Many manufacturers compete by making faster, cheaper versions of products you can already find on the market. A rare few thrive by doing the opposite: building the unusual, the one-of-a-kind, the machines no one else dares to make.
That’s where Mastenbroek comes in. It doesn’t just design and make industrial trenchers—the massive machines that carve out channels for cables, pipes, foundations, and drainage systems. The company builds trenchers that can dig on the ocean floor, slice through solid Norwegian granite, or cut across the shifting sands of Namibia’s coast. If the job sounds impossible, chances are Mastenbroek has already figured out how to make it happen.
And those solutions are no small feat. A custom-built Mastenbroek machine can weigh up to 140 tons and contain more than 15,000 unique components—each one designed to perform reliably in some of the toughest environments on Earth.
Mark Taylor, Engineering Director, Mastenbroek
To bring those giants to life, the team relies on Autodesk Inventor. With it, engineers can design every part in 3D, test how thousands of components fit together, and simulate performance before a single piece of steel is cut. Customers can see detailed models, refine ideas, and know the machine will meet strict regulations before it ever reaches the factory floor.
Inventor also helps Mastenbroek plan for manufacturing. By the time production begins, every piece, weld, and bolt has its place. That means the transition from concept to reality happens faster—and with fewer surprises. In fact, the team can go from a blank screen to cutting sheet metal in just days. Within 12 weeks, a fully bespoke trencher—complete with custom manuals and operator guides—rolls out the door, ready to dig where no machine has dug before.
For Mastenbroek, no request is too strange and no challenge too ambitious. Its trenchers don’t just move earth—they reshape possibilities. In the end, a bespoke Mastenbroek machine is more than heavy equipment. It’s proof that imagination, skill, and engineering can dig deeper than limits, uncovering new ways forward—no matter how unusual the request.
Let there be invention. Let there be impact. Let there be anything.
