Choosing, using and maintaining the machines
How to choose the right machine, use it and keep it running. Figures and advice about the machines are taken from the manufacturers' own data sheets and operating manuals.
Road maintenance
AHEAD: camera and laser read the road ahead of salt trucks
AHEAD is Klimator's sensor system: a laser sensor, a camera and software that read the road conditions in the lane ahead of a moving vehicle in real time.
Read the guideBM Smartbox and BM System: logging from plough and spreader
BM System is a Swedish software company in Uppsala that makes BM Road Service System, a management system for the operation and maintenance of streets and roads.
Read the guideElectric sweepers: models, battery, charging and noise
What matters with an electric sweeper is not what it can sweep — it is where and how quickly it can be charged.
Read the guideElectric spreaders for pickups, trucks and ATVs
The electric spreaders in this guide are driven by a 12 V electric motor (the largest models also come in 24 V) and are mounted on the load bed or the three-point linkage.
Read the guideFixed sand: when sand should freeze onto the road surface
Fixed sand is sand mixed with water at 95 °C as it is spread, so that it freezes onto the road surface instead of lying loose on top.
Read the guideRoad sweeper with a 2 or 5.6 m³ hopper: which is right?
Short answer: choose the hopper based on the distance to the emptying point and the space you will be sweeping in, not just the amount to be swept.
Read the guideMulti-storey car park sweepers: height, width, turning space
Short answer: in a multi-storey car park, height is the first filter, then width and turning space.
Read the guideGPS-controlled gritting: route, rate and width by position
In GPS-controlled gritting the route is programmed in advance, and the control system adjusts the rate, width and symmetry automatically as it goes.
Read the guideWalk-behind sweepers: when is a small brush sweeper enough?
Short answer: a walk-behind brush sweeper is enough when the area can be measured in square metres per hour, when the dirt can be swept aside or into a collector, and when no one requires the dust to be captured.
Read the guideKlimator and Saltera: road weather forecasts, salt control
Klimator is a Swedish software company that produces road weather forecasts and decision support for winter maintenance.
Read the guideForecast-based gritting: from forecast to route and spreader
In forecast-controlled gritting, forecasts of weather and road conditions are used to decide how much to spread where, and the rate is sent as a control file to the spreader along a pre-programmed…
Read the guideSnow blowers on wheel loaders: width, power and tipping load
A Zaugg Monoblock is a snow blower with its own engine that is mounted on a wheel loader. This means there are two machines that have to match, not one — and the wheel loader must meet Zaugg's…
Read the guideSpreaders for tractors: three-point, trailed, bucket or disc
Choose according to what the tractor can handle and how wide you need to spread. Three-point spreaders and spreader buckets hang on the linkage, trailed spreaders run on their own wheels, and a disc spreader throws…
Read the guideGritting with a forklift, compact machine or wheelbarrow
Choose according to the machine you already have. For pavements and walkways, the K-60 wheelbarrow spreader is enough.
Read the guideGrit bins: what size, and where should they go?
Short answer: choose the bin based on how much sand will be taken between refills and how much space it will have.
Read the guideDust suppression on sweepers: water, recycling and filters
Short answer: a suction sweeper suppresses dust both where the brushes stir it up and where the material is sucked in — with water nozzles at the brushes, and with water and filters in the suction system.
Read the guideVaisala for winter roads: weather stations, MD30, forecasts
Vaisala is a Finnish company that makes measuring equipment and forecasts for road weather. In winter maintenance the equipment comes into play in three places: fixed road weather stations with sensors in and beside the carriageway,…
Read the guideHot-water salting: how salt wetted with hot water works
In hot-water salting the salt is wetted with water at 95 °C at the moment it is spread. According to Falköping, heating the wetting water gives a faster and greater effect, a larger…
Read the guideChoosing a sweeper: brush sweeper or suction road sweeper?
