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ShoulderMaster attachment turns skid steers into road pavers

The ShoulderMaster, an Aussie developed and made road widening and repair attachment for skid steer loaders, has been officially launched at a Sydney event attended by members of parliament, council representatives, machinery dealers and road safety representatives.

The machinery was developed by Wauchope, NSW-based road maintenance contracting company Stabilcorp and is being manufactured by Total Manufacturing Services in Newcastle.

ShoulderMaster managing director Peta Pinson says the product allows for quicker and more cost-effective repairs to be made to dangerous, narrow roads and crumbling edges, enabling councils and private businesses to save money, cut repair time, minimise disruption to traffic and reduce fuel consumption.

“A report to the Federal Government in May 2015 identified that half of crashes on regional roads are single-vehicle run off road crashes, which have been attributed to dangerous or unsealed road shoulders,” Pinson says.

“The report indicated that by adding just one extra metre of gravel or asphalt to the shoulder of the road decreases the potential for runoffs by 30 percent.”

The ShoulderMaster is made to widen road shoulders from 0.5m to 1.5m wide, to a depth of 300mm, and incorporate grades of up to 5 percent. It can complete 400m of road shoulder repairs per hour, at 1m wide and 150mm deep.

The makers say that only the damaged area of road is excavated, a large hopper delivers granular or asphalt material to the road area and the paver provides a neat edge and smooth surface in one pass.

Operations are remote controlled meaning onsite supervisors can operate the machine outside the exclusion zone.

The ShoulderMaster won the Innovation Award at the Civenex expo earlier this year, and has already completed works for Lend Lease and Ferrovail Agroman on the Pacific Highway upgrade, for RMS Hunter on the New England Highway, for Port Stephens Council and for Kempsey Shire Council.

“Council is impressed with how clean and tidy the whole operation is, leaving an upgraded shoulder that can be trafficked on at the end of the day,” Kempsey Shire Council engineering works manager Tony Green says.

The first ShoulderMaster off the production line was unveiled at last month’s launch event by NSW regional development, skills and small business minister John Barilaro.

“This is a fantastic initiative that will ensure our roads are safer for families, businesses and residents to use,” he says. “We want to encourage more innovation excellence in NSW that will continue delivering the business confidence and a strong economy.”

For more information call (02) 6585 2519 or visit www.shouldermaster.com.au 

Click here to find skid steers for sale.

 

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