In early 2025, a chemical plant customer from Victoria, Australia, contacted YG Machinery, seeking a sludge removal device capable of operating safely in enclosed spaces with heavy sedimentation and high levels of oily sludge. Previously, the customer had been manually entering sedimentation tanks, oil tank bottoms, or circulating water pools for sludge removal, which was not only extremely inefficient but also posed significant safety risks such as suffocation, poisoning, and explosions. Therefore, they ultimately chose our automatic sludge removal robot, specially equipped with an explosion-proof motor for the chemical environment, achieving truly safe, efficient, and unmanned sludge removal.
Automatic Sludge Removal Robot Parameters
| Parameter | YG500 | YG600 | YG700 | YG800 | YG900 | YG1200 |
| Robot Dimensions (mm) | 1500*500*650 | 1500*600*650 | 1600*700*650 | 1600*850*700 | 1650*960*750 | 1900*1200*750 |
| Dredging Width (mm) | 500 | 600 | 700 | 800 | 900 | Suitable for large culverts |
| Travel Speed (m/s) | 3–15 | 3–15 | 3–15 | 3–15 | 3–15 | 0–17 m/min |
| Pump Diameter (inch) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4or6 |
| Pump Flow (m³/h) | 100 | 100 | 160 | 160 | 200 | 250 |
| Pump Head (m) | 0–30 | 0–30 | 0–25 | 0–25 | 0–25 | 0–30 (Horizontal: 100–150m) |
| Hydraulic Station Dimensions (mm) | 2200*1200*1700 | 2200*1200*1700 | 2200*1200*1700 | 2200*1200*1700 | 2200*1200*1700 | 2120*1240*1200 |
| Main Motor Power (kW) | 18 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 45KW (50KW) or Diesel 76KW (123KW) |
| Hydraulic System Pressure (Mpa) | 0–16 | 0–16 | 0–16 | 0–16 | 0–16 | Not specified |
| Particle Size (mm) | 15 | 15 | 40 | 40 | 50 | 0–40 (customizable) |
| Winch Speed (r/min) | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 |
| Pipe Length (m) | 30–50 Optional | 30–50 Optional | 30–50 Optional | 30–50 Optional | 30–50 Optional | 30m/pack, 20kg pressure resistant, optional |
| Control System | Wireless Remote | Wireless Remote | Wireless Remote | Wireless Remote | Wireless Remote | Wireless Remote |
| Lighting System | Underwater LED*2 | Underwater LED*2 | Underwater LED*2 | Underwater LED*2 | Underwater LED*2 | Underwater LED*2 |
Why Did the Australian Customer Choose the Sludge Removal Robot? Clear Industry Pain Points
The demand for sludge cleaning automation in Australia’s chemical, mining, and environmental protection industries has surged in recent years. The following pain points are particularly prominent and resonate with customers from the outset:
● Extremely High Risk of Manual Entry into Tanks
Volatile flammable gases are present in sedimentation tanks, equalization tanks, and wastewater pools commonly found in chemical plants. Manual dredging operations require coordinated ventilation, monitoring, and rescue systems, resulting in extremely high costs and making accidents unavoidable.
● Complex Sediment Properties
Sludge contains oil, chemical precipitates, and sticky impurities, making it difficult for traditional pumps to remove and excavators unable to access enclosed spaces, leading to extremely low efficiency.
● Frequent Dredging Tasks and High Downtime Costs
Each dredging shutdown results in reduced or even halted factory production, while owners urgently need to shorten maintenance time and improve operational reliability.
● Increasingly Stringent Environmental Requirements
Australia’s increasingly stringent environmental standards necessitate more environmentally friendly and sustainable sludge removal methods for sedimentation tanks, lakes, and industrial ponds.
Therefore, more and more owners are focusing on unmanned equipment such as remotely controlled dredging robots and automatic sludge removal robots to ensure a balance between safety, efficiency, and environmental protection.
