EEM speaks to Dynapac CEA’s Ralf Peter to learn what makes Dynapac’s paving products the right choice for the Australian market.
If you ever find yourself with a technical question about your Dynapac paver, you would be well advised to reach out to Dynapac CEA’s Ralf Peter – a man who knows paving products like the back of his hand.
“My uncle used to work for a paver company back in Germany, so I’ve been around these machines since I was a little boy,” Ralf says. “It’s in the family.”
Three years ago, Ralf joined Dynapac CEA as National Technical Paving Specialist, where he puts his paving DNA to work supporting the range of Dynapac pavers available to the Australian market.
Ralf is essentially Australia’s go-to Dynapac expert – handling everything from technical support, to training courses, to the commissioning of new products.
“My job is to ensure that our local support continues to get stronger,” he says. “Over the past few years, we’ve been running training courses to upskill more of our own people, so that we can provide more knowledge when it comes to supporting and repairing our machines.”
Ralf says this is especially important in a changing industry such as road construction.
“In Australia, the industry is now looking more towards how they pave in Europe versus how it’s done in the United States,” he says.
He attributes this in part to changing expectations for the longevity of a road, as well as sustainability considerations.
“We’re still seeing a mixture of the two styles of machines, but customers are looking more to the European style high-compaction screeds, getting more compaction and evenness out of their screeds.”
A dynamic range
“We have various machines in our product portfolio, from mini class pavers up to city class and highway class machines for bigger projects,” Ralf says. “All of those products are manufactured in the Dynapac factory in Wardenburg, Germany.
“We also have commercial class pavers for driveways and smaller applications, with a very versatile American-style screed. Those are manufactured in the US by Dynapac USA.
“Various models with electric engines are also available, which are yet to make it to Australia. But we’ve been doing some demos in Europe, and customers have already bought a few of them.”
Dynapac’s range is also supported by range of powerful technological innovations, including the Dyn@link telematics system, as well as MatTracker, an edge-mounted infrared sensor system that automatically regulates the screed’s working width. Ralf says as well as assisting with consistency of joins, MatTracker also offers safety benefits.
“It means nobody needs to stand on that side of the machine where there might be open traffic,” he says. “It helps keep operators out of harm’s way.”
Easy paving
As well as safety, Ralf says Dynapac prides itself on ease of operation compared to similar pavers on the market.
“I think we are very competitive when it comes to operator friendliness,” he says. “It doesn’t take long to explain Dynapac machines to anybody.”
With the current climate of skilled labour shortages in Australia, Ralf says this is a big plus for contractors.
“If an operator has limited experience, it’s nice to have a machine that can explained quickly, and that’s not complicated to operate.”
Additionally, Ralf says CEA’s wide support network and expert staff means Australian Dynapac customers can buy with confidence.
“Our customers expect having someone they can approach and talk to if they have any questions – someone that knows the machines and call follow up quickly if there are any issues,” he says.
While Dynapac machines themselves might be simple to operate, Ralf says the nature of road construction can be quite complex, and being able to offer back-up support from knowledgeable staff is vital.
“They need someone that knows what a paver does and how,” he says. “And who knows exactly where to look and what to do if a customer has a problem.”
For more information, visit: www.dynapaccea.com.au