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Cutting through limestone and hard shale: AQ-5 maximized productivity on urban foundation project in New England October 22, 2025

Project Location: Northeast, USAProject Equipment: AQ-5 on Cat 352Project Application: Foundation / Rock Excavation Project Overview Major northeastern contractor faced the challenge of excavating an underground parking garage in a confined, urban setting. Surrounded by existing structures and working in hard limestone and shale, the team needed a method that combined precision, control, and efficiency, with no option for blasting. The Antraquip AQ-5 hydraulic drum cutter  provided maximum productivity and the precision needed to shape the footings. Project Challenges Tight work zone: Limited space and restricted movement near existing structures No blasting permitted: This job required a low-vibration alternative to maintain site safety Limestone and Hard shale excavation: The dense rock called for… Read More

Unlocking Versatility: Applications of Hydraulic Drum Cutters September 9, 2025

Hydraulic drum cutter attachments, also know as rock grinders, rockwheel, etc., are excavator mounted machines designed for various types of rock excavation, concrete demolition, soil mixing applications and more. Hydraulic drum cutters have emerged as powerful and versatile tools in various industries, revolutionizing the way tasks are accomplished. Here at Antraquip, we carry a variety of these robust attachments which are designed to excel in a multitude of applications, showcasing their efficiency, precision, and adaptability. In this article, we will explore the different types of applications for hydraulic drum cutters, highlighting their diverse uses across industries. Construction and Demolition: Hydraulic drum… Read More

Cutting a 24 ft Trench 4× Faster With the AQ-4XL vs Traditional Hydraulic Hammer August 24, 2025

The precision and power of an Antraquip drum cutter not only won the bid for the regional contractor but may have been the only machine that would have worked in the tight city street location without significant additional costs and disruption to the community, if traditional methods were used, including the removal of sidewalks, traffic stoppage, noise and vibration. With a 24’ deep trench needing to be excavated in hard Pennsylvania limestone a hydraulic hammer would have required a nearly 20’ wide cut at the top. With the use of an Antraquip AQ-4XL mounted on Komatsu PC 490 the contractor was… Read More

Breaking Through: AQ-6 Drum Cutter Excels in Montreal Ventilation Tunnel August 6, 2025

Location: Montreal, CanadaEquipment: AQ-6 on a CAT365Application: TunnelingThe Problem A major Canadian contractor was tasked with building a new ventilation tunnel beneath the busy streets of downtown Montreal. The project required sinking a deep shaft and driving a 107‑meter tunnel, ten meters wide and seven meters high, through rock with a uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of 100 to 170 MPa, conditions far beyond what most drum cutters are designed to handle. The location created even more complexity. With tightly packed infrastructure overhead and surrounding the alignment, there was zero tolerance for vibration damage. Blasting was ruled out due to the risk to nearby… Read More

High Production with the AQ-2: Tackling Trenching Obstacles July 30, 2025

Location: Chicago, ILEquipment: AQ-2Application: TrenchingOn a trenching project in Chicago, IL, the crew encountered multiple obstacles that made the traditional method of using a hammer ineffective and inefficient: Intermittent limestone Buried remnants of old house foundations Tight proximity to water, gas, and electrical lines Even with two Volvo 470 excavators equipped with hammers, phase one quickly ran into problems. The percussive force caused delays, increased the risk of damaging surrounding infrastructure, and left behind rough, uneven trench walls. Crews spent extra time on cleanup and rework instead of progressing the job.A Smarter Excavation Method with the AQ-2 Drum CutterFor the next phase,… Read More

Sensitive Demolition: AQ-4 Cuts Through 100-Year-Old Concrete Wall with Minimal Vibration June 18, 2025

