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Mix Up Concrete knows that to secure a steady supply of concrete to its customers, having the right machinery – efficient and reliable – is an essential part of its operation, and Porter Group came up trumps.
Mix Up Concrete is a relatively new name in the Tauranga construction market, but is made up of some familiar faces. It was established in September last year by Kyle O’Brian, owner of Base Up Concrete Construction, in a 50:50 partnership with HR Cement.
Mix Up has taken over the plant and staff of Bridgman Concrete, and is operating out of the old Bridgman site in Greerton while a brand new facility is built in Tauriko. The new facility will be capable of producing 80 cubic metres of concrete an hour.
The sister company has been set up to ensure a guaranteed concrete supply to Base Up, which is very busy in the current construction market in Tauranga. Mix Up manager Craig Ward says there is a lot of residential and commercial construction underway in the city, as well as several retirement villages being built too.
“Things are very buoyant, we’re very busy.”
As part of the transformation from old to new businesses and old to new premises, Mix Up bought a brand new Hyundai loader from the Porter Group to feed the plant.
“Kyle is big on investing money into the business,” says Craig. “Production has almost tripled in the past year and the previous loader was a bit tired – it was at least 15 years old and quite slow. “We only have one loader on site and it’s an important part of the operation – if it breaks we have to load the hopper with a shovel!”
The Hyundai HL740-9 loader is used to load concrete aggregate into the batch weigh hopper. Craig likens making concrete to baking a cake, where the recipe must be followed precisely to ensure the right outcome. Craig says the loader is responsible for putting an accurate amount of each ‘ingredient’ into the mix.
Craig chose Hyundai from the Porter Group for the job as he says he has had a lot of experience with the brand and the supplier and is very comfortable with them both.
“We looked at a few different brands, of course, but we only have one loader in our operation so it needs to do its job well and reliably.
“We’ve had the HL740-9 since February and its performance has been excellent. The machine has all the bells and whistles – air conditioning, stereo, a fully-adjustable seat, and the controls are very subtle. It’s a very nice machine.”
Operator comfort is a priority for Hyundai. The manufacturer redesigned the loader cab with rounded front glass and larger door glass to improve visibility. Hyundai says special attention was given to a clean, open and convenient interior with plenty of visibility on the machine surroundings and the job at hand.
“This well-balanced combination of cab ergonomics puts the operator in the perfect position to work safely and securely.”
The climate control system is fully automatic, and will keep the operator pleasantly cool over the coming summer months. The airconditioning has 11 air vents for optimum temperature control.Making loading easier, the HL740-9 has an integrated load weight system, viewable through the 5.7” LCD colour monitor.
The operator can adjust boom kick-out and bucket position via switches overhead while monitoring the adjustment settings through the monitor. Self-diagnostics, colour rear-view camera, maintenance check lists, and start-up machine security, were integrated into the monitor, which Hyundai says makes the machine more versatile and the operator more productive.
The monitor display unit is mounted on an adjustable swivel mount to reduce glare and can be positioned according to operator preference.
Maintenance and servicing is made simpler with easy access – the engine fan is integrated into the rear door which swings open to over 45 degrees, while the coolant and transmission oil site gauges are conveniently located to make checking fluid levels fast and efficient.
Ground-line access to fuel and oil filters, grease fittings, fuses, and machine computer components, along with wide open compartments makes service more convenient on the 9 series. Not that this is an issue for Mix Up Concrete: As they have purchased the machine new from Porters, regular servicing and maintenance is all part of the package.
“And Porters are very professional to deal with,” adds Craig.
“They know what they’re talking about.”
Written by Mary Searle Bell