Adjusting the Impact Frequency of Your Hammer

Hydraulic hammers operate via an internal piston that reciprocates to repeatedly strike the impact surface of the working tool. As the piston strikes the tool, energy is transferred to the work surface to chip away at the material being destroyed. The ability to adjust the output power of the hammer to the density of the material being broken will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the breaking process.

Adjusting the system to allow for the maximum internal piston stroke frequency will provide the hardest hit to the work surface and lowers the rate of the blows. In contrast, selecting the shortest stroke distance will increase the number of blows per minute but lessen the power of those strikes. In material that is brittle and breaks easily like a sidewalk, using the short stroke will allow the hammer to run faster and the reduced power of those strokes will prevent the tool from ‘blank firing’. Blank firing occurs when the tool steel is not being held firmly against the material being broken or when the tool steel is aggressively fired through the material and stopped against the mechanical components within the hammer designed to retain the tool.

Adjusting the speed of your hammer to match the requirements of the material being broken not only allows the maximum production from your attachment, but it will also increase the service life of the hammer components. Refer to your hammers operator’s manual for details on adjusting the stroke frequency. AlliedPBS hammers are adjusted as per the following instruction. For further information on this topic and others, contact us at sales@alliedpbs.com.