21-01-2025

Jobsite visits and training: empowering Bulgarian dealer Actus to provide effective support to their customers

How can you, as a machine manufacturer, provide the best service to your international customers? For us, the answer is clear: by working with local dealers. Dealers understand the language, are familiar with working methods, and have insight into local conditions. Equally important, they must thoroughly know our products – how they are designed, built, and maintained. That’s precisely why our new Bulgarian dealer, Actus, flew to the Netherlands. Together with two service technicians and the supervisor of one of their major customers, they embarked on an in-depth exploration and hands-on technical training at our workshop.

Bespoke set-up for Bulgarian HDD projects

In Bulgaria, the demand for HDD (Horizontal Directional Drilling) is growing rapidly. Thanks to subsidies for underground cabling, there is a wealth of projects. The relatively young drilling companies are eagerly seeking the best equipment for their needs. “HDD is really gaining ground in our country,” says Tony, representative of Actus, part of Defigo in Sofia. “To train our teams well and offer the best support to our customers, training is essential. When Corné sent us a proposal in October following a customer inquiry, we knew immediately: we have to see this for ourselves. Luckily he took us to a Welvreugd jobsite in Raalte, here we saw firsthand how the combination of units works in practice.”

Checking out the units in practice: Welvreugd jobsite Raalte

Actus’ customer chooses three custom-built units: the P3000 high-pressure pump, the R3000 recycling unit, and the ST2000 mixing unit, including generators. At the jobsite in Raalte, Welvreugd demonstrates how this powerful combination operates seamlessly during a bundled drilling project. Over a distance of 850 meters, multiple cables are installed simultaneously in a single tunnel. “This project was partly for grid reinforcement and partly to connect a solar farm,” Tony explains, clearly impressed by how smoothly and efficiently the drilling progresses, thanks to the meticulously coordinated equipment on site. Together with the Bulgarian visitors, specific requirements for the bespoke equipment are aligned, such as extended unit designs for maximum capacity.

Workshop training and meeting up with seasoned professionals

While the bespoke units are being manufactured, the Bulgarians return to the Netherlands for a comprehensive hands-on training from SiteTec. The training begins in our workshop in Wijk bij Duurstede, where the technicians actively participate in maintenance and equipment adjustments. This practical approach ensures they gain a deep understanding of how to operate and service the units effectively.

Following the workshop, the training continues at two jobsites near Schiphol, where both Welvreugd and Visser & Smit Hanab are operating. At these sites, the Bulgarian team observes similar setups in action and learns from seasoned professionals. Marcel Bijleveld, mud expert from Cebo Holland, joins the visits to emphasize the critical role of proper drilling fluids: “The right fluid not only ensures optimal performance but also extends the lifespan of your equipment.”

At a site with a drilling project comparable in scale to their Bulgarian plans, the technicians first meet Okkie, the experienced foreman from the Welvreugd team. “Taking it slow while reaming is important,” he explains. “For this bore, we’ve already removed 1,000 cubic meters of sand. It takes time and precision, but it’s crucial to ensure a clean result. With the long distance and sandy ground here, we really need extra power.” During the visit, one of the Bulgarian technicians asks how much storage capacity is required for a bore of this size. Okkie explains, “Here, we use 60 cubic meters of storage. The bore itself is 460 meters long and 40 meters deep. At this point, two bores come together, and we’ll connect them here. Another 100 meters to go, and we’ll finish tonight. It took us an extra day to pull the barrel through again. You also have to consider the surroundings, like here at Schiphol, where buses need to keep running. That meant a night of non-stop work.” Further down the site, a construction is set up by Welvreugd to pull the 1,000-meter-long pipe over the road. This pipe will be pulled through a second bore that runs beneath the shorter one. “We’ll probably start pulling the day after tomorrow,” Okkie estimates.

A few kilometers away, Sander Weterings, the site manager for Visser & Smit Hanab, welcomes us warmly. Here, the team works with a high-pressure pump similar to what the Bulgarian customer will receive in their SiteTec unit. Sander explains more about the setup: “At the pipe end, we have two 120-cubic-meter tanks. The length of the bore is 1,170 meters.”

The next steps for Actus

Tony and the Actus technicians return to Bulgaria with plenty of new knowledge and hands-on experience. They’re eager to get started. For our own service technicians, a trip to Bulgaria is on the horizon. The units are currently being built, and once they’re ready, we’ll travel to Bulgaria to assist with installation on the jobsite. Thanks to the intensive training they received in Wijk bij Duurstede and on-site at Schiphol, the Actus team has built a strong foundation for operating and maintaining the new equipment. We appreciate the effort Actus has made to visit us and engage so thoroughly in the preparation process. This commitment underscores the importance of having a local dealer who takes the time to understand our machines and deliver the best possible support to their customers.