HYDRAULIC ROCK SPLITTER
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YAMAMOTO HYDRAYLIC ROCK SPLITTER
Break hard rock safely and efficiently—no blasting required. Yamamoto Hydraulic Rock Splitter eliminates flyrock, vibration and noise, letting you work in sensitive environment where traditional methods are too dangerous or restricted, giving you safety, accuracy and efficiency.
Why Rock Splitting?
Modern excavation projects increasingly demand methods that deliver both power and safety. Whilst blasting remains effective in open, remote sites, many projects today require a different approach—one that offers accuracy, safety, and flexibility without compromising productivity. When the rock is very hard, rock breaker is also not very effective and can create a lot of noise disturbance. Therefore, the best alternative is rock splitting.
When rock splitting becomes the preferred solution:
- Proximity to structures – Work safely next to existing buildings, bridges, tunnels, and infrastructure without risking vibration damage
- Geological preservation – Maintain the integrity of surrounding rock formations without destabilising geological foundations
- Zero flyrock – Eliminate safety exclusion zones, enabling work in constrained sites and near active operations
- Noise-sensitive environments – Operate freely in urban residential area or restricted zones without noise complaints or limitation
- Regulatory freedom – Begin work immediately without lengthy permit processes or blasting prohibitions
- Flexible scheduling – Work any time of day without the operational constraints that limit blasting activities
Hydraulic rock splitting delivers hard rock excavation productivity whilst meeting the demanding site conditions that characterise today’s construction and mining projects. It’s not about replacing blasting everywhere, it’s about having the right tool when accuracy, safety, and environmental considerations are paramount.
The Solution
A Smarter Way to Remove Rock
The Yamamoto Hydraulic Rock Splitter applies controlled hydraulic force directly inside the rock, using an advanced wedge system engineered for maximum efficiency. Instead of shattering rock through explosive force or repetitive hammering, it induces tensile stress along the rock’s natural fracture lines—the most efficient way to break stone.
How it works: Two counter wedges are inserted into a pre-drilled hole, and the hydraulic cylinder drives a central wedge between them, forcing the rock apart from the inside. This method takes advantage of the fact that rock is far weaker in tension than in compression, creating a clean internal fracture with relatively little energy. Surface impact methods, such as hydraulic breakers, must overcome the rock’s much higher compressive strength, which requires a lot more energy.
Step 1
Insert half of the total length of the wedge and use the Yamamoto splitter to split.
Step 2
Then insert 3/4 of the total length of the wedge to split again.
Step 3
Finally, insert the full length of the wedge and split to complete.
Mounting and powering: The splitter mounts directly onto a standard excavator, drawing power from the carrier's hydraulic system. This straightforward installation allows the splitter to be quickly transferred between different excavators or adapted to cranes and custom carriers as project requirements change.
Advantages of Yamamoto Hydraulic Rock Splitter
Productivity
The largest splitter in the market with the highest productivity, allowing increase in spacing between split holes and can go deeper with each split.
Robust
With minimal number of parts, utilising the pressure of the excavator to avoid boosters. Extra long counter wedges minimise the risk of machine failure.
Durable
Wedge set is made from forged steel with optimal hardness and heat treatment to ensure wear-resistant.
Flexible
Simple installation allows splitter to be mounted on excavator, crane or custom carrier without major modifications.
Safe
Blast-free rock excavation with minimal safety concerns such as vibrations, flyrock and noise.
Efficient
Work can commence immediately without permits, licences, or other restrictions.
Work Process
1. Drilling
Drill split holes of specific diameter and depth, normally done with a crawler drill. Hole spacing depends on splitter model, rock hardness and types of projects, and is often adjusted as the project progresses.
2. Splitting
Insert the wedge into the hole and split the rock. Position the wedge so that it is splitting towards the free face to maximise the splitter’s productivity.
3. Rock Removal
Remove the split rock with a rock breaker or ripper to maintain the free face. Normally three rows of holes can be split before the rock has to be removed and the free face recreated.
HRB-1000 and HRB-1700
Yamamoto Rock Splitter is available in two models with three different wedge diameters: HRB-1000 with either 76mm or 102mm diameter wedge sets, and HRB-1700 with a 127mm diameter wedge set. The choice between models depends on your drilling capacity, the production rate you need, and the type and scale of your project.
HRB-1000
Wedge diameter: 76mm or 102mm
The HRB-1000 is the more flexible model, designed to work with smaller drilling equipment. This makes it ideal when drilling capacity is limited or when the working environment demands compact machinery.
Key characteristics:
- Requires smaller drill holes (76mm or 102mm)
- Easier to handle in confined spaces
- Works with smaller, more mobile drilling setups
- Option of 76mm wedge set for even tighter constraints
Best suited for:
- Tunnelling where controlled, step-by-step excavation and smaller drilling set-up is standard
- Smaller trenches and foundations for residential buildings
- Projects with limited drilling capacity
- Confined working environments
HRB-1700
Wedge diameter: 127mm
The HRB-1700 is the high-output model designed for projects where you can maintain fast and consistent drilling. It requires a 127mm drill hole, which means you need a fairly large and capable drill rig on site.
Key characteristics:
- Delivers 2–3× the production rate of HRB-1000 when matched with capable drilling equipment
- Creates deeper splits per cycle, reducing the number of drilling and splitting rounds needed
- Requires larger, more powerful drilling rigs
Best suited for:
- Mass excavation and benching operations
- Shafts and tunnel enlargement (not tunnelling itself)
- Deep excavation where fewer rounds are advantageous
- High-volume projects where speed and throughput are critical
Technical specifications
| Model | HRB-1000 | HRB-1700 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 670 kg | 1,480 lbs | 1,530 kg | 3,370 lbs |
| Drill hole diameter* | Ø 102 mm | Ø 4 in | Ø 127 mm Ø 5 in |
| Drill hole depth | 1,500 mm | 5 ft | 2,500 mm | 9 ft |
| Splitting hole spacing | 600-1,000 mm | 2-3.5 ft | 750-1,500 mm | 3-3.5 ft |
| Splitting force | 22MN | 2,250 ton | 34MN | 3,550 ton |
| Wedge length (A) | 1,350 mm | 53 in | 2,090 mm | 82 in |
| Splitter length (B) | 3,200 mm | 126 in | 4,540 mm | 178 in |
| Body length (C) | 1,850 mm | 73 in | 2,450 mm | 96 in |
| Hydraulic pressure | 320-350 bar | 4,500-5,100 psi | 320-350 bar | 4,500-5,100 psi |
| Hydraulic flow | 80-100 lpm | 21-26 gpm | 100-150 lpm | 26-40 gpm |
| Carrier weight | 12-20 ton | 26,000-44,000 lb | 18-30 ton | 40,000-66,000 lb |
Breaking New Ground: Rock Splitting at Montreal’s REM Airport Station
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At Birla Cement’s limestone mine in Rajasthan, India, a centuries-old fort overlooking the site has ruled out the use of blasting. For years, this created major challenges: the extremely hard limestone resisted conventional hydraulic rock breakers, slowing output and raising costs. A breakthrough came with the introduction of the **Yamamoto HRB-1700 hydraulic rock splitter**. By […]
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