AN ‘iconic’ Cat H180 hydraulic hammer located at the Caterpillar facility in Den Bosch for the past 25 years has been moved to its new home at the HQ of Finning UK and Ireland.
The hammer has been on display at the Caterpillar facility just outside Amsterdam for a quarter of a century, symbolising the role work tools play, particularly within the demolition and deconstruction sectors, and has been seen by around 75,000 people during that time.
The Cat H180 was originally launched in 1988 and up until recently was the largest hydraulic hammer attachment in Europe.
The decision to unearth the hammer came as the Den Bosch Cat factory was updating its visitor centre and wanted to recognise Finning UK and Ireland for its efforts to promote the importance of work tools.
The journey from Amsterdam to the UK posed several logistical challenges. As well as transporting the hammer, the team also had to arrange transport of the granite that the hammer was embedded in – which was originally sourced from a Belgium quarry 25 years ago.
“You may wonder why this particular work tool is important to our customers and Industry,” said Eric Lafleur, sales & marketing of Caterpillar products in industrial applications and work tools. “The hydraulic hammer or breaker as they call it in the UK has a long history. It was invented in 1967 and has grown in the industry and is now the most used work tool after traditional buckets.”
Simon Lewis, product manager for work tools at Finning, added, “For a quarter of a century, this hydraulic hammer has represented Caterpillar’s commitment to engineering excellence and reliability. We are delighted to be the new guardians of this historic hammer which has pride of place right outside our headquarters in Staffordshire. Work tools are a vital part of any machine, and having the correct one fitted to a machine ensures work is carried out effectively, efficiently and safely.”
Dame Amanda Milling MP carried out the official ribbon cutting event to mark the start of the next phase in the hammer’s history. She said, “It was a pleasure to hear all about the important role this hammer has had in Caterpillar’s history, and an honour to officially welcome it to Staffordshire.”
