VERHEYDEN PIONEERS WITH FIRST BOXER WITH CABIN
Boringen Verheyden is one of the flagships of our southern neighbors in heat and water extraction. So it's no surprise that we launched a new feature with this Belgian innovator. Together we built a Boxer 200 with a cabin. The first in the world!
CO-CREATION AS A CONDITION FOR CUSTOMIZATION
We spoke with Kevin Holscher, who has been co-manager at Boringen Verheyden for a number of years, alongside Johan Verheyden and Jan Dilles, and who is still active on the drill on a daily basis. Holscher knows the company from Sint-Katelijne-Waver like the back of his hand. He grew up in the backyard of this specialist in augers. The sons of founder Fons Verheyden, Johan and Paul, were good friends of his father, who also had a drilling company himself. Here he gained experience and found love for this field.
FAMILY BUSINESS WITH A FUTURE VISION
Verheyden is a family business with more than fifty years of experience in the market, a pioneer in the drilling of geothermal wells. Sustainability and social entrepreneurship are important drivers of the organization. Boringen Verheyden always wants to operate in a safe, innovative and environmentally friendly manner, whereby all employees can function in a pleasant environment, with the right resources and materials and including adequate training. Permanent development and improvement of the drilling machines and installation machines are necessary for this.
NEW TIMES, NEW REQUIREMENTS
From his work as a driller, Holscher ran into the fact that standing outside all day to drill is quite an attack on the body. Especially in the cold. In addition, in his dual role as co-manager, he could do little while drilling. Calling and reporting were especially unfeasible in rainy weather and that made it inefficient. The solution? A tailor-made cabin!
The cabin proved to be a stumbling block for the regular supplier. Not only because of the extensive customization, but also because of the consequences it would have. For example, the complete machine would have to be converted from hydraulic to electronic, otherwise safety in the cabin would be compromised. Moreover, the drilling rig would become too heavy, too high and too expensive.
THE START OF A BEAUTIFUL COOPERATION
When he saw the Boxer 200 after some searching on Conrad's website, Holscher was immediately convinced. This was the machine base he'd had in mind for ages. A compact drill with the right specifications. The Conrad Boxer 200, for example, is electronically controllable, equipped with a slewing ring so that the entire upper frame can rotate relative to the crawler undercarriage and it is considerably lighter than the machines that are already in use.
"After a phone call with Sales Manager Hendrik Otten, the appointment was arranged within a week. And Conrad was immediately open to developing this custom drill together, including the cabin. The requirements were clear from the start. We knew what the machine should look like. The end product was clear and that meant customization. The chassis had to be widened so that the cab would not fall out in the transport position. This also meant that the track undercarriage had to be adapted. The mast could remain on the left, but the stroke length had to be significantly higher. This in order to be able to get into the so-called screen tube. As a result, the mast itself also had to be extended. Another important adjustment was that of the drill head. Because Verheyden drills with a smaller diameter and a higher speed, changes were necessary."
"I can process my business calls while drilling and with the extensive dashboard, I can easily track and record all parameters. This saves a lot of time every day."
"We worked together very well from the start," says Holscher. Together with Paul Verheyden, we have been to the Netherlands several times for technical discussions. Paul brings with him an immense amount of technical knowledge and experience as a driller. Moreover, our expertise and experience and that of Conrad complemented each other. Every adjustment that we wanted to make, including those just before delivery, have been implemented. We also built the desanding machine ourselves, which Conrad integrated and the cabin was produced externally, custom-made. We are now the first in the market to work from a luxury cabin, with air conditioning, audio and windscreen wipers. While drilling, I can process my business calls and easily track and record all parameters with the extensive dashboard. This saves a lot of time every day."
"Because I can work from a fixed location, I immediately see and hear if there is something different than usual. I always follow the drilling process from the cabin. Setting up is easy with the remote control. We have now been working for a few weeks with the Boxer 200 and I'm very impressed, Conrad's machine is a real feat of engineering. The operating system in particular is fantastic. Conrad has also proved to be a very nice partner in the delivery and aftercare. We experienced both the cooperation in the workshop in Emmeloord and the drilling together with specialists Kim and Robin as very pleasant. And also in the last tuning the connection is very great. Conrad communicates clearly and directly and the team is always looking for solutions to new challenges. That gives us enormous confidence for the future.
We thank Verheyden for the trust and the wonderful cooperation. Also in the development of the grout unit. On to the future and beautiful new projects.
Wij danken Verheyden voor het vertrouwen en de prachtige samenwerking. Ook in de ontwikkeling van de grout unit. Op naar de toekomst en mooie nieuwe projecten.
