HDD
Thirty years of trenchless technology for Vermeer Australia In the 1970s, Gary Vermeer had a vision: if Vermeer could develop a machine that could dig in a manner similar to a mole tunnelling underneath a road, without opening up a trench, it would blow open the market, and make Vermeer an industry pioneer.
O
ver the next decade this vision became a reality, and the industry saw the potential impact this would have on underground construction. The early days Vermeer has always had a culture of innovation. In 1979, Vermeer introduced a simple rotary attachment (also known as a porta bore) that was used on small- to medium-size trenchers and vibratory plows for tunnelling underneath different rights-of-way and other obstacles. It was a simple attachment that proved to be popular, as it saved time and money by eliminating the need to open-cut footpaths and driveways. After the introduction of the porta bore, Vermeer could further see the potential in underground infrastructure and trenchless technology.
34 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA DECEMBER 2021
Vermeer’s first HDD machines The first trenchless machines started to make their way into the Australian market in the 1990s, and the demand for this type of technology started to rise. The time was ripe for Vermeer to start designing its own trenchless machinery and put its stamp on this revolutionary product. The first horizontal directional drilling (HDD) machine Vermeer introduced was the Navigator® HDD (which later became the D7 model) in 1991. It was a basic model that needed a significant amount of labour to set up and drill. Everything on these machines was a manual process. Vermeer’s team spent a lot of time in the field staging demonstrations for customers, introducing them to this new technology and gathering on-the-ground feedback. In 1995 the second generation of self-contained HDD
drills was introduced to the Australian market – this was the defining moment for Vermeer, as it put its mark on this up-and-coming industry. Rigs for jobs big and small The introduction of compact Vermeer HDDs in the late 90s and early 2000s, such as the D7X11 and D16X20, allowed for more versatility when working with differing ground conditions. When Vermeer introduced a smaller drill to the range, it opened up the market and offered more variety and versatility for those working with a fleet of HDDs, particularly on larger projects. HDD technology has become more compact over the years, but it has not been at the expense of power. Customers can use compact machines on a larger job that might have tight access, but still expect the same drilling performance and output that the larger models offer.
