Since the introduction of the first horizontal directional drill, the Navigator® HDD, through to deployment of the latest in bore planning software, Vermeer Australia has partnered with Australian trenchless specialists to help them deliver infrastructure projects of all sizes for over 30 years.

This partnership with contractors, municipalities and utilities in the installation, maintenance and renewal of critical assets has spanned a range of nation-building projects and encompassed a diverse range of proven trenchless technologies, including:

• HDD rigs, from 10,000lb through to pipeline-spec maxi-rigs
• Firestick® and Silver Series™ drill rod
• A diverse range of proprietary tooling systems, including the new Ultra X3 Drilling System for utility rigs
• Bore planning and telemetry software, such as the Vermeer BoreAid® design tool
• Drilling fluid mixing systems
• Vacuum excavators, for trenchless excavation and drilling fluid management
• Drilling Fluid Reclaimers that can clean fluid onsite, reducing water and dumping costs and keeping the jobsite and team productive all day

Vermeer Australia’s footprint and longstanding relationship with Vermeer Corporation means that they can offer robust product support. Significant holdings of parts, consumables, drill rod, tooling and wear items, dedicated Vermeer technicians, remote technical support, and access to international product specialists all means that a Vermeer Australia customer has the support needed for critical infrastructure projects.

This year Vermeer Australia will be exhibiting at No-Dig Down Under in Brisbane, where the team will highlight three of their state-of-the-art services.

Vermeer BoreAid®

Vermeer takes HDD bore planning to the next level with its Vermeer BoreAid® design tool.

Made to design advanced bore plans for HDD bores from a computer, Vermeer’s software takes into consideration soil conditions, drill rod selection, drill pipe selection, product type, machine type and other parameters – which is all chosen by the user.

This tool helps construct detailed plans with aspects such as load calculations, drilling fluid estimates, and requirements and more based on industry services. And not only does it help save time by planning and designing the project effectively, it is also able to produce construction submission documents efficiently.

The software also alerts the user to potential issues by using the built-in database of typical or suggested properties.

BoreAid® provides the engineering estimates for required pullback forces to install the product pipe following industry standards, and in terms of bend radius, it can identify the radius of the drill rod and product pipe to alert the user if either are outside of the specifications.

R500 Reclaimer

A first in Australia, the R500 Reclaimer is the smallest-sized reclaimer Vermeer offers. Also available as a skid and trailer version, the reclaimer weighs 2,500kg with a height-adjustable hitch that can be towed by a van or truck.

The skid is prepared for forklift use, and the trailer comes equipped with a height-adjustable surge brake to adapt to a variety of towing vehicles, as well as four heavy-duty pulldown jacks for stabilisation that assist with quick and convenient setup of the reclaimer.

With no need to manually control valves, the R500 Reclaimer’s level switches in the reclaimer tank and the remote level-switch in the mixing tank prevent overflow throughout the fluid system setup – also reducing labour.

To allow for easy access and ability to quickly change the screens, the primary screens are kept in place with an air-clamping system which is powered by an onboard air compressor.

Not only has the machine been built using high-quality, wear-resistant components to extend its durability, the heavyweight shaker deck delivers stable performance under variable processing volume. A high-capacity 11-kW (15 hp) pump is used for optimum circulation.

Vermeer Ultra X3 Drilling System

The Ultra X3 is designed with a unique, non-torqued spline connection system, and offers compatibility with a wide range of pilot bit and pullback configurations.

The Ultra X3 is designed to be ultra-versatile and delivers value and efficiency in three ways:

1. The ability to swap out tooling quickly with two knock-out dowel pins,
2. The capability of reaming directly from the transmitter housing, and
3. The elimination of starter rods and adapters in certain applications.

Since the Vermeer Ultra X3 uses a robust spline connection system, tooling doesn’t have to be threaded on, eliminating the need for breakout tongs to make and break torqued tooling connections.

The Ultra X3 housing uses a standard API rear connection and also works with quick-connect systems like the Vermeer QuickFire® HD connection system.

The Vermeer Ultra X3 is available in three different sizes covering all HDD models rated up to the 40,000-pound (177.9-kN) drill range:

• Ultra X3 375 for HDDs in the 40,000-pound (177.9-kN) drill range — Vermeer D40x55 S3 HDD or Ditch Witch JT40 HDD.
• Ultra X3 325 for HDDs in the 24,000-pound (106.8-kN) drill range — Vermeer D23x30 S3 HDD, D24x40 S3 HDD or Ditch Witch JT30 HDD.
• Ultra X3 275 for HDDs in the 10,000-pound (44.5-kN) drill range — Vermeer D10x15 S3 HDD or Ditch Witch JT10 HDD.

For more information contact your local Vermeer Australia team at 1300 VERMEER.