Primal Surfacing has benefitted from a long-standing partnership with Specialised Roading Equipment (SRE) for its machinery needs. Now the group is adding two new SRE sprayers, marking a continuation of this decade-long connection.
Primal Surfacing (part of the VSA Roads Group) is regarded as one of the leading providers of road construction and maintenance services around the country. A big part of maintaining this reputation is its frequent upkeep and updates of its machinery fleet.
The company’s success is rooted in its history of incorporating new technology and equipment. So much so, that the company claims to have the youngest fleet, containing the most advanced equipment in Australia – the result of a more than $5 million investment in capital equipment during the past few years.
Primal Surfacing regularly touches base with the sector to learn more about the latest machinery available. One manufacturer that’s long been on Primal Surfacing’s radar is Specialised Roading Equipment (SRE).
Located in New Zealand, SRE manufactures a range of telescopic bitumen sprayers for all kinds of materials and applications, such as hot bitumen and emulsion spraying.
VSA Managing Director Justin Bartlett says the affiliation with SRE started when Primal Surfacing was looking to strengthen its machinery fleet.
“Our relationship with SRE began 12 years ago when we purchased a 12,000-litre sprayer,” he says. “That was a big step for us, it was the first time that we went down the path of having a sprayer with a telescopic spray bar, as opposed to the traditional Australian methods of having vertically raised bars that are built in segments.”
This first venture into the telescopic sprayer space opened many doors for Primal Surfacing, namely around increased efficiency and productivity. Importantly, SRE’s units also ticked the boxes when it came to reliability and output.
“With every job, there’s a lot of moving parts. The cost of a spray ceiling crew per hour is very expensive, so you can’t have pieces of the production process breaking down, because if one piece stops, everything else stops,” Bartlett says. “That’s why we’ve got well-equipped workshops, highly-skilled staff and our significant investment in equipment. When our equipment rolls out the gate, we know that we’re going to get a decent day’s work in.”
Bartlett says acquiring a telescopic sprayer was high on Primal Surfacing’s priority list.
“When you compare the telescopic spray bar design to a conventional Australian bar, the telescopic can be moved in and out quickly, so it makes for a far more efficient job. When you’re doing maximum and minimum widths, works in courts and projects such as that, having that greater control and ability to move quickly is really useful,” Bartlett says.
“We were able to place an order for right-hand drive trucks that were made to an Australian standard and were ready to roll on Australia’s road network. For us it was a no-brainer.”
Such has been the robustness and reliability of SRE’s units, Primal Surfacing still operates the very first sprayer it purchased from SRE. Now Primal Surfacing has added an additional two SRE units to its growing fleet.
Simon Mckinnon, Workshop Manager at VSA Group, says the lead times for the equipment, as well as prompt support and responses, have been key reasons for Primal Surfacing’s continued interest – and recent purchase.
“The speed in which they could deliver the trucks was definitely a factor in us purchasing the first SRE unit,” he says. “As we were getting closer to replacing our ageing fleet, our smaller units were doing most of the work in metropolitan areas, which means they’re spraying varying widths against concrete curbing.
“That means that we needed sprayers that had a shorter wheelbase, smaller volume tanks, but highly flexible spray bars. That’s why we went the way of SRE.
“The relationship we have with Chris (Kaelin, SRE Business Development Manager) is great, if we ever have any questions or if there’s any issues, he’s usually able to jump right on it.”
Technological innovation
Bartlett says there were several reasons for adding another two SRE sprayers. On top of the renowned support, and relative proximity of SRE being based in New Zealand, another big plus for Primal Surfacing has been the technological capabilities of SRE’s units.
“Not only did we see a telescopic spray bar that we were comfortable with, but we also saw an operating system that was very appealing. It’s a system that’s flexible and allows our operators to engage directly with SRE to make finer modifications, because every application can have its own slight nuances,” he says.
“We’re able to say to SRE ‘we want your operating system to do X, Y and Z’ and they’ve been more than happy to accommodate.”
SRE’s telescopic bitumen sprayers are some of the most technologically advanced in the market.
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With an integrated computer control system, all spraying functions are done inside the cab on SRE’s intuitive cab touchscreen or operational remotes.
And that’s not all. SRE also has a real time job data transfer system, which provides customers and project stakeholders with spray reports providing accurate productivity and performance data, aiding administration and management.
As Mckinnon explains, SRE’s technology also makes remote support a breeze.
“SRE can dial into the truck from New Zealand, so if we’re having trouble with something, SRE can see via the truck modem what we’ve sprayed, where and when. It’s a big feature for us and a great feature to aid the country-to-country communication,” he says.
“It solves a lot of problems straight away. They can change the program and the settings remotely, just with a phone call. They can see the onboard diagnostics, which allows SRE to guide our mechanics to resolve any issues. If that doesn’t work, one of their technicians has been happy to fly over and pay us a visit to smooth things over.”
Chris Kaelin and the team at SRE have also provided additional training services to ensure that Primal Surfacing’s operators can optimise their time and output in the units. They have also been present throughout the initial and subsequent unit calibrations.
Plant and Equipment Engineer Syed Ahmad Raza says he’s established a good rapport with the SRE team in a short period of time.
“Considering I’ve only been contacting them for a few months, the feedback and the prompt responses have been really good. It’s a relationship that’s grown gradually in the past few years and continues to grow today,” he says.
“We want to push our technology forward, and SRE giving us good products and support plays a big part in that. If there’s an opportunity through the online diagnostic system to increase or add to what we’ve already got, they work with us to make sure we can benefit. We want our machinery to be up to date with modern standards, with SRE we can exceed those standards.”
Mckinnon and Bartlett say they’re both looking forward to seeing what the two new units are capable of, with both already hearing positive feedback from operators.
“I’d like to see the years tick by and us still using these same models. I’m looking forward to seeing these units pay for themselves and start earning their keep. Now we’ll see what they can do for the next 10-15 years at least,” Mckinnon says.
Bartlett says there may also be plans in the future to replace one of the company’s larger sprayer units, but for now the two SRE units will lead the way.
“Both of our operators who have had a go at the new units say they’re getting better and better every day. The more time they spend in them, the more productive they’re becoming,” he says.
“They’re making a big difference already.”
This article was originally published in the October edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.