Dredge pump with double cutter

World's only cutter-pump combination that can be used freely suspended

The Dutch: experts in solving and overcoming maritime and civil challenges in the eternal battle against the water of ever rising sea levels. One such expert is Bell Dredging, global manufacturer of dredge pumps and dredging equipment. They specialize in engineering and manufacturing durable dredging equipment that can withstand the severe conditions in which they are deployed.

Newest acquisition

Thijs van den Outenaar, sales & project engineer at Bell Dredging, talks about the latest development: "We have a specific pump head for every job and type of soil. The most recent addition to our pump head family is the Bell double cutter head. Designed, built and tested in-house."

The Bell 100 Double cutter head at work at Sassevaart in Terneuzen.

Legion of benefits

Whereas the single cutter head can only be used in a fixed arrangement, for example on the arm of an excavator or on the ladder of a cutter suction dredger, the double cutter head can be used freely suspended. Ideal for deep use such as removing sand, clay and other material from pipe piles, for example. "In its standard version, the Bell double cutter head can submerge up to 150 meters and has a diameter of 1 to 4 meters, depending on the pump it is attached to," Van den Outenaar says. "It is the only free-hanging tool on the market that can pump and cut simultaneously." Also around the center of the pump is a water jet ring from which water is sprayed out at high pressure. "In one and the same operation, a pipe pile is pumped empty AND the inner wall of the pipe cleaned. This, of course, provides enormous time and cost savings."

The New Lock at Terneuzen and North Sea Wind Farm

Van den Outenaar cites some great examples where the dredge pump with the double cutter head has already been used to complete satisfaction. "At project Sassevaart (Terneuzen) we emptied tube piles for the construction of the new lock. The Bell 100, equipped with the double cutter head, was lowered into 158 tube piles to pump out a 15-meter-thick layer of sand, clay and debris from each and at the same time clean the inner wall of the tube for better adhesion of the concrete to be poured."

The double cutter head was also used in the construction of an offshore wind farm in the North Sea. "At a depth of as much as 80 meters and under the most challenging conditions, our pumps proved their services and the piles form the basis for offshore wind turbines in the North Sea. The Bell Double cutter head is multi-purpose," says Van den Outenaar. "In addition to emptying pipes, this tool is ideally suited for dredging and cleaning reservoirs. But more on that later..."