Category: Press Release

Vacuum excavation helps streamline water main, fire hydrant maintenance and repair

A New Solution for a Major Municipal Problem

When a water main breaks, the clock is ticking. The longer it takes to close the nearest water main valve, the more damage leaking, and eroding water can cause to roads and surrounding infrastructure. And that can carry enormous costs to a municipality.

But introduce a Vermeer FlowMaster valve exerciser and vacuum excavator by Vac-Tron to that scenario and you can work to cut down the time required to close necessary valves, stop water flow and restore normal traffic or operations quickly, ultimately helping reduce the cost of the repair and the disruption it requires.

Valve exercisers and vacuum excavators provide a high level of productivity to municipalities in performing critical infrastructure maintenance and management.

A cost-effective necessity

Valve exercisers and vacuum excavators provide a high level of productivity to municipalities in performing critical infrastructure maintenance and management. They mechanize and streamline jobs like exercising water main gate valves, stopping water flow during pipe breaks or leaks, and conducting routine maintenance tasks like flushing fire hydrants to remove sediment, chemicals, rust, lime and calcium from water lines and check water cleanliness and quality for residents. Many municipalities retain the machines based on recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and given their range of functions and savings they can offer in helping to prevent infrastructure damage.

“We’re sitting on a lot of dilapidated infrastructure, so the chances of pipes breaking are a lot greater. That makes these machines even more important,” according to Brian Showley, director of sales for Vermeer MV Solutions. “They go hand-in-hand with growing GPS mapping capabilities in maintaining our municipal water infrastructure.”

Repair and maintenance capabilities

When a water main breaks — be it a large pipe in a commercial area or a smaller one serving residential customers — the escaping water can sometimes cause major underground erosion. Showley recalls one instance in which a broken water main in a city’s downtown area caused around 200 feet (60.9 m) of a city street to cave in, leading to a costly closure and repair. Though not all cases are that severe, municipal workers can help prevent that kind of costly damage by locating and closing the nearest gate valve. A FlowMaster valve exerciser and vacuum excavator can not only clear a path to the targeted valve and shut off potentially damaging water flow, but also “exercise” valves — typically part of annual routine maintenance — to make closure efficient when the clock is ticking.

“You get a buildup on these valves from the water and the chemicals in the water, and normally it makes it difficult to open and close and it usually takes two workers to get it closed. But the beauty of a hydraulic system to exercise the valve is you can efficiently and slowly go back and forth to break up deposits to make sure the valve operates effectively,” Showley said. “In most cases, small or large municipalities are out there exercising valves on a regular basis and with our vac systems, crews can do a variety of different jobs with them. Most cities have a tracking system pinpointing manholes and valves, so our machine is the muscle to go out and clean out.”

Managing water main valves

The trailer-mounted FlowMaster valve exerciser — a machine Showley said has straightforward controls with ease of operation in mind — features a 13-foot (3.9 m) boom with 270 degrees of movement that uses hydraulic pressure to open and close fire hydrants and water main gate valves as deep as 9 feet (2.7 m) underground. Once the operator has reached the valve box with the swing arm, its vacuum function clears a path — and can in a matter of minutes versus hours when doing the job by hand — to the valve itself, at which point the operator applies a wrench to either exercise or, in the case of a water main break, close the valve. With most larger water mains 6 inches (15.2 cm) or larger in diameter, exercising the valve involves 19 plus revolutions, while smaller lines require fewer revolutions to open and close the valve enough times to clear obstructions from sediment or other deposits.

The trailer-mounted FlowMaster valve exerciser features a 13-foot (3.9 m) boom with 270 degrees of movement that uses hydraulic pressure to open and close fire hydrants and water main gate valves as deep as 9 feet (2.7 m) underground.

“The maximum torque pressure is only 405 ft-lbs, which is not enough to break the valve in good operating condition. You don’t want to put the wrench on the valve and start turning it with as much torque as you need, because that can cause things to break,” Showley said. “With 405 ft-lbs of torque pressure, it’s not uncommon that it won’t turn very far. That’s why turning it back and forth is valuable. It can break up any calcium deposits or rust that could cause it to not function properly. That’s why exercising these valves is so important.”

Additional vacuum excavator functions

Beyond the important functions of maintaining municipal water systems and helping repair water main valves and fire hydrants, vacuum excavator systems help enable operators at municipalities to tackle a wide range of other jobs, like vacuum excavation, clearing storm drains and cleaning up spills. Showley compared the machines to a common household tool that has almost innumerable uses.

“There are so many other applications for the vacuum system. If you think about your ShopVac in your garage and what it does, you’re always finding something you can do with it. That’s how a vac system is for a municipality,” Showley said. “They can get into a manhole and clear the way to make underground repairs or locate underground utility lines. A city can use the vacuum to quickly and precisely straighten signs or meter boxes and install signs. They can do all of these things with a vacuum excavator that would otherwise take so much longer to do by hand.”

If you’re interested in learning more or requesting a FlowMaster demo, go to vermeermvs.com or talk to your local Vermeer dealer.

###

Vac-Tron Equipment, LLC reserves the right to make changes in engineering, design and specifications; add improvements; or discontinue manufacturing at any time without notice or obligation. Equipment shown is for illustrative purposes only and may display optional accessories or components specific to their global region. Please contact your local Vermeer dealer for more information on machine specifications.

Vermeer, the Vermeer logo and Vermeer MV Solutions are trademarks of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the U.S. and/or other countries. Vac-Tron Equipment is a trademark of Vac-Tron Equipment, LLC.

