Milling machines have become essential tools for fast and efficient cleaning.
This includes many of the obstacles municipal sewer crews face on a daily basis, such as soft blockages, scale and calcium build up, tree roots and concrete deposits as well as failed liners and imperfections in the pipe. One of the newest milling machines on the market — the Maxi Power+ from Picote Solutions — is designed for even higher performance cleaning, lining removal and cutting/reinstatements in larger-diameter pipes.
"It provides nearly double the power of our next biggest machine — the Maxi Miller — and operates between 500 to 1,500 rpm,” says Ryan Boldan, global learning solutions director with Picote Solutions. “It has a working range of 60 feet, but that can be lengthened to a maximum range of 132 feet with extensions to the 3/4-inch shaft. It is an extremely powerful machine that excels in even the toughest situations, but is still easy and safe to operate thanks to its unique safety features.”
According to Boldan, these safety features include a protective outer shaft casing, operator presence foot control, electric safety clutch, internal GFI, and an emergency stop to help keep operators and their equipment investment protected. Due to the increased power it provides, Bolden suggests that the unit should only be run off a 400-volt, three-phase Picote generator or a comparable unit.
“I recently spoke to one of our U.S. contractors about the Maxi Power+, and he described it as a big specialty machine with serious torque that is great for laterals and mainlines over short distances,” says Boldan.
“It’s affordable compared to some high-pressure water solutions for heavy duty cleaning. This allows for faster payback on the investment.”
Boldan says that, according to that particular contractor, the unit works well for concrete and liner removal, as the contractor himself removed more than 100 feet of concrete liner in 8-inch sewer pipe using it. It’s also ideal for waterlines to remove buildup, and other industrial projects.
“We believe that the Maxi Power+ is a powerful, unique solution for those projects that often don’t have other options,” he says. “Simply mount the generator on the back of a truck and you’ll always be ready when a job comes up.”
