Emergency Irrigation Pivot Repairs

Customer: Racecourse Projects

Location: Marwood, QLD

Case Study ID: CS-10

Date: November 2016

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Overview

Racecourse Projects recently engaged Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment’s Mackay “’ Infield Service Crew” to undertake emergency repairs to a damaged Valley Irrigation Centre Pivot Irrigator at their Sugar Cane Farm located in Marwood, QLD.

For over 40 years Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment have been selling & servicing irrigation products throughout Central & Northern Queensland – designing each and every system to improve farming efficiencies, reduce downtime and increase the longevity of pumps/irrigators. As a Company that has built its foundation on the servicing and development of agricultural pumping systems, Dowdens Pumping and Water Treatment have the experience to engineer a solution to suit any agricultural application.

The entire project was overseen and managed by the Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment Mackay Agricultural Sales Team. The Dowdens Team are one of the most experienced Ag sales teams in Australia, with over 125 years of combined irrigation system design and operational experience between them.

The Problem

This project began, like most emergency repair jobs do with an unexpected call from our customer. Racecourse Projects rang the Dowdens Pumping Agricultural Sales Team to inform them a Cane Haul-Out Truck had struck the first span of their Valley Centre Pivot. The pivot was now hanging precariously and needed to be repaired immediately.

The Dowdens – Agricultural Sales Team promptly attended the Marwood site and assessed the pivot. Dowdens advised the pivot needed to be supported or it may have collapsed further. Straightaway the Dowdens ‘Infield Service Crew’ were onsite to elevate and secure the damaged span.

Our Solution

After speaking directly with the manufacturer of the damaged Valley Centre Pivot (Valmont Industries – Australia) Dowdens confirmed with Racecourse Projects there were no suitable spans for that machine currently available anywhere in Australia. This meant repairs needed to be undertaken promptly before the machine potentially collapsed completely – making any further repair work impossible.

Dowdens then promptly engaged a local subcontractor to work alongside the Dowdens “Infield Service Crew” repairing the machine in situ (whilst still suspended in the air). As the repairs had to be effected whilst the machine was still standing, this required coordination between 2 cranes and a telehandler forklift, along with a man box (attached to the all-terrain telehandler) for 2 men to carry out the repairs. All the repairs and commissioning of the irrigator were successfully completed within 2 days of the accident!

Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment Mackay Branch are the sole authorised Valley Irrigation Master Dealers for the Mackay / Whitsunday region enabling access to the best possible pricing and product support, an unmatched range of spare parts & fast-turnaround repairs for all of our customer’s irrigators.

Customer Review

“I just wanted to say thank you to Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment Mackay for the prompt and painless way in which you managed our irrigator repairs. Your coordination between your maintenance team, the contractors and insurance people has been seamless. The way in which this matter was able to be dealt with and resolved so quickly is greatly appreciated.”

George Williams
Operating Partner – Racecourse Projects Pty Ltd