© 2020 Vac-Tron Equipment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Vacuum Excavation Applications – Going Beyond Utility Work

Since the introduction of hydro and air vacuum excavation equipment, utility applications like potholing and cleaning up horizontal directional drilling (HDD) slurry have been a natural fit for these machines. However, there are many industries using vacuum excavators to replace more labor-intensive and inefficient methods of working. Vacuum excavators aren’t just for utility work anymore.

Vermeer MV Solution vacuum excavators have a wide range of applications, many of which don’t even involve excavating, such as cleaning to reshaping sand traps at golf courses. Here’s a look at a few of the industries using hydro and air vacuum excavator equipment.

Municipal work

Many cities employ large vac trucks to maintain networks of sewer systems, but public works departments sometimes need smaller and more nimble vacuum excavators to help out and allow crews to work in more places at one time. Municipalities are adding hydro and air vac systems to excavate for poles and signs, aid with water line repairs, exercise water valves and jet sewer pipes.

“Cities, counties and state entities are always discovering new ways to use vac systems,” said Brian Showley, director of sales for Vermeer MV Solutions. “Beyond some of the traditional applications, workers employ vacuum excavators to remove roots and debris around water meters and valves, and remove waste from storm drains, catch basins and culverts. High-pressure water wands help them with digging and cleaning. Air vacuum excavators are also excellent for pressure testing sewer lines.”

Cleaning

Industry plants are investing in vacuum excavators to help clean around the facility. “Vacuums aren’t new for cleaning at industrial plants,” explained Showley. “Facility managers used to have to employ service companies with big trucks to work during scheduled shutdowns. With smaller vacuum excavators, they can now make cleaning an ongoing effort, which has helped extend the intervals between scheduled shutdowns.”

Vac systems are also widely used to remove debris from drains in wash bays and car washes. “These drains tend to get plugged up with mud, grease and waste oil while cleaning dirty equipment, and doing the work with a shovel is a job no one wants,” said Showley. “Vacuum excavators do a better job in a fraction of the time.”

Agriculture

Vacuum excavators are finding a home in agriculture doing projects like installing fencing to cleaning up grain bins and animal stalls. Using a high-powered digging wand and suction hose can reduce the time it takes to set fence posts. Also, when fencing is being done in areas that share the right of way with buried utilities, vacuum excavation is a safe way to avoid damaging the utilities.

Vac systems can also help maintain a safe working environment while cleaning grain bins. Traditional cleaning methods produce high levels of airborne dust. Vacuum excavator filtration systems do an excellent job of containing that dust and limiting a worker’s exposure.

Of course, suctioning dry material isn’t the only cleaning that vacs excel at. From equestrians to zookeepers, vacuum excavators are being used to sanitarily clean animal stalls. According to Showley, having an all-in-one cleaning system saves a lot of time. “Bedding and waste used to have to be manually removed from a stall or with a small loader and then hauled away before pressure washing the area — there can be a lot of trips involved,” he explained. “With hydro-vacs, workers suction up everything with the debris hose and have a high-pressure washer right there to spray everything down and then collect all of the loose material and water in one step.”

Landscaping

There are also a few niche landscaping applications that vacuum excavators are being used for. Contractors are renting them to remove old mulch or rock around flowerbeds, parks and around buildings, as well as to dig holes for fence posts and footings for signs. Vacs are also being used at large cemeteries for setting headstones.

Construction

It’s also worth noting that vacuum excavators aren’t just being used to do utility work in the construction industry. Utility strikes are a common concern for every contractor working near buried lines. And anytime new subdivisions are being constructed, vacuum excavators are an excellent addition to help with sewer and drainage work.

There are a ton of applications where using a vacuum excavator can improve efficiencies while maintaining a safe working environment.

To learn more about vacuum excavation or to demo a vacuum excavator for yourself, contact your local Vermeer MV Solutions dealer.

Industrial Equipment Rental Store sees Value in Vac-Tron Vacuum Excavators

With 24 locations throughout Michigan and Indiana, MacAllister Rentals, the region’s authorized CAT Rental Store, rents, sells, and services a wide range of high-quality equipment from Caterpillar and over 50 other manufacturers. As a part of the Indiana-based and family-owned MacAllister Machinery, MacAllister Rentals has an impeccable reputation for supplying contractors with first class service, in-depth technical knowledge, and top-notch equipment including the Vermeer Vac-Tron Series trailer vacs.

Project Challenge

The team at MacAllister Rental wanted to offer customers with an effective soft excavation method that would deliver outstanding productivity safely. They were familiar with vacuum excavators but wanted to find an equipment partner that manufactured quality machines that were easy to operate and efficient to run.

Solution

MacAllister Rental added Vac-Tron vacs to its fleet eight years ago. Since then, rental demand for these machines has increased significantly, and the rental store has continued to grow its fleet of Vac-Tron vacs. “We feel that CAT is the leader in the hydraulic excavator industry and the Vac-Tron series trailer vac is an industry leader in the vacuum excavator industry, so it fits very well with what we are trying to accomplish,” said Dan Hickman, district sales manager.

According to Chad Brogan, a sales representative with MacAllister Rental, most of their customers use Vac-Tron vacs for precise excavation when conventional excavation is not able to be used. “We have also found other uses for the Vac-Tron vacs with construction and foundation cleanup after heavy rains. It was a no brainer to add it to our fleet because we want to provide the best solutions for our customers,” he added.