Location: Chicago, ILEquipment: AQ-4 & AQC-180Application: Demolition The Challenge The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) needed to remove a 100-year-old concrete embankment wall with proximity to existing buildings and infrastructure. The wall ranged from 18 inches to 6 feet thick, with certain sections only 4 inches from nearby structures. Given the tight proximity, vibration control was critical. Seismic monitoring stations were set up to protect nearby infrastructure, and conventional demolition tools like pneumatic hammers were quickly ruled out due to excessive ground vibration. A low-vibration, high-precision solution was essential. The Antraquip Solution For wider wall segments, Antraquip’s AQ-4 hydraulic drum cutter was used. This high-torque… Read More

Precision Grinding - AQ-2 Delivers Clean, Fast Results May 27, 2025

Location: North Carolina, USAEquipment: Sany 135 & Antraquip AQ-2 Hydraulic Drum CutterApplication: Demolition The Challenge A contractor in North Carolina was tasked with grinding down the tops of 3,600 concrete footers, each 18’’ footers to grind down 9’’-12’’ to meet grade requirements. With a +/- 3’’ tolerance, the job demanded precision. There was one concern, any damage or fractures to the footers below grade could jeopardize the entire foundation. And with the amount of footers to complete, the solution needed to be efficient as well cost effective.  The Antraquip Solution The AQ-2 Drum Cutter paired with a Sany 135 excavator proved to be… Read More

Trenching in Tight Spaces: Why the AQ-1 Beat the Hammer May 20, 2025

Location: Virginia, USAEquipment: CAT 306 Mini Excavator & Antraquip AQ-1 Hydraulic Drum CutterApplication: TrenchingThe Challenge A regional contractor in Virginia was tasked with trenching inside an existing electrical substation, an area packed with sensitive equipment and fencing that left little room to maneuver. The job required a 30’’ wide x 24’’ deep trench and the only machine that could fit was a CAT 306 mini excavator.  They started with a hydraulic hammer, but the results were disappointing. In 2 weeks, they broke 3 hammer points and completed only 20 linear feet of trench. The 15,000 psi limestone was too much for… Read More

Precision and Progress: Antraquip AQ-4XL Cutters Tackle Challenging Hospital Expansion February 19, 2025

      In the heart of downtown America, a bustling construction site hums with activity as crews work to expand a hospital with a state-of-the-art proton therapy building. The project involves removing a 30-foot-deep foundation, complete with elevator and gantry pits extending to 40 feet, all while navigating the challenges of bedrock and the need for minimal disruption to surrounding buildings. To achieve this delicate balance, the team turned to not just one, but two AntraquipAQ-4XL drum cutters (grinders, cutter heads, etc.), a careful decision based on past success, precision and reliability.  Meeting High-Stakes Demands       The project required careful planning, especially given the… Read More

Perfect Combination of Precision, Power and Technology on Display with AQ-4XL Drum Cutter October 20, 2021

See below video and job report from Antraquip dealer RMS and the customer where the AQ-4XL transverse cutter was successfully utilized on a challenging under water project in Illinois.  No modifications are needed to run Antraquip drum cutters under water, making them the ideal tool for rock dredging and underwater demolition.  Contact us today to discuss your rock excavation and demolition needs 301-665-1165. No two jobsites are alike, but they usually have one thing in common: they are above water. That wasn’t the case for Helm Civil when it tackled a lock and dam rebuild for the Army Corps of Engineers… Read More

Antraquip Expansion: New Dedicated Attachment Facility December 18, 2019

In November 2019 Antraquip opened the doors to a new building in Hagerstown, Maryland as a part of an expansion for both office space and production capacity for its booming attachment division. 2019 was a record year for AQ and with this comes the need for additional capacity and efficiency for growing staff and manufacturing.   The new 12,000 sq foot state of the art building will be a part of Antraquip’s Maryland campus along with the three other exisiting buildings bringing total square footage under the roof to nearly 50,000 sq ft. Each building will be dedicated for a specific… Read More

Conventional Rock Excavation Method Not Working? Try something different: an AQ4XL drum cutter makes quick work in difficult rock conditions. November 12, 2018

