By Bill Tremblay
The Tinbin TC2, which is now available in Canada, allows operators to use their excavators in a similar fashion as a hydro vac truck.
Peter Scholtens, from Integrity Rail Products, became the North American dealer for the German-made Tinbin after seeing the attachment demonstrated at a rail show in Berlin. Scholtens explained he saw the attachment as a viable alternative to hydro vac trucks.
“I knew a little bit about the suction and I understood a lot of the regulatory changes that have happen that have affected hydro vac trucks,” he said.
In Ontario, for example, vac trucks are now classified as trucks rather than construction equipment. As well, the slurry created by the trucks requires treatment.
“The Tinbin is dry excavation, so, the material you pull out of the hole, you can dump beside it and put it back in,” Scholtens said. “With hydrovac trucks they have to bring the material in for treatment, then they’re paying for a second truck to bring in new material to put back in the hole.”
The first Tinbin was brought to Canada in April, and Integrity Rail Products demonstrated the attachment throughout the summer. The first Tinbin in North America was sold in August, and is now in use in the rail industry in British Columbia.
Recently, Integrity Rail Products partnered with CG Equipment to demo the attachment on a Doosan DX190W wheeled excavator in Guelph, Ontario.
“It’s a great way of adding suction to your excavators,” Scholtens said. “If you have excavators on site already, you don’t have to wait around for a vac truck. It uses your existing assets effectively.”
How Tinbin works
The Tinbin uses an excavator’s hydraulics to suck material into its 0.75 cubic metre storage tank. The tank may be opened from the excavator cab allowing easy dumping of material collected.
Equipped with a 25-cm-wide rotating suction tube with a reinforced serrated crown, the Tinbin can reach depths up to 3.5 metres. The unit requires at least a 16 tonne excavator to operate.
“You need the hydraulic flow to run the fans. And the secondary issue is the weight,” Scholtens said.
The TC2 weighs 1,300 kg when it is empty. When its full of material, its weight may double.
“You need to have a good weight underneath you in the excavator to hold that and carry it without risking tipping over,” Scholtens said.
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To tackle compacted soil or heavy clay, the Tinbin can be paired with an air lance that’s hooked up to a 185-cfm compressor.
“You disrupt the soil ahead of time and then you can suck it up with this without any issue,” Scholtens said. “That will effectively give you the same abilities as a hydro vac truck with a hydro lance. And it’s safer, especially around electrical utilities.”
