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dRILLING eqUIPMeNt October 2010 - Trenchless International 50 In search of a better way by Randy Happel, Two Rivers Marketing Product innovation and putting customer needs first has fuelled Vermeer Corporation on a quest to become a global leader in trenchless equipment and technology. IN The earLy 1940s, Gary Vermeer designed and built the first mechanical hoist for his grain wagon, an invention that transformed the backbreaking chore of unloading harvested crops into a simple task that could be completed with minimal effort in half the time. At that stage starting a manufacturing company was the furthest thing from his mind, but when other farmers saw the device in action Gary was inundated with requests to build one for them. so in 1948, Vermeer Manufacturing Company officially took root in a modest one-room cinderblock building that Gary and his cousin built on the west edge of the small rural farming community of Pella, Iowa. Over the past 60 years, product innovation – or “finding a better way” – has defined the Vermeer Corporation and is at the root of everything the company does. the wagon hoist was just one of the many “firsts” developed by visionary inventor and ideas man Gary Vermeer. Other notable inventions include a PtO-powered hammermill, stump cutter, tree spade and hydrostatic-driven trencher. today that list continues to grow with the development of niche products. While the same approach could describe almost any manufacturer that consistently develops a better product, at Vermeer it is just the beginning of the story. Gary stepped away from managing day-to-day operations in 1989, and under Vermeer machinery. the capable leadership of the current management team – led by second-generation Vermeer family members, son, Bob Vermeer and daughter, Mary Vermeer Andringa – Vermeer employment numbers have nearly doubled. the brother-and-sister team also remains steadfast in carrying on the traditions established by patriarch founder Gary. Not only is Vermeer recognised worldwide as being among the most innovative equipment manufacturers, but the processes by which it does so are equally impressive. Bob and Mary have discovered better ways not only for developing new products that ultimately better serve the needs of customers, but also internally, to streamline the manufacturing process. The "Vermeer mile", Iowa, US. continuous improvement CEO Bob Vermeer says “Vermeer has always been driven by change and a relentless search for a better way of doing things and that’s the type of culture we strive to instil into every Vermeer employee. It’s a process of continuous improvement and it takes place in every facet of our business – in every department, with every employee and in every corner of our world. to compete in the global marketplace, we must constantly improve and change. “Whenever Dad talked about products, he always used this phrase: ‘there’s got to be a better way’…a better way of installing underground services in rock, or drilling horizontally, for example, under rivers, roads and entire cities. Now we’ve taken it several steps further right here on the Vermeer mile.” What the Vermeer CEO is referring to by the “Vermeer mile” is the 1.2 million square foot Vermeer manufacturing facility, which lies directly across the road from the modest four-bedroom/one-bath farmhouse where Gary and wife, Matilda, raised the kids and remained until Gary’s death in 2009. the facility is composed of six individual plants that collectively stretch an entire mile from west to east, encompassing some 330 acres. And it doesn’t stop there. Across the Atlantic, Vermeer established European operations in Goes, the Netherlands, to serve the needs of Europe and the Asian markets in the early 1970s. On the other side of the world, the company also has a joint manufacturing venture in Vermeer Chief Executiver Officer Mary Andringa. Beijing, China – an expansion that has provided closer proximity to customers and market equipment in support of the huge infrastructure needs in China and other developing countries. Vermeer also has regional offices located in singapore and Brazil. Back in Pella at the Vermeer mile, the final instalment of the array of production facilities is the Vermeer Museum and Global Pavilion; a shrine to Gary’s entrepreneurial spirit that documents the history and importance of Vermeer’s many contributions to the equipment industry. Here visitors can view a number of artefacts – including many of Gary’s first inventions – and learn more about the growth of the company. the facility is also home to Vermeer University, the company’s in-house training department that offers numerous opportunities for employees to enhance skills at no cost to the individual. Manufacturing and technical skills, professional skills, sales and service, and leadership training programs are just a few of these educational opportunities. An auditorium within the facility is used for new product walk-arounds and equipment training, and also serves as a site for many local community events. The lean initiative since implementing the Lean growth strategy in 1997, Vermeer has been able to eliminate waste in