Matthews Brothers Engineering is optimising its designs and customer options, allowing operators of its spraying equipment to unlock the full potential of sustainable project delivery.
Crumb rubber, a refined rubber product derived from recycled tyres, has long been a sustainable option for asphalt in road construction.
The industry has widely adopted crumb rubber since its first use in 1975, with 50 years of innovation leading to 24,911 tonnes of crumb rubber being used annually, the equivalent of 4,151,875 passenger car tyres (Tyre Stewardship Australia).
Machinery and equipment manufacturers are playing their role to greater support the use of crumb rubber and other sustainable products. Few more than Matthews Brothers Engineering (MBE).
The bitumen sprayer, bitumen road tanker, tack coater, bitumen melting tank and aggregate spreader manufacturer has long identified this industry shift, developing specialised solutions to meet the changing needs of the roads and infrastructure sectors. As Richard Bailey, General Manager – MBE explains.
“It’s definitely something that’s coming up more in conversation,” he says. “The internal changes and additional options we’ve added over the years reflects our commitment to crumb rubber use.
“Now we’re able to be proactive when speaking to our customers, around ‘will they be using crumb rubber? Is that something they need to consider?’ We’ve got a full stock of options to better support our customers in this space.”
MBE has made a number of changes and additions to its spraying units, allowing its customers to use sustainable and alternative materials with ease.
One example is the introduction of larger filter pots with bigger basket filters to accommodate the thicker, more viscous crumb rubber, aiding output and helping to reduce maintenance over time.
Inline strainers, manifold strainers, and suction filter pots with larger orifice sizes have also been introduced to handle the thicker crumb rubber, as well as an additional circulate line that allows the product to be circulated into the tank at two points, helping to emulsify the crumb rubber and prevent separation.
Upgraded hoses have also been designed for the higher temperatures associated with crumb rubber applications.
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Some of these features, such as an extended bar return, were specifically developed for crumb rubber, while others were general improvements requested by clients, which also happen to benefit crumb rubber usage.
MBE has also improved its production process, making it easier for customers to understand and select options that would best suit crumb rubber applications.
“We’ve completely revised our quoting structure to create packages focused on crumb rubber,” Bailey says. “There are so many customisable options that we can offer, and now we can provide a preselected package that we’d recommend, whether that’s for crumb rubber, or an operational health and safety package, among others.”
Bailey adds that MBE sees crumb rubber as an important and growing part of the industry, with the company prepared to continue innovating and adapting its products and services to meet the evolving needs of customers.
“We’re very much a customer-driven business, so we can deliver and further improve our options as feedback and orders are received,” he says.
Even more options
To further aid customers in their bid for sustainable projects and works, MBE has developed some key features for its dog trailers, to better accommodate the use of crumb rubber.
The dog trailers have their own onboard bitumen pump, which allows the product to be circulated and kept homogenised while the trailer is left on site. This helps to prevent separation of the crumb rubber in the tank when the trailer is not actively being used.
These units are also equipped with agitators that run down the length of the tank. These agitators help keep the crumb rubber mixture well-blended and prevent settling or separation while the trailer is stationary.
Other standout features include a standalone engine and hydraulic system, independent of the towing vehicle, allowing the circulation and agitation systems to continue operating even when the trailer is left on site, without needing to keep the towing vehicle running.
Moving forward
Bailey believes 2025 will be a good year for MBE, as the company starts to see the benefits of internal process improvements. This includes a key focus around reliably meeting and even exceeding delivery targets, providing customers with more certainty around lead times.
The company has been doing a lot of work on improving internal systems and processes over the past two to three years, bringing in a new purchasing officer and production planner to better monitor progress and address any potential supply chain issues.
For Bailey and the team, it’s business as per usual.
“We’re really starting to see the fruits of our labour from our hard work these past few years,” he says. “We’re in a great position to pass these benefits on to our customers.”
This article was originally published in the March edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
