Before You Launch: Set the Alarms That Protect Your Drive by Robin Lorenzen I’ve been on quite a few MTBM projects over the years, and one of the most intimidating moments for a new operator is sitting down in the MCC and seeing the operating screen for the first time. There’s a lot happening — […]
Because it doesn’t look important until it’s too late. Most crews don’t get excited about bentonite. It’s not a cutterhead, it’s not a jacking frame, and it’s not the TBM hogging through the ground. It’s just “mud,” right? That mindset is part of the problem. As explained in Lubrication Tips & Tricks, bentonite does more […]
Adapting HDD Steering for Unpredictable Ground by Nathan Lindeman Challenges in trenchless pipe installation are unavoidable and will always be part of the work. Meeting those challenges often requires thinking beyond conventional solutions—an approach Akkerman continues to embrace by integrating proven HDD technology with traditional GBM methods. For several years, we have used the TRIHAWK® […]
Keep Your Pumps Running: Why Oil Quality Matters Maintaining oil quality in your 5200 pump units is critical for system performance and longevity. These units operate with an open hydraulic system, which means contamination—including water—can enter when adding tunnel oil lines. Water intrusion is a leading cause of premature pump failure. What can you do […]
As we close out a remarkable business year, I want to take a moment to reflect and express my deepest gratitude to the trenchless industry and our extended Akkerman community. This year brought both great success and profound loss. With my father Maynard Akkerman’s passing in July, we experienced an outpouring of love and support […]
Giving Thanks for ProgressA Year of Innovation and Strength As we look back on the past year at Akkerman Inc., I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the continued trust and partnership of our customers, colleagues, and industry friends. Thanks to your support and partnership, we’ve reached new milestones together this year. Together, we’ve […]
Maintaining Variable Frequency Drive Capacitors in Microtunneling Written by Weston Alberts Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) play a critical role in microtunneling operations by allowing operators to control the speed of three-phase electric motors. This control is essential for managing the cutterhead and slurry flow rates under varying conditions. Role of Capacitors in VFD Operation Many […]
Akkerman Celebrates 30 years of Microtunneling Innovation In 1995, Akkerman made history as the first U.S. manufacturer to design and build slurry microtunneling systems domestically. That bold step not only reduced reliance on overseas technology, but also redefined what was possible in trenchless construction across North America. Over the last three decades, this pioneering achievement […]
Guided Auger Boring: A Precision Approach to Trenchless Utility Installation By: Jason Holden, Vice President, CRO – Akkerman Inc. As infrastructure demands grow and surface disruption becomes less tolerable, guided auger boring (GAB) continues to gain traction as a reliable, accurate, and cost-effective trenchless solution. Frequently specified under the designation of Pilot Tube Guided Auger […]
Brierley Associates Visit Akkerman Brierley’s Cottage Grove, MN team recently had the opportunity to tour Akkerman Inc.’s primary manufacturing facility in Brownsdale, MN. Alongside our partners at Barr Engineering, we explored the factory floor and gained firsthand insight into how Akkerman designs, builds, and maintains their broad range of trenchless equipment—including pilot tube, MTBM, TBM, […]
What Determines Your Disc Configuration? When it comes to cutterhead tooling, there are a multitude of options available today. Disc cutters are no exception. From different disc diameters to different cutting rings and mounting configurations, there are a variety of disc cutters to choose from. So how is a final cutter configuration selected for a […]
Don’t Let the Little Things Turn into Big Things You’ve probably seen those sappy Hallmark cards reminding us to pay attention to the little things—because in the end, they often turn out to be the big things. I doubt the folks behind those cards were thinking about trenchless construction, but honestly, the wisdom still applies. […]
