Customer-specific machines for the foundation industry

What do you do when you want to be at the center of the foundation industry and really add value? Then you make machines that customers use for their specific purposes.

Van den Heuvel of Werkendam (VDH) is a successful partner in the foundation, earthmoving, demolition, transshipment and hydraulic engineering sectors. Not only do they sell reliable brands, but they are also able to design and build high-quality machines.

From scratch

Whereas previously Van den Heuvel mainly rebuilt reliable brands based on customer demand, nowadays the company makes completely its own machines "from scratch. Marc Timmerman, director VDH, says: "More and more, there are specific wishes for specific purposes. That's where we come in. We interpret the customer request, ask further based on our experience and expertise, and advise the customer. Then our engineering department makes the designs and then the calculations and the machine is built in our workshop. We make the steelwork ourselves, the hydraulic, electric or diesel engine is installed, the machine is painted in the desired colors and after extensive and careful testing the machine is delivered approved. And we are always ready with our good service."

Sheetpiler

For some time VDH has been developing a sheetpiler. The Komatsu PC490LC-11 Sheetpiler is a sheet piling machine specifically for vibrating and pressing sheet piles. "At the beginning of July we delivered the second machine in the USA," continued Timmerman. "This sheetpiler has a telescopic mast so that longer sheet piles can be installed. It's also possible to work closer, which is a big advantage especially for inner-city projects. But the biggest difference compared to the traditional way of installing sheet piles -with a crane with a vibrating block- is that this machine can also provide compressive prestressing on the sheet pile, which increases efficiency." VDH always works with a separate power pack and a separate vibrating block so that the latest requirements can be met at all times. "All of our machines today also include a Stage V engine," Timmerman adds. "This sheetpiler, by the way, is also available with a four-piece mast."

Solution-oriented foundation techniques

Previously, VDH made the MP60, a machine that can be widely used for varying foundation work. This machine can both drive and displace piles, drill mortar screw piles, as well as vibrate mini-vibro piles. The machine's high efficiency is achieved through its reliability and quality of materials and components. Timmerman concludes, "More companies can build machines, but turning a customer request into a machine design suitable for customer-specific purposes is where our added value lies. You just have to make known what you need and for what purpose."