The hydromill trench cutter is a type of construction equipment designed to dig the narrow but deep trenches used in the casting of slurry walls. Typically, it is a cutter attachment mounted on a crawler crane base machine, with different types of hose handling systems. The machine excavates by cutting the soil using two cutting wheels, while a powerful pump extracts the loose material mixed with some of the slurry, typically bentonite.
The hydromill, also known as hydraulic cutter, basically consists of:
Usually, there are two sets of hoses, one for hydraulic oil, and another for extraction of slurry from the diaphragm wall.
Hydraulic cutter have a standard length of 2800 mm, with various width, varying from 600 mm up to 2500 mm. Cutting wheel teeth depend mainly on the type of soil intended to be excavated.