Results

“Customers have commented that when they have these on their jobsites, they really have a vacuum, pressure washer, and an air compressor all built into one piece of equipment,” explained Hickman. “I can’t say it enough; contractors can be much more efficient using Vac-Tron vacs than other excavation methods when working around fiber optics, gas or water lines, as well as near foundations and wells. All that material gets sucked up into a self-contained unit, and they can dispose of it where they want to. Our customers get a cleaner jobsite, the job gets done faster with a lot fewer people, so it makes them money,” he concluded.

Vermeer MV Solutions is the new powerhouse in vacuum excavation technology and equipment. We’ve brought together two innovative leaders in the underground utility and soft-dig industries. Today, McLaughlin Group Inc. and Vac-Tron Equipment are one, giving you the power to leverage their combined technology, market expertise and production capabilities on jobsites all over the world. For more info visit Vactron.com or call 352-728-2222.

UCT 2019 Will Feature Vac-Tron’s LP Hydro Vac

Location: Fort Worth, TX
Date: January 29-31, 2019
Booth # 705

Vermeer MV Solutions will be exhibiting the Vac-Tron Low Profile Series at the Underground Construction Technology in Fort Worth, Texas at Booth # 705 on January 29th -31st, 2019

The Vac-Tron Low Profile Series comes standard with 500 to 1200-gallon debris tank, 100 to 400-gallon water tanks capacities with 3500 psi @ 4 gpm, hydraulic rear door, the patented (Big Red) CVS filtration system, a reverse pressure system and a heavy-duty I-beam trailer with Dexter torsion axles.
The Vac-Tron Low Profile Series comes standard with 500 to 1200-gallon debris tank, 100 to 400-gallon water tanks capacities with 3500 psi @ 4 gpm, hydraulic rear door, the patented (Big Red) CVS filtration system, a reverse pressure system and a heavy-duty I-beam trailer with Dexter torsion axles.

Underground Utilities Event 2019 – Underground Construction Technology

Individuals representing water, sewer, gas, telecom and electric rely on UCT to learn about the latest techniques used in trenchless, open cut, new construction and pipe rehabilitation. Major academic and industry sponsors offer seminars before and during UCT. Nearly 200 exhibitors showcase equipment and technologies used to maintain the crumbling utility piping systems. Learn more: OCTonline.com

LP Series 873 SDT will be featured with boom

The Vac-Tron Low Profile Series comes standard with 500 to 1200-gallon debris tank, 100 to 400-gallon water tanks capacities with 3500 psi @ 4 gpm, hydraulic rear door, the patented (Big Red) CVS filtration system, a reverse pressure system and a heavy-duty I-beam trailer with Dexter torsion axles.

Hand built in the USA from the ground up including the durable trailer assembly, the low-profile trailer keeps the components of the unit easily accessible while making the unit safe to tow and a much smoother ride.

This series also offers the NEW 6-way hydraulic boom design or optional strong arm to maximize job performance by supporting the weight of the vacuum hose. The new design features increased boom length, full 6-way hydraulic function, 5” hose, curved end with oversized rollers, new wireless remote control, vacuum valve function operated from remote, wired harness, new remote storage location, forward stored boom in front of engine compartment, 330-degree swing, quick connect 4” tooling, easily connected additional section hose, water jet cleanout in boom, and easily accessible no tools needed cleanout port.

For more information on our Vac-Tron series or for a Free Demo call 1-888-Vac-Tron or visit vactron.com/equipment to learn more.

 

Oil Spill Containment Industry Leader Increases Efficiency with Vac-Tron Vacuum Excavators

VZ Environmental is an innovative leader in secondary drip and spill containment for the oil and gas industry. Carol Van Zandt, owner of VZ Environmental, was challenged by a customer to find a simple method to contain liquid spills in the oil and gas industry. Carol partnered with an equipment supplier to design a drive-over foam bermed containment membrane (VMatz™) to capture and dispose of drips and spills on oil and gas sites. They then utilize a Vac-Tron vacuum excavator to clean up the spill from the containment membrane for proper disposal. 

Today, VZ Environmental provides equipment nationwide, servicing areas in five states and have plans for further domestic and international expansion to continue to help oil and gas operators minimize their impact on the environment. 

Project Descriptions

VMatz are spill containments that VZ provides for oil and gas operators to minimize their impact on the environment. “Our customers use the VMatz to catch drips and spills while on location and then we come in to cleanup,” says Carol. VZ wanted to provide their own vacuum service to their customers as part of the cleanup process, so that the customer didn’t have to waste time and money calling out for a vacuum truck company and VZ environmental didn’t have to sit on location and wait for the vacuum truck to arrive before they could cleanup. 

Solution

Vac-Tron vacuum trailers for vacuum service and cleanup. “The Vac-Tron trailer helps us clean up our VMAtz by removing the fluid from our containments more efficiently and a lot faster. We are not sitting on location waiting on vacuum trucks to arrive. Prior to having Vac-Tron vacuum trailers in our fleet of equipment, we did not offer any type of vacuum service. Our customers had to order a vacuum truck to come help us remove the fluid when we were cleaning our Vmatz. Our Vac-Tron units come with 500-gallon debris tanks and 1,000 cfm which helps us pick up the rocks and sludge that our customers leave in our containments. This is a perfect size because its small and they can park it off to the side, then call upon it as needed,” says Carol. 

