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KEY FEATURES DETAILS LITERATURE
- Intuitive menus and online user guide make the software easy to use.
- With TMS Plus, you can create multiple bore plans for the same job based on different units or paths.
DETAILS, TMS PLUS
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- Works with Ditch Witch electronic guidance equipment to create a record of the installed bore path.
- Records the drill head position each time a new drill pipe is placed in the ground, and the position of the actual product during backreaming.
- Provides quick-reference information on bend radius for more efficient use of drill pipe and installed product.
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- Compiles information such as pipe number, depth estimate, drill head roll angle, pitch, directional beacon temperature and battery level, date and time.
- Supports five languages—English, German, French, Spanish and Italian—and adapts to different international settings.
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LITERATURE, TMS Plus
Select your language to view PDF
ENGLISH
SPECIFICATIONS, TMS PLUS
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EQUIPMENT COMPATIBILITY
TMS Plus will work with any of the following Ditch Witch products:
750 Tracker
750 Display
752 Tracker
752 Display
8500 Tracker
8500 Display
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
To use TMS Plus, we recommend the following:
An Intel® Pentium™ processor or equivalent, 200 MHz or faster running Microsoft® Windows® 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista
16 megabytes or more of RAM
CD-ROM drive (internal recommended)
Pointing device (i.e., mouse or touchpad)
For 750 series, enabled serial port
If you do not have an enabled serial port, you will need one of the following:
Serial I/O PC card and serial port adaptor (preferred)
USB serial port adapter
For 8500 series, enabled USB Port
UPDATES & DOWNLOADS
TMS Plus, version 3.8.1
Support for 8500 Tracking System
Support for Russian language
New HTML-based help system
Support for Windows Vista
Download Update
How to install the update:
1. Select the "Save this program to disk" option, and then click "OK."
2. Select a location to store the upgrade program.
3. Click "Open" to begin the upgrade process.
4. Select the location where you initally installed TMS Plus, and press "OK."
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Jobsite safety cannot be overemphasized. You're working on and around heavy equipment that you need to understand and respect. Below is a "Safety Matters" topic relevant to this Ditch Witch product. For other "Safety Matters" topics, plus safety videos and other important facts about jobsite safety, please visit our Ditch Witch Safe page.
Locating safety. Remember that you can verify locates with Ditch Witch electronic pipe and cable locators, and a sure way to verify the location of buried utilities is to expose the lines with a Ditch Witch vacuum excavator.
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 Safety Matters is intended to promote discussions of safety issues among underground construction professionals. TOPIC #5: TRACKING—HAZARDS A HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILL TRACKER MIGHT FACE Potential Hazards- Struck by
- Drawn into
- Buried hazards
Precautions- ALWAYS track drilling progress.
- Do not stand over projected bore path unless drilling has stopped.
- Locate drill head after each joint of pipe.
- Never push broken pipe.
- Never assume drill string will follow a pre-drilled path.
- If crossing a known utility, expose the line and watch crossing both directions.
- When drill head surfaces, use tracker control to disable thrust and rotation.
- Stay away from material being installed. If swivel binds, material can rotate.
- Shut off drill string thrust and rotation when breaking joints at exit pit.
- Never use a pipe wrench to break joints loose or tighten joints.
Information/Facts- Buried utilities can vary in depth throughout their length. For example, a utility may be at 2' depth on each end of a block; but places in between may be at 4' depth.
- A broken drill string being pushed through the earth can create a new bore path.
- If an electric line is struck by a drill string, the ground can become electrified. Under certain circumstances, it can even explode when the strike occurs.
- Rotating drill heads and backreamers can "walk" an exposed drill string sideways.
- If the swivel malfunctions or there is a lack of adequate tension on the swivel, material being installed can rotate.
