ICUEE 2017 Day Two Highlights

Day 2 at ICUEE 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky, is in the books. Here are the highlights of the day, as logged by Trenchless Technology managing editor Sharon Bueno.



The day ended with Benjamin Media’s Hospitality Hour after the exhibit floor closed. As part of the event, Bernie Krzys officially introduced the company’s newest magazine — Jobsite Juniors — a construction magazine geared for kids.

At ICUEE 2017 Benefit Auction for the Call of Duty Endowment takes place from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 5 at the ICUEE Demo Stage Presented by Benjamin Media Inc. Bid on a variety of items from drones to vacation packages to an array of tools and equipment and much more. The auction will not have minimums or reserves (all items will be sold).

Follow this link to J.J. Kane Auctioneers ICUEE auction site to view the auction items and place bids.

American Augers

American Augers unveiled two pieces of equipment for the HDD market: a directional drill and a mud system. Marketing manager Lee Drugan gave us the details on both of these machines.



The DD-240T Midi Rig introduced a whole new design concept in horizontal direction drills. Many of the features that make the 240,000-lb class HDD rig fully configurable are industry firsts in direct response to HDD contractor input gathered by American Augers in an extensive industry survey. This rig replaces the DD220 rig. The model at ICUEE is the first production unit and units No. 2 and 3 have already been sold.

The range 2 rig’s 52.6-ft length (20 ft pipe version 40 ft) and width of just 8.2 ft make it as easy to transport as it is to set up and take down, even though it has more production capability than many units with larger dimensions. Maximum thrust and pullback force are rated at 240,000 lbs, with 30,000 ft-lbs of rotary torque at 50 rpm. Maximum rotary torque is 43,900 ft-lbs at 37 rpm.

The unique, modular design of the DD-240T gives customers a wide array of configurations beginning with choice of frame size to accommodate Range 2 pipe or 20-ft pipe. The DD-240T can be ordered with or without onboard fluid pump, with pipe-loader or full-length manway.

The patented, moveable cab comfortably accommodates both driller and wire-line operator and can be set off-board to reduce vibration conveyed to the operating compartment or onboard to work in confined spaces. No other rig in this class size features a dual-person cabin.

The new operator’s platform features touchscreen control. Individual controls can be programmed to match any control system a given drill operator is familiar with, helping any driller comfortably transition to the unit from other makes and models.

Other industry firsts include fully traveling wrenches that can be positioned anywhere from front to carriage. Convenient for use breaking stuck pipe joints, they can be moved out of the way for hammering in casing while still using the frame as an operating platform.

The unit’s 523 hp Mercedes Tier 4F engine supports running rotary torque, push/pull and onboard fluid pump all at high levels without having to prioritize one function over others. The smart engine design achieves EPA Tier 4F compliance without requiring any regen cycle, so drilling operations are never interrupted due to engine derating.



DD-240T drilling productivity can be further optimized by pairing it with the American Augers M-300D “next level” fluid system, also introduced at this year’s ICUEE. Based on American Augers’ successful, highly portable M-200 platform, the M-300 system’s small trailer size lowers registration and excise tax requirements while supporting any make of 60- to 100-ton drill unit with a true 300 gpm fluid-cleaning capability.

The small footprint and ultra-quiet operation make the M-300 fluid cleaning system ideal for use in urban and suburban locations, yet its robust design ensures long-life reliability in daily off-road use towed behind heavy equipment.

The system’s 300 gpm flow rate is achieved through “next level” cleaning system technology. The M-300 is based on a state-of-the-art, single-Derrick shaker design and four screens using patented Pyramid technology. The result is that the M-300 not only provides a true, first-cut 300 gpm capacity but maintains one-half percent sand or less in fluid returned to the hole – that’s exceptionally clean.”

Other unique M-300 features include a tank agitation system that keeps all solids suspended in the tank and three function-dedicated pumps that ensure consistent high-level fluid-cleaning performance throughout drilling operations.

HammerHead Trenchless

HammerHead Trenchless, a Charles Machine Works company, introduced its new 22-ton, radio remote-controlled HydroGuide HG2200 cable winch. The HG2200 completes the HammerHead line of next-generation winches designed for maximum efficiency and ease-of-use in pipe-bursting, slip-lining and pipe-slitting applications.

“Our 20-ton winch had proven to be a top performer in the field,” said Josh Hood, HammerHead Product Manager. “We knew how much operators appreciated the efficiency-enhancing improvements recently made to the other HydroGuide models so our goal was to incorporate those features into the 20-ton model, as well as develop new features to further productivity. The result was our new 22-ton unit, unlike any other cable winch on the market.”



Radio remote-control enhances ease-of-use and productivity. It provides operators maximum visibility when positioning the winch by freeing them from a position at the controls on the back of the unit. Operators simply launch the unit’s patented 23-ft hydraulic boom with the touch of a button and can fine-tune its depth to 20 ft. The boom is adjustable along all three axes for exact positioning. The HG2200 is now the largest tonnage unit equipped with the unique, self-deploying boom, exclusive to HammerHead Trenchless.

