Hydromill trench cutter
The hydromill trench cutter is a specialized type of construction equipment designed to dig the narrow but deep trenches used in the casting of slurry walls. Typically, it is a cutter attachment mounted on a crawler crane base machine, with different types of hose handling systems. The machine excavates by cutting the soil using two cutting wheels, while a powerful pump extracts the loose material mixed with some of the slurry, typically bentonite.
Machine components
The hydromill, also known as hydraulic cutter, basically consists of:- Base machine, usually a crawler crane, of adequate capacity
- Hose handling system, for both hydraulic and slurry hoses; these systems can use either a hose drum or a hose tension design
- Hydraulic cutter, which typically consists of two cutter wheels powered by a hydraulic motor, a slurry pump, and flaps to control its direction in case of deviation from the intended path.