Bauer Maschinen, a leading specialist of foundation equipment, says it is well poised to taken on the challenges of the future, having recently acquired large production and storage facilities close to one of its existing bases in Germany.

“Last year, Bauer Maschinen developed new manufacturing facilities for the fabrication of its specialist foundation equipment. The acquisition of large unobstructed fabrication halls and extensive open-air storage areas in Aresing, five km south of Schrobenhausen, has provided ideal conditions for highly efficient and rationalised assembly facilities for large foundation equipment,” says a spokesman for the company.
The new site – Aresing Works – will focus on the manufacture of new equipment, while its exising facilities, Schrobenhausen Works, will concentrate on maintenance and repair works, fabrication of components and providing the entire stores.  These facilities will provide a considerable boost to the company’s capabilities from this year on, he says.
Explaining the need for the expansion, he continues: “In recent times, the manufacture of specialist foundation equipment has reached new heights making the existing workshop facilities – built in 1984 – and the surrounding plant yard totally inadequate. Increasing congestion of workshop and yard facilities has put production under considerable strain during the last few years.  In the absence of adequate space for manoeuvring and almost total gridlock, it became necessary for some equipment to be assembled outdoors even during bad weather and sub-zero temperatures.”
“We definitely needed a new workshop for the production of our plant and equipment and with this acquisition we were able to avoid having to construct new buildings,” says Thomas Bauer, chairman of Bauer.
The site covers an area of 100,000 sq m of which 19,000 sq m have been developed as industrial floor space. In addition to the large fabrication halls and outdoor storage areas, the existing office facilities, the numerous outdoor portal cranes and the indoor overhead cranes provide the required infrastructure for immediate optimal utilisation.
“The Bauer Maschinen Group of companies can consider themselves world leaders in manufacturing specialist foundation equipment. The group comprises:
• Bauer Maschinen, which designs and manufactures heavy-duty rotary drilling rigs, together with all necessary drilling tools, diaphragm wall cutters, piling and diaphragm wall grabs, casing oscillators as well as water well drilling equipment;
• Klemm Bohrtechnik, which is highly specialised in small diameter drilling technology, anchor drill rigs, drilling accessories and high pressure injection systems;
• MAT Mischanlagentechnik, which develops complete systems for batching, mixing and processing all types of grouts and slurries and also manufactures centrifuges and pumps for all kinds of applications in specialist foundation construction;
• RTG Rammtechnik manufactures of telescopic leaders and top vibrators for driving sheet pile walls;  and
• Eurodrill , a specialist in drifters and hydraulic hammers. 
“The Bauer name is synonymous with foundation construction far beyond Germany and has had a determining influence on this increasingly important sector of construction. Its most outstanding contribution has been the invention of the grout injection anchor in 1958 which shortly afterwards began its run of success around the world,” says the spokesman.
“At the bauma 2004 construction equipment exhibition (March 29 to April 4), the Bauer Maschinen Group stand will be far larger than in previous exhibitions and only a short distance away, Eurodrill will be putting on its own comprehensive display,” he says.
At bauma 2004, RTG will be showcasing a new dimension of vibratory piling equipment with its new RG 19T.  This rig has the capacity to install 19-m-long sheet piles. The base machine is the same as for its predecessor, the well received RG 16T. It is equipped with a water-cooled Caterpillar C16 diesel engine with a power output of 470 kW.
At the Eurodrill stand, Bauer will present the hydraulic drifter HD 2004. HD 2004 is the new “small” hydraulic drifter with an automatic percussion switch-off. The drill stands out for being a brand new class among hydraulic drifters and is particularly designed for rigs at a weight of two to six tonnes. With only little weight and power consumption and a high torque, it is now possible to reach such drilling powers with this size of drills rigs, says the spokesman.