Amphibous excavator
Amphibious Excavator, also widely named Amphibious dredger, Floating Excavator or customized dredge ship, belongs to high‑performance dredging equipment specially built for complicated shallow‑water, marsh and pond construction conditions. Conventional land‑based excavators cannot enter soft mud zones, stagnant ponds and swamp terrain, while Amphibious Excavator breaks such operational limits by adopting fully‑sealed steel pontoon undercarriage, enabling stable construction both on land surface and floating water surface. Amphibious dredger integrates excavation, suction dredging and underwater material transportation into one single unit, so Amphibious dredger replaces multiple separate dredging equipment for many inland water projects and greatly cuts overall project investment.
Floating Excavator adopts modular pontoon framework as core buoyancy carrier. Main pontoon of this set of dredging equipment measures 5.7m1.0m1.3m for each unit, two main pontoons are assembled as primary floating hull, deck and side plates adopt 5‑mm steel plate, bottom plate applies reinforced 6‑mm steel plate for anti‑abrasion performance against river‑bed gravel and silt friction. Total buoyancy delivered by two main pontoons reaches 8.5T. Two side pontoons with dimension 4m1.26m0.76m provide extra lateral stability, each side pontoon supplies 5.5T buoyancy. All pontoon compartments implement watertight welding craftsmanship, preventing water permeation even when partial scratch occurs during site operation. This pontoon system makes Floating Excavator keep stable floating status during full‑range slewing excavation, so dredge ship can sustain excavation reaction force without capsizing risk.
High‑strength chain rail assembly serves as walking execution part for Amphibious Excavator. Chain material selects high‑strength 785 grade plate and Cr40 material to resist continuous impact from mud, sand and underwater debris. Two Nabtesco GM10 travel motors deliver powerful driving torque for Amphibious dredger, supporting Amphibious dredger to crawl across soft muddy bank zones and shallow water surfaces without sinking. As critical anchoring component of dredging equipment, two sets of 5.5‑meter‑long vertical‑only spuds are equipped for Floating Excavator. Vertical‑only spud merely carries out up‑and‑down hydraulic movement, vertical‑only spud features simple structure and lower procurement cost, vertical‑only spud perfectly fits pond projects without flowing current, operators can shift Amphibious Excavator short‑range by pushing pond bottom using long boom of Amphibious Excavator. Vertical‑only spud rises to high vertical position when fully retracted; for long‑distance highway transportation, vertical‑only spud requires simple disassembly work.
Amphibious dredger is equipped with Lonking CDM6060WG4 upper excavator unit, the rated power reaches 35.2 kW powered by WEICHAI water‑cooled diesel engine, the whole upper excavator part weighs 3 Tons, standard bucket capacity is 0.23 m³. A complete submersible pump assembly with rotating cutter head is matched for this dredging equipment. Dredging depth supported by submersible pump reaches 4.5 m; suction pipe diameter and discharge pipe diameter both keep 100 mm. The submersible pump assembly achieves 150 m³/h water flow rate, maximum discharge distance hits 250 m and pump head reaches 40 m. The rotating cutter head of submersible pump crushes consolidated silt, clay and aquatic plant roots before suction, effectively avoiding pipeline blockage during dredging operation of Floating Excavator. Custom‑made transition pipelines ranging from 4‑inch to 12‑inch connect submersible pump and discharge pressure hose; 200‑meter‑long 100‑mm wear‑resistant latex‑impregnated pressure hose delivers dredged sediment to designated spoil area far away from dredge ship.
Complete auxiliary configurations further enhance operating safety and working convenience for Amphibious Excavator. Ergonomic cabin integrates control unit, instrument panel, full hydraulic manipulation devices and air‑conditioning unit, creating comfortable long‑time working environment for operators of Amphibious dredger. Echo sounder and navigator help operators of dredging equipment master real‑time water‑depth data and position information on site. High‑resolution underwater video surveillance system with color display and HD camera shows underwater cutter‑head working status directly inside cabin, operators of Floating Excavator can adjust excavation depth and cutter‑head rotation speed without frequent visual check over water surface. Standard supporting packages contain hydraulic repair kit, general spare tools, full‑set rescue gear including life jackets, life buoys, fire extinguishers and first‑aid kits, two sets for each rescue item, meeting international site‑safety requirements for dredge‑ship projects. Two propellers are optional accessories for dredging equipment; when propellers are installed, Amphibious Excavator can realize self‑propelled water navigation. If project sites are static ponds without running water, project owners can cancel propeller configuration to save total purchase cost of Amphibious dredger, and accomplish short‑distance relocation by boom‑pushing against pond bed.
Multiple practical application scenarios expand market coverage for Amphibious Excavator as core dredging equipment. First scenario covers inland pond and reservoir sediment remediation: Floating Excavator carries out silt removal, aquatic weed cleaning and reservoir‑bank reshaping inside stagnant‑water ponds, reservoirs and aquaculture ponds, Amphibious dredger does not need temporary construction access road, dredge ship directly floats to working zones for continuous dredging. Second application refers to slow‑flow river channel maintenance: Amphibious Excavator clears accumulated sediment inside small‑and‑medium rivers, widens and deepens river cross‑sections for flood‑drainage improvement, dredging equipment can switch bucket excavation mode and pump‑suction dredging mode according to river‑bed soil property. Third working condition is wetland ecological restoration project: Floating Excavator removes invasive aquatic plants, reconstructs wetland terrain without heavy land construction machinery entering fragile wetland soil, dredge ship minimizes ecological disturbance to wetland habitat. Fourth‑range application includes flood‑hit area emergency disposal: Amphibious dredger travels across flooded muddy terrain to clear blocked drainage channels and remove post‑flood debris where ordinary engineering machines cannot arrive. Additional‑scenario usage contains tailing‑pond sediment handling and coastal shallow‑zone auxiliary dredging, Amphibious Excavator can cooperate with large‑scale cutter‑suction dredger for auxiliary finishing work in shallow water zones that big dredge ship cannot access.