50 Years MEYCO Equipment 

MEYCO^® - 50 Years and counting…“the longer, the better”

In 1957, MEYCO Equipment (formally Intradym and Meynadier), a part of BASF Construction Chemicals, invented the MEYCO GM 57, the first mass-produced, dry-spraying machine using rotor principle, allowing continuous spraying. It heralded a revolution for this method of construction, especially in tunnelling and was the first of many technological advancements coming out of the MEYCO factory in Winterthur, Switzerland. MEYCO has continued this pioneering tradition to the present day.

In the early nineties MEYCO developed the then state-of-the-art MEYCO Suprema, which became, with its PLC, computer control, push-over system and MEYCO Dosa TDC dosing technology, the very first specialised wet-spraying machine. As a consequence of using a PLC new tools could be provided such as MEYCO Data for compiling and processing performance data which then provided information and performance history for improved cost management and quality control. The MEYCO Logica which followed, has the ability to scan the proposed working area and then spray to preprogrammed parameters in a semi- or full-automatic mode. As the demands of the industry became progressively more technologically advanced so MEYCO has endeavoured to remain a step ahead.

But not just the machines are unique, the philosophy of providing a complete range of relevant chemical products together with the appropriate equipment and service was a vision provided jointly by MEYCO and UGC International (now MEYCO Global Underground Construction). This idea led to great success for both the manufacturer and customer and still provides the bedrock for daily business.

Parallel to the regular technological “breakthroughs” MEYCO has consistently produced special engineering solutions for their customers with specific requirements such as on TBM back-up rigs and shaft platforms.

MEYCO has grown over the years and now enjoys a genuine global presence, but in reality cannot claim to be solely responsible for this. Market conditions have reflected MEYCO’s thoughts and projections of how the demand for sprayed concrete would grow. Underground works including tunnels have become increasingly important for many reasons; rail and road tunnels connecting regions and peoples, metro projects to improve large city infrastructure, subterranean installations where the above ground space is no longer available or it is undesirable from an environmental point of view to replace green areas. Also the demand for renewable power sources has lead to great investments in hydro-electric projects which require considerable underground works.

MEYCO machines have been employed on many monumental tunnelling projects and only a very few can be mentioned here. The GM 57 was used extensively on building the original 17 km Gotthard Road Tunnel. Further equipment was used in the Lötschberg and now the mammoth 57 km long Gotthard parts of the Transalpino project. The Channel Tunnel between France and England also saw MEYCO spraying machines in operation. The new Inter City line Nürnberg–Ingolstadt in Germany was completed a few years ago with many tunnels being constructed using a veritable “fleet” of MEYCO Spraying Mobiles. With Northcap in Scandinavia the MEYCO Roadrunner found its first large scale spraying project. Currently TBMs in Niagara Falls HEP in North America and China in Dahuofang are fitted out with MEYCO spraying systems. Every day raw materials such as iron ore and gold are resourced from mines in Brazil, Australia, South Africa, Cananda, Macedonia, among many other countries, with MEYCO machines as part of the their underground construction systems.

Latest developments include the MEYCO Potenza or MEYCO Roadrunner equipped with MEYCO Maxima spraying manipulator, a specialized spraying arm of a new generation with numerous ground breaking features. The MEYCO Maxima is a product that further enhances the MEYCO name and provides customers with the equipment to complete their tunnelling operations, faster, more efficiently, safer!

Nowadays our equipment is used for the application of sprayable membranes and passive fire protection in tunnels especially with the still unique robotic technology of our MEYCO Logica.

But MEYCO has not forgotten its origins and still manufactures the rotor machines that started the half-century of innovation and 100% dedication to perfecting the art of spraying concrete.