On The Cover

The right gear for the job

As part of an ongoing capital replacement programme Wairoa contracting company Quality Roading and Services has recently taken delivery of three new Hyundai excavators.

The unstable hillface above the Nuhaka River Road in Northern Hawke’s Bay has been on the move since heavy rain in 2012 reactivated the slip between Mangaone Road and Nuhaka River Roads. The affected area of hillface is around two kilometres in width and covers some 100 hectares.

The clean up, by Quality Roading and Services (QRS), involved making safe a section of the Mangaone Road affected by the giant slip and moving 10,000 cubic metres of material to realign the road.

The 14-tonne Robex R145CR-9 excavator at Whangawehi at work on the Mahia East Coast Road, Mahia Peninsula.
The 14-tonne Robex R145CR-9 excavator at Whangawehi at work on the Mahia East Coast Road, Mahia Peninsula.

For such a job you need good gear and QRS has an eye for machines that are suited to the job.

Recently, the company bought three Hyundai excavators from Porters Equipment: a 2.8 tonne Robex R27Z-9 mini excavator, an eight tonne Robex R80CR-9 midi excavator and a larger Robex R145CR-9, all of which were delivered prior to Christmas to replace three older machines.

The smallest of the three, the R27Z-9, is to be used by QRS for underground service repairs, dealing with water, storm water, and sewerage problems.

It is powered by a 24.7hp three-cylinder Mitsubishi S3L2 engine delivering maximum torque of 8kgf.m at 1800rpm through two joysticks and a safety lever.

It features Hyundai’s new advanced hydraulic system with arm flow summation, boom holding and swing parking brake systems, plus hydraulic dampening in the travel pedal, swing-reducer hydraulic oil lubrication, and a leak-free grease chamber for the swing bearing.

Both smaller excavators have been spec’d with rubber crawler tracks to comply with local authority requirements for operating within Wairoa Township to minimise damage to paved and concrete surfaces.

The larger R80CR-9 is powered by a 59.6hp Yanmar 4TNV98 four-cylinder water-cooled diesel and is to be used for Network maintenance work.

This machine has been specifically set up to operate a rotating rock grab to improve worker safety when repairing dropouts and retaining walls.

The strength of the R80 is ensured by an X-type centre frame and reinforced box section track frame, while the cab features new steel tube construction that gives the operator improved safety.

The biggest of the three machines, the R145CR-9, has a 119hp Mitsubishi DO4FD-TAA power plant delivering 45.4kgf.m and like the R80 has also been specially set up to operate a rotating rock grab. 

All three new machines have ROPS compliant cabins & the R145 has also been fitted with a F.O.G (Falling Object Guard) kit to further enhance operator safety.

The R145’s new patented hydraulic control system features improved valve design for added efficiency and smoother operation, with a new auto-boom and swing priority system.

Coupled with a new auto power boost feature and an improved arm-in and boom-down flow regeneration system for added speed.

Hyundai claims to be the industry leader in the pump compartment with the R145 having powerful Kawasaki-designed, variable-volume in-line axial piston pumps.

The 2.8 tonne, Robex R27Z-9 mini excavator working on the banks of the Wairoa River.
The 2.8 tonne, Robex R27Z-9 mini excavator working on the banks of the Wairoa River.

Additional features include a new 18cm colour LCD display with a simplified design (including a standard rear-view camera) enhanced self-diagnostic capacity and GPS download capability.

The cabins on all three models reflect Hyundai’s focus on operator comfort and minimising stress, and the R145 also has an enlarged cabin with a see-through skylight and a larger right-side glass for better visibility.

With a staff of over 90, QRS is responsible for the maintenance of the unsealed roads in the Wairoa district roading network & to support this a sizable quarry division extracts and processes aggregates from 14 sites around the district.

Outside of its core roading business QRS also has contracts for Wairoa’s solid waste (Landfill), Water reticulation and Sewage / Storm water, working closely with the client to ensure a consistent high level of service, and travelling far and wide to meet their needs.

As a diversification to the usual roading and maintenance contracts, Quality Roading and Services is poised to successfully complete the Mahia Community Sewerage Scheme On Lot project which was won by tender.  The installation of the individual property STEP (Septic Tank Effluent Pump) Systems has been very challenging but the new environmentally friendly scheme that replaces the old and damaged septic tanks, will ensure the future good health of the Mahia Community and ecosystem.

The current staff at QRS have a massive wealth of experience working in Civil Construction, Maintenance, Waste and Utilities.  Five of QRS staff members have been with the company for more than 25 years, two of them for more than 30 years, starting their working life at the Wairoa District Council.

Right from the beginning QRS has supported the Wairoa community and its projects, in 2013 putting its machinery to good use for the DIY Marae makeovers.  A local business employing local people – moving forward with our community.

To support this diverse range of activities QRS operates an extensive plant portfolio. These are all cared for by a workshop staff of eight mechanics, including a fitter-welder, panel beater and auto electrician.

QRS Chief Operations Officer, Rob Beale carried out extensive research in the market before choosing Hyundai for the first time.

“One of our key company drivers is Health and Safety and these machines meet all the criteria of our safety committee”, Beale told Contractor.

“Porter Equipment were very competitive on product pricing and had a warranty as good as if not better than many, and were very accommodating in regard to the overall future servicing.”

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