Specialised Roading Equipment’s (SRE) first ever Australian fixed wing sprayer has made shore, aiming to offer an improved and increasingly accessible, safe and smart option for operators.
Specialised Roading Equipment’s (SRE) history is rich with innovation and creativity. Founded by a spraying operator who became disenchanted by the lack of variety available at the time, SRE has emerged as a pioneer in the design and delivery of bitumen sprayer equipment.
That’s why it came as no surprise that the company’s newest innovation was heavily inspired by industry consultation and response.
“It came about initially from some discussions with a couple of customers, who were frustrated around the lead times and lack of response in the Australian market,” says Mark Wansbrough, Managing Director – Specialised Roading Equipment. “They asked if we would consider doing a fixed wing sprayer for Australia. At the time, we were more focused on our telescopic sprayer solution. Ultimately, we took a step back and saw that there was an opportunity to help out those customers – whether due to preference or their projects – where a fixed wing was the preferred option.”
“We needed to be able to give our customers a choice between telescopic or fixed wing, depending on their operational needs.”
SRE’s telescopic sprayer is still one of the company’s primary spraying solutions, being the preferred iteration for jobs in SRE’s homeland of New Zealand.
Upon hearing industry feedback and identifying the opportunity in the Australian market, SRE set out to develop an Australian fixed wing sprayer that could deliver on several key criteria.
One of the prevalent factors was the possibility of such equipment being used on extended deployments, in some of the harshest conditions that Australia has to offer. Chris Kaelin, Business Development Manager – SRE explains.
“The telescopic sprayer has its place and offers some very real advantages, but there are situations where you’d need to send a sprayer up north for at least a month at a time,” he says.
“That’s why we wanted to create a simple machine that can go out and complete those long runs, when you don’t need the telescopic functionality, but instead need to be able to spray the whole width of a road in one hit.”
As such, durability, ease-of-maintenance and strong support were non-negotiables.
Another, Wansbrough adds, was “smarts”.
“When we’ve visited our Australian customers’ depots, they might have three sprayers that are all from the same supplier. All three would’ve been purchased over the course of 25 years, and there’d be literally no innovation and barely any changes,” he says.
“We’ve looked at what works best and what doesn’t, to deliver on smarts that relate to accessibility, operation and safety.”
SRE’s also implemented technologies and features that have proven to be popular within its telescopic sprayer iterations.
Pumps, pneumatics, and the spray bar have been made simpler and safer to access from ground level, removing the need for confined space permits while also making maintenance easier. They’re just a few changes that have been directly informed by feedback from users of the telescopic sprayer.
“It’s now really easy to access the pneumatics to change your pressures and whatnot, also to complete your servicing,” Kaelin says.
Actions that previously required the operator to be at the back of the sprayer, a hot and potentially dangerous area of the machine, can now be done from within the cab. There are also automated heating controls, a standard feature in New Zealand that’s been brought across to the Australian model.
Four-inch pipework allows for higher flow rates, while operators also have the chance to pick from full manual, or individually controlled pneumatic valves.
Existing SRE customers can also benefit from their knowledge of sprayer components, with the chassis, tanks and hydraulic systems all remaining the same across the telescopic and fixed wing range. Not only does this make maintenance and seeking spare parts easier, for SRE it also accounts for faster production and assembly.
In fact, it’s taken just 11 months to go from concept to delivery. A major achievement, considering average wait times for spraying equipment surpass the one-year mark.
With a spray width of up to eight metres, 12,000 or 14,000 litre tank options, as well as full Austroads compliancy, SRE’s first Fixed Wing Sprayer has been delivered to a long-term customer in Western Australia, with additional orders and expressions of interest already tabled for 2026.
Such interest, on top of existing orders for SRE’s popular telescopic models across both Australia and New Zealand will be the beneficiary of the company’s new production and assembly site.
“We’ve created a modular production process, that’s been aided by using the same chassis, tanks, pumps and more. As we get more orders, we’ll be able to assemble much quicker. It doesn’t matter if it’s telescopic or fixed wing, we’ll be able to react to what the market wants,” Kaelin says.
“To give a better example of that, a month ago, we had both a six-metre telescopic and a fixed wing sprayer shipped on the same date, on the same boat for Australia, with one going to Brisbane, and the other to Perth.
“We had the two units sitting side by side for most of their build. The new site that we have now really gives the ability to work on both as they get pushed through the line.”
When reflecting on what has been a year of significant growth for SRE, Wansbrough says the move to a new facility has really set up the business for the future.
“It’s also been fantastic to see [Kaelin] and his team put a massive amount of work in to get our first fixed wing to Australia.
“To be going from just a conversation to delivery within 11 months is incredible. It’s yet another sign of the momentum that’s been made in a market that’s responding really well to us.”
This article was originally published in the December edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
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