Site Conditions The production goal for the contractor was to lay five 20 ft length sections of pipe per five-day work week. The site required a trench to be dug through very dense limestone rated between 16,000 and 22,000psi. The contractor tried many other conventional trenching methods, but none of them were able to keep up with production goals and keep project costs in line with the budget. For example, while using a hydraulic breaker, they struggled to lay one 20 ft length of 36 in diameter pipe in a week, far short of the five sections goal required.   Antraquip… Read More

Antraquip AQ-5 Rock Grinder in India August 28, 2018

In the heart of one of the world’s largest cities you can feel and hear the energy on the busy streets, when suddenly between the traffic jam of vehicles and the masses of people on the sidewalk, there is a Hitachi Tata 700 excavator.  On the end of this massive 70 metric ton machine is an AQ-5 Antraquip rock grinder which is one of world’s most powerful drum cutters on the market (Antraquip’s 2nd largest model).  The challenge for this project was the excavation of dozens of narrow shafts that are spaced every couple of hundred meters, allowing the mini… Read More

Antraquip AQ-5s Make Quick Work of Lock Enlargement Project in Northern New York May 7, 2018

At the end of December 2017, Antraquip delivered three (3) of their powerful AQ-5 drum cutters to one of their most longstanding customers in New England with plenty of experience utilizing Antraquip attachments for a variety of projects over the years. For this job however, the contractor was on a particularly tight timeline to complete the controlled concrete demolition of wall within a lock which would need to reopen by Spring to allow large ships to pass through the vital waterway to access the major cities in the northeastern part of the US and Canada.  The customer mounted the AQ-5s on… Read More

Small Antraquip Cutters = Big Success in New Zealand November 27, 2017

Antraquip brand is making its presence in New Zealand at one of Auckland’s tallest apartment buildings under construction check out their story here. A happy project manager on the line speaks about our smallest transverse cutter model designed to operate on mini-excavators and other compact hydraulic carriers. The company says the Antraquip range of attachments—US-built to work harder and last longer—can provide customer engineered solutions for any rock or concrete cutting project. They can also deliver viable economic and environmental alternatives to blasting or hammering. Read More

Antraquip Flexes Muscle on Yale Science Building Project August 29, 2017

Starting in June, Antraquip supplied an AQ-5 hydraulic cutter mounted on a CAT349, an AQC180 carbide saw (rockwheel) for a CAT336 and shortly thereafter sent in another AQ-4 cutter for a CAT330 onto the campus of the prestigious Yale University. These attachments are being used to excavate more than 100,000 cubic meters of rock that consists of limestone, sandstone and shale with UCS of ranging from 6,000 to 12,000psi (40-85MPa).   The project started out with another head to head comparison of the Antraquip AQ-5 compared to competitor model mounted on the same CAT349 excavator and as has been showcased before… Read More

Antraquip Hydraulic Cutter Grinds Up the Competition May 26, 2017

Successful Land Development Project in Western PennsylvaniaRecently, a well known contractor in western Pennsylvania was needing an efficient rock excavation method for a land development project on the back portion of his property. Drilling and blasting was not allowed given the close proximity to neighborhoods and hydraulic breakers were also very loud and not productive enough to complete the project on schedule.  The client was familiar with hydraulic cutters having successfully used them on various trenching projects but wanted a comparison of production rates of the Antraquip AQ-5 and a regional competitor importing a similar machine from overseas.  He diligently wanted… Read More

MAKING AMERICA’S MANUFACTURING GREAT AGAIN February 2, 2017

HYDRAULIC ROCK CUTTERS MADE IN THE USA (FOR EXCAVATORS)Antraquip® Line of hydraulic rock cutters are a valuable and versatile assets in Trenching, quarries and bridge demolition, as well as other large-scale demolition projects. Be More ProductiveThese mechanized rock cutters are designed to keep you working - all day long, every day. Our first in the industry 360 head rotation is a new feature allowing for narrow cuts in space restricted areas Buffers improve operator comfort and protect your machine from vibration. Noise Suppression For Your Environmental ConcernsThese cutters are fully enclosed for superior noise suppression, making them ideal in work areas… Read More