Results

  • Saves customers time and money
  • Eliminates down time
  • Keeps environment safer

“With a Vac-Tron trailer, we can save our customers money through minimizing the number of trips that they have to call out a vacuum truck. When shopping for vacuum trailers, Vac-Tron is by far the best! Our machines, every time you turn them on, they are rip roaring to go. Our employees don’t have time to go through and try to figure out things, they want to flip it on and use it immediately and they want it to work. Vac-Tron does that for us every time,” says Carol.

Rock Underground Saves Time and Manpower with Vac-Tron Vacuum Excavator

Rock Underground, located in the city of Greenfield, MN, is an expert in utility work and exclusively uses Vac-Tron units for locating underground utilities.  “All we run is Vac-Tron, every crew we have runs a Vac-Tron model,” says Adam Rock, Founder of Rock Underground.

Project Descriptions

Potholing and locating underground utilities safely and efficiently. 

Solution

Vac-Tron’s LP 873 SDT vacuum excavator. Vacuum excavation is the best method of identifying the location and accurate depth of a utility. “Being in the utility business we have to pothole utilities all the time; whether it’s a gas line, fiber optic, telephone cable, we use a Vac-Tron vacuum excavator 90% of the time to verify utilities so we don’t hit them,” says Rock.

The low-profile trailers are hand built at the factory in Florida from the ground up keeping the components of the unit easily accessible while making the unit safe to tow and a much smoother ride. It also provides the best ground clearance in the industry for right of way maneuverability.

The LP SDT series is the top selling High CFM Diesel trailer for Vac-Tron. It includes a Yanmar 49 hp Tier 4 final diesel engine with 1,000 CFM vacuum blower for both wet/dry applications.

Rock said “I chose high CFM obviously for the capability of what it can do sucking up the dirt. Everybody can buy the water pressure, everybody can buy the blower, but the technology of the unit itself, the trailer setup, and the power it has, is why we choose Vac-Tron.”

Results

  • Accurately and safely verifying underground utilities
  • Productivity increase
  • Efficiency with time and money
  • Being able to clean other equipment
  • Many other uses and applications…

With Vac-Tron vacuum excavators, companies have an alternative to hand digging and a safer way to expose utilities with both hydro and air excavation. “So, you take five guys on a jobsite and shovel all day, if something is 5 ft deep, it can take an hour to find one utility. With a Vac-Tron you can find it in 2 minutes and there you go, you don’t need 5 guys on one job, you can take 3 guys and a Vac-Tron and run a whole jobsite out in an hour versus a 4-hour day, so it’s more efficient. There are other benefits of using it too; you can clean the machines, wash off other equipment, we even use it for pulling mule string through existing pipes, little things like that that you don’t think you could use it for, but you can. I’ve owned Ditch Witch, Ring O Matic, McLaughlin and now we have 3 Vac-Tron in our stock and I don’t plan on changing that anytime soon. We LOVE the product, obviously that’s why we have converted to only Vac-Trons,” says Rock.  

“All we run is Vac-Tron, every crew we have runs a Vac-Tron model,” says Adam Rock, Founder of Rock Underground.


Vac-Tron’s LP (Low Profile) series is the premiere line of industrial vacuums and vacuum excavation equipment. Available with gas or diesel engines and high or low CFM. The LP Series starts with 300-gallon debris tanks and goes up to 1,200-gallon debris tanks. 

Vac-Tron units come standard with the patented (Big Red) CVS filtration system that is unmatched by competitors, a reverse pressure system, and a heavy-duty I-beam trailer with Dexter torsion axles. The low-profile trailers are hand built at the factory in Florida from the ground up keeping the components of the unit easily accessible while making the unit safe to tow and a much smoother ride. It also provides the best ground clearance in the industry for right of way maneuverability. 

For more info or for a FREE Demo visit www.vactron.com or call 1-888-VAC-TRON.

2018 Awardee of Florida Companies to Watch


Vac-Tron Equipment is honored to announce we are a 2018 Awardee of the Florida Companies to Watch Award. Vac-Tron was one of the companies selected from more than 500 nominees for Florida Companies to WatchSM, a statewide program managed by economic development group GrowFL, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation.

Vac-Tron’s management team, competitive market position, and strong community involvement were among several factors that put them in contention for the award.

“These stand-out companies are all led by entrepreneurs, and have demonstrated their capacity and intent to grow,” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL executive director. “They also all have critical intellectual property or a niche position that gives them a competitive edge in their markets,” he said.

“It is an honor to be a winner of the 2018 Florida Companies to Watch Award. It is a testament to the team we have at Vac-Tron Equipment and the continual commitment to excellence we share as a company,” said Tim Fischer, President of Vac-Tron Equipment.

Vac-Tron Equipment is the industry’s innovative leader and one of the world’s largest producers of industrial vacuum equipment and vacuum excavation equipment. Vac-Tron, which has more than 30 industrial vacuum products, has 115 dealer locations in North America.

 

Zimmerer Kubota Finds Value with Vac-Tron Vacuum Excavators


Zimmerer Kubota & Equipment, Inc. has been serving its customers since 1979. With five locations in Texas including Cleburne, Decatur, Denton, Fort Worth, and Gainesville, they offer sales, parts, service, and rental at each of their stores. Zimmerer Kubota is known for offering their customers top quality products, including Vac-Tron Equipment vacuum excavators.

“We love our Vac-Tron, we love our Vermeer sales team that backs the product, and we won’t go anywhere else,” said Zimmerer.

