When you ask David Smith, Head of Product Development for Master Equipment, where the success of their products comes from: he’s quite certain about the answer.
“We are closely connected with our customers. We have always made a point of listening to their ideas and asking for feedback about the challenges they experience. Our goal is to turn this insight into opportunities to innovate. It’s an important part of the Master Equipment formula.”
That formula is simple, effective and helps Master Equipment to deliver equipment that customers choose over and above the other models on the market. So what is the Master Equipment formula for success?
“We combine machines that are smart and easy to use with highly detailed maintenance. The result is that our customers know they can rely on Master Equipment whenever they need it. Whatever the circumstance, Master Equipment is there for them.”
In the spirit of Kiwi innovation, the Master Equipment design team is always looking for better ways to do things. David explains the different ways that product development has been used to achieve better results.
“It starts with simple things, like labelling controls and making sure that the operator of the machine is comfortable and knows what they’re doing. Then there are the innovations that we’ve made so it’s easier to get the best from the machine.”
If you’re looking for examples of these innovations, look no further than the Master Sweeper and the Master Grader. David explains how the Master Sweeper evolved to solve a costly problem for its customers.
“The feedback we got from our customers was that the sweeper brushes on our competitor’s machines were costing a lot to replace. Inexperienced operators didn’t know how hard to push the brush and that could increase the wear dramatically. In some cases the brushes lasted less than 30 hours. Even with a highly skilled operator they were lucky to get close to 50 hours brush time.
Our design team decided to solve the problem. They created a hydraulic system that controls the position of the brush at all times, taking the responsibility out of the hands of the operator. The result has been a shift to over 100 hours operating time per brush. That means less cost for the business owner and also frees up highly skilled operators for more difficult tasks.”
This isn’t the only example of innovation in the Master Sweeper. The Master Sweeper also boasts a dust suppression system that puts water at the operator’s fingertips exactly when they need it, giving them greater control of dust emissions while they’re operating.
The team have also designed a special trailer which makes loading, unloading, and transporting the Master Sweeper easy to manage. The Master Grader also has its own trailer as well as a host of other innovations that have been added by the design team.
“Our Master Grader is a great example of using innovation to make it easier to operate. Traditional Graders operate a two handle system that allows you to adjust the grading blade to get the angle correct to suit the camber of the road. That’s great to start but when you get a build up of material, it’s hard to release it and maintain the angle when you’re still working with two levers.
Our innovation was to add a third, hydraulic lever to the Master Grader. Operators set the angle of the blade with two levers, and then use the third to lift the whole blade during operation to control the build up of material. The result is it’s much easier to use, takes less time to get the job done, and is much more versatile to the job it needs to do.”
These innovations came from listening carefully to Master Equipment customers. David’s proud to have created machines that don’t just make it easier to do the job, they’re also reliable and easier to use.
Delivering reliability requires attention to detail. That means keeping the Master Equipment fleet in full working order at all times. All moving parts are highly maintained, fully functioning and fully greased. If a part needs to be replaced then the aim is to do it before it breaks, rather than letting a repair disrupt the hire schedule.
“We’re really proud to be reliable, versatile and the first choice for many of our customers. Once they experience our products they want to keep enjoying the smart innovations. Our aim is to keep listening to their feedback and ideas, and keep making better Master Equipment machinery.”
If you are interested in hiring Master Equipment, you can find more about the range of machines and accessories available here. If you have ideas or feedback to share with the Product Development team, you can email david@allwayshire.co.nz or call 021 245 1426.