BOMAG single drum rollers have added even more firepower to Thomas Kingsley Resources’ (TKR) impressive equipment hire range. But what makes them different? TKR Director James Anderson explains.
Keeping up with market demand. That’s the big focus and core principle that drives Thomas Kingsley Resources (TKR), a Queensland-based equipment and plant hire business.
TKR Director James Anderson says the company is always looking to improve its machinery fleet, with rapid adaption to market needs a contributing factor in the company’s success.
“TKR prides itself on being one of the largest providers of wet and dry hire equipment to the civil construction industry across Queensland and northern New South Wales,” he says. “We have a broad range of equipment and quality brands across rollers, excavators, dozers and graders that make up our fleet.”
As part of this push, TKR has made a commitment to constantly assess the latest machinery that the sector has to offer, to ensure that it can stay up to date and even ahead of industry standards.
“A few years ago, we decided to add compaction equipment to our fleet, due to market demand and after evaluating what other providers had available at the time. We found that businesses that supply compaction equipment generally don’t have the full range,” Anderson says.
“We saw an opportunity to be a one stop shop for solutions that could cater for a variety of requirements on the one construction site.”
After identifying this potential gap in the market, TKR sought out a respected and reliable compaction equipment manufacturer. This led TKR to BOMAG equipment.
Worldwide success
Five years ago, TKR engaged Tutt Bryant Equipment (Australian National BOMAG distributor) to learn more about the supplier’s range of single drum rolling equipment.
This connection, which began after one of Anderson’s former machinery supplier contacts made the switch to Tutt Bryant, has grown considerably. TKR is now one of Tutt Bryant’s growing list of long-term partners, with no plans of slowing down on either side.
“At the moment we’ve got about 18 BOMAG units, all single drum rollers,” Anderson says. “We’ve got smooth drum and pad foot rollers, as well as combo rollers, which are smooth drum at the front and multi-tyre at the back, which have proven to be really popular with the subdivision market for finishing off internal roads.”
Anderson says that from TKR’s existing range, BOMAG’s 13 tonne option stands out as a market favourite.
“It’s a great all-rounder, with good size,” he says. “It’s also got what’s known as the ‘ECONOMIZER’, which indicates to operators when they’ve reached optimum compaction. It makes compacting over areas much easier and more accurate.
“The Economiser can also help less experienced operators become more efficient as a result.”
Another highlight of the BOMAG range is the BW 213 D-5 single drum roller. Capable of achieving 2130 millimetres of compaction, and powered by a 103 kilowatt, Duetz TCD 2012 L04 2V engine, the BW 213 D-5 is suitable for a variety of project applications and sizes.
The BW 213 D-5 is just one of BOMAG’s fifth generation rollers that are built to cater to construction site needs. Understanding that specifications and project scenarios can differ greatly, BOMAG’s range aims to enable the operator to tackle every type of project, thanks to several features.
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One is VARIOCONTROL, a feature that enables the drum to vibrate linearly, allowing the drum to also adapt in real-time to the surface.
Rollers equipped with VARIOCONTROL can achieve maximum power where conventional designs can’t, while also providing greater depth effect and eliminating over-compaction, all in less passes.
Another is BOMAG’s TERRAMETER. This measuring feature enables the single drum rollers to become rolling pressure plates, meaning the operator can benefit from more accurate readings in real time. This helps to increase the accuracy of compaction, meaning operators can work toward the required stiffness level outlined by the client or project manager.
“The feedback that we’ve had from customers has been overwhelmingly positive when it comes to the Sumitomo and the BOMAG brands,” Anderson says. “We often hear that they’re simple machines to operate, they’re robust and the backup support service provided by Tutt Bryant is a big plus for operators, and ourselves.
“At times they bend over backwards to provide us with the support we need. If we ever need urgent parts, one of their parts managers usually runs it down to us, we’re only about five minutes away from each other.”
And to ensure that clients get the right machine for the right job, TKR’s experienced team, made up of individuals who used to be operators themselves, can guide customers in the right direction.
“The knowledge within our management team, who have experience in operating machinery and running projects, goes a long way when pairing the right machine for the right application,” Anderson says.
This is particularly important for many of TKR’s clients who are currently engaged on major infrastructure works, such as the Cross River Rail and the Coomera Connector, as the region prepares for the upcoming Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“We’re on pretty much all the major infrastructure projects in South East Queensland,” Anderson says. “There’re heaps of tenders out there and our clients are tendering on different aspects of these works. Next year looks set to be a big year in the major infrastructure project space.
“We’re a preferred provider because we focus on the specialised side of machinery for these projects. Whether it’s attachments for different projects or intelligent machine control, we provide that as part of our complete package. The rollers play a key role in us having the ability to provide the whole package.”
John Glossat, National Business Development Manager – Tutt Bryant Equipment, says there’s plenty to come in the rolling space for both existing and future customers.
“We have many longstanding customers, one of the biggest aspects that’s helped us to grow over 80 years to establish a massive Australian footprint in the supply, support, parts and service of compaction and construction machinery,” he says.
“There’s massive deals right now, so don’t forget to contact your local Tutt Bryant Equipment branch.”
This article was originally published in the November edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
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