Production is the name of the game for horizontal directional drilling contractors.
It’s what they’re hired to do, and it’s what they expect out of their crews.
That’s why Vermeer developed Productivity Tools, which can aid with fleet management, data collection, bore and excavation planning and project documentation.
There are a variety of tools aimed at different phases of a job. These phases are planning, mapping, producing and invoicing. The overarching purpose of these tools is reflected in the name Vermeer “Productivity Tools” — to help contractors be more productive.
Two tools in particular help with the producing or installation stage of an HDD job. One is Vermeer Fleet Edge. The other is Vermeer BoreAssist.
Fleet management and productivity advisor
Rising equipment costs and tight operating budgets make productivity tracking and cost control increasingly important. Fleet Edge delivers actionable machine information — including productivity tracking, maintenance prioritization, fuel savings estimation and jobsite time management.
The productivity data can help contractors identify opportunities for improvement. Maintenance prioritization is a timesaver for employees who must track and schedule maintenance. The fuel savings estimator could lead to changes that reduce fuel costs. And knowing the amount of time a machine has been at a specific jobsite can help with documentation in planning for future projects.
Jobsite production
BoreAssist was developed jointly with Digital Control Incorporated (DCI) as a tool to help a crew during a bore.
On select Vermeer drills, an operator can load a bore plan on the DCI® DigiTrak® Aurora™ display and then follow a rod-by-rod plan, make changes or even design a plan in the field.
BoreAssist gives operators of all skill levels an on-rig digital plan to follow to help a crew finish a job efficiently. The operator can also design a simple bore in the field using templates that can be shared electronically. Drill data — including entry and exit, depth, product type and obstacles — can be logged with the push of a button when BoreAssist is integrated with DCI’s LWD Live product, reducing the need for operators to log information on paper.
Drill data is collected, which allows a contractor to compare the bore with the approved plan.
To learn more, visit store.vermeer.com.