Sweepers fall into two families, and the choice between them is almost always decided by one question: should the machine only brush away loose material, or should it also suck it up and transport…
Read the guideChoosing a spreader for sand and salt
Three things decide which spreader to choose, in this order: what it will be mounted on, how far it has to go between refills, and whether you spread sand, salt or both.
Read the guideWinter maintenance: dry salt, pre-wetted salt or brine?
The three methods solve different problems, and the equipment differs. In short: dry salt is simplest, pre-wetted salt stays in place better, and brine is applied before the snow arrives.
Read the guideConstruction and concrete
Floor screeding: hand screed, vibrating screed or bridge?
All three do the same thing — they vibrate and strike off the surface so the concrete is level — but they cover completely different widths.
Read the guidePlacing screed with compressed air: Apemat or Transmat
Apemat and Transmat mix the screed in a pressure vessel and blow it through the hose with compressed air, one batch at a time.
Read the guideFloor grinders: width, grinding pressure and power supply
Three figures decide which floor grinder is right: how wide it is, how hard it presses on the floor, and what kind of power supply you have on site.
Read the guideHeadlamps underground: lux, burn time and emergency reserve
Two figures are usually given for a headlamp, and they answer different questions. Lumens tell you how much light the lamp gives off in total.
Read the guideGrouting plants: mixer, agitator and pump
A grouting plant is three machines in a row, and each has one task. The mixer makes the grout, the agitator keeps it moving until it is needed, and the pump provides the pressure that…
Read the guideGrout pumps: pressure versus flow
With a piston pump you can have high pressure or high flow, but not both at the same time. The motor is the same; what changes is the piston diameter.
Read the guideConcrete spraying and plastering: how much compressor air?
Look at the air flow, and look at the pressure it is stated at. The data sheets state the air requirement in different ways: some machines have a built-in compressor, some state how large…
Read the guideMachine plastering: from bag or silo to finished wall
Machine plastering is a chain: the dry mortar has to reach the machine, be mixed with the right amount of water, be pumped through the hose and be sprayed onto the wall.
Read the guideMechanical poker vibrators: drive unit, shaft and poker head
A mechanical poker vibrator — a concrete vibrator with a flexible shaft — has the motor in a portable drive unit, and the shaft transmits the motion from the motor down to the poker head in the concrete, where an…
Read the guideMortar silo or big bag?
The dry mortar has to reach the pump, and there are two ways to do it: a silo filled with bulk material, or a bag emptier that takes big bags.
Read the guideShotcrete without scaffolding: excavator, rig or tracks
If the shotcrete has to go high up or far in, the nozzle can sit on a remote-controlled arm instead of in the hands of an operator in a lift.
Read the guideShotcrete: the difference between the dry and wet methods
The difference lies in when the water is added. In dry-mix spraying the dry mix goes through the hose and only meets the water at the nozzle.
Read the guideStationary concrete pumps: when the pump truck cannot get in
A stationary concrete pump stands on the ground and pushes the concrete through pipes and hose to the pour location.
Read the guidePoker vibrators: diameter, capacity and frequency converter
Two choices have to be made: how thick the poker should be, and how it will be powered. The diameter follows from how tight the spacing is between the reinforcement bars and how much concrete is to be vibrated;…
Read the guidePower on site: 1-phase, 3-phase and rated current
The power in kilowatts tells you what the machine delivers. The rated current in amperes tells you whether it can run where you are.
Read the guideConcrete dust extractors: why they match the grinder
The dust collector for a floor grinder is not just whatever vacuum you have to hand. It is sized to the machine, and the product pages and the dust extractors' data sheets state which one belongs…
Read the guideChoosing a power trowel: 600, 750 or 950 mm pan?
The diameter of the float pan decides two things at once: how quickly you get across the floor, and how close to the edge you get. It is rarely the same machine that is best at both.