Project Challenge:

Zimmerer Kubota wanted to purchase a piece of equipment to add to their fleet that their customers could use to do the job, safer and more efficiently, than having to rent two to three other pieces of equipment for the job. “Some of the criteria that we used when we were looking to purchase a Vac-Tron, or a machine-like Vac-Tron was the dealer and the product. We had already had dealings with the Vermeer company here in Dallas/Ft. Worth, so we knew what kind of parts and service they offer, what kind of attention to detail they had, and how good they would take care of us after the sale which was extremely important to us. Secondly, once we met the Vac-Tron team, we were even more impressed with the plant, the company, and the product and we have still been impressed now that we have been running it over a year.” Says Sam Zimmerer, Co-Owner and Vice President at Zimmerer Kubota.

Solution: A Vac-Tron Vacuum Excavator is Safer and More Efficient than Traditional Excavation

“We have been actively including Vac-Tron into our rental fleet for a little over a year; we started with one unit and it seemed like that unit was never here, always out, people would call and we were out, so we added a second, and then that unit was always out, and we added a third and will probably add a fourth here soon because it rents so well. There is no down time, it does its job, and it does it right the first time evidently because they keep coming back and renting it again.” says Zimmerer. Gentry added, “Using a hydro vac after we have had it in the rental fleet for a little bit definitely opened our customer’s eyes. Once they started using it and we started demoing it and letting them see what we could do, it was a lot more efficient than having to rent two or three other pieces of equipment, they can just use the one.
Vacuum Excavator Applications:

Results:

“ROI on these units are awesome. They perform well, our customers are very happy with the product, and they keep the maintenance cost down,” said Gentry. “We love our Vac-Tron, we love our Vermeer sales team that backs the product, and we won’t go anywhere else,” said Zimmerer.

  • Increased ROI
  • Customer Loyalty
  • Safer Equipment
  • Reduced Maintenance Costs
  • High Performance equipment

Check out the full video interview with Zimmerer Kubota. For more information on Vac-Tron Equipment and its full fleet of vacuum excavators, please visit them online at www.vactron.com or call 1-352-728-2222.

Vac-Tron Named One Of Florida Companies To Watch

Four Lake County companies were among the first round of 2018 “Florida Companies to Watch” finalists, recently announced by GrowFL. They include Firehawk Helicopters, Intellisteel Group, LLC, United Efficiency Software Group and Vac-Tron Equipment.

The awards honor 50 select second-stage companies throughout the state for developing products and services, creating quality jobs, enriching communities, and broadening new industries. Chosen from a candidate pool of 134 businesses, the finalists collectively represented $518 million in annual revenue and employ 2,743 full-time workers.

Vac-Tron is one of four Lake County companies to be named among “Florida Companies To Watch”

“Lake County has a strong manufacturing base producing a wide variety of products,” said Brandon Matulka, Executive Director of Lake County’s Agency for Economic Prosperity. “The county works diligently to support and help grow these companies, and it’s exciting to see them recognized at the state level.”

Developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation, “Florida Companies To Watch” is a distinguished awards program specifically designed to seek out second-stage businesses from a wide range of industries representing all areas of the state, not just those in major metropolitan areas. “Florida Companies to Watch” recognizes the different approach needed to successfully grow and scale a business and celebrates those that are working to achieve this goal. The winners will be announced in mid-September. The 2018 honorees will be celebrated at the awards ceremony Feb. 9 at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, FL.

“We applaud these first-round finalists who have shown how they stand out in their regions as innovative business leaders, going to the next level to grow their companies,” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL Executive Director.

GrowFL is a statewide economic development organization certified by the National Center for Economic Gardening through the Edward Lowe Foundation. Learn more at GrowFL.com

Press Release Source: Lake County Gov, FL

New 6-way Hydraulic Boom Design



Vac-Tron Equipment is proud to announce the release of its new 6-way hydraulic boom design for its trailer vacuum excavation equipment and industrial vacuum equipment.

This hydraulic boom maximizes job performance by supporting the weight of the vacuum hose. The new design features increased boom length, full 6-way hydraulic function, 5” hose, curved end with oversized rollers, new wireless remote control, vacuum valve function operated from remote, wired harness, new remote storage location, forward stored boom in front of engine compartment, 330-degree swing, quick connect 4” tooling, easily connected additional section hose, water jet cleanout in boom, and easily accessible no tools needed cleanout port.

For more information on the boom or Vac-Tron’s equipment visit vactron.com or call 1-352-728-2222.

Vac-Tron, the industry leader in vacuum excavation equipment and industrial vacuum equipment. We got your VAC!

The Vac-Tron LP XDT Low Profile Trailer Vacuum Excavation Unit

The Vac-Tron Low Profile XDT unit is powered by a 24 HP Kohler diesel engine and comes standard with 500 to 1200-gallon debris tank, 100 to 400-gallon water tanks capacities with 3500 psi @ 4 gpm, hydraulic rear door, the patented (Big Red) CVS filtration system that is unmatched by our competitors, a reverse pressure system and a heavy-duty I-beam trailer with Dexter torsion axles.

Hand built in the USA from the ground up including the durable trailer assembly, the low-profile trailer keeps the components of the unit easily accessible while making the unit safe to tow and a much smoother ride.

This unit also offers the NEW 6-way hydraulic boom design or optional strong arm to maximize job performance by supporting the weight of the vacuum hose.

Vac-Tron Equipment, the industry innovation leader in industrial vacuum and vacuum excavation equipment.