Line speed and pressure for the unit’s 2,500 ft of cable are both infinitely adjustable within their parameters. At pressures providing 0.5 to 22 tons, payout speed can be set anywhere from 0 to 100 feet per minute and pulling speed from 0 to 60 feet per minute.

The unit is available in wheeled or tracked configurations and is powered by a fuel-efficient, 24.8 hp Tier 4-compliant Kubota radial piston engine. The HG2200 comes standard with hydraulic levelling jacks making set up more efficient by allowing the operator to adjust the grade of the machine via the wireless remote control.

The HydroGuide HG2200 shares much in common with the HG1200 released last year. The HG2200 is the final model to undergo a redesign making the full line of HydroGuide winches the most advanced and user-friendly in the industry.

The Toro Co.

The Toro Co. introduced its latest HDD drill, the DD2226, designed to help utility and underground contractors save time and streamline operations. Toro director of marketing Neil Borenstein walked us around the rig.

The DD2226 marks Toro’s first fully in-house designed horizontal directional drill since its acquisition of Astec Underground, more than five years ago. The drill is designed for small to midsize HDD work in telecom, water and gas.

The DD2226 delivers 2,600 ft-lbs of rotational torque and 22,000 lbs of thrust and pullback for outstanding versatility, allowing the machine to pull back and turn larger reamers in tough ground conditions. Dual rear stabilizers provide additional stability in uneven terrain.

For maximum convenience, the DD2226 is also equipped with next-generation TDOS-1 Operating System software, featuring the groundbreaking new SmartTouch control mode. The SmartTouch feature streamlines pipe handling by allowing the operator to advance through the pipe handling process with a touch of a rocker switch on the joystick. It’s designed to be easier for both new and experienced operators to learn. In addition, using SmartTouch allows operators to reduce the pipe loading cycle times, thereby increasing overall productivity.

“The pipe loading process typically requires two hands and a complex series of control functions,” explainsl Borenstein. “Toro’s new SmartTouch mode streamlines much of that process with a single switch. It’s a major leap forward in horizontal directional drill controls, and it stands to save operators a lot of time.”

In addition, the TDOS-1 Operating System provides a variety of new control options, with all drill information on one easy-to-read display screen. Features include advanced cruise control with engine droop, torque, thrust and pressure settings. The software is also designed for easy navigation, allowing quick access to diagnostic and maintenance information.

The DD2226 offers capacity for 400 ft of 10-ft pipe. The cam-style pipe loading system allows operators to rotate pipe in the basket – eliminating the need to unload and reload pipe by hand. Additionally, the cam-style system provides the ability for additional pipe to be side-loaded for bores that extend beyond 400 ft.
Designed for durability, reliability and consistent performance, the quad-pinion carriage design has a dual-sided rack that spreads the load evenly for stable carriage movement. SmartTouch mode also allows for fast pipe loading cycle times of up to 165 feet-per-minute.

The DD2226 is equipped with a 72 hp Tier 4 final Yanmar 3.3L engine that requires no diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). Other features of the DD2226 include a 31 gpm, 1,500 psi drilling fluid pump. Open, heavy-duty vise wrenches allow better visibility of the tool joint than enclosed wrenches.

“The DD2226 is the result of years of feedback from our customers about how they use their directional drills and what they need to make their jobs easier,” adds Borenstein. “We’ve developed this machine with the customer in mind, from operator comfort to software functions to faster pipe loading.”

Akkerman

Akkerman introduced its newest bentonite and lubrication solution, the Akkerman Bentonite Injection System (ABIS), which delivers totalized automated bentonite flow control from a Touch Screen Monitor.

ABIS delivers automated bentonite injection at exact intervals, all controlled centrally from its system monitor. Standard ABIS configuration contains components for up to a 2,000-lf drive length and the flexibility to suit a variety of project conditions; distance between stations and valves is determined by contractor and individual project requirements. Control skid connects communication, sensor valve electrical and feed and return bentonite cables and lines to pipe jacking and microtunneling operations to the Remote Station Control boxes.

The Remote Station Control boxes each link three Autmated Injection Ball Valve Assemblies for precise bentonite injection as the desired location and can also control and monitor intermediate Jacking Station functions; contains integrated light and detachable magnet light for tunnel illuminations.

CETCO

New for CETCO at ICUEE is the Hercules-EZ Extreme Solids Suspension Fluid. Talking with CETCO’s Debra Bac, we learned that Hercules-EZ is a proprietary additive that issued in conjunction with bentonite-based drilling muds. With proper formulation, the system will produce a unique drilling fluid with excellent shear thinning characteristics. At low shear or at rest, the fluid will gel and allow for suspension of large cuttings, yet thins immediately under pumping conditions.

At rest, Hercules-EZ fluid looks and behaves like a semi-solid, but when sheared, even slightly, will revert back to thin, almost water-like consistency. Hercules-EZ is designed to be compatible with CETCO bentonite-based drilling fluids.

This product is ideal for difficult-to-drill applications such as large river crossings or in gravel/cobble. The extreme shear-thinning nature is well suited for mud recycling systems and for situations where excessive flow rates and pump pressures are to be avoided.