Produced by Aquamec, part of the Lännen group of construction machinery companies, Watermaster is an amphibious multi-purpose machine
Aquamec has sold these machines, which are manufactured in Finland, to public and private sector customers in South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia and other countries around the continent. Africa is a growing market for the company.
Aquamec's machines are used for many types of dredging applications - from mining through to marine sector projects - but the majority are used for environmental reasons. Watermaster is operated in shallow water areas - for example, shipyards - of 0-6m depth. This distinguishes the product from dedicated equipment such as long-reach excavators, amphibious excavators, and backhoe and suction dredgers, in that it can take on the roles of all these machines, to handle all these application types, merely by changing the machine tooling.
Designed for dedicated projects, and for different purposes
Watermaster can be transported as a complete unit, making logistics easy. It can also unload from a truck by itself, meaning no crane is needed for unloading on site.
In water, it moves at up to four knots per hour. It anchors itself independently, differing from conventional machines that often need separate anchors.
Almost always, Watermaster machines are sold with both a pumping capability and a backhoe capability. For backhoe dredging work, it can utilise a 500l bucket, and can use a clamshell bucket. It can remove vegetation, from the surface and at the roots; more conventional machines can take vegetation only at the surface.
For pile driving projects, there are different attachments to use. Watermaster can be deployed for simple piling such as the installation of wooden poles - or more complex work that might involve, for example, the use of metal sheets.