For more information on Vac-Tron or for a FREE Demo call 1-888-Vac-tron or learn more about the Low Profile Series https://www.vactron.com/vacuum-excavators/lp-hydro-excavation-trailer/

 

How ECHO Utility Engineering and Surveying Benefits From Vacuum Excavation

ECHO Utility Engineering and Surveying focuses on a specific aspect of Utility Engineering: Subsurface Utility Engineering.

Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) refers to a branch of engineering that involves managing certain risks associated with utility mapping at appropriate quality levels, utility coordination, utility relocation design and coordination, utility condition assessment, communication of utility data to concerned parties, utility relocation cost estimates, implementation of utility accommodation policies, and utility design.

ECHO purchased a Vac-Tron AIR 373 SDT vacuum excavator in 2017 and shared the benefits this unit has created for the facilities.

Project Description

Locating existing subsurface utility data.

Solution

Vac-Tron Low Profile AIR 373 SDT unit with customized accessories. This unit is powered by an 83 HP Yanmar diesel engine that delivers unmatched power and performance. Hand built in the USA from the ground up including the durable I-Beam trailer assembly. The low profile trailer keeps the components of the unit easily accessible while making the unit safe to tow and a much smoother ride. The AIR unit comes equipped with a hydraulic rear door, which opens fully so the operator can completely empty the contents. For operator safety, the door is controlled by push buttons located on the side of the unit. The AIR unit offers the patented filtration system with 0.5-micron filtration that is unmatched by competitors. It also comes standard with a reverse pressure system and a heavy-duty trailer with Dexter torsion axles.

Results

ECHO has been using the Vac-Tron AIR unit for over a year now. The main efficiency has been getting into tight places and safely onto curbs with the Low Profile unit. “It allows us to get to projects that we normally wouldn’t be able to do,” says President of ECHO UES, Jerry Comellas. “One of the projects we worked on was in a covered garage and if it wasn’t for this unit there is no way we could have accomplished the project because of the low clearances. This was a $48,000 project and is revenue that we wouldn’t have been able to have otherwise.”

“Vac-Tron’s customer service has been outstanding, getting us set up quickly, as our business works really fast, and catering to some of the refinements we made on the unit made it a pleasure to work with Vac-Tron,” Jerry concluded.

Check out the full interview with ECHO and video footage of the unit in action.

 

Safer Digging with Vacuum Excavation for Utility Lines (Video)

In honor of National Safe Digging Month – we’re highlighting vacuum excavation as one of the safest ways to uncover underground utilities. We made digging safer! Watch this video as Vac-Tron safely and efficiently exposes underground utility lines for the City of Leesburg.

Hydro VS Air Excavation – Which is best for your industry?

What is Vacuum Excavation?

Vacuum excavation is the process of digging by using high-pressure water or air to soften the soil and then utilizing vacuum to remove the soil and debris. Vacuum Excavation, also known as suction excavation or soft dig, is accepted as being safer than hand digging within the tolerance zone around underground utilities. Read More

Vacuum Excavation allows for workers on site to stay safe on the surface and helps eliminate accidental line damage and trench cave-ins. With vacuum excavation, companies and municipalities have an alternative to hand digging and a much safer way to expose utilities. Vacuum Excavation is the best method of identifying the accurate depth and location of an underground utility.

Vac-Tron Vacuum Excavator
Vac-Tron Vacuum Excavator

Why use vacuum excavation?

Vacuum excavation virtually eliminates the danger of damaging underground utilities, while mechanical digging with hand tools or backhoes can cause damage to those utilities.

Vacuum excavation is less invasive than traditional methods of digging. It also offers lower cost with a higher level of precision with less surface restoration needed.

There are costs involved when striking an underground utility so by using vacuum excavation instead, you could eventually save cost and save lives within your company and in the community.

What is the difference between Hydro and Air Excavation?

Hydro Excavation is the process of safely uncovering underground utilities utilizing high-pressure water along with high-speed vacuum. Hydro excavation is faster than air excavation and is considered the most efficient type of vacuum excavation. Hydro excavation does not allow for the re-use of the spoil material for refilling the hole.

Air or Dry Excavation is the process of using compressed air to disturb the earth’s soil which is then vacuumed up into a debris tank. Air excavation can be slower than hydro excavation, but it does allow the debris to be used back into the whole.

Should vacuum excavation be required by law?

There are companies that already require it. There are also states that require soft digging because of the safety benefits. Utilizing a vacuum excavator reduces the chance of damaging underground utilities.

What are the different types of equipment?

There are trailer-mounted units that can be towed behind a truck, so when you are not using it, it can be left in your yard. There are also truck mounted units. The available tow package on truck units allows towing of other equipment to the job site to help with efficiency. See the full line of Vac-Tron Vacuum Excavation Equipment Here.

How to compare and evaluate different vacuum excavators?

You want to make sure you buy quality units that are tough and durable to handle the load. Because when you are excavating you have a live load in your tank and you want to make sure the trailer or the truck is set up to handle that load. Vac-Tron units are built from start to finish including the trailer which consists of sturdy I beam construction. There is no tougher trailer on the market. All are American Made. You also want to look at the filtration system.

What to look for when purchasing equipment?

The first thing you look at it is capacity, what type of capacities do you need. Also, what type of performance are you requiring. We have all different sizes, small units from 150-gallons to 2,000-gallon capacity.

What is new in vacuum excavation equipment?

There is new technology happening with the solidification of the material because its all about what do you do with that material after you excavated it. Contact us for more information here.

What are some other uses or applications for this equipment?

