Over the past decade, contractors have faced a combination of rising fuel costs, stricter environmental regulations and increasingly complex jobsite conditions.
Traditional hydraulic systems simply weren’t efficient enough anymore – they wasted energy through long oil circuits, unnecessary flow circulation and complex component layouts. At the same time, the industry was asking for machines that could deliver high productivity with fewer interruptions and lower operating costs. Soilmec developed Blue Tech Plus to address these pressures. It offers a smarter, cleaner and more cost-efficient approach to energy management in drilling rigs.
This international company is a leader in design, manufacture and distribution of equipment for the ground engineering industry. Established in 1969, the company has 400 employees and seven locations in France, England, North America, Colombia, Brazil, Australia and Japan.
Since its inception, Soilmec has developed safe, innovative and cutting-edge technologies that have provided the construction industry with a full spectrum of equipment solutions. The Blue Tech Plus hydraulic architecture improves energy efficiency and reduces fuel consumption compared with previous SR-series rigs, Soilmec North America business manager Enzo Masciandaro says the improvement comes from completely rethinking how hydraulic power is managed.
“Instead of multiple pumps – a traditional setup that increases mechanical friction, builds up heat and ultimately accelerates oil degradation in the system, generating excess flow – Blue Tech Plus uses an innovative high-tech pump that sends oil only where it’s actually needed. This eliminates waste, reduces heat and dramatically improves efficiency.”
The architecture is also simpler, he says, with shorter hydraulic lines and fewer components, which lowers energy losses. Combined with DMS-controlled torque-to-speed management and smart features like automatic low idle, the rigs achieve fuel savings of around 31 per cent in Kelly bar and up to 38 per cent in continuous flight auger work. “That’s a big shift for contractors who monitor every litre of diesel on site,” Masciandaro said.
Integrated system
Blue Tech Plus is described as an integrated system rather than a single component upgrade. This means that it is much more than a single upgrade. It is built around four inter-connected areas that work together: a simplified hydraulic system, an advanced 2.0 electrical architecture, the full DMS 4.0 digital ecosystem and a redesigned operator interface featuring the Blue Tech Plus cab and electro-proportional joysticks.
“Each element strengthens the others,” Masciandaro said. “The hydraulics minimize energy waste, the electrics improve reliability, DMS fine-tunes performance in real time and the operator interface enables precise and efficient control. Working in synergy, these components create a unified system that optimizes the entire drilling cycle rather than enhancing just one part.”
The SR-45 Blue Tech Plus also reduces fuel consumption by up to 30 per cent and cuts maintenance costs significantly. As for the engineering changes that make these improvements possible, Masciandaro says several smart innovations contribute to this.
“The first – and the one that customers feel the most – is how hydraulic power is now managed. Instead of generating excess flow and then restricting it at the distributor, as traditional systems do, Blue Tech Plus controls power directly at the pump. This means the rig produces only the hydraulic energy required, avoiding the extra heat, friction and oil stress typical of older multi-pump setups,” he said.
For operators, this translates into lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions, more stable performance and longer oil life. This upstream efficiency is further supported by the new pressurized hydraulic tank, which holds only 79 gallons (about 300 litres), reducing the total cost of ownership. In addition, the new RD-160 rotary head automatically adjusts torque and speed based on soil resistance, thereby improving penetration without increasing fuel use. And finally, the new electrical architecture – with a multi-PLC layout and simplified diagnostics – helps reduce downtime.
“When you combine all these improvements, you get a rig that is far more efficient, cheaper to maintain and easier to service,” he said. “DMS is one of the most valuable tools contractors have today. On the rig, DMS On Board gives operators real-time visibility into drilling parameters, alarms, setup configurations and performance. For engineers and supervisors, DMS PC provides detailed reporting, data export and analysis.”
At the fleet level, DMS Manager – the cloud platform – offer complete visibility across multiple rigs: utilization rates, idle time, alarms and energy performance trends. This helps standardize productivity between crews, anticipate maintenance needs and provide documentation for QA/QC or client reporting. “In other words, DMS turns raw operating data into actionable insights,” he said.
