The powerhouses of Hydroton

Hydroton has developed in recent years as a specialist within the civil sector in the field of hydraulic drive technology. Thanks to a decisive approach and the right expertise, more and more clients know how to find the company from De Meern.

"With the increase in civil projects that integrate drive technology, the demand for specialties also continues to increase. In the field of hydraulic systems, Hydroton is therefore developing more and more as a total supplier in order to serve the market well." Speaking is Frank Markus, general manager at Hydroton. "Increasingly, our team is being asked to provide complete solutions for complex issues in the offshore, civil engineering and concrete sectors. In this, hydraulics, control technology and software development come together to design a customized system."

Salt Dam IJmuiden

An application came in from Van Hattum & Blankevoort (VHB) in mid-2023. The company is working on behalf of Rijkswaterstaat to build a saltwater retaining dam at IJmuiden. This dam should prevent too much salt water from entering the interior of the Netherlands through the IJmuiden sea lock. Hydroton was asked to assist in placing the two load-bearing pillars of the Salt Dam. The piers are 27 meters high, 8 meters wide and weigh 3,000 tons each. These piers will be constructed on a quay and placed on their foundations with a crane ship. But then the piers still have to be set to height, width and depth. A job that VHB wants to perform in-house, but with a partner who can design a hydraulic system for this and provide the right project support.

"Here was an excellent opportunity for our proven synchronization system," Markus relates. "For VHB, we were able to create a temporary solution using our rental aggregate, controlled by our synchronization software. The aggregate was placed on a pontoon. Furthermore, sixteen pieces of customized jacks were installed at a depth of 25 meters in the Binnenspuikanaal, which were designed and manufactured by our specialists. An extensive Factory Acceptance Test showed that the system worked perfectly and that the desired accuracy was amply achieved. The augers were also tested individually."

During the Easter weekend in 2024, the time had come: crane ship Gulliver carefully set the first pillar on eight hydraulic jacks after which the working pressure slowly increased. After the full weight was taken over on the hydraulic system, the setting of the pillar began. With the software, different cylinders could be controlled per group or individually to adjust the pillar in all directions to an accuracy of 0.1 mm. After setting the pillar, thanks to the deployment of divers, the ball valves were closed and the lines of the other eight jacks were connected. After the second pillar was also successfully set, the hydraulic system could be disconnected and the operation was successful.

Broad experience

Hydroton has used its expertise many times before in unique projects for the Dutch and Belgian infrastructure. In recent years, for example, over 25 engineering structures have been equipped with a custom drive system. Drawbridges, swing bridges, sluice gates and lock gates are all part of the impressive portfolio. Many companies also use the expertise of the De Meern-based company on a daily basis. Hydroton is a supplier to dozens of industries where hydraulic systems are integrated.

Specialist in drive technology

"With a team of over 30 technicians, we work daily on the sales, engineering, production and commissioning of hydraulic systems and installations. The design and construction of control boxes is also carried out in-house." For some time now, you can also turn to Hydroton for electric actuators and spindle drives. Hydroton innovates and integrates smart solutions to make systems intelligent and energy efficient. "Our business processes are accredited to ISO-9001. We have equipped our company to cope with the increasing demand for drives in the civil sector in the coming years and are ready for the future! Our motto is not for nothing 'Boundless in motion!"