To the layman, demolition is just pure destruction. It is explosives, wrecking balls and great piles of debris. Nothing could be further from the truth. The modern world of demolition is one of precision and engineering. The use of explosives – in the UK at least – is something of a rarity (which is probably why it makes the news headlines when it does happen). A wrecking ball probably hasn’t been swung at a structure in the UK for more than a decade. And as for debris, the UK demolition sets a global standard for recycling and reuse of materials with many achieving recycling rates of 98 percent or more. But for all that precision, demolition remains a hostile environment for the equipment used to bring down structures and to process the arisings. That is why Pirtek has placed such emphasis on supporting this highly specialised industry sector. Getting Attached The once ubiquitous wrecking ball has been almost entirely replaced by the advent of high reach and standard sized excavators all equipped with a multitude of hydraulically-actuated attachments and kitted out to withstand the harsh demolition application. But virtually everything tool in the modern demolition man’s armoury requires hydraulics. And with hydraulics comes hoses that require care, attention and replacement. Throw into the mix the gradual adoption of hydraulic quick couplers such as the OilQuick or Lehnhoff systems, and it is easy to see why most UK demolition contractors have their local Pirtek centre on speed dial. Yet there is much more to the relationship between the demolition contractor and its local Pirtek outlet; one that reflects the modern and forward- thinking nature of the demolition sector.
In an application where a high reach excavator is the prime mover, everything on that site hinges upon the uptime of that main machine. If it fails, the support machines, crushers, screen, haulage trucks and – more importantly – the men and women on site all stop. To help prevent this, many of the UK’s more forward- thinking contractors are investing in Pirtek’s Total Hose Management system. As part of this system, all hoses on a machine (or a fleet of machines) are inspected regularly, and damaged and worn hoses are replaced before they fail. In addition, all hoses are tagged with a unique Pirtek number that allows a replacement hose to be identified, sourced and delivered quickly.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker