FleetWatch News

The latest network news direct from FleetWatch

INDUSTRY INSIGHT: McPhee Mixers

Established by William McPhee in 1971 as a family business the company quickly developed a niche market for Concrete Mixers. Today they are still family run, have a skilled and dedicated work force of 80 people and have a long and enviable record of success within the engineering industry.

The forefront of their passion within the concrete mixer world is their creativity and forward thinking and always with an eye on continuous improvement.

Over recent years McPhee Mixers have been working with key industry partners to create their patented maxi-hatch drum entry system that has been a hit with health and safety within the market, in fact picking up industry awards. In addition safety feature improvements with the ladder design and on-site wash out systems are just a few of the innovations that keep McPhee at the top of the game.

Based in Blantyre, near Glasgow, they have all the facilities to manufacture an industry leading product and that includes the paint finish.

Following investments in the spray booth and blasting facilities a few years ago the quality of the paint finish is second to none in the industry. Brinsley McFarlane, Managing Director, quotes simply, “Our painters have a pride in their mixer, it’s the only product they paint and their knowledge of that product is second to none” and this has to be a fact.

McPhee Mixers are part of the PPG Industries Fleet Livery Management network and they provide the painting skills in line with the paint and livery specifications drawn up by PPG in consultation with their clients. David Holden, PPG’s Fleet Livery Management Development Manager responds to Brinsley’s claim, “I totally agree with Brinsley as he has the ability to paint the mixer in component form before assembly, thus giving greater protection to the many awkward areas around such a complex machine”

The latest scheme they have worked on has been the introduction of the new lightweight 8m concrete mixer drum that has proven to be a success for Hanson Heidelberg as pictured above. This drum has been developed to enable the carrying of a bigger pay loadmaking each delivery more profitable, but design changes have also meant that PPG have had to be involved.

A new paint and livery document was designed following discussions and trials with the operating company to ensure that the painting and corporate livery was fitted in a way that it maintained the corporate rules but also led to a simplistic application in practise.

Posted on: Jan 17, 2017