When oversized rocks and debris start to clutter around your dredge’s suction mouth – a problem we call “Cobbling” – it can seriously hinder the flow of quality material. We see this problem frequently with Cutterhead dredges that were placed in a deposit with a fairly high percentage of rock and debris that is too large to realistically pump . In these scenarios, the Cutterhead just re-handles the same collection of large rock over and over, compounding the “cobbling” effect impeading the flow of quality material. To get past this, you’ve got to get those large rocks and boulders out of the way.

Here’s How It Works

The Cutterchain lifts the problematic cobble up and moves it away from the dredge suction mouth area. As the chain rotates along the length of the track, it drops the cobble or debris off behind the chain section, or at least a good distance away from where the suction mouth is dredging. It works because it continually removes rock and debris that would impede the suction mouth, whereas the cutterhead simply cannot accomplish this.

As one of the only manufacturers in the United States producing Chain Ladder Dredges, we’ve seen many of our customers meet and exceed their production targets with this effective approach.

The Operational Difference Between a Chain Ladder and a Cutterhead Dredge:

A Cutterhead Suction Dredge swings in a ‘side-to-side’ type of motion or action (visualize mopping a floor with a rag-mop). A Chain Ladder utilizes a ‘back-and-forth motion’ (visualize using a vacuum to clean the living room carpet). Both approaches typically also leverage 2 or 3 High Water Pressure Jet Nozzles to help cut, agitate, and suspend material, as well as to blast away clay and debris and keep the Chain or Cutterhead free from clay buildup.