Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/165927
ERY I f there's a bright spot in our murky economic recovery, it is horizontal directional drilling. HDD, strong for several years, is likely to remain a bright spot for some time. There have been adjustments in the market based on machine size and new vs. used, but the overall health remains, driven primarily by sewer, water and energy. And after years of proven performance, HDD has come to be accepted as the preferred method for installation of underground structures. "The energy sector is as good as it's ever been," says Richard Levings, director of product management at American Augers, acquired by Ditch Witch last year. "Higher prices and new technology have opened up areas in this sector that were once unrecoverable economically." Levings says that running primary electric is also in high demand, especially for longer bores of 8,000 to 10,000 feet and up to 24 inches in diameter. Josh Beddow, product marketing manager for Toro, which bought the Astec line last year, says there is a significant rebound in the horizontal directional drilling market, specifically in units under 50,000 pounds. "We're seeing pre-recession industry sales numbers in many categories with more than 10 percent compounded annual growth rate since 2009. We believe a large part of that increase is being driven by continued growth in telecom with demand for faster, cheaper broadband and expanded coverage to rural areas." Meeting this demand is a host of new machines that make the most of " modern designs in engines, electronics, and hydraulics. They pack maximum performance into the smallest possible package. American Augers' offerings concentrate on larger HDDs, starting with the 110,000-pound DD-110. Levings says there have been significant changes to these machines. Electronics, electrohydraulics, and telematics that have become common on smaller drills are making inroads into larger machines. And he says bigger machines are becoming more mobile. They're faster and easier to set up and take down and they have lower weights and smaller dimensions to make them easier to transport. Even with smaller machines the demand is for power and performance from a smaller footprint, according to Randy Rupp, director of product definition at Ditch Witch. Improvements in engines and hydraulics have made it possible to meet these requirements. HDD contractors, however, continue to struggle with a shortage of qualified operators and clients who mandate increasingly stringent management of drilling fluid. OEMs are taking steps to make it easier for new operators to quickly come up to speed and contractors are developing new ways to manage mud. The energy sector is as good as it's ever been." Operator shortage in some sectors Levings says the operator shortage has not been felt in the larger drill sector – primarily because there are fewer machines in this size classes. That's less true for owners of smaller directional drills, where higher numbers of machines create a need for EquipmentWorld.com | September 2013 25 EW0913_Machine Matters.indd 25 8/27/13 3:28 PM