Terra SmartHDD SIGNED

Project "Terra SmartHDD" data sheet

The following table provides information about the project.

 Partnership

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 Project objective

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is used whenever trenchless methods are required - to lay cables under built-up or protected areas, or to minimise infrastructure disruption. HDD is thus one of the most important tools for expanding broadband and energy infrastructure. The EU's Digital Agenda should provide all EU citizens access to at least 30Mbit/s Internet by 2020. However, these targets will not be met by 2020, partly because capacities of civil engineering companies are insufficient. Despite a strong order situation, they are unable to increase capacities due to a shortage of skilled workers. For the execution of HDDs, experienced specialists are required to mix the drilling fluid essential for the drilling according to feeling. If they make mistakes, the equipment is not properly cooled, lubricated, and the drilling channel is not stabilized, causing damages of up to 45.000€. As award-winning H&E Bohrtechnik GmbH, we are Germany's only full-service provider for HDD, market leader and one of the few in this industry to develop our own innovations for industry-specific problems. To solve the problem of skills shortage, we developed Terra Smart HDD, which was named Craft Project of the Year in 2018. The unit allows to completely automate the process, which was previously dependent on experienced skilled workers, using AI-based soil type and wear detection, so that not only less experienced personnel can be hired for monitoring, but the risk of errors is also reduced from 35% to 5%. This results in a faster, safer and more cost-effective process and will enable civil engineering companies to increase capacities and to boost digitisation and energy network expansion. With Tracto-Technik and Ricona/Ditch Witch as distributors, we are thus addressing all civil engineering companies offering HDD services and target a market with a CAGR of 13.2%. With Terra Smart HDD, we expect an additional cumulative turnover of € 19.2 million and 27 new employees by 2023.