Rail Recycling Plants: the Cayman Railbreaker
The Cayman RB hydraulic shear is the heart of efficient rail recycling plants, designed to cut railroad tracks and used with great success in the volume reduction and recycling of railroad and tramway rails. An innovative design, high-quality components and cutting blades with four profiles ensure dependable working efficiency. Mounted on an excavator, the Railbreaker brings powerful, repeatable cutting directly to the track, turning long, awkward rail into manageable, dense sections that are far cheaper to handle, transport and sell into the steel market.
Purpose-built rail breaker shears
The Railbreaker is one of Zato’s dedicated rail breaker shears: a tool engineered specifically for the hardened steel of railway track. As rail breakers shears go, its compact beak and high-bore cylinder concentrate force exactly where it is needed for clean track cuts up to 70 kg/m, which is why it performs so reliably inside rail-processing plants handling continuous lengths of rail.
General features
- Designed to be effective and long-lasting
- Minimised maintenance time and costs
- Makes the most of the materials processed
Description
Built by experienced rail breaker shear manufacturers, the Cayman RB combines these elements so it keeps cutting hardened rail accurately over a long service life.
- Sturdy, durable Strenx 700 frame that protects mechanical parts
- Cylinder designed with high bores for powerful cutting forces
- Solid, compact beak for track cuts up to 70 kg/m
- Interchangeable blades with four cutting profiles
- Continuous, simplified hydraulic rotation to minimise maintenance
- Mounting at both boom place and bucket place
Applications
Railbreaker – technical data
| RB20R | RB40R | |
| Weight without adapter saddle (kg) | 2000 | 4400 |
| A – Length without adapter saddle (mm) | 2300 | 2850 |
| B – Opening (mm) | 190 | 215 |
| C – Depth (mm) | 210 | 210 |
| Shear force centred pin (t) | 460 | 950 |
| Tip shear force (t) | 288 | 480 |
| Excavator wt. boom place (t) | 10-15 | 25-35 |
| Excavator wt. bucket place (t) | 18-27 | 39-50 |
| Cutting pressure (bar) | 300-320 | 300-320 |
| Cutting flow (l/min) | 200-250 | 350-400 |
| Rotation pressure (bar) | 100-110 | 100-110 |
| Rotation flow (l/min) | 25 | 25 |
FAQ
What is a rail breaker shear used for?
A rail breaker shear is a hydraulic excavator attachment designed to cut railroad and tramway rails into shorter sections for volume reduction and recycling. Its hardened, compact beak handles the tough steel of track that standard shears struggle with. Zato’s Cayman RB is built specifically for this rail-recycling application.
How is a rail breaker different from a standard demolition shear?
A rail breaker has a compact, reinforced beak and a high-bore cylinder optimised for the hardened steel and concentrated cross-section of rail, where a general demolition shear is built for mixed scrap and structures. Zato’s Cayman RB can cut track up to 70 kg/m, making it far more effective than a general-purpose shear on railway material.
Why cut rail on site instead of transporting it whole?
Long rail is awkward and expensive to load and transport. Cutting it on site with a rail breaker turns it into short, dense sections, so more fits into each load, transport trips drop and the material is easier to feed into the steel market. The Cayman RB brings this capability directly to the track via the excavator.
Which excavator size is needed for a rail breaker?
It depends on the model: Zato’s RB20R suits carriers of roughly 10–15 t on the boom and 18–27 t on the bucket, while the larger RB40R suits 25–35 t and 39–50 t respectively. Zato matches the unit to your excavator and the rail profile you need to cut.
How long do the blades last on a rail breaker shear?
The Cayman RB uses interchangeable blades with four cutting profiles, so the cutting edges can be rotated as they wear before replacement, extending blade life and reducing consumable costs. Combined with the Strenx 700 frame and simplified hydraulic rotation, this keeps maintenance time and running costs low.
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