There are many different types of applications in the cleanup industry, especially in industrial plants. Many times, these plants are already using a vacuum of some sort or they have other companies coming in and doing it for them. Now, these industrial plants are finding out that they can buy a smaller trailer mounted unit or truck mounted unit and have it available to them at all times and it’s more efficient. See More Vac-Tron Vacuum Excavator Applications Here.

How do I implement vacuum excavation as a policy and best practice in my company or organization?

There is a website you can go to vacuumexcavation.com and it gives you the policies and things you can implement into your company. It also helps you write that into your company. Once you do; you are safer, your employees are safer, and your profits are safer because you are less likely to strike underground utilities and damage them like you would if you are not using vacuum excavation.

What can I do to promote safe digging practices at my workplace?

There are different organizations that promote vacuum excavation, they all have conventions and seminars that promote safe digging where you and your employees or employer can receive further education on the topic. Everyone should get involved at some level. Contact us for more information here.

How Utility Crews at the University of Central Florida utilize a Vac-Tron

The University of Central Florida purchased a Vac-Tron AIR 373 SDT vacuum excavator in 2016 and shared the benefits this unit has created for the facilities.

“We didn’t have an initiative on campus to do soft digging and locating, so we went looking for a solution and Vac-Tron came out to be the best value for our money,” said Anthony Lugo, UCF Utility Supervisor.

Project Descriptions

Some of the initiatives that UCF utility workers handle daily include identifying and mapping the location of utility lines.

“We have a lot of old utility lines in the ground that haven’t been located in many decades. They have never been marked properly, and it is our job to find them, mark them, and put them on the map. Finding those lines can be time-consuming and intrusive to the property. But the biggest obstacle when you are part of the utility crew is safety, you don’t want to hit electrical lines with a shovel.” said Lugo.

 

The utility crew is also responsible for emergency water line breaks. “Prepping the area for a water line break repair is a tedious job and time is of the essence,” added Lugo.

 

Solution

The Vac-Tron AIR 373 SDT vacuum excavation unit. The UCF AIR unit is powered by an 83 HP Yanmar diesel engine and comes standard with a 300-gallon debris tank, air pressure of 150 CFM at 170 PSI, hydraulically operated full-open rear door with auto engage safety latch, and one 100-gallon water tank. This unit also has the Patented Remote Debris Tank, which collects the dry material and then can be positioned back over the hole to put back into place without causing much disruption to the surroundings.

Air pressure is used to break up the soil by a UCF utility crew. This process is used to safely locate underground utility lines.
After the soil is broken up the powerful vacuum removes the debris stores the soil into the Vac-Tron unit

Upgrading from traditional methods of excavation, an excavator or hand shovel, to a Vac-Tron unit has greatly increased efficiency for the UCF utility crew. “It made things faster, it made things safer. It saves us a lot of time, what used to take 4-6 hours, now only takes 1-2 hours. We aren’t spending any unnecessary time doing a job.” said Lugo.

“The biggest thing is safety, safety is the key aspect. The Vac-Tron unit allows us to be safe in an expedited fashion. This is considered soft digging, which is just basically pulling the dirt out of the ground so you’re not striking anything. You could hit a high voltage electrical line, high-pressure water or gas line, any number of things, and the Vac-Tron AIR unit helps to eliminate that.” stated Lugo.

Results

  • Potholing quickly to locate old utility lines for identification and mapping
  • 4-6 hour projects now take 1-2 hours
  • Respond quicker to water line breaks
  • Quicker repairs to water line breaks with the power of the vacuum excavator removing debris
  • Cleaning of storm drains in an efficient way
  • Wastewater spills quickly cleaned up
  • Less intrusive to the campus’ infrastructure
  • Less disruption to the environment

Multiple departments at UCF are also using the Vac-Tron unit. For example, the Landscaping and Recreation crew uses it to clean out storm drains, and the Design and Construction team will request it to locate lines for future construction on the campus. UCF has found multiple uses for the Vac-Tron unit. “This has been a godsend because we can actually find things without being as intrusive to the campus’ infrastructure. For the value we are getting, it has turned out to be priceless!” added Lugo.

Check out the full interview and video footage of the unit in action at UCF.

Using a Vacuum Excavator for Digging Sign Post Holes

 

SignCrafters of Central Florida used a Vac-Tron LP533SDT to safely excavate a 3 foot diameter hole by 8 feet deep for a concrete footer. They were installing a sign for a new medical center in Leesburg, FL. The excavation took 40 minutes including setup and breakdown.

When digging a 3 to 4′ foot wide by 8′ foot deep hole for a sign post, using a vacuum excavator provides a safe and more efficient alternative to traditional digging.  Vacuum excavation provides efficiency by storing all sand and debris into a storage tank for easy dumping and filling.

“A utility friendly way to dig.” Says Dennis Martin, President of Sign Crafters of Central Florida. “When digging for posts using a VAC-TRON, you don’t have to worry about breaking utilities and slowing down your project.”

Save time, increase productivity, and eliminate the chance of damaging underground utilities.  Your crew running a vacuum excavator by VAC-TRON will increase job completions in a given day.  Municipalities are using vacuum excavation for utility locates as well as working around roots for meter readings.  The same logic applies when digging holes for commercial signs.

A recommended unit is the all new Competitive Vac (CV) unit.  Hand built in the USA from the ground up including the durable trailer assembly. The low profile trailer keeps the components of the unit easily accessible while making the unit safe to tow.

