Cover story: BOMAG tandem rollers
Fulton Hogan adds BOMAG rollers to its fleet
With 90% of Fulton Hogan’s paving crews working night shifts, if you need to showcase some brand-new technology for the guys on the frontline, you have to do it during hours that’ll suit them.
That’s why we were out on a wet and wintry Auckland evening at Fulton Hogan’s asphalt plant in Penrose. Jason Hilton, national key account manager for Porter Group New Zealand, was on-site to take personal part in staff training on a clutch of brand-new BOMAG tandem rollers that have joined Fulton Hogan’s extensive surfacing fleet.
"You’ve always got to do a proper handover with the operators. When you have the level of technology that’s built into modern rollers like these machines, you want the client to get the absolute best out of the machine," says Jason.
"When you have frontline machines like these being used for end-to-end road building, it’s vital that the operators know every aspect of the roller so that the end result is up to the standard that is expected."
The latest BOMAG additions to the Fulton Hogan fleet include two BOMAG BW151ADs with compaction management technology, including GPS and stiffness measurement, a compact BOMAG BW100AC and BW138AC duo, and a BOMAG BW161AD with a full suite of technology on-board, including BOMAG’s Asphalt Manager system.
With plenty of different features onboard—and a multi-sized model line-up that appeals to a variety of different clients—Jason says he has the full product support and knowledge of Porter Equipment’s technical teams.
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The latest additions to the Fulton Hogan fleet include two BW151ADs, a compact BW100AC and BW138AC duo, and a BW161AD
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"Having the nous of the Porter Equipment technical team behind us means we can ensure every client has the right tool for the job at hand," he says.
And these machines being poured over by the crews the night we visited were headed out to roll a vast amount of asphalt.
"These frontline machines are always busy, so we need machines that offer us excellent performance every shift, along with absolute reliability," says Josh Dallow, Fulton Hogan surfacing manager—Auckland South.
"We have seven main paving crews and then additional maintenance crews as well. So, the other aspect to these machines is their simplicity to operate. That ease of operation is really important. While the technology on-board is extremely effective, we don’t want it to be complicated to use."
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Jason Hilton, national key account manager for Porter Group NZ, was on-site to take personal part in staff training
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An example of this market-leading compaction technology is BOMAG’s Economizer function, which helps the machine operator achieve optimum compaction results.
The Economizer automatically determines the compaction progress as the operator moves across the pavement. Integrated into the BOMAG’s central display, a lighting strip informs the driver of the end of compaction, meaning they are able to avoid over-compaction, with a warning light indicating if there’s any risk of over-compaction.
Another key feature of Fulton Hogan’s new BOMAG BW161AD is its Asphalt Manager system.
Working to achieve optimum compaction results on any surface, the Asphalt Manager allows the operator to select the layer thickness, with the rest of the compaction process regulated by the technology. The right level of force is introduced in the right direction on any application, meaning the machine can deliver amplitude as powerful as possible, or as carefully as necessary. This means that fast compaction progress can be achieved on even difficult-to-compact materials.
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BOMAG rollers feature simple controls and offer a comfortable working environment
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Then, at the end of compaction when the asphalt has cooled down, the Asphalt Manager system reduces the amplitude, so the roller automatically prevents aggregate crushing. Parameters such as stiffness, amplitude, and temperature are continuously displayed to the operator.
BOMAG’s Asphalt Manager system also automatically matches the direction of vibration to the travel direction. This prevents the formation of ripples because no bow wave is generated. At standstill, the Asphalt Manager automatically switches over to horizontal vibration, which prevents the drums from sinking in and, at the same time, offers short response times when starting forward.
And, of course, fewer passes mean more cost savings on fuel and less wear and tear on Fulton Hogan’s roller fleet.
Utilising BOMAP and GPS, Fulton Hogan can monitor the results of their soil and asphalt compaction in real-time. BOMAP is an easy-to-read, customisable colour scale, which helps the operator visualise compaction progress. The operator can immediately see what needs to be done and where. This significantly reduces working time and, says BOMAG, can allow fuel savings of up to 40% while also protecting the machine and the environment. The number of passes and compaction value is recorded and can be exported as a PDF file later if required.
Taken together, the compaction technology in the BOMAG tandem rollers is a comprehensive tool for quality assurance.
Josh says that beyond the clever feature set in the BOMAG tandem rollers, other simpler factors make these great machines for Fulton Hogan’s paving and maintenance crews.
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BOMAG’s Economizer function helps the machine operator achieve optimum compaction results
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"They have great visibility from the cabs, and the cab area is spacious and comfortable to be in. I’ve had comments about how nice and light the machines are to steer and control, which is important when you consider the six- to eight-hour shifts the operators are doing on the rollers. Simple controls and a comfortable working environment are crucial."
BOMAG doesn’t mount its tandem roller cabs on the drive unit, meaning there’s no load caused by heat, exhaust fumes, and vibrations, which all help mitigate operator fatigue over long shifts.
Josh points to the ease of maintenance as another plus point. BOMAG has done away with grease nipples to help maximise reliability. Special bearings with hermetic sealing and a permanent high-quality grease filling guarantee reliable lifetime lubrication.
"There’s no greasing required; just add diesel, oil, and water and you’re away," says Josh. "They are very impressive machines, and they definitely do the job we need them to.
"The technology that BOMAG engineers into its tandem roller line-up allows clients such as Fulton Hogan to achieve the best possible quality control while saving time and money, as well as providing their team with safe machines that offer consistent performance," Jason Hilton concludes.
"As a distributor, Porter Group can stand proudly behind the BOMAG brand because we know it delivers what our clients need."
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