Innovative Rock Breaking

[Niall]

Here's a video of the prototype proof of concept of the tech, at the end a bigger brother. Currently finishing up a small Volvo(Samsung) EW55B with the system for demonstrations and testing the system's capabilities on this carrier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqKIo1iMmVg

Another one of the carriers


Thanks to Heavyequipmentforums as i have used various posts for valuable sources of information, as I am the hands to this ventures brains. Made me look good a few times so I wanted to give something, so thought you guys would like a view with this early footage.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

Nice concept.
Does its use require a blasting permit?
Looks like it may have some potential in several types of use.

 

[Graham1]

That has some impressive destructive power, but some shielding may be a good idea to try and control the fragments.

 

[Niall]

Those shots were early videos of the concept but were the most theatrical, they have controlled the foam injection now to where the fractured pieces fall to your feet. It uses 4-6000 psi to syringe foam into a drilled hole (drill is on the machine as well) hydraulically fracturing the rock, but is capable of 10,000+ as shown. Blasting permits don't seem to be a problem, the white ripamonti carrier was used to build niches in RR tunnels; remote controlled, drill the hole, put the breaker in the hole, No explosives, stand a couple feet and crack.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

I see the big difference from the early part of the video to the short clip at the end with the more refined machine.

Do you have any more info?

 

[glenlunberg]

That's looks awesome and interesting. Just wondering what is the size of that machine. Do you have any information regarding on it?

 

[Niall]

There is a website pertaining to it, www.capprex.com , I'll see if I can get permission to post some pictures of the Volvo up on Monday, she's pretty!

 

[norite]

Amazing technology, something new for a change.

Is this upscaleable so it might be used for tunneling or raises? Is it dependent on the type of rock?

The only limitation I see is that for tunneling, you would have to pull out and clean up the floor occasionally. If you could combine this machine with a continuous mucker and automate it, I think you would have something which is really a game changer.

 

[DGODGR]

To me (someone who lives/works in rock country) that looks promising. It appears to be a pretty effective tool, especially considering that it can be carried on a mini-excavator. The type of rock in the video, and the technologies effectiveness on rocks of different hardness, would be critical information in determining the units over all effectiveness. Another thing that occurred to me is that the safety of the unit, when expelling the energy, can be tricky as some parts of rock can be weaker than others, which may result in some fragments being displaced much farther than others, without any warning to the operator, or bystanders. It certainly looks promising.

 

[Oxbow]

Interesting indeed. Along with other comments that have been made I am curious about the shock load on the machine and carrier, and what life expectancy there would be.

 

[Niall]

From what I hear from the heads rock hardness is a major part with the foam mix ratios and pressures to be used, we can do full water shots as well. Testing is imperative especially as the machines react differently, and yes time is a major test. For example I had make a separate cooling system for the booster, that brings regular compressed air (compressor/tank is on their too) to those pressures, as previously we used the carriers cooling system...along with its gunk...so you can imagine the corrosion and build ups. The setting would be Mining and tunneling with it as well as civil application, for when that boulder rolls into the road, taking down cement foundations, or making a hole for a foundation, no anfo needed. A cool side note is they are theorizing how to not only break but use lower pressures to propagate cracks in a rock wall to make ripping it afterwards more productive. With the price as well, you could have multiples working with other machinery or even together. On the business side though we need someone to see theses possibilities and has the capabilities to mass produce machines instead of the one/two we put together for specific applications. OoO yes Norite automation is the ultimate goal, the compact excavator we are assembling now is set for one operator, so close. Dgodgr im concerned too but they've set my next task, a plexiglass shield for cab windows as pieces that could make it there are small... not questioning the boss hehe. Oxbow yep trying to find someone who wants rock broken but with no timeframe, tall task.

 

[CM1995]

Interesting indeed. Along with other comments that have been made I am curious about the shock load on the machine and carrier, and what life expectancy there would be.

Those are my thoughts as well. Interesting concept, I like the idea. This would be so much faster than a breaker in places where blasting is not an option.

 

[HATCHEQUIP]

Ok I see now the first time I saw vid on the other post I thought it was the finished machine my goof as I didn't think it would hold up long

 

[Niall]

CM amusingly i used the factory breaker hydraulic/electrics to run the drill hammer and man we have 20-25 lines going down the boom but kept real tight. No worries hatch, my bad I figured I should start a new thread with it to answer posts. Stoaked you guys like it, my jaw dropped when I saw what I got to be working with. The biggest thing sadly is this patent could be bought then swept under the rug...so I had to show you hehe.

 

[rdr99]

Is the foam petro-chemical based?

 

[Niall]

Is the foam petro-chemical based?

Nope, good ol' water, Guar Gum and a few sulfates. Dump the stuff in the yard "eco."

Mathwise breaking the rock uses a tenth of the energy then to drill the hole.

 

[Niall]

Pictures didn't load sorry

 

[Niall]

I was wrong lexan not plexiglass so "bulletproofed" (almost)

 

[Niall]

Some numbers showing the immediacy of pressure application in a hole simulator, and slow drop after a fracture due to foam propagating the pressure through the "crack."



rock being innumerably weaker in tension then compression, you can imagine 4500PSI is plenty to "pull" it from the wall/ground

 

[HATCHEQUIP]

Good to see ya still at it