most areas of the business. the focus is to provide maximum value to all stakeholders in the organisation, an initiative that has directly impacted key performance indicators including lead times, plant safety, quality and reliability, inventory control, profit and cash. the result has been a shift toward increased productivity and efficiency that puts recent years among the most dynamic periods in the company’s history. “It’s a culture that empowers people,” explains Vermeer CEO and President Mary Vermeer Andringa, “and encourages them to be a part of the process. the most important responsibility I have in my role within the company is to engage, empower and reward the contributions and efforts of everyone involved. to see people grow in their positions and become better in what they do every day gives me a lot of satisfaction. this means giving managers more leeway to try new things and take calculated risks.” “It’s a tremendous entrepreneurial environment,” says Marketing and Forage solutions Vice President Mark Core. “It has given me opportunities to develop skills at a much higher managerial level than I ever thought possible, and on a much grander and more global scale than I ever imagined when I first joined the company in 1991.” Employees have come to embrace and facilitate change. As a result, Vermeer can state proudly that employees truly are their most valuable asset. In the first decade since adopting the Lean growth strategy, Vermeer conducted 1,600 different Kaizen events. seventy per cent of Vermeer employees have participated in at least one Kaizen event and the executive team has logged an average of 20 events per member during the same timeframe. Glenda Vander Wilt, who heads up marketing for the industrial equipment division, says, “the ideas come from everywhere: Vermeer employees, dealers, customers and suppliers, from every corner of the world and for all market segments.” Ms Vander Wilt spent several years as the manager of Vermeer’s market-based strategy team, spending hundreds of hours each month visiting dealers and customers either in person or by phone. “It’s also a great way to build strong customer relationships on a global scale.” Going underground Among the many inventions of founder Gary Vermeer’s “firsts” was a hydrostatic trencher. this greatly minimised the manual labour necessary for installing the tile drainage systems that prepared farmland for production. It wasn’t long before Gary’s trencher concept evolved into a line of utility and track trenchers that soon became a mainstay of the company’s line of construction installation equipment. In 1991, Vermeer introduced the D-7t NAVIGAtOR, the first Vermeer horizontal directional drill (HDD), and the trenchless segment was off and running. the power and features packed into every Vermeer directional drill model help customers improve efficiencies and complete complicated jobs with less guesswork. In 2007, with the market for maxi drill rigs growing globally, Vermeer saw opportunity within the gas, oil and major water and sewer work areas. Vermeer acquired the HDD operating assets of Horizontal Rig & Equipment, a prominent manufacturer of maxi HDD rigs. today Vermeer offers a variety of horizontal directional drills. Whether the project involves energy pipelines, utilities, sewers, geothermal or high-speed communications lines, Vermeer HDD equipment has become a mainstay for contractors looking for equipment that can help improve productivity. Each one includes advanced technologies based on customer input, and customers know they can count on receiving expert service and support from the vast Vermeer worldwide network of factorytrained dealers and service technicians. “Our dealers are professional spokespersons for the Vermeer brands,” Vermeer says. “Many of them are sizeable enough to have rental fleets and work with customers on whatever their needs are. We encourage our dealers to be part of our planning process and to align their own planning with where we want to take the company overall.” dRILLING eqUIPMeNt October 2010 - Trenchless Trenchless International 51
dRILLING eqUIPMeNt October 2010 - Trenchless International 52 hdd gets bigger Completing the model range of the S Series, the new Terra-Jet 8522 S is the largest HDD machine ever built by Terra AG and was exhibited successfully at BAUMA, Munich. The machine is characterised by high power and drilling fluid volume. all you need in the driller's seat the Premium model of the terra-Jet 8522 s is equipped with a comfortable driver’s cabin, which sets new standards. the cabin has all-round tinted glazing, with the machine side being glazed in a single uninterrupted panel. this allows the operator to see every detail of the drilling machine. Large windscreen wipers with jets clean the front and right panels. Additionally the drilling fluid pressure inside the drill rods is automatically released just before each drill rod change, preventing bentonite from being splashed onto the glazing. the on-board computer with a large 10.4 inch touch screen displays the vital information needed at any instance. It updates and saves all relevant machine data every two seconds, updating the operator on the