Read the guideChoosing a mortar pump: capacity, pressure, aggregate size
Three figures decide whether a pump can do your job, and they must all be right at the same time: how much material it moves per minute, how far and how high it can push it, and how coarse…
Read the guideVibration and noise: the figures in the data sheet
Two kinds of figures appear in the data sheets: hand-arm vibration in m/s², and noise in decibels. Both are stated according to set methods, but the methods are not the same from machine to machine — and…
Read the guideRail
Annular cutters for rails: diameter, depth and shank
An annular cutter cuts out a ring and leaves a core, instead of grinding the whole hole into swarf like a twist drill.
Read the guideAnnular cutting in steel: speed, feed and cutting fluid
An annular cutter that burns or breaks has more often been used wrongly than made wrongly. Three things decide the result: that the speed suits the diameter and material, that the feed pressure is right, and that…
Read the guideMagnetic drills for twist drills, tapping and countersinking
Most magnetic drilling machines can be used for more than annular cutters, but not all. Three things decide it: what the spindle accepts, whether the machine can run slowly enough, and whether it can run in reverse.
Read the guideMagnetic drilling machines: which model suits the job?
Choose a magnetic drilling machine based on the largest hole you need to drill and the power supply available where the work takes place.
Read the guideMagnetic drill holding force: thin material, pipes, clamping
The magnetic force decides whether the machine stays still while the cutter cuts. The figure in the data sheet applies under good conditions, and in practice it is the material under the machine that determines how much of…
Read the guideSnow clearing on railways: blower, plough or brush
Snow on the track is cleared with three different implements, and they do not do the same thing. The plough pushes the snow aside. The blower picks it up and throws it away.
Read the guideIndustry
Compressors: litres per minute, pressure and tank size
Size the compressor to the air consumption – litres per minute – at the pressure the equipment needs.
Read the guideAir motor or electric motor: speed, torque, air consumption
Choose an air motor when an electric motor is impractical or undesirable: where there must be no sparks, where the motor is to be started, stopped and reversed often, or where it has to withstand heat and moisture.
Read the guideOil-lubricated or oil-free compressor?
The answer depends on what the air will be used for, not on what is most modern. An oil-free compressor gives air without oil residues — and that is crucial in some applications and irrelevant in…
Read the guideLow-noise compressors for laboratories and clinics
In a laboratory, a dental surgery or a room where people sit and work, the sound level is what decides whether a compressor can be there at all.
Read the guideChoosing a vacuum pump: rotary vane, diaphragm or blower?
Vacuum is judged on two things: how deep it is drawn, and how much air is moved to get there. The technologies in the Gast range each have their own place in that picture.
Read the guideParts and service
Find the right part number: rating plate and parts list
The part number is in the spare parts list for the machine. From the rating plate you need the model designation and the serial number, because the lists can distinguish between models and between machines…
Read the guideGast vacuum pumps and blowers: filters, vanes and inspection
Check the filters after the first 500 operating hours on Gast's regenerative blowers and oil-free piston pumps, and use that to decide how often to check them from then on.
Read the guideHow often to service? Operating hours, calendar and season
Follow the operating manual for your machine, and take into account how often and where the machine is used.
Read the guideChisels for stone: the shank must fit the hammer
When a chisel is to be replaced, it is not the tip that decides whether the part fits. It is the shank — the end that sits in the hammer.
Read the guideWhen the machine stops: support, on-call phone and workshop
Call technical support on +47 900 44 148 during the day. Outside opening hours the on-call phone answers on +47 488 82 040, Monday–Friday from 15:30 to 08:00 and at weekends.
Read the guideGenuine or non-genuine parts: what the manufacturers say
The manufacturers do not say the same thing, so start with the operating manual for your machine. Swepac writes in the manuals for several poker vibrators and power trowels that you should always…
Read the guideCleaning a road sweeper: hopper, screens, water tank and fan
A suction road sweeper is cleaned where the dirt collects: in the hopper, on the screens, in the water tank and around the fan.
Read the guideExpert and annual inspection: requirements, deadlines, scope
Employers must ensure regular inspection of all work equipment used by employees and hired-in workers. Certain types of equipment must also undergo expert inspection every 12 months.