TALES FROM THE TRENCHHDD vs. MinivanA drill operator was drilling under a residential road and broke a drill pipe. After pulling back and removing the broken pipe, the operator began feeding a new string back in the hole. The operator and tracker assumed that the drill string would follow the original bore path, so they did not track the bore. Unknown to them, the drill head had veered off midway and had come up through a sidewalk and gone all the way through a minivan in a driveway. It tore the door off of the van as it exited. Fortunately, no one was injured. BeaconlessA crew was drilling through a dense forest and broke a fluid miser drill pipe. They dug a pit at the drill head and pulled out the broken string with a backhoe. They decided to push the remaining string approximately 30' to the pit, assuming it would follow the original bore path. Because there was no beacon, they did not know that the broken pipe veered off the original path. The end packed with dirt, allowing fluid pressure to build up in the drill string. When the broken end of the drill string surfaced, the liner in the pipe was forced out of the end of the pipe like a javelin. It pierced the tracker operator in the shoulder, severely injuring him. Wrong ToolA tracker operator was using a large pipe wrench to break joints loose. For some reason, the machine operator rotated the pipe. This caused the pipe wrench to strike the tracker operator. He incurred a fractured jaw, had blood coming from his ears and was taken by helicopter to a local hospital. He subsequently required speech therapy. |
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JOB RELATED, TMS PLUS
Stay Cool And Stay Alive
If you work outdoors, summer is one of your busiest times of the year because it’s typically the driest season and offers the most hours of daylight. But the sun providing all that productive daylight can be the biggest jobsite hazard you face all year. Excessive heat can bring down anyone who doesn’t take the necessary precautions.Planning Ahead For WinterWinterizing your equipment is a small investment of your time that is guaranteed to pay big dividends. Your operator’s manual provides details on proper care during winter, but here are five essential steps you should take. Tarra River ConstructionAll bores were made with a Ditch Witch JT2020 directional drilling unit that develops 17,000 pounds (76 kN) of thrust and 20,000 pounds (89 kN) of pullback, 1300 foot-pounds (1763 N·m) of torque, and has a maximum spindle speed of 150 rpm.
stopimg title="keepCool_img1" style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 0px solid; WIDTH: 260px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; HEIGHT: 195px; BORDER-TOP: 0px solid; align: left" alt="keepCool_img1" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/1_KeepCool_260x195(1).jpg" border="0" />Catastrophic tornadoes and floods have grabbed recent headlines, but each year one weather phenomenon kills more people than tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and lightning combined: heat.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an average of more than 1,500 people in the U.S. die each year from excessive heat—yet it is the most preventable of weather-related deaths.
If you work in construction, summer is one of your busiest times of the year because it’s typically the driest season and offers the most hours of daylight. But the sun providing all that productive daylight can be the biggest jobsite hazard you face all year. No matter how tough you are or how used to the heat you think you are, excessive heat can bring down anyone who doesn’t take the necessary precautions.
The following information applies to anyone who is employed in an outdoor profession—construction workers in particular—but also applies to those who work in hot factories and anyone who spends time outdoors exercising, gardening, or laboring in any capacity during the summer months. (This is general information. More specific information can be found in the sources cited below.)
Know Your Chemistry
Our bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, and by expelling water through the skin and sweat glands. When we reach the danger zone, when our blood is heated above 98.6 degrees, we begin to pant—we’re literally “working like a dog.”
Sweating alone does little to cool the body, unless the sweat is removed by evaporation. But high relative humidity inhibits evaporation. When you’re checking the forecast for tomorrow, pay close attention to the heat index: the combination of relative humidity and air temperature. For example, if the air temperature is 96° F and the relative humidity is 65 percent, the heat index is 121° F. This is the heat your body really feels.
Heat disorders involve a reduction or collapse of our bodies’ ability to shed heat by circulatory changes and sweating, or a chemical (salt) imbalance caused by too much sweating. When heat gain exceeds the level the body can remove, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through perspiration, the temperature of the body's inner core begins to rise, bringing on various degrees of heat-related illnesses.
stopimg title="keepCool_img2" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 0px solid; WIDTH: 260px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; HEIGHT: 195px; BORDER-TOP: 0px solid; align: right" alt="keepCool_img2" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/2_KeepCool_260x195.jpg" border="0" />Ranking Heat Disorders
The severity of heat disorders is relative to a person’s age, weight, fitness, medical condition, and degree of acclimatization to the heat. For example, heat cramps in a 17-year-old may translate as heat exhaustion in someone who is 40, and heat stroke in a person over 60. Common heat disorders include:
- Sunburn. Along with being painful and irritating, sunburn can significantly retard the skin’s ability to shed excess heat. The best solution for sunburn is prevention, by applying sunscreen throughout the day.
- Heat cramps. Symptoms are painful spasms, usually in the muscles of the legs and abdomen, often preceded by profuse sweating.
- Heat rash. Also known as prickly heat, heat rash can occur in hot, humid environments where sweat is not easily removed from the surface of the skin by evaporation. Serious heat rash can be so uncomfortable that it inhibits sleep and impedes a worker’s performance.