Lower emissions and fuel use
Blue Tech Plus rigs are designed to maintain high productivity while lowering emissions and fuel use. This means that sustainability and environmental performance in today’s foundation equipment market is essential.
“Contractors are under pressure to reduce fuel consumption, comply with stricter emission rules and operate quietly in dense urban areas,” Masciandaro said. “Blue Tech Plus directly addresses these requirements with substantial fuel savings, lower CO₂ emissions, [Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil] diesel compatibility, biodegradable oil options and reduced noise levels.”
“Blue Tech Plus uses an innovative high-tech pump that sends oil only where it’s actually needed. This eliminates waste, reduces heat and dramatically improves efficiency.”
Enzo Masciandaro, Soilmec North America
In addition, Masciandaro says that Blue Tech Plus gives operators the ability to choose between different operating modes – similar to the “Eco” and “Sport” profiles found in modern automotive systems. “This allows the rig to prioritize either maximum efficiency or higher responsiveness, depending on the jobsite requirements. When allowed, the machine reduces fuel use and when necessary, the machine reduces noise, giving ] contractors extra savings and smoother operation in sensitive areas.”
He adds that sustainability today is not just a regulatory obligation – it’s a competitive advantage. “Clients increasingly prefer equipment that minimizes environmental impact, and contractors benefit from lower ownership costs and fewer jobsite restrictions.”
Global use
The SR-65 Blue Tech was one of the first machines to introduce the Blue Tech concept, marking Soilmec’s entry into a new generation of energy-saving drilling architecture. It was developed as an efficient, power-optimized rig designed to reduce hydraulic losses and make better use of avail able energy. This early innovation became the foundation on which the later Blue Tech Plus system was built. “Thanks to its simplified hydraulic layout, characterized by optimized oil paths and reduced complexity, the SR-65 delivers more consistent torque, particularly in demanding soil conditions,” Masciandaro said.
At the same time, the DMS system automatically manages torque and speed, allowing operators to maintain stable penetration rates even in challenging geology. The overall effect is smoother drilling, greater operational continuity and higher productivity throughout the working day.
Deadlines and schedules
It is no surprise that contractors often face tight schedules and complex logistics. As for how features like single-load transport and rapid mobilization benefit foundation contractors in real projects, he stresses that contractors working under tight deadlines gain a clear advantage with the SR-35, SR-45 and SR-65.
“Their unique design allows each rig to travel as a single load with the Kelly bar already installed, eliminating extra setup steps and cutting mobilization time dramatically. Safe loading and unloading via radio remote control reduces manpower, minimizes risk and speeds up every operation. For those who still need to reduce overall weight, a dedicated kit is available for the SR-65 to achieve a single transport configuration under 50 tonnes (approximately 110,000 pounds),” Masciandaro said.
In addition, thanks to the rigs’ quick rigup configuration, he adds that they go from the truck to first pile in about 30 minutes, giving contractors more productive hours from the very first day on site. “For the customer, the benefits are immediate: lower operating costs, fewer delays, faster project starts and higher daily output – all essential advantages when competing in time-sensitive, logistics-heavy foundation projects,” he said.
Soilmec also emphasizes versatility across drilling methods such as large diameter pile,, CFA and segmental casing. As for how Blue Tech supports multi-technology drilling and adaptability on site, he explains that the SR-35, SR-45 and SR-65 are engineered from the outset to allow quick and intuitive conversion between different drilling technologies, both mechanically and hydraulically. “Many components are preconfigured to work across multiple setups without needing to be replaced, while the parts that do require changes are designed for fast, easy connect and disconnect operations, minimizing downtime and simplifying jobsite activities,” Masciandaro said.
He adds that a clear demonstration of this efficiency is the Kelly to CFA conversion on the SR-45. During an official demonstration at its test field, in front of an international delegation, the entire process was timed at under four hours, proving the real speed of the system.
“This conversion is achieved through simple mechanical replacement and configuration changes within the DMS – with no need to modify or intervene on the hydraulic system. For the customer, the advantage is immediate: a single machine capable of handling different drilling applications, offering greater flexibility on site, reduced downtime and the ability to manage complex drilling programs far more efficiently.”