Handbook Of Ripping
Production ripping is being used more and more today as an alternative to drilling and blasting with explosives. Actually, ripping has a long history dating back to the Roman Empire. There is evidence the Romans used a ripper mounted on wheels and pulled by oxen when they were building the Appian Way.Rippers were also used in the United States during railroad construction from 1860 to 1880.
History of the Ripper
The ripper as we know it today did not appear until approximately 1930. Rippers drawn by tractors were developed by R.G. LeTourneau in 1931 and used on the Hoover Dam project. At that time, they weighed about 7,500 pounds and were pulled by tractors with about 75 flywheel horsepower (equivalent to today’s Caterpillar D4C track-type tractor). Their chief shortcomings were
their clumsiness and poor penetration ability. If enough weight was added to obtain adequate penetration, the tractors weren’t powerful enough to pull them. Extra tractors were often added until as many as three tractors were pushing or pulling a single ripper. These units achieved only limited success, usually in shale, clay, limestone, hardpan, cemented gravel, and frozen ground.
Modern Rippers
Modern tractors of the ’50s and ’60s advanced ripping capabilities by mounting the ripper to the rear of the machine. This design, coupled with advanced hydraulic systems, more machine weight, and greater horsepower, greatly improved ripping performance and efficiency.
These advances in performance were welcomed as environmental factors began to limit or restrict conventional blasting techniques. Urban encroachment, safety, and pollution concerns all have placed much greater demands on customers’ ability to use
drill and blasting as a way to remove material. In the mining world, concern for mixing materials, process improvements (leach pads), and similar safety and environmental considerations likewise increased interest in ripping.
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