demolition cutter on a demolition contract. At the time, the recycling firm needed a particularly powerful attachment for the partial demolition of a public administration building with an integrated air-raid shelter located in Karlsruhe.  

Oettinger had identified a number of Epiroc excavator-mounted attachments for use on the demolition project, ranging from a MG 5000 multi grapple and CC 5000 demolition cutter to a 4700 hydraulic hammer and CB 5500 hydraulic concrete buster.  

Designed specifically for carriers in the 50- to 65-ton weight class, the CB 5500 has proved its worth for the demolition firm, successfully pulverizing the building walls and reinforced concrete.  

As with all Epiroc cutter attachments, the CB 5500 attachment has been developed as a two-cylinder system, delivering more force to the top whilst preventing reaction forces. Another key feature of the concrete buster is its 360-degree endless hydraulic rotation, which allows precise handling and optimal positioning.  

‘When the cutter grips the material at an oblique angle, a built-in pressure relief valve allows an automatically triggered movement that moves the cutter into the correct position,’ said Jens Westermann, sales manager for Epiroc Deutschland. ‘The valve also provides good protection for both the cutter and the carrier from harmful reaction forces.’ 

The demolition attachment also features a unique combination of two powerful hydraulic cylinders and double movable cutter arms that deliver continuous crushing force for maximum productivity.  

Having tried, tested and used various demolition attachment solutions during his line of work, Oettinger machine operator Marius Mayer has been impressed with the power and precision of the CB 5500 concrete buster.  

‘The CB 5500 is specifically designed for heavy-duty work and is ideally suited to breaking the structure of thick reinforced concrete walls, trusses, beams and foundations,’ he commented. ‘The tip penetrates the concrete vigorously, ‘bursting’ it from the inside. The attachment is also robustly built, with a huge jaw that allows me to crack foundations made of the hardest concrete.’ 

Designed for long-front excavators and in areas where hydraulic hammers cannot be used, the CB 5500 features impressive opening and closing times of 4.1s and 3.5s, respectively, as well as providing a cutting force of 150 tonnes at the jaw tip. 

With a jaw opening of 1,600mm and jaw depth of 1,060mm, the shears are made of Hardox 650 wear plate. Performance parameters of the CB 5500, such as short working cycles and increased efficiency, were said to be key factors for Oettinger in purchasing the concrete cutter.