'turn-key' installations

Every day, heavy structures, tunnels, bridges and viaducts are moved by hydraulic systems from Hydroton. The company from De Meern (Utrecht) also powers bridges, locks and industrial machinery throughout the country. In recent years, Hydroton has been presenting itself as a total supplier thanks to "turn-key" installations.

"People used to use hand-operated jacks to jack up heavy structures. Nowadays, the big companies have high-tech sliding and jacking equipment to move bridges and tunnels," explains Frank Markus, general manager at Hydroton. "Lead times in the GWW are getting shorter, so people want to (move) prefab tunnels or bridges in a more efficient way. Sometimes this takes place at night or on a weekend so that road traffic is not inconvenienced. Hydroton designs and builds reliable electro-hydraulic drives to make these challenges possible."

Both the generators and cylinders and electronic controls are developed and produced in-house. Commissioning and on-site service and maintenance work is also carried out by Hydroton's specialists. Markus: "By opting for a modular construction of these drives, our customers can also use the hydraulic installation in other projects. During the design we take into account ample overcapacity in both flow and pressure. As a result, the system can be used in multiple locations, and does not have to be written off on one project. Thanks to the open source software, the system can easily be calibrated or adapted to the new situation. We make a suitable solution for every challenge."

The base remains Engineering

When founder Ton Hogervorst laid the foundation for the company in the 1960s, he already knew he wanted to make a difference with design and development, or Engineering. "This approach is still Hydroton's differentiator," Markus said. "The starting point is the customer's requirements and collecting specifications. Then we start designing a
hydraulic scheme, which will serve as a guide for the project. With advanced software packages, the hydraulic system is designed and further developed. So engineering is all encompassing in the work we do."

Specialist in hydraulic systems

Hydroton is not only a supplier of hydraulic drives for displacement technology, but also a major player in (precast) concrete construction. For example, the company supplies custom drives for entire production lines, including movable steel formwork, tilting tables and all types of concrete molds. In addition, the company also excels in hydraulic drives for prestressing rebar in bridges, viaducts, hollow-core slabs, piles and other concrete elements. "With a team of 30 people, we work on the sales, engineering, production and commissioning of hydraulic systems, installations and components. In addition, we provide good old-fashioned service and maintenance support." As of Jan. 1, all of Hydroton's projects can be seen on the company's new website.