For more than a decade, the contractor has relied on the German manufacturer for its high-quality and innovative products and support.
The partnership stretches back more than 10 years to January 2010 when R&R McClure first purchased a GRUNDODRILL 4X. The company has since assembled one of Australia’s largest collections of TRACTO-TECHNIK machines, including R&R McClure’s first GRUNDODRILL 28N+ in 2018.
When purchasing the new drill, R&R McClure Director Tim McClure says the company’s knowledge of TRACTO-TECHNIK’s products, their performance, durability and quality, as well as the company’s industry leading sales and service support, meant extending the relationship was the right choice.
“We have previously used a number of machines in TRACTO-TECHNIK’s range and we are extremely happy with the equipment and the digital technology they use for drilling and servicing,” says Mr McClure.
“We can always rely on our GRUNDODRILL rigs and on TRACTO-TECHNIK. This goes for their efficient and effective machine technology, as well as for the fantastic support provided by the staff in Brisbane and Germany.”
GRUNDODRILL 28N+
The GRUNDODRILL 28N+ is one of TRACTO-TECHNIK’s most popular and best performing fluid-assisted horizontal directional drilling (HDD) rigs. The compact 7.5 m machine achieves peak results in every discipline through its powerful drive and best-in-class values.
Mr McClure says the 28N+ is highly effective when completing long length bores.
“It is very quiet, smooth to operate and has plenty of power,” he says.
The vehicle’s existing drive power is 224 kW from a Tier 5 Cummins engine, which is 100 per cent converted into drilling power with up to 300 kN pulling force. The GRUNDODRILL is also fitted with a 650 L bentonite pump allowing for maximum productivity and fast drilling progress, even with large upsizing diameters.
“We purchased a second drill to allow better efficiency on long projects and provide availability where tight time frames are required,” says Mr McClure, adding that parts of the machine such as rods and drill bits can be shared and interact with the many other TRACTO-TECHNIK machines already present in its fleet.
With its slim design and minimal distance from drilling axis to the outer edge of the machine, the drill has the largest rod magazine in its performance class with 288 m of usable drill rods onboard. It also has 11,000 Nm of rotational torque with thrust and a pullback of 280 kN.
As it is fully automatic and has a particularly ergonomic design for the reloading of drill rods, no machine operator is required within the cabin and it offers the ability to log bore data and complete data transfer tasks with ease.
A proven track record
Mr McClure says the GRUNDODRILL 28N+ machines have both been used on an underground power project that is part of the bushfire prevention plan, as well as on water main works and private trade projects.
“The GRUNDODRILL 28N has a vast range of unique features that we were looking for and these will assist in the future as we continue to develop our business.”
In particular, the 288 m on-board rod length stands out as it allows R&R McClure to achieve these longer drill lengths without having to change its whole rod basket as it would with other machinery.
Notably, the high-quality machinery allowed R&R McClure to achieve single bore lengths of more than 250 m, which also reduced the quantity of bore start and end holes.
“We were also able to achieve an efficiency that could meet project timelines,” says Mr McClure.
When looking at future projects, Mr McClure says the company will mostly be using its 28N+ machines on “work that requires long bore lengths in all ground conditions that require a trenchless solution”.
Personal support
To ensure its customers get the most out of their machinery purchases, TRACTO-TECHNIK offers continuous training on service and maintenance of its systems and guarantees comprehensive and rapid repairs. For personal requirements, TRACTO-TECHNIK says it can train its customers according to individual requirements.
Mr McClure can attest to this, saying R&R McClure is always extremely happy with the service and communication it receives from the team at TRACTO-TECHNIK Australia, and has been for the entirety of its longstanding relationship.
This article was featured in the September 2020 edition of Trenchless Australasia. To view the magazine on your PC, Mac, tablet or mobile device, click here.
For more information visit the TRACTO-TECHNIK website.
If you have news you would like featured in Trenchless Australasia contact Assistant Editor Sophie Venz at svenz@gs-press.com.au