Before You Bid on Your Next Project . . . Read Story October 12, 2016

Here's How this local excavating contractor turned what appeared to be a "Money losing, equipment breaking project"... Into a profit producing win/win project for his company and client. The project called for the bidding of 4 large concrete bridge abutments. In the past the contractor would simply bid estimating a 3 weeks lead time per one side (8 sides total) "We've been running a CAT 325 excavators with hydraulic breakers on the end"... "However on this project we felt there has to be a faster more cost effective way to preform the demolition/removal of these 4 concrete bridge abutments."   I asked...How would… Read More

Antraquip Hydraulic Cutters in Equipment World Magazine June 27, 2016

Check out why Equipment World chose Antraquip rock and concrete grinders for their cover story image. Adding value to your Excavator: Specifically designed for grinding rock, concrete and wood. Rotary grinder or rock grinders are hydraulic excavator attachments designed to increase the range of work available to excavators and increase their return on investment.  Benefits of the Hydraulic Grinder: Extremely durable Virtually vibration free Operates with minimal noise Increases profiling accuracy Low energy impact cutting action High production rates in soft to medium hardness material Efficient material removal Antraquip Hydraulic Cutters/Grinders is the Best Fit for Any Job. Contact us when picking your… Read More

Roadheaders in Action February 26, 2016

Antraquip Corporation was featured in the January/February 2016, World Tunnelling Magazine article. Using roadheaders on the New Irvington Tunnel avoided possible boring-machine mishapsassociated with seismic ground conditions.Review Article Here Read More

Strategic Trenching & Shoring October 26, 2015

Antraquip Corporation was featured in the September/October 2015, Grading and Excavation Magazine article, "Strategic Trenching & Shoring" written by Tauren Dyson.   Our own Aaron Lewis, Marketing Director, cited the importance of drum cutters or grinders when a contractors are penetrating surfaces containing hard rock. These tools save time and money.  He explained the necessity of understanding rock hardness and how Antraquip has an in-house database of rock hardness that provides details of various global geographic areas.  If necessary, Antraquip will visit your location to analyze the rock and stresses the importance of properly positioning rock cutting tools for each application.  Understanding… Read More

Hammer or Hydraulic Cutters May 22, 2015

Hydraulic cutter vs Hammer:Differences and ComparisonContractors/mining engineers have discovered how to increase production and safety. How does a hydraulic cutterhead compare to hydraulic hammer? Contractors and Engineers often ask how does a hydraulic cutterhead attachment performs in comparison to a hydraulic hammer?The hydraulic cutterhead attachments are ideally suited for precision application where over breaking, removal of hard material, sound sensitive projects or helping producing reusable material for back-fill on site are common obstacles. PRECISION CONTROL (IMPROVES PRODUCTION AND SAFETY)With technology evolved from the mining industry, Antraquip’s hydraulic rock and concrete cutting attachments (cutterheads) are a versatile tool with many uses and… Read More

Before You Dig Your Next Project October 7, 2014

WHAT TYPE OF PRODUCTION CAN I EXPECT FROM A ROCK?CONCRETE GRINDER?Production rates can vary considerably depending on the size and power of the Grinder that is being employed and the strength of the rock/material that is being cut. For instance the variability of production rates depending on rock type/hardness as well as cutter/grinder model can range from 1cu. yd/hr – 200 cu. yds/hr. This illustrates the importance of understanding the main factors that will determine actual production rates.As a general guideline, the largest grinder can offer over 60cy/ hr. in productions based in a mid-soft rock application.Rock strengths can vary… Read More