Tim Hulford

Lead Industrial Designer — Portland, OR

DCI Digitrak Drill-Head Locator

2010 IDEA Bronze Award 2010 Spark Award, Gold 2010 International Good Design Award

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The DCI Digitrak F2 Drill-Head Locator - The F2 is part of a drilling system used by Developers and Construction Engineers to lay out long tracks of underground cabling without having to resort to laying down trenches. Heavy machines named Horizontal Directional Drills (or HDD machines) direct a precisely controlled drill-head deep into the ground. The drill head is then directed by the machine operator for hundreds of feet - effectively tunneling the like a snake around corners, up and over underground obstacles.
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The DCI Digitrak F2 Drill-Head Locator - After the HDD has drilled a few feet, it is necessary for another operator to track the location of the drill head in order to instruct the machine operator who would otherwise be operating without a clear idea of the drill-head's location.
The F2 is outfitted with a sophisticated antenna that allows the secondary operator to accurately track the HDD drill-head's location, depth and facing direction from an above-ground viewpoint.
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Built to Last - With a price tag of $15K, the locator system is an investment that requires reliable, flawless performance as well as the best protection against the most extreme of outdoor environments. The ABS chasis is 100% watertight as it is seam-sealed and glue welded from top to bottom. The stainless steel handle, the glass display lens, and the polyurethane boot are all designed to be replaced should they become damaged. Quality materials were used so they would hold up to years of use and abuse.
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F2 Handheld Sketch Concepts
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The F2 Remote Display - The F2 Remote Display is part of a drilling system used by Developers and Construction Engineers to lay out long tracks of underground cabling without having to resort to laying down trenches. Heavy machines named Horizontal Directional Drills (or HDD machines) direct a precisely controlled-drill head deep into the ground. The controller uses this remote display, which is mounted close by and synced to a transmitter installed in the HDD drill-head, to track the drill-heads progress.
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F2 Battery Charger Sketch Concepts

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