design, says Geith’s Adrian Kelly.
Photo courtesy of Ironclad Marketing
How is the concrete recycling market doing these days, and how are producers making the most of the attachments they put to use in it? PP&E caught up with Adrian Kelly, sales manager at Geith, for some answers.
PP&E: Can you offer some perspective on the state of the concrete recycling market from your vantage point as a concrete crusher manufacturer?
AK: Recycled concrete has become the most recycled material by weight in the United States, and it provides a cheaper alternative to other aggregates. From an attachment manufacturer perspective, this opens up new opportunities for our demolition tools that can offer contractors a cost-saving option for processing recycled concrete.
PP&E: From a performance standpoint, how important is it for producers to use the attachment that’s best suited for the job?
AK: Selecting the attachment best suited for a job has a sizable impact on both productivity and the bottom line. In any application, it’s most important for the operator to select the attachment that will provide the most efficient and cost-effective performance. Using an attachment in a way that it is not intended will result in a substantial drop in productivity and greatly increase the potential for damage to the attachment, and possibly the carrier.
For example, trying to break concrete by slamming a bucket against pavement is not only ineffective and dangerous, but it can cause the bottom of the bucket to bend and collapse.
PP&E: What does the next frontier of attachments entail in terms of design?
AK: Improved productivity and efficiency are driving the design of new attachments. For example, the Geith concrete crusher was recently redesigned to allow for use with a quick coupler. This allows the operator to change out the crusher in less than one minute compared to the 15 to 20 minutes it takes to change out a direct pin crusher attachment.
Safety and durability are also priorities in terms of attachment design. Manufacturers are always looking for ways to improve the safety of attachments and you can really see that with the features that have been added in the last few years. Features such as Geith’s patented curl-to-release system, which prevents accidental disengagement by requiring the attachment to be in a curled position before the safety locks will release, is an example.
PP&E: How are manufacturers making attachment change-outs simpler?
AK: The use of quick couplers is growing rapidly in the U.S. market. Quick couplers help owners and operators gain more efficiency from their excavators. The ability to quickly change out attachments enhances the versatility and productivity of the excavator. Operators can complete more work with a single excavator and multiple attachments. Attachment changes with a quick coupler require less than one minute compared to 15 to 20 minutes for a mechanical coupler or direct pin attachments.
Quick coupler safety is extremely important, so it’s vital to choose the correct coupler. The Geith quick coupler has front and rear safety locks along with the curl-to-release operating system, which ensures safe engagement and disengagement of attachments by requiring the attachment to be in a curled position before the safety locks will release. Quick couplers are also inherently safer than pin-on couplers due to the absence of a crew member engaging with the coupler.