Specialised Roading Equipment is using its connections and expertise to educate the industry on a prevalent knowledge gap – the benefits that lie beyond conventional bitumen spraying equipment.
The bitumen sprayer has been a mainstay of the roads sector for decades. For years, this universal terminology has adequately described what could be considered the backbone of road construction and rehabilitation.
That is, until now.
With brand new spraying technology and options available, the basic ‘bitumen sprayer’ terminology has seemingly become outdated, according to Mark Wansbrough, Managing Director – Specialised Roading Equipment (SRE).
While immersing himself in industry, Wansbrough, to his surprise, discovered a lack of knowledge around the greater variety of ‘bitumen sprayer’ that’s currently available to the market.
“For years in Australia, there’s only been a single choice in terms of the type of sprayer and the options around it, and that’s been the fixed wing sprayer,” he says. “Many don’t know what else is out there, and that there’s a different way of doing things.”
Wansbrough refers to the telescopic and the more traditional fixed-wing bitumen sprayer variants, both of which are designed, manufactured and distributed by SRE itself.
As he explains, telescopic sprayers have been the main option for spraying in SRE’s home nation of New Zealand for years. With SRE’s footprint and customer base expanding rapidly in Australia, Wansbrough says it’s time that the Australian industry learns “what it’s missing out on”.
“It’s funny because we’re so used to telescopic sprayers being the norm, as that’s what everyone uses,” he says. “The more you dig into it, the more prevalent the benefits of telescopic sprayers become.
“People don’t know what they don’t know. That’s why there’s a job to do around educating people of the possibilities that are out there.”
For industry’s benefit
While choosing between a fixed-wing or telescopic sprayer may depend on the project and application, the benefits of the latter are far less ambiguous.
With a telescopic sprayer, you only extend as much bar as needed, allowing the sprayer to follow the width of the road and avoid roadside obstacles. This makes it more responsive to real job site conditions and saves the hassles involved in changing bar sections on traditional fixed wing sprayers.
With no wings protruding unnecessarily, there’s also less risk of hitting obstacles or spraying on people and equipment. The telescopic design keeps the spray bars tucked away and pointing down when not in use.
This is also where SRE’s patented technology comes to the fore, as Wansbrough explains.
“The smart control system automatically adjusts the speed of the truck and pump speed, ensuring a precise and consistent spray application rate, even as the bar extends or retracts,” he says.
“Because this system effectively takes over the speed of the truck and the pump, you can get the exact spray application rate that you’re looking for, every time.”
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SRE has worked to deliver a system that’s as capable as it is intuitive, all the while being simple to use. Particularly important for a market segment that regularly struggles with attracting and retaining skilled operators, Chris Kaelin, Business Development Manager – SRE says.
“We’ve put a lot of design time into the ergonomics and layout of the control interface, making the system as easy to use as possible,” Kaelin says.
“There’s constant thought into how we can improve the layout and flow of the controls, where buttons should be and more, to ensure that operators can get the hang of it a lot quicker.”
The telescopic sprayer can also operate in a fixed mode when needed, providing additional flexibility for different job requirements.
Design and manufacturing in-house has granted SRE optimal oversight over potential design changes and improvements for its telescopic sprayer units. Wansbrough says this approach increases adaptability, as well as the company’s ability to tailor products for industry.
“The feedback that I commonly get is that we’re one of the few that actively make changes directly off the back of industry and customer feedback. It’s really important to be able to tweak our design where needed, by taking that feedback onboard,” he says.
Face-to-face
Another core component, which forms part of SRE’s educational component, is providing constant touch points.
Able to connect at a moment’s notice, both Wansbrough and Kaelin’s frequent trips to Australia continue to fill the gaps for industry operators.
For Kaelin in particular, it’s an aspect that he takes great pride in delivering.
“I’ve always loved being out in the field and I naturally enjoy teaching,” he says. “Operators will often say ‘I used to do this on my old sprayer’, that’s where we’re there to show them how they can do things a bit differently”.
SRE’s training and support offering is extensive, even providing remote forms of hands-on experience to arm operators with the tools to get the most from their telescopic sprayers.
“Chris (Kaelin) can set up a simulation mode so we can train operators in an office environment,” Wansbrough says. “We can show them exactly what would happen during a normal spray run, in a comfortable environment, while they get their bearings.
“It’s great for operators to have Chris, the guy who’s designed the sprayer and managed the build, be the same guy who’s out there conducting the handover and taking the feedback on board.”
Beyond educating potential and existing customers, SRE is also working to produce touch points with the wider industry.
A recent engagement with new customer ANA Asphalt saw key industry contacts and leaders unite at a sprayer launch event, allowing attendees to see SRE’s patented units in the flesh, and have any lingering questions answered.
Wansbrough believes that interactions such as this benefit industry as a whole by lifting the combined knowledge and experience of decision makers at the forefront of the sector.
“The greatest satisfaction I’ve had is that our customers are becoming our company’s strongest advocates,” he says. “It’s vindication that ultimately our products are providing a different way of doing things.”
This article was originally published in the October edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
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