Vermeer has always prided itself on responding to the needs of customers through innovation. From the world’s first commercialized large round hay baler to the laser-guided boring system, Vermeer has delivered many firsts to numerous industries.

It begins with you — the customer. Every year, Vermeer visits with thousands of customers around the globe to identify their needs. A portion of this input is shared with product development teams who explore ways of addressing these needs and creating the product customers want.

But innovation isn’t just about the products Vermeer manufactures. It also includes the process through which we create these new products. Vermeer uses the latest technology to design and build the equipment you have come to trust. Plus, we have some of the brightest minds designing machinery that will help make you more productive in the field.

Manufacturing Process
Vermeer uses cutting-edge technology to build its quality products. They’re designed using state-of-the-art computer systems that allow engineers to view equipment models in 3D. Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) laser and plasma cutters turn massive sheets of steel into machined parts, while our certified technicians of machinists, welders, painters and assemblers build in and control quality throughout the process. .

Software
Vermeer offers more than just equipment. Some of our latest innovations include software that calculates and compares the estimated emissions of underground utility construction methods. It’s called e-Calc, and it helps project owners, planning engineers, and contractors determine which installation method may emit the least emissions. As regulatory pressure grows to reduce emissions, e-Calc could be helpful for project owners documenting emissions records for carbon credits.

Other software programs by Vermeer help contractors estimate the cost of operation across different models of equipment, while our Bore Pilot, Underground Analysis and Atlas Bore Planner software programs assist contractors in planning and designing horizontal directional bores.
 
Cob and Corn Stalk Harvester
Corn cobs are an emerging resource that provide several income-generating opportunities for farmers. They’re producing cellulosic ethanol, blending cobs with coal to co-generate electricity, and manufacturing materials for industrial applications — like construction materials, abrasives and absorbents.

Harvesting cobs was a challenge until Vermeer developed a self-contained cob harvester that could be towed immediately behind a combine. It revolutionized corn harvesting by enabling farmers to harvest both corn and cobs — separately and simultaneously — in one pass.

AXIS Guided Boring System
The demand to upgrade water and sewer lines around the globe is great. Yet the industry hasn’t experienced a new technology revolution for years. Municipalities and underground contractors now have a new option for the on-grade trenchless installation of sewer and water lines.

The AXIS guided boring system from Vermeer is a pit-launched, laser-guided system that can achieve pinpoint, on-grade accuracy. Its versatile design allows for multiple applications in the installation of new sewer and water lines. The technology is turning heads as municipalities look for more efficient and restoration-friendly methods of upgrading water and sewer lines.

Quad-Track System
When contractors asked for more stability and traction in a utility tractor, Vermeer engineers found the solution. Vermeer was the first manufacturer to introduce quad-track technology to the utility tractor market, which had not seen a new technology revolution for years.

The quad-track system increases side-hill stability and flotation in soft or sandy soils and can help enhance productivity by allowing you to work in a broader range of ground conditions. But don’t take our word for it. Check out this side-by-side demonstration of the technology conducted by Construction Equipment magazine.

FX Drill
Technology has the ability to open new markets for Vermeer customers, and that’s exactly what the Vermeer Navigator D20x22FX Series II flex-angle drill is doing. The FX drill — the first of its kind in the industry — allows contractors to drill at any specific entry point ranging from 18 to 90 degrees, making the FX drill ideal for residential geothermal loop installations.

This market has grown by 10 percent each of the past 10 years, and the FX drill has the potential to expose this growing market to underground contractors. It’s just another way Vermeer is working to help expand markets for contractors in the renewable energy marketplace.
 

Vermeer rock mechanics lab collects extensive data from the jobsite to determine rock strength, abrasiveness and other properties. That information guides the configuration of your Vermeer equipment. Drum cutter design and composition is adjusted to match the jobsite, giving you the correct depth of cut, forward speed and other elements to make sure optimum production rates can be achieved.

After drilling 2-1/8”/5.4 cm cores using a constant pressure system that minimizes breakouts, sawing the raw cores into appropriate lengths, and grinding the cut cores down to get flat sample ends, the Vermeer rock lab performs the following tests:

• Uniaxial compressive tests
• Indirect tension (Brazilian) tests
• Cerchar abrasivity index
• Density
• Point load stress
• Impact energy index

Consult your local Vermeer dealer for details.