Rolling solutions for harsh environments

CEA has supplied more than 150 Dynapac machines to KEE-Hire’s fleet.

KEE-HIRE’S RANGE OF DYNAPAC PRODUCTS CONTINUES TO GROW, AS DOES THE COMPANY’S STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH DYNAPAC’S NATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS CEA.

Since 2008, KEE Hire, a division of the KEE Group, has been a primary supplier of machinery for business in Western Australia, working across a range of industries from civil and infrastructure to mining.

Founded by brothers Clayton and Damon Spiers, the company has now grown with more than 150 employees across the business. An important aspect of this growth, the brothers say, has been purchasing equipment from the right supplier.

As Damon Spiers recalls, the first piece of machinery the company purchased was a Dynapac.

“The Dynapac CC222 was the very first piece of equipment that I ever purchased, at the beginning of launching KEE Hire,” Spiers says. “So that was one of the first things I ever did with the company, I bought a Dynapac.”

Since then, Spiers says KEE Hire has acquired a full array of Dynapac rollers for compaction of soil and asphalt. KEE Hire’s Dynapac fleet has now grown in excess of 150 units, with a variety of models supporting KEE Hire customers’ every need.

“Our customers require a range of rollers, including single drums, double drums and multi-tyre rollers to cover all compaction applications from soil to asphalt. These machines range from as small as 4 tonne up to 24 tonne, we have the full range,” he says.

THE CC4000C VI COMBI ROLLER KEE Hire’s range of Dynapac rollers also now includes the CC4000C VI Combi Roller. The CC4000C VI falls within the latest, sixth generation of rollers that have recently been released to the market by Dynapac with a unique set of features that will revolutionise spray seal compaction within Australian.

“We are going to be the first ones with the new generation of Combi Roller in Australia, and it is a very specialised machine, designed specifically for spray sealing,” Spiers says. “The unique machine with tyres on the rear and rubber coated drum on the front will first be implemented into our very own surfacing division, KEE Surfacing.”

The Combi Roller, as CEA Product Manager Chris Parkin explains, utilises four rubber tyres at the rear of the machine, replacing what would conventionally be a steel drum. Combined with a rubber coated steel drum on the front, he says the machine provides significant advantages over the conventional use of multi-tyre rollers for spray seal compaction.

“This design helps to minimise the risk of stone damage to the newly laid spray seal surface. The vibrating front drum coated in rubber provides significantly improved compaction performance when compared with a static multi-tyre roller, however the wheels on the rear provide the benefits of a multi-tyre roller creating a smoother finished surface,” explains Parkin.

“The benefits of the Dynapac CC4000C VI don’t stop there, the newest generation products feature an efficient design, which aims to optimise operator comfort, reduce fuel consumption and increase compaction efficiency, all the while bringing compaction quality to a new level,” he adds.

The first, that is the operator comfort, is achieved with the displacing of the machine’s engine, moving it towards the rear of roller. This reduces both the heat and noise for the operator inside the cabin. Vibration levels have also been lowered on the operator’s platform, adding comfort for the user, Parkin explains further.

“This machine is also equipped with the latest in operator’s seat technology which allows the operator to turn the seat and the operator’s console a full 255 degree, meaning the seat can face both directly forward and directly backward. This removes the limitations of a designated forward and backward direction, improving visibility, onsite safety and overall operator comfort,” says Parkin.

“The CC4000C VI also reduces fuel consumption with help from its EcoMode feature. Dynapac’s EcoMode is equipped to a vast array of its products and enables its new models to consume 15 to 20 per cent less fuel than previous products,” he adds.

Spiers says the full range of Dynapac rollers are built tough and reliable, aspects which are both essential when operating machinery in Western Australia.

“The Dynapac machines are being deployed in very harsh conditions in Western Australia, which I believe are some of the harshest in the world. You can get ambient temperatures upwards of 50 degrees Celsius, particularly across the iron ore areas of the state, along with the dust and general ground conditions, it’s a very tough environment,” says Spiers.

“They are solidly built; they are a wordclass machine and they have been deployed in torturous environments. Despite this, they show a high level of reliability and functionality.”

MULTI-LEVEL SUPPORT As Parkin notes, Dynapac’s optional Continuous Compaction Control systems are also available for both the CC and CA Roller models. The feature is a two-level system, which aims to increase the efficiency and accuracy of compaction for the operator.

The first is a compaction meter, the compaction meter uses an accelerometer based sensor mounted to the drum to sense the stiffness of the ground beneath the drum. The machine then provides constant, real-time data to the operator, through the display screen in the roller cabin.

The second level of the system combines the compaction meter with the Dyn@lyzer Tablet and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

“The compaction meter provides constant compaction data to the operator, the GNSS receiver provides the precise position of the roller and the Dyn@lyzer Tablet records and monitors all of this data. The information can be to be reviewed on the run by the operator or by the project management team after completion to aid in quality control,” Parkin explains.

“The two-level system ensures that operator does not compact already completed areas, reduces the risk of over/ under compaction, and provides the information to achieve 100 per cent area coverage. This reduces fuel consumption, compaction costs and machine wear by increasing compaction efficiency,” he adds.

Spiers says that the constant support from CEA has helped to maintain the productivity of KEE Hire’s Dynapac fleet.

“At the end of the day, a roller is a roller. There are several manufacturers that make very good rollers. But what makes the difference is the support behind that, and that support has to be driven from the top down,” he says.

The Spiers brothers add that the level of support and backing that CEA provides has allowed KEE Hire to construct a support network and methodology that is unrivalled in the hire equipment marketplace. This provides KEE Hire’s customers the greatest level of continuity and stability to their ongoing operations.

This support in turn has given KEE Hire the confidence to order additional units to insert into its existing equipment fleet.

“Last year, we placed what could be one of the largest orders for compaction machinery by any single company in the last five years in Australia, which were ordered prior to the impacts of COVID-19,” says Spiers.

“I believe they are a world-class product, which delivers reliable and exceptional outcomes for our customers. Machines can break down, but KEE Hire’s relationship with Dynapac and CEA is so strong because they are highly supportive of our clients across Western Australia.”

Dynapac’s CC4000C VI Combi Roller consumes 15 to 20 per cent less fuel than its predecessors.

Having launched the business with a Dynapac roller, KEE Hire keeps adding additional units to its equipment fleet.