Terra Sonic International boasts expertise in designing and manufacturing sonic drilling equipment that goes back to the technique’s earliest market acceptance more than 20 years ago. Terra Sonic’s equipment uses high-frequency resonant sonic energy to penetrate sandstone, limestone, siltstone and other deposits without the use of drilling fluids. Instead, the rig’s vibration fluidizes the surrounding soil, allowing it to more easily penetrate the soil to depths up to four meters. It’s a method used frequently in environmental sampling, ground source heat loops and geo-construction due to its speed and versatility in a variety of ground conditions.
MPC is Terra Sonic’s supplier of choice for the control panels that guide their high-tech drilling rigs, where skilled operators monitor nearly a dozen gauges and execute every task the rig must complete. According to Amy Tabler, Terra Sonic’s purchasing agent, her choice of supplier for these control panels had to meet exacting standards. “Quality is important and the fit has to be perfect,” says Tabler. “We did have other suppliers quote, but MPC provided the type of quality and expertise that we wanted in this part.”
Also critical – durability. Terra Sonic’s drilling rigs are used in rugged conditions where exposure to sun, mud and weather require durability in every part the company uses. Etched stainless steel overlays proved to be only a temporary solution. It is Metalphoto® anodized aluminum that provides the long-term quality and durability Terra Sonic requires. Metalphoto is constructed with a sapphire-hard anodic layer that maintains its original appearance for more than 20 years, even under such tough conditions.
“MPC provided the type of quality and expertise that we wanted.”
In fact, the National Association of Graphic and Product Identification Manufacturers (GPI) has called Metalphoto the most durable aluminum substrate available, citing superior resistance to abrasion, heat and sunlight. “We want to be the best,” says Tabler. “When people see our rigs being transported, we want people to say ‘what’s that?’ and run to their computers to look us up.”
Building each rig is a creative process, says Tabler. Every piece of equipment is built in Terra Sonic’s 100,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Marietta, Ohio, and sold to customers across the U.S. and around the world. “Our design team designs every piece of equipment, and we have a sister company that makes the welds,” she says. “It’s like a work of art.”
“Lead times are always what they (MPC) promise.”
Tabler is the one responsible for procuring the many parts needed for each rig, and she can’t afford to have the manufacturing process delayed by mis-cut materials or longer-than-promised lead times. MPC offers precise and quick fabrication to every customer’s specifications. “The Metalphoto panel comes in all ready to go, and the lead times are always what they promise,” says Tabler. “Metalphoto of Cincinnati always does what they say they are going to do.”