Hydro-Scaling System Integrated into Shotcrete Robot

Is it possible to install hydro-scaling equipment on a shotcrete robot?

Putzmeister shotcrete robot with hydro-scaling equipment.
Maquinter installed hydro-scaling equipment into the shotcrete robot. With such a combination, you may apply shotcrete and hydro-scale with the same machine.

João Gouveia, General Manager of Maquinter, was asked this question a few years ago. Maquinter is a 36-year-old Portuguese firm selling and renting equipment for tunneling and mining projects. We interviewed João Gouveia, General Manager of Maquinter, as they have implemented hydro-scaling equipment into a shotcrete robot in a unique way. But who is João Gouveia?

João Gouveia, General Manager of Maquinter
João Gouveia, General Manager of Maquinter
  • I’m a mining engineer with a master’s degree in construction. I also have worked for 15 years in the construction industry, which gives me a unique knowledge about how to use machines and overall how to do things. This knowledge helps me to provide the best solutions for our customers, João Gouveia said.

Maquinter’s core business is underground works, and they represent many different machinery brands like Putzmeister, Bomaq, and Strassmayr.

  • We won’t just rent the equipment but ensure our customer succeeds in his job. I go to the job site with the contractor and will not leave him until they can operate the machine properly. We don’t just present the solutions; we make them happen, João Gouveia said.

Maquinter also has a technical department with top-notch know-how in many fields like hydraulics, mechanics, and electronics. Dynaset stepped into the picture almost ten years ago.

  • We started bringing new solutions to our customers with Dynaset products. Basically, the sky is the limit with Dynaset equipment if you are just creative, João Gouveia said.

Putzmeister Wetkret 4 with Hydro-Scaling Equipment

Putzmeister Wetkret 4 machine that was equipped with a hydro-scaling system by Maquinter
Putzmeister Wetkret 4 machine that was equipped with a hydro-scaling system by Maquinter.

Maquinter got a few years ago request about installing a hydro-scaling system into a shotcrete robot.

  • We just said ‘yes we will do it’ to them because we already knew what to expect from the system. We installed the DYNASET HPW 460 pump and nozzles and customized the machine’s hydraulics for the system. That’s how the first Putzmeister machine with hydro-scaling equipment was built. 
Hydro-scaling nozzle of Putzmeister shotcrete robot.
A hydro-scaling nozzle was installed into the machine’s boom so the water jet could be directed as the shotcrete nozzle.
DYNASET HPW 460 Hydraulic High Pressure Water Pump was installed into the chassis of the robot
DYNASET HPW 460 Hydraulic High Pressure Water Pump was installed into the chassis of the robot.

The system utilizes the Putzmeister shotcrete robot’s hydraulic system and provides almost 300 bars of water pressure for scaling.

  • It is more than enough for hydro-scaling, and at the same time, it is safe to use. To illustrate, we were able to remove concrete with the water pressure.
Hydro-scaling cut through concrete.
The system provides almost 300 bars, which is more than enough to clean and clear loose rocks after explosives. To put the pressure into context, Maquinter was able to cut concrete with only the water jet.

Maquinter installed the hydro-scaling nozzle into the same boom as the shotcrete nozzle resulting in the user being able to control it and the original shotcrete nozzle.

  • We use the original control system to control the water jet, as it was already there. Also, the remote control doesn’t have much room for additional buttons.

The way Maquinter chose to install the hydro-scaling system is creative because of the complete integration and extremely well usage of the machine’s features itself. It’s just a perfect fit.

And why Maquinter chose Dynaset to be their partner?

  • People see us as a really reliable company that only sells really reliable solutions. So basically, we can only work with the best. And honestly, in the case of hydraulic water pumps, Dynaset is the best,João Gouveia summed.

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