HDD productivity tools unveiled
Vermeer comes out with suite of electronic tools to streamline job process
When HDD drill manufacturer Vermeer spoke to its customers about becoming more efficient, the issues that came up were less about the equipment they were using, than all the processes that surround a horizontal directional drilling job.
“Our customers say that drilling is the easy part. It’s everything else that is challenging,” says Jon Kuyers, senior global product manager, underground for Pella, Iowa-based Vermeer.
“The issues they face are more overarching business and technical problems. That is where the InSite umbrella of products was originated.”
InSite Productivity Tools from Vermeer help an HDD contractor streamline and simplify the entire job process from planning to invoicing, allowing the contractor to more easily document project work.
By combining documentation, bore planning, data collection and remote monitoring components, the suite of tools can help a contractor better manage his business from planning to mapping and producing to invoicing. The tools can be used individually or work together seamlessly and can be accessed by multiple parties, making collaborative work and real-time information sharing possible.
“Project owners are demanding more information, which is making the current planning and record-keeping processes complicated and messy,” according to Kuyers. “InSite Productivity Tools eliminate the old manual, on-paper method and provide an accurate, electronic-documented record of the entire project, which helps expedite invoicing.”
InSite Productivity Tools include the following components, which can be used individually or bundled together:
InSite Fleet and InSite Fleet Edge – InSite Fleet provides fleet and operations managers with the GPS location of machines to better locate and route equipment and crews to the jobsite. It captures planned maintenance and completed services and categorizes both machine idle times and fuel consumed.
InSite Fleet Edge conveys actionable machine information including productivity tracking, maintenance prioritization, fuel savings estimation and project time management for operators and fleet managers. It also consolidates a log of relevant machine data such as forces, pressures and flows. InSite Fleet is available on D24x40 S3 Navigator HDD through D220x300. InSite Fleet Edge will be available January 2016 on select Vermeer HDD models.
InSite Projects– This planning tool is used to map a jobsite and plan a bore using an application that can be accessed via a computer, tablet or smartphone. All project data can reside in one repository and be shared electronically with project owners and inspectors to speed up approvals. Once the job is complete, the user can export a professional report on all aspects of the project, helping to expedite invoicing.
InSite Mapping – A GPS-enabled mapping application is used to white-line or mark a proposed bore path accurately and help document the position of existing utilities. Data is entered into InSite Projects to generate a visual map (bird’s-eye view) of proposed and existing utility lines or landmarks. The mapping application is compatible with a variety of GPS devices.
InSite BoreAid Design Tool – A planning and design software package that guides the user through a bore planning process using soil information, product type and properties, physical obstacles and other key elements to provide a comprehensive understanding of feasibility and identify issues that may arise during a drilling operation. The tool gives the user a precise and detailed plan in line with industry standards and best practices to complete a drilling operation. The user can generate reports for the anticipated bore plan and feed information into the bid documents or operational plans while ensuring compliance with relevant industry standards. InSite BoreAid is available now.
InSite BoreAssist – Developed in collaboration with Digital Control Incorporated (DCI), this on-rig application allows a bore plan to be viewed on the DCI Aurora display, eliminating the need for paper plans. Locate data is logged from the DCI F5 locator directly into the application. Users simply load the bore plan into the Aurora display and then can follow the rod-by-rod plan. The operator can also note deviations to the plan based on field conditions and potential in-field bore plan modifications, as well as design a simple bore in the field using templates that can be transferred via flash drive back to a desktop computer.