  • Configuration Available Skid, Trailer, or Truck Mounted
  • Engine 27 hp Kohler EFI gas engine
  • Vacuum Pump 580 cfm vacuum pump
  • Vacuum Hose 3” UV protected hose is standard, 4” option is available
  • Debris Tank 500, 800, or 1200-gallon debris tank
  • Rear Door Hydraulically operated full open and locked rear door with auto-engage safety latch
  • Water Tank Capacity Two (2) 100-gallon water tanks with optional 300 and 400 gallons
  • Water Pump 3,500 psi @ 4 gpm water pump pressure
  • Reverse Pressureto off-load liquids and dislodge debris in hose is optional
  • WeightCV 570 GT empty weight with trailer 5,360 lbs. CV 870 GT empty weight with trailer 6,140 lbs. CV 1270 GT empty weight with trailer

Schedule a time below to have your team demo a unit and test the latest technologies for safer and more efficient digging.

Global Machinery in Colorado showcasing VAC-TRON Vacuum Excavators

Vac-Tron Equipment would like to introduce their Colorado dealer Global Machinery. Vac-Tron partnered with Global 18 years ago because they share the same common belief in meeting their customers’ needs with valuable service and support just like Vac-Tron.

Global Machinery began in 1994 and has expanded multiple times since it began 20 years ago. Their Focus of Business is the rental, sale, service and support of utility construction equipment used in utilities installation and maintenance.
For more information on Global, please visit http://www.globalmachinery.com

Case Study: How the City of Tavares, FL utilizes a Vacuum Excavator

 

The City Director came to Phillip Clark, Water Supervisor for Tavares, FL – America’s Seaplane City, with details of a surplus in the budget. “What can we add to our fleet to work smarter and not harder? What out there in the industry is new and innovative?” He asked.

Mr. Clark is constantly researching and reading about what is innovative and groundbreaking. He says that there isn’t much at times to be found, but he saw a VAC-TRON at work on the side of the road and had to look into it. He scheduled a demo and saw how productivity would greatly improve with the use of a low profile, trailered vacuum excavator. So it was presented to council to be able to add an invaluable machine to their fleet. Council agreed and approved.

Project Descriptions

One of the many tasks his crews has to handle is checking meter boxes and cleaning around the roots and debris that collects inside. This routine usually takes an entire day to handle just six or so boxes. Due to the sprawling roots, shovels are used to dig and it has been an inefficient process. The typical hole is 2 ft by 30 inches.

Another task is repairing leaks in water lines and removing the water and dirt to allow for a clear area to work. A sample that Mr. Clark shared was a recent water break under a concrete driveway that had to be broken away to reveal the repair project. It was a 2 inch water break 3 feet under driveway 2 ft of concrete.

As for all cities – locating underground utilities is a constant project where in the past typically a probe is used. Finding these lines with a probe can be dangerous and time consuming.

Challenges

-Up to a day to clean out and view a half a dozen meter boxes
-Exposure to bugs, snakes, and other elements
-Excavation for small leaks, remove water to find the source of the leak
-Safety when digging around gas and power lines

The Solution

To upgrade from traditional methods of digging to a VAC-TRON increased efficiency. Adding a trailered vacuum excavator by VAC-TRON proved to be a well-made investment. The Low Profile Series has full potholing or daylighting and clean up capabilities with a 300-gallon debris capacity, manual spin-wheel door and two (2) 50-gallon water tanks.

Results

-Easily remove water and dirt for a more productive way to repair water line breaks
-Works as a mobile pressure cleaner as well without having to have a power source
-Will equate in to quick payback for the city, per Mr. Clark
-Keeps the team away from reptiles and insects
-A much safer way to dig
-Using a VAC-TRON only took 30 minutes to clean the same 6 boxes that used to take all day

Australia Dealer, SPOUTVAC, Offering VAC-TRON Vacuum Excavators

MAY 2017 | VAC-TRON is proud to announce a new dealer for the Australian region.  Having serviced customers since 1987, SPOUTVAC in Australia has the knowledge to help when choosing a vacuum excavator.  Contact us below or contact the dealer directly to demo a unit in your area of Australia.

9 Wellsford Drive East Bendigo Victoria Australia 3550

Ph: +61 3 5443 4033

spoutvac.com.au

Micro-trenching made easy with vacuum excavators

Micro-trenching is an installation method in which a narrow and relatively shallow trench is cut, usually on an asphalt roadway. Micro-trenching is one of the installation methods being utilized by contractors to bring fiber networks to consumers. Trench dimensions can range from .75 to 2.24 inches wide and 8 to 16 inches deep. While cutting, a vacuum system connected to the cutter wheel cleanly diverts and transports debris away from the worksite. Once the conduit is laid, the trench is backfilled with a grout compound.

Advantages of Micro Trenching include minimal cutting width that boosts installation production and reduces costs of backfill, shallow depth placement which helps avoid encounters with existing utilities and jobsite cleanliness thanks to the vacuum spoil that removes debris.

Vac-Tron has come up with a solution to micro trenching using a Vac-Tron vacuum excavation unit.  Check out the Case Study Overview below in the video.

David Donohue of Vermeer Mid Atlantic says “The Vac-Tron LP 573 SGT is the ideal vacuum for micro trenching, the high cfm’s and low noise output made communication and productivity simple.”

Recently, David was demonstrating Vermeer’s micro trenching equipment and Vac-Tron’s LP SGT high cfm unit in Glen Bernie, MD in this photo.

For more info visit www.vactron.com or call Vac-Tron at 1-352-728-2222.