{"id":29390,"date":"2023-06-01T18:59:08","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T08:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/?p=29390"},"modified":"2023-12-14T12:00:45","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T01:00:45","slug":"my-favourite-product-spray-rig","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/pest-control-equipment\/my-favourite-product-spray-rig\/","title":{"rendered":"My Favourite Product: Spray Rig"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this feature, Agserv business consultant Andy Knox invites a pest control professional to talk about their favourite product. Here, he talks to Michael Shaw from MHF Termite Barriers.<\/em> <\/p>\n

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Shaw<\/strong> (pictured above) has been in the pest control industry in Australia for just under 40 years. He spent some time in the distribution channel and has owned and managed a couple of pest control businesses. Several of his current staff have followed him along the journey from local business (Safeguard Termite Barriers) to being purchased by a major international company and back into his own business \u2013 MHF Termite Barriers.<\/p>\n

Mr Shaw currently employs nine technicians; two focusing on termite inspections and the remainder working in pre-construction.<\/p>\n

His business is more than 90% pre-con, regularly focusing on concrete curing. Concrete curing is the process of maintaining adequate moisture in concrete within a proper temperature range in order to aid cement hydration at early ages. The addition of PVA glue by spray application accelerates this process, cutting curing times for the builder from three weeks down to seven days. The glue is applied using the same equipment used for pre-construction termiticides, but it can be damaging to the equipment \u2013 particularly petrol driven pumps. Given the amount of concrete curing Mr Shaw\u2019s team undertakes, he needed a rig that made minimal noise so that his staff could work longer hours, as well as one that could withstand potential damage caused by curing compounds.<\/p>\n

Mr Shaw approached John Rutledge<\/strong> of Agserv<\/a> to help him find a solution. Mr Rutledge has been developing and building spray rigs for more than 15 years and he puts together 40-50 units per year designed specifically to customer specifications, taking into account performance requirements and available space.<\/p>\n

Mr Shaw asked if he could build a 12-volt, electric motor-based, quiet but effective unit. He needed something that could run all day as current petrol-driven motors tend to be somewhat noisy, limiting the times when they can be used. He also wanted the unit to be able to run while his vehicles were closed up.<\/p>\n

Mr Rutledge put his thinking cap on and came up with the concept of dual electric pumps running in parallel, which would increase flow rate while maintaining pressure. The system he built delivers 14 L per minute while standard petrol pumps deliver about 10 L. Also costs are significantly reduced \u2013 both with the pumps themselves, and with maintenance and running costs. The electric diaphragm pump does not generate heat like a petrol driven pump, so the curing compound does not start to set in the pump.<\/p>\n

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