Smart Lock’s Business Development Manager Shane Curren talks with Trenchless Australasia about how the company expanded its offerings to make it a stronger partner for industry operators.
How do you think the trenchless industry has changed?
There was a time when large work crews were required to live away from home, transporting one-off, custom-built equipment on trucks and offering rehabilitation slots in a yearly budget calendar.
Due to an increase in the number of professionally trained relining contractors throughout Australia, coupled with the increased availability of pipe relining equipment, drainage and water networks are in good hands. Having equipment on hand that can be hired, or purchased outright, relining solutions are becoming increasingly available, locally, in locations across the country.
Drain rehabilitation contractors can now work across many regions because they have hireable and off-the-shelf modular relining units right where and when they need them. Advanced curing and installation equipment is now abundant, and is available to all operators in the trenchless industry.
How is Smart Lock positioned in the trenchless relining industry?
Smart Lock Group has always had ability to produce the Smart Lock Liner End Seal – a simple manufacturing alteration to the standard Smart Lock sleeve which is proudly built in Melbourne.
The modern pipe reline contractor has many lining products at its disposable, some adhere to the host pipe on installation and others are known as loose-fit.
Loose-fit lining is where the mechanical Smart Lock Liner End Seal can ensure that liner specifications are achieved as promised.
Now manufactured with a life expectancy that is able to match the 100-year life of the pipe, the Smart Lock Liner End Seal ensures that drainage engineers and asset owners don’t need to be concerned about the longevity of their renewal efforts on their sewer and stormwater networks.
How does the Smart Lock End Seal differ from other options?
Asset renewal methods using the Smart Lock Liner End Seal are low-impact, are approved for saltwater tidal conditions, and are available in standard pipe sizes with custom made options on request. They are becoming increasingly economical each year.
The relining industry is differentiating itself from the increasing civil costs and time-consuming reinstatement works that come into play when replacing existing drainage systems.
Because of this, Smart Lock Group is also evolving as a national supplier, catering for the new needs of pipe rehabilitators all over the country and extending well beyond the Smart Lock sleeves.
Today, we can supply specialist installation equipment, fiberglass liner for longer sectional repairs and fiberglass patching for varying point repairs.
More than that, we have made a CCTV assessment coding service available to our customers so that we can provide them with the means to supply asset managers with an approved drainage assessment format, accepted nationally.
How difficult are Smart Lock products to use?
Training has evolved at the Smart Lock Group, with the Altona training facility set up to deliver advanced operational training options, rather than the basic product training offered at the time of purchase.
We have added three additional scheduled advanced training sessions, which we advertise each year, along with two VIP research and development sessions. The training is designed to benefit both experienced reliners and drain relining novices, providing them with the means to set goals and realise achievements beyond what would usually be available.
Advanced training sessions allow existing drainage rehab installers to stand out and identify themselves as high-level professionals in the field. Our improved training module provides accredited schooling in the mechanical Smart Lock product range, sectional pipe relining and advanced fiberglass patching.
The training includes student assessment, allowing operators to know exactly what to expect from the student who completes the course.
As a result, students learn the small, expert details for rehab jobs. The things that come from hard-earned experience in the field which, ultimately reduces mistakes made on the job and lowers the risk, potentially changing the outcome and cost of more difficult installation jobs.
By hosting the training at our facility in Altona, we take the onus off customers to provide the necessary equipment – appropriate pipe sections, packers – meaning the quality and efficiency of the training is consistently high.
Smart Lock Group is a valuable and dedicated partner in the drainage rehab industry, offering trenchless products and support to Australian operators who are striving to be the best
For more information visit Smart Lock.
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This article appeared in the February edition of Trenchless Australasia. Access the digital copy of the magazine here.