May 2022 Vol. 77 No. 5
First Look
Crawler-Mounted Vac Designed for Challenging Ground Conditions
Jeff Griffin | Senior Editor
Ring-O-Matic has introduced two crawler-mounted vacuum excavators for use in areas where truck- and trailer-mounted units are unable to travel, said Tony Bokhoven, Ring-O-Matic director of sales and business development.
Tracks distribute weight of the machine over a greater area with less ground pressure than wheels, for traveling across rough, uneven terrain and soft or wet soils.
They are used for keeping work sites clear of horizontal directional drilling fluids, potholing to visually verify locations of existing utilities, digging trench in hard to access locations, and general clean up.
“We were contacted by our customer, Multi Machine Inc., to design and develop hydraulic-driven units that would utilize the power plant and hydraulic system from two different Prinoth Panther crawler units,” said Bokhoven.
The T8 model has a 550-gallon spoil tank and develops 1200 CFM from a 412 RAM positive displacement blower at 16 inches hg. The larger T12 has an 850-gallon spoil tank and develops 1,700 CFM from its 418 RAM PD blower.
Standard crawlers for vacuum excavation unit are Prinoth Panthers.
“Or,” Bokhoven said, “buyers may request a crawler of their choice, and we work with them to decide which unit is right for their machine, based on the specifications they are requesting. Once that is determined, they send us a crawler and we build the unit on their crawler.
“Aside from the enhanced mobility and ground clearance provided by the Prinoth Panther crawlers, these units are equipped with reverse pressure for offloading material and obstructed hose clean out, higher CFM than standard units, as well as enhanced filtration to protect and enhance the life of the positive displacement blowers.
“By utilizing the power plant and hydraulic system from the crawlers, the overall package of the machine is smaller, with less overall weight, optimizing flotation in wet and less stable terrain.”
Multi Machine Inc., Asbury, N.H., owns six Ring-O-Matic crawler vacuum excavators, which the company rents to a variety of customers.
“Contractors and project owners rent them for various projects where other equipment can’t be used,” said Curt Mornman, sales and rental manager. “Work in soft soils on wind and solar farms are two that come to mind. Customers like them because they are self-contained crawlers and vac units. Two are T12 models, four are T8s.”
Ring-O-Matic is a leading innovator of trailer- and truck-mounted vacuum excavation and fluid management vacuum only machines.
Multi Machine is a premier dealer for Prinoth tracked crawlers and provides a wide variety of equipment to construction markets. •
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Ring-O-Matic, (641) 628-1515, ring-o-matic.com
Multi Machine, multimachine.com
Dimensions
T8
Length: 18’7”
Width: 8’
Height: 8’7”
Ground Clearance: 17”
Weight: 19,000 lbs.
Payload: 16,000 lbs.
Engine Horsepower: 225 hp
Uphill Grade: 31 degrees
Sidehill Grade: 21.8 degrees
Max Speed: 6.2 mph
T12
Length: 25’3”
Width: 8’6”
Height: 11’8”
Ground Clearance: 21”
Weight: 33,700 lbs.
Max Speed: 6.2 mph
Specifications of Vacuum Excavator Units
T8
550-Gallon Spoils Tank
200 CFM 412 RAM positive displacement blower @ 16” hg, driven by hydraulic drive system
Pressurized Tank Offload, Pressure Filter Backflush
Reverse Flow Suction Hose Blow-Out
2x100-gallon poly freshwater tanks
6.0 gpm @ 4000psi water pump
Premium silencer package
Hydraulic tank hoist
Hydraulic full opening rear door standard with power door lock
Sight-glass for level detection
4” suction hose
50’ x 3/8” high pressure hose reel with wash gun
5’ potholing lance
LED work lights
Manual boom (strong arm) with 10’ reach
Removable Water Heater with Setup (200,000 BTU: 60 degrees F over ambient @ 6 gpm; fuel burn rate of 1.8 g/hour)
Spoils Tank Double Wash in-tank washing system
T12
850-Gallon Spoil Tank
1700 CFM 418 RAM PD Blower
Reverse Flow
2x250-gallon water tanks
6gpm / 4000 psi water pump
6” six-way hydraulic boom
Hydraulic Tank Hoist
Full opening rear door
Sight Glass in rear door
Wireless remote
480K BTU Water Heater
Double in tank spoil wash out system
Cyclonic 00
Suction Hose: 6”
Uphill Grade: 31 degrees
Sidehill Grade: 21.8 degrees
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