In an Australian first, an Autonomous Mowing Robot is doing service with contractor Green by Nature, and by all accounts, it’s a raging success.
Green by Nature is a big outfit handling a huge range of landscaping and horticulture works and maintenance contracts. As the company’s website points out, Green by Nature is ‘…Australasia’s most award-winning landscape-services’ business, with experience spanning education, government, commercial, residential, stadiums, sports and events.’
One of Green by Nature’s responsibilities is the care and maintenance of 305 hectares of carefully maintained grounds at Essendon Fields in Victoria, and it’s a big commitment.
The work is overseen by Contract Manager Adam Strathairn, and it’d be hard to imagine chatting to a happier bloke.
Aussie first
“Green by Nature is probably one of the largest landscape and construction businesses across Australia and New Zealand,” he told Landscape Contractor magazine. “I look after Essendon Fields with about 12 staff on the ground. It’s a mix of what we call ‘fine turf’, which is cylinder mowing, right through to zero turns and some paddock slashing and so forth.”
After eight years with Green by Nature Adam was now overseeing the dawn of a new era for both the company and property maintenance in Australia as he put a new Autonomous Mowing Robot (AMR) to work.
US built
RC Mowers manufactures premium robotic mowers, both autonomous and remote operated, all built in the USA with commonly used and widely available service items, enabling efficient local parts availability and serviceability.
The features of the AMR A-60 include:
• Kawasaki FX 730, 23.5HP engine
• Hydro-Gear ZT-3200 transmission
• 18 litre fuel tank
• Mows 1.5 acres to 2.2 acres per hour
• Controlled by a simple easy-to-use app
• The most advanced autonomy technology and safety systems
• One operator can manage up to three machines, and
• Mowing plans can be saved and real-time feedback given for each job.
Why?
The move to autonomous mowing was prompted by problems during the COVID crisis, as Adam explained.
“It was very difficult to get staff during that time,” he said thoughtfully.
“When it’s difficult to recruit staff and you still have to mow lawns, you have to think outside the box to get the work done.”
At that time the only autonomous mowers available were the smaller units which couldn’t cope with the level of work Adam and Green by Nature needed. The research continued though, and everyone became ‘very excited’ when Colbrook Industries announced the availability of the RC Mowers AMR range.
“We attended a demonstration and then did a feasibility study,” beamed Adam.
Green by Nature must’ve been impressed, because the AMR A-60’s been at work for over a month and Adam couldn’t be happier.
“Essentially the benefit is, during peak growing periods in the past, we would have to pull staff away from other tasks to keep up with the mowing. We were either moving people off other jobs or paying overtime.
“With this machine we don’t need to do that. This mower does the mowing while the crew does detailing – the edging, blowing and whipper-snipping.”
Efficient
Adam went on to explain the A-60 had arrived before the peak growing season, which has given Green by Nature time to learn about the machine. So far it’s all been positive.
“We’re running it at about 1.6 acres per hour,” he chuckled, as though it was amusing for the machine to be working such a light schedule. “In peak times, instead of reallocating staff from other tasks to the mowing, we’ll be able to continue to run a one-man crew. Outside peak growing times the extra personnel will be able to focus on detailing, resetting garden edges and so forth. They’ll actually have time to do those
tasks.”
And how has it been dealing with Colbrook?
“Colbrook are very good,” said Adam, with a clearly satisfied look.
“Setting up demos has been no problem, the service is exceptional, and Colbrook always answers the phone straight up. The staff always have an answer, or they come back to us very quickly with an answer.
For more information on RC Mowers check out colbrookindustries.com.au.