Based in Europe, Maats Pipeline Equipment provides equipment for pipeline projects worldwide, including Liebherr pipelayers. The company says that “depending on the location in Australia, machinery can suffer from heat and dust, and given the remote location of many Australian pipeline construction sites, it can be more difficult to perform maintenance and repairs.”

Mark Cooper from Vermeer Corporation in the United States says that reliability of equipment and dealer support are integral to completing a successful pipeline project. He champions the knowledge of the Australian-based Vermeer office as a major asset in supporting the success of Australia’s growing pipeline system.

“The machine has to be able to perform in harsh conditions first of all. Secondly, there are conditions and techniques that are specific to the Australian environment. Knowledge of these conditions helps the customer make the best machine and tool selection for the particular job,” Mr Cooper says.

Liebherr has years of experience developing machines for the most severe applications. As such, the company has developed machines with low running costs. “This means not only frugal engines, but also less need for services and maintenance,” the company says.

When a service is required, Liebherr has a vast network of sales and service partners, with eight in Australia.

Pipeline Machinery International (PLM), global supplier of Caterpillar pipelayers, also agrees that having high-quality equipment parts and service support integral to a well-equipped spread.

PLM’s support teams work with the contractors prior to kick off to discuss optimal preventive maintenance programs, including scheduled oil service, customer service agreements that dedicate a Cat technician to the project, or a combination of packages – all of which can make an equipment manager’s life less stressful.

Specific features to handle Australian conditions

The Australian environment requires machinery to stand up to significant battering. The more efficiently a machine can run, the less time and money is spent on repairs and maintenance.

PLM says that equipment must be ruggedly built to withstand the climactic conditions and the intensity of pipeline construction.

Liebherr pipelayers have been developed with several features to deal with dust, which often poses a challenge in dry Australian conditions. The pipelayers are fitted with a fully enclosed cabin, which is equipped with positive pressure ventilation, meaning that dust is kept outside. In addition, machines can be equipped with a reversible fan. The rotation of the fan reverses every 30 minutes (interval is adjustable), keeping dust or sand from the engine compartment. Another option is the ‘Desert-pack’, which includes a reversible fan with a higher fan speed, a special radiator, and hydraulic oil suitable for high temperatures.

Vermeer trenchers are also designed to manage high dust environments, and are fitted with exhaust aspirated air cleaners for engine protection.

Mr Cooper explains “The hydraulic/hydrostatic system design uses charge and return filters that scrub the oil and actually make oil cleaner the more the machine runs. Clean oil is the life line for all equipment and Vermeer trenchers are designed to maintain oil quality regardless of condition.”

Vermeer Australia caters in particular for works in remote locations. Peter Pullan, head of Vermeer Australia, points out other factors that need to be taken into consideration, such as ambient temperature, ground conditions, transport factors such as old bridges, parts availability, service back-up and equipment knowledge.

Mr Cooper says that Vermeer’s strong reputation for reliability is based on a high torque, efficient hydrostatic transmission.

“The machines are designed with high ambient temperature capabilities as well as industry leading safety features such as roll over protection cabs. Cabs are located for best operator visibility and pressurised operator comfort,” Mr Cooper says.

With safety the highest priority on any pipeline project, Caterpillar is fully committed to safety in the design and operation. PLM echoes this with its own commitment to factory-built roll over protection on all new machines.

In addition, PLM is also the exclusive supplier for a wireless load monitoring system that attaches easily to all pipelayers and brings a new level of safety and efficiency to the load management challenging in pipelining.