Dragflow has sold a newly designed amphibious dredge to a large Chilean mining company that produces industrial minerals. The machine will operate in tailing ponds near the customer’s mine in Chile’s Atacama Desert, pumping tailings material back to the plant for reprocessing.
The water level in these ponds varies but is usually less than a half meter, making the application well-suited for amphibious dredging. With two lateral tracked floaters, the new dredge can move over ground similar to any earthmoving machine, while additional central floaters allow it to float on water with high stability. It also is able to work efficiently in muddy and soft soils and swamp land, according to the manufacturer. The dredge is equipped with a 260-kW diesel engine, which runs the hydraulic power pack; the dredging unit itself, a DRAGFLOW HY85/160 plus two EXHY20 cutters; and a Jet Ring System with high-pressure water jets to assist in dry dredging conditions.
