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Understanding dust suppression is key to increasing job site safety and complying with Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. Dust suppression cannons are one of the most common pieces of equipment used to address dust.Contractors should examine several considerations before renting or purchasing a dust-suppression cannon. Ben Dowdy, fleet support product trainer for Carroll, Ohio-based Company Wrench, provides answers to frequently asked questions involving dust-suppression cannons. Q: How do dust-suppression cannons operate, generally? Ben Dowdy (BD): First, water is supplied to the dust-suppression cannon from a water source, normally a hydrant or water truck. The unit pressurizes the water and atomizes it. The atomized water is pushed into the air by a high-powered fan, which then covers large areas of contaminated air. The atomized water absorbs the dust particles and falls back to the earth. Q: What are some factors to consider before renting or purchasing a dust-suppression machine? BD: One of the most important factors to consider is water usage because demolition contractors have to pay for the water they use if they are pumping from a city’s mainline, and with something as inefficient as a fire hose or a garden hose, operators are going to use a lot of water. This ultimately raises operating costs. Whereas, when water is atomized, it provides more efficient dust control. Operators also should consider how much [surface] area they need to cover. This comes down to water throw and square footage. The water throw measures how far the dust-suppression cannon sprays water in one direction, whereas the square footage outlines the total area in which the machine disperses water as it oscillates. The final consideration that can sometimes be overlooked is access to a power source. The availability of a power source can be one of the deciding factors when operators are choosing between an electric or diesel unit. Q: How do diesel and electric dust-suppression cannons differ from one another? BD: Many of the differences between diesel and electric dust-suppression cannons are seen in their setup, efficiency, operational capabilities and maintenance requirements. The electric unit is a … good option because it is very efficient, but it requires access to a 480-volt power source [to operate]. If the site does not have the proper electrical hookups, or if operators want a more mobile electric unit, they could purchase a unit with a generator. Electric units also have lower operating costs because they require less maintenance and boast reduced energy costs compared with diesel units. While electric dust-suppression units are more efficient, diesel units have more horsepower and only require water and fuel to operate. The increased horsepower means diesel units can produce more atomized water and throw it farther than their electric counterparts. The diesel units also can rotate 360 degrees, whereas the electric models [typically] only can rotate 330 degrees. Q: How do you determine where to place your dust cannon? BD: The first thing operators should understand is that the placement of their dust-suppression cannon will likely change multiple times throughout the day. An operator may be demolishing a certain area of a building that requires dust suppression. As the demolition moves to other areas of the structure, so should the dust-suppression cannon. That is why many customers opt to have their dust-suppression cannons mounted to a trailer for fast, easy transportation. Another important element to consider is wind direction at the job site. Operators should be aware of changes in wind direction at the site so they can adjust the direction of their dust-suppression cannons. Most units come with a remote control that allows operators to modify the angle of the cannon without leaving the safety of their cab. Q: Aside from directly applying atomized water as the demolition project occurs, how else can dust suppression cannons be used on a demolition project? BD: Most of the time, dust-suppression cannons are seen as equipment that addresses dust after it already is airborne from one specific source. While cannons are incredibly productive at treating airborne dust particles, there are a few other ways they can suppress dust. For example, construction and demolition material could be presoaked before it’s processed to limit the amount of dust that becomes airborne in the first place. There also is a more indirect means of trapping fugitive dust before it leaves the site. This method involves positioning one or more dust-suppression cannons at an upward angle on the perimeter of the site to create a curtain of atomized water that knocks down the dust before it leaves the area. Q: Are there other applications where dust-suppression cannons can be used? BD: Yes, dust-suppression cannons are very versatile pieces of equipment that can be used in various situations. Aside from suppressing dust, they can be used for odor suppression, draining water from leach beds and fire control.Operators who want to control odor should place the dust suppression cannon on the outer perimeters of their waste facility and spray toward the pile. This will suppress the odor and push it away from the perimeter. The dust suppression cannon also is capable of pumping water out of a leach bed, atomizing it and spraying a fine mist that quickly evaporates back onto the waste pile. This saves waste facilities tens of thousands of dollars because they no longer have to pay a company to dispose of leach bed water. Operators who are using dust suppression cannons for fire control should consider the best position for the machine. If operators are not careful, they could inadvertently strengthen the fire with the cannon’s high-powered fan. Operators should soak a wide surface area around the fire. Ultimately, this will help slow the fire. Q: What are some of the maintenance requirements for dust-suppression cannons?BD: The maintenance requirements differ between diesel and electric dust suppression units. The electric models need less maintenance because they take motor grease on the two three-phase motors that power the machine, and there also are a couple of moving joints that need to be greased daily. Outside of greasing, that is really all the Read More

