Successful Project Cements Relationship with LaFarge

Hydratight staff in Germany helped one of the world's biggest cement companies, LaFarge, to put a giant cement-breaking machine back into service far more quickly and cheaply than the only alternative - replacing it.

The massive double breaking hammers pulverise the raw materials into small chunks, but must to be replaced from time to time due to the massive amount of wear and tear they endure. But one of the machines at LaFarge's Woessingen plant, near Karlsruhe, was refusing to cooperate.

"Normally the hammers are replaced pulling out the 130mm shaft hydraulically," explained project manager Goetz Wagnitz. "But this time the shaft-ends were damaged and the shaft immovably fixed.

"Usually the solution would be to scrap the machine, but we were asked to come up with an alternative, since apart from the hammer problem the breaker was good for many more years of use."

Goetz and the team decided to cut the hammers from the shaft, so it could be repaired and new hammers fitted.

His team made 144 cuts in the shaft to break the hammers free - giving LaFarge a machine working like new for a fifth of the cost of replacement, and in a drastically reduced time to return it to service.

For more information contact: Roland Puetz, roland.puetz@hydratight.com