WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY AND COST
Many years of research and development, along with decades of invaluable dredging experience, have gone into the dredges we build today. At Proline we understand the importance of performance, as well as reliability, serviceability, weight, appearance, and cost. It was with all of those criteria in mind that we developed our line of dredges, most of which have seen many recent improvements. All of our dredges are "flare" dredges. The flare dredges are easily distinguished from the dredges that use a hopper, or "header box", in that they incorporate a large expansion chamber or "flare" which is located between the dredge's power jet and the sluice box. There are several advantages that come from this design. The flare's rapid expansion causes all dredged material to slow down and begin to spread out before reaching the sluice box for improved particle distribution. In addition, the configuration of the flare dredge allows the sluice box to sit much closer to the water, improving power and efficiency. The result of this design is greater dredge vacuum, less horse power required for operation, fewer rock jams, and improved fine gold recovery. We've always used the finest cross-link polyethylene plastic in our floatation. It has proven to be one of the toughest materials available, as it is very UV resistant and maintains its pliability much longer than some other types of plastic currently being used. All Proline pontoons have stainless steel threaded inserts cast into them which makes for easy assembly and maximum strength.
The recovery systems in our dredges are always under constant development. Although the changes are not always apparent, their results have been rewarding. Critical attention has been directed at riffle profile, riffle timing, and classifier design. Many hours of classifier testing eventually led to the design now found in all Proline flare dredges. Our highly acclaimed "wave" classifier is unique in that it creates a pulsing or "jigging" action similar to that which is found in many large mining operations. This allows the heavier values to settle out much sooner, while at the same time working the lighter material out of the sluice box, constantly enriching the concentrate. Our system not only provides impressive, consistent fine gold recovery, but is much lighter and easier to work with than the cumbersome "triple-sluice" and "multi-stage" designs offered by others. All of our dredges are equipped with "Nomad" matting for the entire length of the sluice box.
One major problem associated with all gold dredges over the years has been the far too frequent rock jams in the dredge hose, particularly at the power jet. On conventional dredge designs, the steel power jet slips inside the hose, creating a restriction and many plugs in the process. All 3" and larger Proline dredges utilize our exclusive "sure-flow" hose coupler system to essentially eliminate all surface rock jams. This system, when coupled to our unique oversized jet-flare assembly not only prevents a lot of downtime clearing the dredge hose, but will generally outlast conventional steel power jets by 400% or more. We pioneered the original non-clogging jet many years ago, and although it's been imitated many times, it's still the most efficient, simplest design on the market today. Buying a gold dredge isn't something most people do every day, so it pays to do some research before making a purchase. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. We'll be more than happy to discuss your options, and point out the advantages that come from choosing a Proline dredge.