With breakers and processors, proper use, maintenance and equipment pairings are critical to getting the most out of these versatile attachments. Breakers and processors are two of the most common attachments found on demolition sites because of their versatility and ability to efficiently reduce material to a specific size. These attachments can perform primary and secondary demolition in a range of configurations. Before renting or purchasing a breaker or processor, operators should evaluate several factors. Carrier considerations Operators should understand their carriers’ attachment weight capacity, working ranges and hydraulic capabilities. The size of the breaker or processor is completely dependent upon the carrier’s attachment weight capacity; however, this capacity can be increased with a second-member installation of the breaker or processor. This means operators can use a larger attachment on a smaller machine to save on operating costs. Second-member attachments often are limited in their working ranges, so operators who require more reach still likely would need a third-member attachment installation. The final carrier consideration is the machine’s hydraulic capabilities. Most carriers come standard with one-way directional flow that is required for breaker operation, but some processors require double-acting hydraulic circuits, which enable the attachment to open, close and rotate. Operators should check their machine’s spec sheet to see if their carrier has the proper hydraulic capabilities. If it does not, some heavy equipment dealerships employ expert technicians who can add the proper hydraulic plumbing. Material size and PSI Operators should understand the initial size of the material they will be working with, its compressive strength in pounds per square inch (PSI) and the desired end-product size. Breakers are used to hammer larger pieces of material using higher PSI. Processors are limited to material that is small enough to fit in their jaws. They commonly are used in applications where precision is required or when material needs to be reduced to smaller sizes. Attachment options and applications For breakers, operators can use several different bits. The two most common are chisel and blunt bits. Chisel bits allow operators to control the way the material breaks, whereas blunt bits shatter material such as concrete slabs into more manageable sizes. Breakers also can be attached to high-reach and long-reach excavators when a teardown does not require great precision. The breaker can demolish large pieces of a building in a few fires of the attachment. However, operators need to be acutely aware of the attachment size in these applications for efficient use. “Operators will have to downsize the attachment due to the additional length involved in the stick and the boom,” Jon Noll, fleet manager at Company Wrench, Carroll, Ohio, says. “For example, on a 50- to 60-foot-high reach, we downsize the breaker to a 3,000-foot-pound hammer. On the long reaches, which are 72 and 79 feet, we downsize the attachment to a 1,500-foot-pound hammer.” Breakers also can be used in underwater applications, such as hammering rock in a trench near a riverbed. In these cases, an underwater kit is needed. The underwater kit uses a pressure switch and air compressor to ensure water does not damage important components on the breaker. Processors have a wide range of options, as well, including mobile demolition processors, mobile hydraulic pulverizers and universal processors. Each of these attachments offers unique advantages. Mobile demolition processors specialize in primary demolition projects. These attachments are frequently found in high-reach applications because of their crushing power and ability to operate at multiple angles. This attachment also enables operators to cut rebar as they are demolishing a building, which saves an additional processing step later. Mobile hydraulic pulverizers are used for processing secondary demolition materials. This attachment is not reliant on the excavator’s bucket cylinder for processing, which allows it to have a greater crushing force. Most mobile hydraulic pulverizers do not feature rotation because they are purpose-built to process material at ground level. Universal processors can use multiple jaw sets to cut various types of material. A universal processor can be fitted with a shear jaw to cut scrap, a concrete cracker jaw to crush concrete or a pulverizing jaw for primary and secondary demolition. “Universal processors are seen as a Swiss Army Knife,” Company Wrench Fleet Support Product Trainer Ben Dowdy says. “It’s great for operators who want to use only one attachment for multiple applications.” Common mistakes Workers should try to avoid several mistakes when operating a breaker or processor. For breakers, prying is one of the leading issues. Prying occurs when operators are hammering material and the bit gets stuck. To dislodge the bit, operators will move the attachment back and forth or pry it. This can cause the bit to snap because it is not designed to flex. Another common mistake is firing the breaker for too long. According to most industry experts, operators should only fire for 15 to 20 seconds before giving the attachment a break to cool down and for grease to circulate to important components of the breaker. “When operators fire for too long, it burns up the bit [and] bushings, and all of the heat transfers up through the cell, burns up the seals and, eventually, we’ll start seeing damage on the pistons, as well,” Noll says. “This can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damages in some cases.” One of the most frequent mistakes with processors involves sideloading, which causes damage to the bearing that allows the attachment to rotate. Sideloading is caused by misuse, such as pulling, prying and ripping material. “The rotation feature of a processor is only designed to put the attachment in place,” Dowdy says. “Oftentimes we see operators try to use it to pry material at a certain angle from a structure. That will cause damage to the attachment.” Maintenance requirements Maintenance requirements for breakers consist of applying chisel paste to avoid damage to the attachment’s bushings and reading the operator’s manual for bit wear recommendations. Most modern breakers come with a self-contained greasing unit that circulates chisel paste as the attachment operates. Operators Read More

