While the development of smaller more compact directional drilling units was in many ways something that the U.S. and North American market experienced for last mile applications, the use of these compact rigs has gone global. A recent project in the German town of Schmallenberg highlights the compact directional rig's capabilities. 
The German artist Christel Lechner is well known throughout much of Europe for her life size concrete sculptures. Several of these figures are displayed throughout the town of Schmallenberg (pop. 26,000). One such sculpture portrays a couple reading on a bench in the middle of a traffic roundabout. Residents proposed illuminating the figures at night. The challenge was to supply power to the statues with minimal disruption to the adjacent roadway and landscaping. In order to install a power cable for the new lights, a Grundodrill 4X compact directional drill from trenchless equipment manufacturer TT Technologies, Aurora, Ill., USA, (a wholly owned subsidiary of Tracto-Technik GmbH & CO KG, Lennestadt, Germany) was used. Compact Directional Drilling Capabilities Rogers said, "These compact directionals work well in residential or commercial areas. They're lightweight. They can be transported on a trailer pulled by one-ton truck and require minimal crews to operate. Special steel track with bonded rubber pads on many drills offer excellent traction and durability while minimizing potential damage to concrete and turf, which is important in residential settings. The technology put into today's smaller drills has given them greater capability and made them easier to use."
Power is another factor. With some compact drills offering as much as 9,800 lbs. of thrust and pullback, the machines are able to accomplish a wide range of installation tasks. Like its bigger counterparts, several compact directional drill rigs offer the use of drilling fluid, including various sized bentonite mixing and delivery systems. This makes compact drills effective in a wide range of soil conditions, and for a wide range of applications including sewer laterals, fiber optic cables and conduit, gas services and mains, water services and even for connections to wind power stations. On the Job Jim Schill Trenchless International Magazine, January 2010 |
That ease of operation in some cases comes from advanced features. An available computerized Smart Vice system, for example, simplifies the drilling process by automating the drills vice cycling operations. The operator has single push button control of the function. That helps improve efficiency and speeds up drill times. The vice is also self-centering, reducing wear and tear. The operator can return to manual control with the flip of a switch.