YG’s Solution: Intelligent, Unmanned, and Safe
Based on our Australian client’s site environment—including residue at the bottom of oil tanks, scale buildup in chemical settling tanks, sludge in circulating water pools, and confined areas—we provided the following customized solution:
✔ Equipped with explosion-proof motors, suitable for environments containing volatile gases
YG’s automatic sludge removal robot supports EX-grade explosion-proof motors and explosion-proof pump sets, meeting the stringent safety standards of chemical industrial areas.
✔ Remote control operation, eliminating the need for manual entry into hazardous areas
With the remote-controlled dredging robot system, operators can remotely control its movement, scraping and pushing of sludge, and pumping out sludge, achieving fully unmanned operation.
✔ Powerful suction and discharge system, adaptable to high-viscosity oil and sediment
The pump supports flow rates of 30–80 m³/h, capable of handling high-viscosity chemical sediments and oil-sludge mixtures.
✔ 360° tank-like tracked movement, suitable for confined spaces
The robot can move flexibly in spaces such as tank bottoms and sedimentation tanks, unaffected by slopes or soft mud.
✔ Environmentally friendly sludge cleaning method, does not disturb water bodies or ground structures
It does not damage the tank wall structure and causes no secondary pollution, making it a typical environmental sludge cleaning robot solution.
After the first trial run, the customer stated, “A task that used to require 4 people and 2 days to complete can now be finished in 3 hours by one robot, and no one needs to go into the tank.”
Australian Market Trends: Why is Robotic Sludge Cleaning Becoming Mainstream?
Based on our long-term experience working with multiple Australian clients, the local industry’s needs primarily focus on:
- Wastewater pond and thickening tank sediment removal in chemical plants and mines;
- Lake and waterway sludge treatment in agriculture and municipal sectors;
- Maintenance of circulating tanks and sludge ponds in food processing plants, breweries, and pharmaceutical plants;
- Oil sludge removal;
- Scenarios requiring unmanned equipment to enter confined spaces.
Safety regulations, rising labor costs, and the demand for automation make automatic sludge removal robots the ideal choice. In addition, the dredging robots we export to Europe are also very effective at cleaning up lake silt.
FAQ (Real Hot Topics from Australian Clients)
- Can the robot work in a completely enclosed sedimentation tank?
Yes. Our dredging robot is suitable for enclosed, semi-enclosed, and toxic or flammable gas environments. Chemical plant clients can achieve fully unmanned operation through remote control.
- Can it clean oily sludge and heavy sediments?
Yes. Using industrial-grade sludge pumps, it can handle high-concentration, high-viscosity oily sludge and chemical sediments.
- What are the maintenance costs for the robot?
Maintenance cycles are long, mainly involving regular inspections of the pump and tracks. Maintenance costs are significantly lower than manual sludge removal.
- Can it be connected to existing wastewater treatment systems?
Yes. The equipment can directly transport sludge to the customer’s wastewater treatment system or sludge storage tank.
- How are shipping and after-sales services arranged in Australia?
YG provides export-grade wooden crates, end-to-end logistics services in Australia, and online video support for installation and commissioning.
Why are Australian customers increasingly choosing YG Machinery?
- 20+ countries of experience in dredging projects, mature solutions;
- Customizable to meet special needs such as explosion-proof, extended hoses, and increased pump flow rates;
- Mature unmanned dredging technology, suitable for high-risk chemical environments;
- Prices significantly lower than European and American brands, while offering comprehensive functionality;
- 24/7 after-sales support, with an English-speaking technical team.
Remote Controlled Dredging Robot in YG Machinery
This Australian client’s success story demonstrates that whether it’s chemical plant sedimentation tanks, oil tank bottoms, or municipal lake remediation, YG’s automatic sludge removal robot, remote-controlled dredging robot can provide reliable, safe, and efficient solutions.
If you also need an environmental sludge cleaning robot suitable for hazardous areas, with high environmental requirements, and challenging cleaning conditions, please feel free to contact YG Machinery for solutions and quotes. 【WhatsApp/WeChat/Phone】+86 13837115193.
