23-07-2024

Transformative innovations at SiteTec: everything you should know

An open and inspiring interview with owner and enthusiast Corné Willemsen on how your feedback drives all innovations at SiteTec

At SiteTec, everything revolves around innovation, but not just any kind of innovation. By constantly listening to feedback from customers and users in the field, SiteTec knows how to refine and improve its products. This ensures that their technologies are not only advanced but also practical and efficient in everyday use. Discover in this interview with owner Corné Willemsen how SiteTec continuously strives for improvement.

What does innovation mean for SiteTec?

For us, innovation currently revolves around refining and improving existing technologies. Instead of constantly coming up with new machines or applying high-tech solutions at any cost, we focus on increasing the quality and efficiency of our current products. Innovation only truly matters when, after two years, users are still satisfied and can say: this makes my work easier, safer, faster, and more enjoyable. That’s why we base our innovations on valuable feedback from the field. This practical approach ensures that we genuinely meet the needs of our customers. So innovation is not a random occurrence but a conscious choice and an active process. You have to be open to it.

“Innovation is not a random occurrence but a conscious choice and an active process.”

Can you give an example of innovation in HDD Equipment that stems from feedback?

A great example is the new generation of mixing units that we are bringing to the market. We create both standard units and custom units, which always brings an interesting dynamic. Our standard units are designed based on practical experiences and need to be reproducible. They contain everything people need on the drilling site. We try to generalize what works well. For custom orders, however, we receive specific requests regarding the placement of components, connections, material handling methods, the location of the stairs, or a unique tank shape. Although we aim to meet all requests, we sometimes advise against certain adjustments if our experience shows they are technically impossible or impractical, such as a specific tank angle that causes sedimentation.

It also works the other way around: customers bring us ideas. What we initially receive with skepticism sometimes proves to work much better in practice. We then incorporate these improvements into our standard units. This is how the new generation of mixing units came about. Our first generation was already successful, and we had many satisfied customers. Nevertheless, we saw opportunities for improvement through feedback; the units are now more accessible and designed so that maintenance can be performed more easily by mechanics. These adjustments have made our mixing units even more efficient and user-friendly.

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Sureley there will also be a demand for high tech within HDD. How does SiteTec handle this?

Indeed, there is a growing demand for high tech in the HDD sector. Due to the shortage of manpower and the need to excite the younger generation, technical modernization is essential. Younger employees want the same level of technology on their mixing, pumping, or recycling units as they have in their cranes or other machines. A simple lever is no longer sufficient; they expect apps that allow them to monitor machine performance. For example, our larger pump installations can be fully monitored remotely. Issues can often be assessed or even resolved from a distance. This is very important for the younger generation of equipment managers who assume that this technology is already in place. We are continually looking for ways to integrate such improvements without compromising quality. Many of these technological components are sourced from carefully selected suppliers who uphold the same quality standards. One example is the builder of our control panels, who stays continuously updated on the latest developments in his field and applies this knowledge to our machines.

How do you ensure quality in the innovations implemented in your units?

Our choice of specific suppliers is essential in ensuring quality in our innovations. The steel builder, the electrical cabinet builder, the panel builder, and the pump supplier each apply their expertise to implement innovations. We provide clear specifications via technical documents or design sketches, but we also want to be advised by our suppliers to improve units and resolve issues. Some of these partnerships have lasted for years, such as with Jan Nabers from Consmema, who translates our ideas into detailed drawings. Additionally, our own team ensures that quality is maintained. Our mechanics are active in the field and constantly gather feedback, allowing us to further improve our machines and make them more versatile.

And how do you handle innovation in products from your partners?

I only work with partners who share the same values as SiteTec, such as LaValley, Derrick, GD Energy Products (Gardner Denver) and Innovex. These companies innovate with a focus on long-term benefits for safety, efficiency, and comfort on the drilling site. An example is the Tonghand en Deckhand from LaValley, designed by someone from the field who wanted to improve an unsafe situation. This innovation increases both safety and comfort, something operators are enthusiastic about. My trust in this innovation was so strong that I immediately purchased one at the time. They are already successfully used in England, and soon we will deliver the first in Belgium.

“My trust in this innovation was so strong that I immediately purchased one at the time.”

Do you want to work safer and more efficiently on your drilling site? Contact us for more information about the Tonghand or Deckhand from LaValley Industries.

You’ve been in the HDD Industry for quite some time. How do you ensure that you keep innovating?

By actively going into the field and continually engaging in conversations with operators and the new generation. I am open to their stories, ideas, or findings and really work on them. When they see this reflected in practice, they appreciate it immensely. Sometimes I come up with an idea behind my desk, only to find out that it needs to be done differently or more practically on the drilling site. Then I think to myself: they really thought this through! It is then our task to translate customer wishes into practical applications. I regularly get ideas from the guest lectures I give together with other HDD specialists for the Horizontal Directional Drilling course at Deltares. Students learn about project planning, drilling techniques, drilling fluid, and machine operation. Our students often have experience on various drilling sites. These interactions are valuable for gathering feedback. I also like to look at innovations in other sectors, such as the vertical drilling world, the dredging industry, and machine construction in general, to gain new insights that can be applied to our machines.

Why is innovation important in HDD and how do you see the future? What innovations can we expect?

Innovation is crucial for safety above all. Additionally, innovation promotes efficient and fast work, which is attractive to employees. Investing in advanced machines helps retain and recruit staff. Environmental considerations also play an important role. Technical innovations focus on more efficient and sustainable drilling fluids, essential in a world where clean water is becoming scarcer. The overall ambition in HDD is to make everything electrically driven. This is not only more sustainable but also quieter and therefore more pleasant for the operators. Because of the environmental and climate requirements, electrically driven machines are the future. Significant steps are also being taken to refine control systems, contributing to more efficient and sustainable drilling operations.

“Innovation is crucial for safety above all. Additionally, innovation promotes efficient and fast work, which is attractive to employees.”

In conclusion

At SiteTec, we drive innovation through customer feedback. By continuously improving and strategically purchasing products we believe in, we stay at the forefront of the HDD sector. Our commitment to quality and customer focus ensures that we always strive for the best solutions for our customers.

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