World’s Most Powerful Cutter Successfully Excavates Montreal Tunnel

March 22, 2018

World’s Most Powerful Cutter Successfully Excavates Montreal Tunnel

An Antraquip AQ-6 transverse cutter was put into operation by a major Canadian contractor in February of 2017 to excavate a shaft and drive a ventilation tunnel in downtown Montreal.

The rock hardness on this project was above and beyond what is traditionally considered as suitable for mechanized excavation (ie. roadheaders, drumcutters etc.). After careful collaboration between Antraquip and the contractor the AQ-6 was boom mounted on a CAT365 excavator, driven via hydraulic power unit, and put to work under the busy streets of Montreal.

The ~8 metric ton cutter, capable of delivering 400kW output power did not disappoint as the shaft and tunnel excavation was completed within 10 months. The tunnel dimensions were roughly 107m x 10m x 7m while the rock hardness ranged from 100-170MPa. Despite the challenging rock conditions, the production rates averaged ~12 cu. m/hr.

As a whole this project represents more than an individual success story but rather a paradigm shift in the tunneling industry further proving the expansion of mechanized rock cutting capabilities of Antraquip drum cutters in hard rock applications. What sets the Antraquip cutters apart is the robust transmission and drum design that can withstand hard rock applications unlike any other attachment of its type on the market today.

Call (301-665-1165) or email (info@antraquip.net) us for more information about this job ct or if you have a project you would like to discuss.

AQ6 Cutter


©2025 Antraquip - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
Website Design and Hosting by DH WEB - www.dhwebsites.com