Better ways to hog the road

The Stripe Hog, Thermo Hog, Paint Hog, Rumble Hog and walk-behind Ground Hog will all be exhibited at Intertraffic Amsterdam

Words | Dave Friday, Waterblasting Technologies, USA

The Stripe Hog 40,000psi Waterblasting System is currently operational and removing pavement markings in 51 countries around the world. For six consecutive years, it has won Roads & Bridges magazine’s prestigious Gold Award for Pavement Marking Removal. The Stripe Hog has also demonstrated the fastest removal rates in the industry for the removal of thermoplastic, cold plastic, two component, epoxy, tape and waterborne paint. Thermoplastic is removed at 6,500 linear ft/hr (1,980 linear m/hr).

The Stripe Hog also has: simultaneous removal of parallel markings with the double blasting heads in side-by-side configuration; rapid removal of single, continuous lines with the double blasting heads in tandem configuration; cleaning and rejuvenation of the retroreflectivity of thermoplastic and cold plastic markings; and simultaneous vacuum recovery, which allows for the application of new markings in 15-20 minutes.

The Stripe Hog was designed and built by contractors, for contractors. Each Stripe Hog is rugged, reliable and has earned the praise of some of the most demanding contractors in the world.

Laying pavement markings

The Thermo Hog, a thermoplastic line truck, is a new product from Waterblasting Technologies. It can lay stripes down with great speed and efficiency due to the revolutionary Hog Melter, which melts more thermoplastic in a day than any other thermo truck in the world. Features of the Thermo Hog include: • Continuous melting of thermoplastic at 8,000-10,000 lb (3,628-4,535kg) per hour, per melter; • It can carry material in dry powder form, to be melted when needed; • One person can load the thermoplastic into the melter on the truck – traditionally, this task requires two people; • Its automatic conveyor reduces back injury and fatigue;

Clockwise from left: The

Rumble Hog; the selfrotating Ground Hog; the Thermo Hog

Opposite: The

Stripe Hog

• Less weight in the melter means more thermoplastic can be stored on the truck; • It eliminates downtime waiting for material to melt, which equates to higher productivity; • It has a 45-minute start time, from cold to laying stripes; • The Hog Melter system has a steady stream of hot oil going through the melter, which melts the plastic all over – not just from the bottom, as with traditional melters. This means thermoplastic can be melted quickly, resulting in higher productivity. The Rumble Hog can perform three pavement marking removal functions using one rear-mounted cutting unit. It grinds pavement markings, cuts grooves and cuts rumble strips using only one machine, operated by one person.

A new, walk-behind tool

The HT1000SR Ground Hog is a new Hog tool. It is a walk-behind, self-rotating, 40,000psi surface cleaner with speed control. Using no hydraulics and weighing only 122 lb (55kg), the Ground Hog makes it easy to clean up to 1,500ft2 (139m2) per hour. The knob mounted near the operator’s hands makes it easy to control the RPM – the operator simply has to twist the knurled knob. The machine-angled spray bar is balanced, so the Ground Hog is easy to use with reduced vibration. The Ground Hog connects to any Stripe Hog machine or any 40,000psi water pump.

All new Waterblasting Technologies products are tested extensively in the company’s ‘laboratory’ environment. Each product is used in the field for more than 500 hours by Waterblasting Technology technicians, or by contractors who have volunteered to work with the company to improve new products.

By the time a new Waterblasting Technologies product is delivered to the customer, the operator can be assured that most of the glitches that normally accompany new products have already been identified.

Standing behind each Waterblasting Technologies product is an experienced team of customer service specialists ready to help 24/7, and 365 days a year, with the ability to get translators in a matter of moments for 175 languages. When a spare part is needed, the customer service department carries over US$3m (€2.6m) in its inventory. The goal of the customer support team is to ship 98% of parts orders in full on the same day that the order is placed to minimize customers’ downtime.

The products built by Waterblasting Technologies are rugged, field tested and proven by contractors all over the world to be among the best machines available on the market. n

The Rumble Hog pictured (above) is fitted to a Ford F-750 single cab chassis for a North American application. However, the Rumble Hog can also be fitted to a locally sourced chassis, as long as it meets the necessary engineering specifications