Vermeer introduces liquids, solids separator on new XR2 vacuum excavator to keep crews on-site longer

Vermeer Corp. unboxed an innovative new vacuum excavator at the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) in Louisville, Ky. this week.

Launched the first morning of the three-day show, the new XR2 brings industry-first separator technology to the segment.

“The XR2 was developed after listening to contractors about the limitations associated with traditional hydro-excavators,” Adam Bates, product manager at Vermeer, said in a release. “Contractors understand the soft excavation advantages of hydro-excavators but also felt limited by the production of many units because of weight concerns and water storage capacities. The design of the XR2 can help expand the use of vacuum excavation for everything from utility potholing and stitch boring to slot trenching and general construction.”

.@ICUEE is off with a bang. @vermeerug unveils its new XR2 Rover pic.twitter.com/pur09wGgTq

— On-Site Magazine (@OnSiteMag) October 1, 2019

Unlike a traditional vacuum excavator that’s equipped with spoil tanks, the XR2 has a shaker deck to separate liquids and solids using cyclonic filtration.

With four separate 500-gallon tanks on board, the XR2 is designed to arrive on a job with three filled with fresh water and one empty. As crews begin the excavation process, excavated material is separated into liquids and solids. A foldable solid material conveyor offloads the solid material, while the processed liquid is returned to the empty 500-gallon tank. As the empty tank fills with processed liquid, the truck’s freshwater is also being used and the truck automatically begins filling an empty tank with processed liquid when needed. The dirty water can be trucked offsite for disposal once the job is complete.

Vermeer says the new system lets crews stay on-site longer and reduces transport weights compared to traditional hydro excavators.

The unit is build onto a Kenworth T8800 truck with an Allison automatic transmission and Chelsea PTO.

At 1,500 gallons of freshwater, crews have up to 150 minutes of wand time at a rate of 10 gallons per minute, Vermeer notes. The wand itself has a maximum output of 3000 psi (206.8 bar), but is adjustable if working in sensitive areas that require less pressure.

The new vacuum excavator will be available in early 2020, starting in select regions.

Watch an animation illustrating how the XR2 works: