A light year’s worth of advancements
Soilmec brought the first European-style drilling rig to the Canadian underground construction market 15 years ago, in 1998. Today, there are around 325 Soilmec rigs in use across Canada. Some people might call us “pioneers,” but we simply consider ourselves to be the deliverers of the best available technology to our customers.
We’ve introduced several new construction technologies to the Canadian market, such as continuous flight auger (CFA) for drilled shafts, cased secant piles (CSP) for diaphragm walls and other full-cased methods of drilling. When Soilmec entered the Canadian market in 1998, most drilling companies were still using old-style telescoping casing to hold open their holes. Today, using these innovative technologies, our customers have improved productivity and gained a competitive edge in bidding and building.
We’ve also provided the technology transfer and training our customers need to make these new technologies work for them (more about that below).
Consider Soilmec a solutions provider
Soilmec, a division of Trevi Group based in Cesena, Italy, is an international leader in the design, production and distribution of ground engineering equipment. Since its founding in 1969, Soilmec has steadily developed cutting-edge technologies and provided the construction industry with the full spectrum of equipment solutions, from microdrilling and diaphragm walls to drilled shaft foundations, soil consolidation and tunneling support.
Under the Trevi Group umbrella, Soilmec is a sister company to Trevi, a world-leading underground construction company. For the past 40 years, there has been a continuous exchange of technological and process innovation between the two companies.
Soilmec invests in and develops new equipment to enable Trevi to build technologically complex and challenging projects. In turn, Trevi field-tests the Soilmec equipment and offers real- world vetting of the new technologies, with a focus on safety, drilling techniques and increased productivity. The technological advances are then passed on to all of Soilmec’s customers.
Soilmec equipment is used for tough and complex projects across the globe. Rigs and equipment provide high performance on even the most technologically challenging projects.
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Tech transfer is vital
Our customer support begins well before rig delivery and continues for as long as customers own their Soilmec rigs. In fact, we pride ourselves on being there for our customers during both up-turns and downturns in the construction market.
Let’s start with technical support. Soilmec has provided hands-on tech transfer to many Canadian customers through a variety of means: from one-on-one discussions to group seminars.
Many of our Canadian customers have had the pleasure of hearing Paolo Cavalcoli, Trevi’s technical director, or Federico Pagliacci, Soilmec’s vice president of development, give a presentation about some of Trevi’s amazing projects. They, and other Trevi Group staff, generously give their time and expertise.
In September, Andrea DiEuginio, manager of Soilmec’s cranes product line, joined 36 customers in Leduc, Alta. to talk about technological advances in Soilmec cranes.
Our unique brand of technical support helps our customers build their businesses by giving them the tools and knowledge to enter into and succeed in new markets with new drilling techniques.
After-sales support to our Canadian customers is expanding
We love to sell Soilmec rigs to our customers because we believe that Soilmec manufactures great equipment. At that point, though, our involvement with our customer is just beginning. Here’s a sampling of the types of after-sales sup- port we offer our customers.
We work hand-in-hand with our customers to strategize innovative construction solutions for their projects, even at the pre-bid phase. We help them plan out their projects to ensure that they have the right equipment for the job. We visit their job sites to help trouble-shoot. We bend over backwards to supply tools and parts as quickly as possible. This after-sales support helps our customers achieve less job site downtime, higher productivity, more profitable projects and satisfied clients.
Soilmec North America maintains five parts facilities in North America: Alberta, California, Rhode Island, Texas and Utah. Orders are usually shipped the same day we receive them and can be delivered via overnight carrier. Having a parts warehouse in Canada allows us to avoid customs delays.
Special or unusual requests are usually accommodated. Champion Equipment designs and manufactures unique customized tools or modified parts for customers who need to fulfill an out-of-the-ordinary project task.
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Operator training improves productivity
In June 2012, Soilmec sponsored hands-on operator training in Alberta. Three of our customer companies joined the International Union of Operating Engineers Local #955 to provide training on Soilmec equipment. Classroom seminars and field training help operators and mechanics maximize their knowledge of Soilmec equipment for greater on-the-job performance and safety. Having a well-trained operator lowers the equipment maintenance cost as well.
Soilmec training also certifies operators on equipment to comply with mandates from regulatory agencies, and helps decrease risk and liability at the job site. Many of Soilmec’s training programs are taught by instructors from the Trevi Group’s Foundation Technology Academy, while others are taught by Soilmec agents who are experts in piling techniques.
A word on the new product line
In accordance with the USEPA’s air emissions standards, starting in January 2014, Soilmec will be offering new models equipped with Tier 4i diesel engines. With these new engines, Soilmec has taken the opportunity to incorporate many additional improvements in the product line.
The new engines deliver more power – torque, pushdown and pull-up – which will increase our customers’ drilling productivity and capability. Soilmec has re-designed the rigs so that they weigh less, improving transportability.
Operator comfort and safety has been taken to a whole new level, with a more comfortable cab, more ergometric controls and improved in-cab Drill Mate System (DMS). The DMS helps the operator monitor engine and drilling conditions and, if desired, is connected to Soilmec’s control centre for 24/7 remote monitoring and technical support.
To help customers succeed, Soilmec provides a complete package, from initial technical advice and financing equipment purchase to rig training and expert consultation on specific project complexities. We’re ready to help you select the right equipment for your business needs, and to provide technical advice, parts, service and 24-hour support over the lifetime of your equipment.
To learn more about Soilmec, visit www.soilmec.com.
About the authors
Stephen Wilson is the general sales manager for Champion Equipment Sales LLC, the agent for Soilmec equipment in Canada. He can be reached at sew@championsales.net or 801-288-8919.
Vincent Jue is a vice president with Soilmec North America and CEO of Champion Equipment Sales LLC. He can be reached at vjue@champion-equipment.com.
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