Ditch Witch's new micro trencher for fibre optic installation

Ditch Witch will show the new MT12 MicroTrencher at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2011, which is designed to quickly and cleanly slice through asphalt to create trenches into which fibre optic cable can be installed.

Using specially designed and manufactured saw blades, the unit cuts through asphalt to create a 19 mm to 32 mm wide trench, up to 305 mm deep. It is available with a choice of four saw blades and each can be changed in the field with standard hand tools.

The trenching depth of the MT12 is mechanically adjustable 152 mm to 305 mm, in 25 mm increments. This feature helps the operator quickly set the depth to match job specifications and maintain a consistent depth for the entire length of the trench. The microtrencher can also be manually tilted 6° to the right or left, which helps the operator maintain a true vertical trench on uneven surfaces.

Often it is necessary to cut a trench right next to and parallel to curbs and gutters, which is why the MT12 saw is designed to hydraulically traverse 24 inches (610 mm) from the center of the machine to the right.

The MT12 is part of a complete Ditch Witch microtrenching system that includes a specially configured Ditch Witch RT45 or RT55 trencher and an FX60 vacuum excavation system configured with a cyclonic separator, an advanced filtration system designed to handle the dry, dusty spoils produced by microtrenching. The customer can choose whether to run the vacuum excavator hoses in front of or to the rear of the trencher, depending on jobsite conditions.

The MT12 can also be equipped with onboard chutes that deposit spoils along the side of the trench, for easy cleanup when not using the FX60 microtrenching vacuum system.

The MT12 can also be used for other roadway applications such as cutting expansion joints, utility repair (e.g., sawing square sections of roadway prior to excavation), and maintenance (e.g., trimming the rugged edges of new layers of asphalt to make a clean shoulder).