Mastenbroek specializes in the design and manufacture of trenching and ancillary equipment for the worldwide pipeline and cable laying industries. The product range includes rock trenchers, drainage trenchers/plows, dewatering trenchers, subsea machinery and custom-built hydrostatic machinery. Founded in 1965, Mastenbroek has achieved pre-eminence in trenching technology through innovation brought about by continuing investment in research and development.
Mastenbroek’s Presence in Africa
Africa is a very important market for Mastenbroek. “We have a long history of supplying self-propelled trenchers into North Africa, Libya and Egypt. The first projects were in the 1980s when we supplied model 26/15 drainage trenchers to the Ministry of Water in Egypt for sub-surface agricultural drainage in the Nile river delta. The trenchers were engineered to operate in the heavy clay alluvial soils with a high water table. Based on this success, further trenchers were supplied in the 1990s and 2000s. We operate from one location, our head office in Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom. However, we do have agents and distributors representing us around the world.
At the moment, other than in Egypt, we do not have proactive representation in Africa, so it would be great to hear from anyone who would be interested in marketing Mastenbroek in that area. We’d love to have a more significant profile in Africa, and if there are dealers interested in representing us, it would be fantastic to hear from them,” explains Christopher Pett, General Manager at Mastenbroek.
Speaking on African projects Pett states that, “I think the most challenging project was to supply rock trenchers for the Great Man Made River project in Libya. In 1999 their project engineers commissioned Mastenbroek to design and manufacture a bespoke machine to excavate trenches for water pipes up to 4.5m deep and 0.85m wide within the confines of a small town, where the project was experiencing great difficulty in cutting rock with a compressive strength hardness of 145MPa.
We designed and built a 760hp model 70/45 rock trencher, which was so successful that a second rock trencher was commissioned in 2006 to trench harder rock of 225MPa compressive strength. The solution was the Mastenbroek model HRT25 which uses the patented reciprocating digging boom at the front of the machine pushing an endless cutting chain into the bottom of the trench to create an undercut. The cutting head is then progressively raised through the material until it breaches the surface at which point the boom is then lowered and the cycle repeated to excavate a trench of 2.5m deep and 0.65m wide”.
What makes Mastenbroek to stand out from competitors
According to Pett, their products are unique in that all of their machines are tailored to their customer’s precise requirements. One thing that all their machines have in common though is that they feature the latest design considerations and technical advancements. Take, for example, the 2021 version of their 17/17 trencher. It is the first to feature a Stage V compliant engine alongside a redesigned ergonomic cabin and a new 2.5m swing-out conveyor designed for European highways and built-up areas.
The new 17/17 trencher offers 268 horsepower and a cutting depth of 1.4 metres. As well as introducing the cleanest ever engine to be found in a Mastenbroek trencher, they have worked closely with their customers involved in utility contracting to offer them a machine that is easily transported and incredibly comfortable to operate.
As well as the Deutz Construction TCD 7.8 L6, water-cooled six-cylinder inline engine, the 2021 17/17 is easily transported thanks to the redesigned 2.5m swing-out conveyor, which retracts the forward discharge conveyor system to be within a 2.5m transport width.
Drivers of the 2021 17/17 will find the new cabin more comfortable as we have positioned the machine’s monitoring displays overhead which makes them easier to see during operation. The ROP’s certified cabin sees the controls for the trench unit and tracks mounted to the air suspension seat. Heating and air conditioning also come as standard.
Introduced in 1993, the 17/17 is a compact and powerful rock trencher, which will off-set trenches left and right and discharges material to either side or into a truck via a front swing conveyor. Mastenbroek has designed the machine for use on single carriageways and narrow streets. A steerable undercarriage enables curved trench lines, and the track lift allows the machine to straddle raised pedestrian walkways.
“Each one of our customers is different and has vastly different challenges to overcome. We work with each one of them individually. We find out what they need their new trencher to do, where it will be operating, what type of rock it will be cutting through and all of the other variables that we have to consider to design and manufacture a machine that will meet their needs. It’s very much a partnership approach and is a proven way of engineering solutions and providing them with the trenching technology they need to get the job done,” concludes Pett.