- Heat exhaustion. Symptoms include heavy sweating, weakness, headache, fainting, vomiting, and skin that is cold, pale and clammy. It is possible to have a normal temperature with heat exhaustion.
- Heat stroke or sunstroke. This is the most serious health problem for workers in hot environments. Heat stroke occurs when sweating stops and the body can no longer rid itself of excess heat. Symptoms include an excessively high body temperature (106° F or higher); mental confusion or delirium; convulsions; hot, dry skin; strong and rapid pulse; and possible unconsciousness. Make no mistake: heat stroke can be fatal, and victims need immediate medical attention.
Prevention: The Best Solution
The number one method of avoiding heat disorders: avoiding heat. But for construction workers in the summer, this is simply not possible. So, here are some tips for staying cool and staying alive, beginning with the most obvious:
- Drink plenty of fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink water even if you don't feel thirsty. Proper hydration actually begins the day before a long, strenuous day in the sun. Before increasing your fluid consumption, consult a physician if you (1) have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; (2) are on a fluid-restrictive diet; or (3) have a problem with fluid retention.
- Do not drink alcoholic beverages. Alcohol dehydrates your body. Enough said.
- Limit caffeine intake.
- Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.
- Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods that are heavy in protein increase metabolic heat production and also increase water loss.
- Dress as lightly as possible. You need protective clothing, of course, but consider light-colored fabrics, such as cotton, that breathe.
- When possible, take longer breaks than normal in a cool, shaded area. A rested worker is a more productive worker.
- Know the symptoms of heat illnesses. Use a buddy system to keep tabs on your fellow workers.
- Acclimate yourself to the heat. You can “get used to” the heat, to some degree. Workers, especially those who follow the advice above, can eventually develop some degree of tolerance. However, new employees and workers returning from an absence of two weeks or more should have a five-day period of acclimatization: 50 percent of the normal workload and time exposure the first day, gradually building up to 100 percent on the fifth day.
stopimg title="keepCool_img3" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 0px solid; WIDTH: 260px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; HEIGHT: 195px; BORDER-TOP: 0px solid; align: left" alt="keepCool_img3" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/3_KeepCool_260x195.jpg" border="0" />Supervisor Obligations
There are precautions every employer should take when temperatures are high and the job involves physical work.
- Understand the signs of heat stress and permit workers to interrupt their work if they are extremely uncomfortable.
- Provide training about the hazards leading to heat stress and how to prevent them.
- If possible, schedule the heaviest workload for the coolest part of the day: early morning or late evening, when the sun is less intense.
- Make sure your workers have easy access to cool water—a minimum of one quart of water per hour, per worker.
- Schedule frequent rest periods with water breaks in shaded or air- conditioned areas.
- Routinely check on workers who are at risk of heat stress due to protective clothing and high temperature. Pay close attention to those who are at risk because of age and physical condition (including obesity and diabetes).
When A Fellow Worker Is Ill From The Heat
- Call a supervisor for help. If the supervisor is not available, call 911.
- Have someone stay with the worker until help arrives.
- Move the worker to a cooler/shaded area.
- Remove outer clothing.
- Fan and mist the worker with water; apply ice (ice bags or ice towels).
- Provide cool drinking water, if the worker is able to drink.
For more information about preventing and treating heat-related illness, consult these articles:
Sources for this article:
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (noaawatch.gov)
- Occupational and Safety Health Administration (osha.gov)
stopimg title="19a" style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" alt="19a" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/19astopimg4Take the time to winterize your equipment this year. A few minutes spent could save you time and money in the months to come. The amount of winter care your equipment needs depends both on the climate and how it is used. Check your service manual guidelines, and keep the following tips in mind:
1. Check coolant. Provide protection by using the recommended antifreeze/water mixture for the lowest temperature expected during operations.
2. Change the oil and filter before cold weather arrives. In addition, use lubricants recommended for low temperature applications.
3. Maintain the battery. Remove cables, clean cable ends and posts, and clean and tighten terminals on the cranking motor. And remember never to charge a frozen battery.
4. Check tire inflation. Tires inflated in a warm shop will be under-inflated when used in cold temperatures.
5. Give hydraulic components time to warm up before beginning work. If you’re running diesel equipment, be sure to idle the engine a few minutes before shutting down to properly lubricate internal components. Your local Ditch Witch® service technicians can help you make the most of your cold-weather equipment productivity, and can suggest winterizing techniques that are perfectly suited to your operation.