Read the guideBrine in the spreader: flushing, antifreeze and draining
Empty the liquid tank after use and flush the liquid system clean with the fluid specified in the operating manual for the model: the combination spreaders are flushed with water mixed with antifreeze, and the FC 500-2000 with…
Read the guideRoad sweeper servicing: intervals, lubrication, wear parts
Bucher states the service interval in operating hours: 500 hours on the C202 and CityCat V20, and 1 000 hours on the electric CityCat V20e.
Read the guideService in the workshop or at your site: which is right?
We carry out servicing both in the workshop at Frogner and at the customer's site. Larger jobs are done in the workshop, while our service technicians have their own vans and cover the whole country from Oslo and…
Read the guideService agreements for machines: what you should clarify
A service agreement is a fixed agreement with scheduled maintenance. Before it is signed, you should clarify which machines it covers, what is included, where the work is done and how it…
Read the guideHow to order spare parts: business area and details
Send the parts order to parts sales for the business area the machine belongs to: Road maintenance, Construction and concrete, Rail or Industry.
Read the guideGrinding segments: choose the bond opposite to the concrete
The rule may seem back to front: hard concrete should be ground with a soft bond, and soft concrete with a hard one. Get it the wrong way round and the segment either stops cutting or wears out too quickly.
Read the guideSnow blowers before winter: overhaul, overload guard, parts
Zaugg's summer overhaul of snow blowers covers cleaning, corrosion protection, lubrication, oil change, maintenance of the overload protection and inspection of the wear parts.
Read the guideStator and rotor: the wear part in a screw pump
In a progressing cavity pump a steel rotor turns inside a rubber stator. Everything the pump does happens where the two meet, and that is also where the wear occurs.
Read the guideCaring for annular cutters: blunt edges, pilot pin and swarf
An annular cutter that is blunt, worn, chipped or incorrectly sharpened must be resharpened or replaced.
Read the guideFloor grinder dust extractors: filters, cyclone, maintenance
A dust extractor for concrete grinding is kept in good order with clean filters, an unblocked cyclone and hose, and an undamaged power cable.
Read the guidePower trowel maintenance: oil, V-belt and blades
On a petrol power trowel, fuel, oil level and leaks are checked every day, and the air filter at least every working week.
Read the guideFloor grinder maintenance: daily checks and wear parts
Daily maintenance of the Husqvarna PG 280, PG 400 and PG 450 consists of cleaning the machine and checking the power cable, the brush skirt and the tool holder.
Read the guideJun-Air compressor maintenance: oil, condensate and filters
On Jun-Air's oil-lubricated compressors, the oil level, the condensate in the tank, the filters and any leaks must be checked regularly.
Read the guideMagnetic drill maintenance: magnet base, cable and brushes
Check the magnetic base and the machine for damage before every job, and look especially for damage to the power cable.
Read the guidePoker vibrator maintenance: wear, lubrication and cable
On a poker vibrator the housing and the end cap wear, and they are replaced when the minimum dimension in the wear table is reached.
Read the guideSpreader maintenance: after use, weekly and annually
Empty and clean the spreader after every use, go through a checklist every week in the high season and a longer list once a year.
Read the guideVibrating hand screed maintenance: cleaning and engine care
When the pour is finished, fresh concrete must be removed from the profile and the engine of the vibrating hand screed before it sets.
Read the guideWinter storage of machines: water, battery, frost-free room
Before a machine is put away for the winter or is to be stored in the cold, check three things in the operating manual: whether it has liquid that must be drained, what applies to the battery and fuel, and whether it…
Read the guideWille machine bought from Sigurd Stave: service and warranty
If you bought your Wille machine from Sigurd Stave Maskin AS, we will continue to take care of aftermarket services and warranty handling, in accordance with the terms of sale.
Read the guideNeed help choosing the right machine?
Get in touch for advice, prices and availability — we respond quickly.