Martin Burstrom
BROKK AB Area Sales Manager
Would you please tell us about the overall structuring and fields of activities of Brokk acting actively in manufacturing of remote controlled robots all over the world?
Brokk is the world’s leading manufacturer of remote-controlled demolition robots, we are active in construction demolition, tunneling, mining, metal process industry, cement, nuclear and security & rescue. We are selling into more than 60 countries and we have been in business since 1976.
You have solutions and products in various areas such as metalworking, tunnel excavating, and nuclear. What are the products, product groups, and solutions you provide to the cement sector?
The Brokk robots can be used in various locations in a cement plant, the main task is demolishing coating and brick linings in the rotary kiln. You can use it for demolishing inside the cooler as well.
Our new product the Brokk Descaler is used for tearing out material in the preheater towers. You control it from outside of the preheater and this makes the method safe. The conventional method often involves manual pre-inspection before sending workers in on scaffoldings with handheld breakers making it both risky and time consuming. The workers are not only exposed to the risk of falling debris but also the silica dust that gets into the body and skin. Furthermore, the vibration from handheld tools is a known problem and causes “white fingers”.
The Brokk Descaler evolved from the Brokk robot, allowing for tearing out refractory, coating and
build-up without any workers entering the preheater tower. By doing so several risks have either been completely eliminated or significantly reduced.
Devices you manufactured are distinguished with various technological features. What makes you different from your competitors in the sector in terms of safety, speed, capacity, etc.?
Demolishing coating and brick linings is a easy job for the Brokk demolition robot. For now there’s simply no faster or safer method. The compact design of this robotic concrete breaker makes access easy, while the remote control makes the work safe and quick. Efficiency is enhanced by the fact that the operator can choose the best position to perform and monitor the work, and not have to worry about vibrations, fumes or the risk of collapsing material or hot coating.
With excellent stability in all directions and easily adjustable breaker frequency, the Brokk ensures precise operation without shell or lining damage. The three-part arm system provides flexibility and reach and allows for less repositioning of the machine compared to conventional excavators.
Since the Brokk Demolition Robot is heat resistant with well-protected cylinders and components, you can start the job earlier without risking breakdown due to heat. This reduces plant downtime and increases the plant profit.
Why would you think such products must be utilized, particularly in the cement sector? What are their overall advantages specifically for customers?
The simple answer, there’s simply no faster or safer method for now.
What should be done for the Turkish cement sector in order to potentiate its global standing?
Turkish cement industry is quite well informed about the Brokk robots and its benefits to the factories. The number of Brokk robots exceeded 35 in the Turkish cement industry and every group plant has at least one robot serving to their factories.
After evaluating the feedback and experience from cement industry, Brokk figured out the demand for a robot to be used in the preheaters, cyclones and similar cylindrical structures. Therefore we have launched our Brokk Descaler to solve this problem in the industry. No need to say the long research and development period lying behind this product.
Now, we are informing all the potential users about this product. Even though demos, open house and all the live activities are limited with this pandemic environment in Turkey and in the world, we will use all other marketing tools to create awareness for Brokk Descaler.
Tailor made technical seminars to the cement groups will be an important and effective activity in the coming months.
How do you describe the research and development process of your company? How do you develop your high-tech products?
Brokk has been leading the innovation for demolition robots for more than 40 years and still continues to do so today. The origin for Brokk and the concept of remote controlled demolition machines comes from two entrepreneurs looking to solve real-life challenges they were facing at their work sites. This mindset is still at the heart of all R&D and engineering done at Brokk today.
New concepts, functions, design choices or improvements to machines should always derive from improving the work with the machines on actual work sites in real life. And these are coming demolition machine nature’s most often very harsh and rough conditions. Therefore, we scrutinize all new functions and modifications we do to our equipment, based on the criteria that it has to bring real-life improvements in productivity, safety, ergonomics, etc. And at the same time, it should also improve on the machine reliability and uptime in the field. In short, at Brokk we design and build machines for the “real life”.
Our real life approach doesn’t prevent us from developing and implement leading edge technologies on our machines. And our 40+ years of experience gives us the tools to optimize and adapt for demolition robots, for example our experience-based advanced data modelling tools unique to demolition robots. Our R&D workings has also given us an extensive line of patents for our unique innovations, whether they relate to the ergonomics, hydraulic efficiency, electronics or more.
Some of the leading edge technology development at Brokk has given the industry the Brokk SmartPowerTM concept, a unique electrical powertrain that has virtually doubled the demolition power of Brokk machines over the last 10 years. And this enable us to use “low fuse” setting, gives machines to be run on less power at work sites. This is what we call engineering for “real life”.
What are your objectives and strategies for the future? What is your envisaged growth plan?
As the Brokk robots are now the conventional method used in the rotary kilns worldwide our new important task is to make the Brokk descaler the conventional method when it comes to tearing out material in the preheater towers. We are very proud that we can supply a safe solution that will eliminate risks for the workers on the cement plants.