essential drilling elements. this data is essential for efficient service diagnostics. Additionally a bore log can be printed for each bore as regulated in the German specification DVGW 321. Sitting comfortably the operator sits in a comfortable operator’s seat, which can be adjusted to suit the body shape and weight of the operator. the operator’s cab is wide, allowing the seat to rotate 180 degrees. the operator can drill looking in the drilling direction, or can rotate the seat to be at right angles to the drill and observe every detail of the drilling machine. Machine technology the terra-Jet 8522 s may drill directional bores up to 400 m long and 1,000 mm in diameter depending on ground conditions. torque and pullback force are produced by separate hydraulic circuits allowing the maximum torque of 8,500 Nm and the maximum pullback force of 220 kN to be used simultaneously under full load. Separate bentonite chamber the drilling fluid volume is 400 litre per minute. the mixing system which mixes the bentonite into the drilling fluid via an injector (venture hopper) is on board the HDD machine. this patented system removes the need for an extra mixing system and a second engine. the bentonite high pressure pump and the mixing pump are placed in a separate chamber between the driver’s cabin and engine chamber. this aesthetically pleasing solution ensures that no bentonite touches hydraulic components. automatic drilling the machine is equipped with a second generation automatic drilling and backreaming system (ADBs). this patented system automatically adjusts the working speed of the drill to suite the ground conditions. In soft ground the drill operates at maximum speed, in hard ground slowly. this allows the operator to operate the drill at maximum efficiency in a controlled and relaxed manner and prevents the drill rods and drilling tools from being overloaded. During the pilot bore the ADBs controls the thrust force. If the drill head hits an unexpected obstacle, the ADBs stops the drilling speed immediately and drills very slowly through the obstacle – all automatically! Another new feature is the automatic drill rod greasing function, which is undertaken during each drill rod change by an electrically driven grease press attached to the driving saddle. New operator’s concept the drill operator drives and operates the HDD machine using the two multifunctional joysticks installed in the left and right armrests of the operator’s seat. Driving using the joysticks allows instantaneous control and smooth movement of the terra-Jet. Promoting trenchless in Ukraine The Ukraine Association for Modern Trenchless Technology held a very successful event in Odessa on 10 September. The caLL fOr abstracts is now open. Prospective presenters are invited to submit a 300-word abstract in English outlining the scope of their paper and the principal points of benefit to the trenchless industry. the abstracts must be submitted to info@istt.com by 15 December 2010. chaIrMaN VIcTOr PrOkOPchuck and EsC member Olga Martinyuk welcomed Istt Chairman Dec Downey who gave a keynote address. some 93 delegates including 15–20 student members listened avidly to 24 excellent papers, primarily on new construction by horizontal directional drilling including contributions from local distributors for Vermeer, Ditchwitch and DCI. the merits of locally produced and imported bentonite additive and mud materials were enthusiastically discussed and No-dig Berlin latest news! the event culminated with a buffet for all and a dinner for the Ukraine Association Board where the discussion continued the lively debate. Dr Downey commented that it was good to see such a young society functioning well and encouraging healthy debate and he hoped that in future years there would be contributions from international contributors in the rehabilitation sector. On the second day delegates toured local manufacturing facilities, concluding their get together. The 2011 International No-Dig will be held in conjunction with WASSER Berlin International 2011, on 2–5 May at Exhibition Grounds Messe Berlin. Please visit the following website for more information: www.nodigberlin2011.com Furthermore the German society for trenchless technology (Gstt) has developed a special offer for Corporate Members of Affiliated societies to exhibit at No-Dig Berlin 2011. turkey joins the Istt The ISTT has recently welcomed the Turkish Society to the organisation. yaSIN TOruN, chaIrMaN of the newly formed turkish society for Infrastructure and trenchless technologies and Dec Downey Istt Chairman signed an affiliation agreement in a Istt registered office in Belgrave square, London on 21 september 2010 (pictured). Also attending the signing was Prof Dr Fevzi Yilmaz of sakarya University, Norman Howell, International Director UKstt and Ahmet Gulec, Vice Chairman of the turkish society. Corporate Members are entitled to exhibit at the “Pavilion Pipeline Construction”, which is much cheaper than exhibiting alone in the standard area. For more information please contact Ms Dagmar Eichhorn from Gstt at eichhorn@gstt.de Istt News October 2010 - Trenchless International 53
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