Company Wrench is a specialty heavy equipment dealership. We sell, rent, service, and supply parts for a wide range of heavy machines used in the construction, demolition, forestry, and recycling industries. A family-oriented business, our team takes pride in offering expert advice, cutting-edge customer service, and a problem-solving approach. Our construction, recycling, forestry, and demolition rental equipment are available for rent from any of our 12 locations across the US, including Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This blog post will give you an overview of how to rent with Company Wrench. We’ll look at the kinds of equipment we offer, our rates, and run you through the rental process. Company Wrench rental overview First up, why rent? Renting a heavy piece of equipment instead of buying it makes a whole lot of sense, particularly when you only require construction, recycling, or demolition tools at specific stages in a project. It probably goes without saying that by renting you save significant money on your initial outlay. But you also forego having to pay for ongoing maintenance, storage, and upgrade costs. Equipment Here are some of the broad categories of equipment you can rent through Company Wrench; for a full list, check out our equipment rental page: Demolition rental equipment: We carry a variety of demolition tools, including high reach excavators, mini excavators, truck loaders (JCB), skid steers, dust suppression units (CW Machine Worx). Our demolition rental equipment also includes machine attachments. Scrap recycling: Company Wrench offers recycling machinery, such as 2017 model Fuchs material handlers, LaBounty MSD shears, high reach excavators, Kobelco excavators for rent, and JCB truck loaders. Construction equipment rentals: Some of our more popular rental items include hydraulic crawler high reach construction excavators, JCB backhoes, wheel loaders, and vibratory hammers. Landscaping and Forestry: Available rental equipment includes truck loaders, JCB backhoes, mini excavators, mulching tractors, and bulldozers. Rates At Company Wrench, we understand the value of flexible renting arrangements. Whether you need a small excavator for a short-term landscaping project or a MKT pile driving machine for a months-long construction job, we aim to deliver rental options that offer you maximum bang for your buck. Our standard rates are based on daily, weekly, and monthly rental timeframes. Contact us at 1(866)294-6103 to talk to a team member about your project and rental requirements. We take pride in working with our customers to find smart and innovative solutions. Available brands As part of our commitment to best-in-class customer service, we aim to give you more equipment options than any other heavy equipment rental. To make that happen, we maintain a diverse fleet of specialty equipment and attachments. Here are just some of the top equipment brands you can rent through Company Wrench: JCB: We’re a JCB dealer with over 300 different JCB machines to support your project. One of our most popular rentals is the JCB backhoe, a versatile machine that excavates, loads, lifts, and trenches. Kobelco: This is a great brand to consider if you place a premium on fuel economy. Company Wrench is a licensed Kobelco dealer with an all-purpose fleet of Kobelco excavators for rent. LaBounty: We’ve been the top-rated LaBounty dealer in the US since 2004 and the number-one LaBounty dealer in the world since 2009. Some of our more popular rentals include the LaBounty shear jaw and the LaBounty multi demolition processor. The rental process Here’s the process for renting equipment from Company Wrench: 1. Get in touch To rent from Company Wrench, you can come visit one of our many locations in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee. You can also call us at 1(866)294-6103, or reach us via our contact form. We offer 24/7 customer service and will respond to your first message in under 24 hours. 2. Choose a product You may know exactly what construction, forestry, recycling, or demolition tools you require. If you’re unsure, however, we can help you choose the right equipment for your project. We can draw from our versatile fleet of construction and demolition rental equipment to help you find efficient and innovative equipment solutions. 3. Complete the paperwork We’ll then ask your company to complete a credit application and provide Company Wrench with a certificate of insurance. This step protects both your company and ours, and equipment can’t be delivered until the paperwork is received by our office. 4. Equipment delivery We’ll then arrange delivery of your equipment to your worksite. Renting is fast, easy, and reliable with Company Wrench Across the US, Company Wrench is a trusted partner for heavy equipment rentals. If you’re looking for a well-maintained fleet of demolition rental equipment, construction machinery, or rental equipment for any large-scale project, talk to our team at 1(866)326-9157 or reach us via our contact form. With our wide range of brands and strong commitment to customer service, we’re confident we can help pave your way to success. Read More