St Louis, Missouri-based mining and gravel company Winter Brothers Material Company has taken delivery of an electric-powered cutter suction aggregates dredger from Custom Dredge Works (CDW) of Topeka, Kansas.
CDW said the dredger was custom-built for the unique requirements of a recently launched aggregates mining operation by Winter Brothers on the west bank of Missouri's Meramec River.
The vessel utilises a chain-ladder dredge head instead of a traditional cutter head. The chain-ladder can effectively separate large rocks from any free flowing material to prevent these from clogging and cluttering up the suction mouth.
Winter Brothers mine supervisor Jerry Gunter said his company opted for an electric-powered dredger due to its low maintenance requirements compared to the diesel-powered dredgers. Further, an electric dredger was preferred since it carried zero risk of oil and fuel spills.
