Abstract: A device for assisting in granular bed reconstruction projects such as catalyst bed construction, includes a frame, a tracked drive, a turret and a boom with an actuator to move the boom relative to the turret. The boom includes a tube for fixing to a vacuum source at one end and an opening for sucking catalyst granules out of the bed on the other end. The device can be operated remotely from a controller. The device is small enough and light weight enough to be able to gain access to the bed and to work on the catalyst without destroying the catalyst. Use of the device eliminates or considerably reduces the need to put persons within the reactor vessel for this stage of reconstruction.