Remote controlled solutions provide additional security on site

Developments in the world of dredging equipment do not stand still. "Whether it's double cutter heads, a fully equipped amphibious crane, multifunctional cutter suction dredgers or a remote-controlled tool, we can design, manufacture, sell and rent innovative tools," says Thijs van den Outenaar, sales engineer at Bell Dredging Pumps BV.

He notes an increasing demand for remotely controlled machines. "There are situations where having an operator sitting in the crane is not or less responsible. Bell Dredging Pumps offers a solution for that as well."

Safety first

"In Oceania, for example, where the walls of the 125-meter-deep gold mine were on the verge of collapse and sinkholes occurred regularly. For this we developed a 35-ton amphibious crane with a Bell 250 dredge pump, fully remote controlled. The operator could safely perform the dredging work remotely and control all the functionalities of the crane." He also mentions a project in Australia. "When extracting uranium, water is used that is afterwards collected in a basin. However, that water has become very acidic through the process. Still, the sediment in this basin will have to be removed from time to time. A remote controlled amphibious crane of ours was used there as well, with an undercarriage made entirely of stainless steel because of the acidity. But it is also an issue closer to home: consider, for example, the construction of large wind farms off the coast, where potential bombs have to be cleared in the path of the cables to be pulled. Explosion danger is then also a good reason not to have an operator in the crane. And what about demolition work? Because of the large debris that can come down, but also because the operator can view the work from a completely different angle when he is not in the cab."

Innovative additions

"No matter what tool, (existing) crane or excavator, we can make everything remote controlled. By breaking into the hydraulic system and using valves that we can control remotely, an operator can control both crane and tool remotely through a control panel with joysticks. Thanks to innovative features that we developed together with our operators, the feeling with machine and tool remains, even if the operator is up to 200 meters away. Several added sensors can be felt and seen on the control panel, such as different pressures in the dredging process. We can even show a full representation of the situation underwater on the screen, so the operator definitely has a good idea of where he is and what he is doing, even if he is not in the crane. In this way, we are once again responding to an increasing demand from the market," Van den Outenaar concludes.