The Zulia state in southwestern Venezuela is the primary oil-producing region of this South American nation, with many companies engaged in petroleum operations there. When natural gas and oil pipelines needed to be constructed between the Catatumbo oil field to the Redoma pump distribution station 36 km away, the project was complicated by the Tarra River, which provided a formidable barrier. The terrain and environmental considerations ruled out crossing the river by open-cut construction. Horizontal directional drilling was determined to be the only way to make the river crossings, and the general contractor of the project brought in HDD specialist Servicios Flowtex de Venezuela, S.A. to install pipe under the river with its horizontal directional drilling equipment. The company’s crew made two river crossings, each to install 152 mm steel pipe. One was for the natural gas pipeline and the other pipe transports petroleum. Installations were parallel to one another, 20 meters apart. A 60-meter HDD road crossing also was made as part of the project. At the point of the crossings, the river is 150 meters wide and 3.5 meters deep, says Jose Ignacio Briceno, Flowtex project manager. To insure the project went smoothly, the bores were planned with the Subsite ® Trac Management System (TMS). All bores were made with a Ditch Witch JT2020 directional drilling unit that develops 17,000 pounds (76 kN) of thrust and 20,000 pounds (89 kN) of pullback, 1300 foot-pounds (1763 N·m) of torque, and has a maximum spindle speed of 150 rpm. “Soil conditions under the river were mostly sand and gravel with reactive clay formations near the surface at banks on both sides of the river,” says Briceno. “Loose formations made guiding the drill head difficult.” With careful planning, patience, and skill, the two crossings were successfully completed. Preplanning with Subsite TMS helps avoid problems while making installations. TMS computer-based technology plans the optimum path for the pilot bore, documents variables during drilling, and can prepare as-drilled maps of completed projects. During drilling, real-time information about the job’s progress can be compared to the planned bore path. TMS operates in conjunction with the drilling unit’s Subsite electronic guidance system. To permit proper approach and exit angles, the planning system called for one bore to be 242 meters long and the other 235 meters. Maximum depths were 8 meters. The pilot holes were completed in only two days. A Subsite 750 Tracker was used to monitor the location of the drill head, with personnel wading through the water while the head was under the river. A sand bit was used for the river crossings and a Durabit for the road bore. Baroid de Venezuela provided drilling fluids. “After each pilot hole was completed, we enlarged the hole with 8- , 10-, and 12-inch Beavertail backreamers,” says Briceno. “Then the 10-inch backreamer was connected to the drill string again, the steel pipe attached, and the pipe was pulled through the pilot hole. The installations were completely successful.” The project is a joint venture of Argentine company Tecpetrol and Petroleos de Venezuela. General contractor was SADE Skanska, an international company based in Sweden. Briceno and Marco Faenza, manager director of Servicios Flowtex de Venezuela, S.A., planned and coordinated the project with Briceno in charge of field operations. Technicians were Jose Manual Silva and Jose Caraballo with the assistance of Carlos Lovato of Flowtex Argentina. Servicios Flowtex de Venezuela is a HDD contractor making installations for oil, gas, and water pipelines and fiber-optic cable. “Directional drilling is the only trenchless procedure we use,” says Faenza. The company owns four HDD units. In addition to the JT2020, they include two other Ditch Witch models, a JT1720 and new JT4020 Mach 1. The compact JT1720 develops 67 kN of pullback force, 2440 N•meters of spindle torque, and spindle speeds to 200 rpm. The larger JT4020 Mach 1 produces 178 kN of pullback, 6780 N•meters of spindle torque, and maximum spindle speed of 250 rpm. Servicios Flowtex de Venezuela began HDD operations four years ago, and has seen the need for directional drilling services grow rapidly. “I would say demand has increased 65 percent or more in the past year,” says Faenza. “There are several reasons for this: Because our country has many mountains and rivers, HDD sometimes is the only way pipelines can be installed. And oil and gas regulators like very much this technology because it preserves the environment. In addition, the large number of successful installations make directional drilling appeal to project owners.” Faenza believes the HDD industry will continue to expand in Venezuela and other Latin American countries. “I am sure of it,” concludes Faenza. “And we plan to expand our operations to other countries, such as Colombia and Ecuador.”
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