All without exception shared the same view -that reliable and consistent breaking performance with dependable uptime matters most, and that’s what they are achieving with RAMMER hammers which have been instrumental in making their operations more efficient and productive.
One of our first stops during our travels across Italy was at an extensive quarry operation owned by Frallonardo s.r.l., a family-run business that has spent decades extracting, processing, and marketing selected inert materials for the construction industry.
The company’s extraction sites and related processing plants are located in the lower Apulian Murgia area, in Southern Italy’s Puglia region, known for its striking landscape of limestone formations.
Over time, Frallonardo s.r.l. has expanded into complementary industries including earthmoving, roadworks, and both large and small-scale civil and industrial demolition. The business also supplies the construction market with high-resistance concrete, making productivity and reliability essential across multiple operations.
We were shown around the quarry by one of the business partners, Walter Frallonardo, who spoke highly of their recently purchased RAMMER R45P Performance Line hydraulic hammer, which they had fitted to a 40-tonne Doosan DX380 excavator.
Walter told us that the quarry had been using hydraulic hammers for more than 35 years and had been actively searching for a more productive and reliable solution. It was a search that eventually led them to invest in a RAMMER R45P, supplied by SG Service Sud, the authorized RAMMER dealer and service center for the Puglia and Basilicata regions.
Processing More Material in Less Time
What impressed Walter was not any glowing marketing claims but seeing firsthand the RAMMER R45P hammer in action as it efficiently and effortlessly made light work of the tough task in breaking up the quarry’s hard rock.
According to Walter, the 2,950 kg RAMMER R45P has been consistently performing under pressure during each and every shift at the quarry, where it has made an immediate difference, significantly improving daily production, with more material moving through the operation, fewer slowdowns, and improved efficiency from the excavator to the crusher.
That increase in productivity was reinforced when we spoke with excavator operator Vincenzo, who has been with the company for the past 20 years.
“Since we bought this hammer, I have noticed that about 30% more material is being processed during the working day. It is excellent in penetrating and breaking up hard surfaces,” Vincenzo said. “Looking to the future, it appears to me that RAMMER represents the way forward.”
Built for Tough Material and Long Days
The RAMMER R45P Performance Line incorporates modern breaking technology and is engineered to deliver consistent performance while reducing unnecessary wear, especially in demanding environments like limestone extraction.
One of its key design advantages is a twin-handed configuration, allowing mounting on both left-and right-handed carriers. This helps extend the service life of hose connections, a critical benefit on quarry sites where hose routing and exposure can lead to premature wear, leaks, and unplanned downtime.
The hammer’s low-wear design also contributes to reduced vibration and significantly lower noise levels, supporting operator comfort and control during long shifts while helping job sites meet increasingly strict working conditions and noise expectations.
To further protect internal components, the R45P includes Idle Blow Protection (IBP), preventing accidental dry firing when the tool is not properly engaged with material. In everyday operation, IBP helps reduce tie rod stress, overheating, and internal damage – improving efficiency and extending tool life by ensuring impacts are only delivered when the hammer is in proper contact with the rock.
The R45P also benefits from RAMLUBE II, a convenient and automatic lubrication system mounted directly on the hammer housing. This self-venting impulse lubrication system helps extend the service life of wearing parts by ensuring consistent lubrication – an advantage that becomes especially valuable in high-production environments where manual greasing intervals can be missed during busy shifts.
More Rammer Hammers at Work Across Italy
At other sites we visited across Italy, operators and contractors all agreed that RAMMER hammers have made a significant improvement in their businesses, effectively and reliably delivering day after day.
At one operation, we saw a RAMMER 4099E in action. Weighing 3,380 kg and suitable for carriers in the 36 to 55 tonne range, the Excellence Line hammer has been designed using a revolutionary operating principle that combines stroke length, blow energy, and RAMMER’s Idle Blow Protection. This allows the hammer to be adjusted to match individual carriers and applications, improving hydraulic efficiency and supporting safe, productive operation.
The 4099E is also equipped with RD3 remote monitoring hardware, providing valuable insight into usage and maintenance planning.
We also watched a RAMMER 2577E at work on another site. Designed for carriers in the 21 to 32 tonne range, this 1,670 kg hammer delivers an impact rate of 450 to 750 blows per minute. It features RAMMER’s Fixed Blow Energy operating principle, which helps ensure optimum impact energy with every blow – even when hydraulic flow conditions fluctuate. Like the 4099E, the 2577E comes with RD3 installed for monitoring and fleet support.
On another visit, a RAMMER R16P demonstrated its versatility across a wide range of breaking duties. Ideal for carriers between 13 and 21 tonnes, the Performance Line medium-range hammer includes vibration and soundproof housing, along with central hose connections for easier mounting, including hydraulic quick hitch mounting brackets and fast-change tool systems for quick and safe tool changes.
“OPERATORS AND CONTRACTORS ALL AGREED THAT RAMMER
HAMMERS HAVE MADE A
SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT
IN
THEIR BUSINESSES...”