Fast and Efficient Weed Spray Mixing System
Fast and Efficient Weed Spray Mixing System
Item #: 20260052
Embedded Files
CONTACTS
Implementing Organization: Region Four, Purgatory Maintenance Station
Implementation Lead: Jimmy Low
Development Team: Jimmy Low, Justin Cannon
Article Written By: Quinten Klingonsmith
Innovation Council Liaison: Talon Gadd
Innovation Team Coordinator: Quinten Klingonsmith
STATUS
Implementation Date: January 1, 2023
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: Would your maintenance station benefit from a large weed spray chemical mixing system like this?
APPLIES TO
Topic: Tools
Organization(s): Central Maintenance / Facilities Management, Environmental Division, Equipment Operations, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4
Job Role(s): Mechanics / Equipment, Roadway Operations / IMT, Transportation Technician
Tags: highway transportation, infrastructure preservation, labor productivity, supplies, job satisfaction, occupational safety, expenses, expenditures, inventions, equipment, maintenance, chemical, weed spray, inductor, mixing, brine pump, hopper, environmental quality > pollution > air, noise
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
Mixing herbicides directly in a truck mounted tank is time consuming and requires climbing onto the truck with heavy supplies. It's difficult to mix the chemicals thoroughly and crew members can easily be exposed to hazardous substances.
CHANGE
CHANGE
The Purgatory Shed created a large chemical inductor, powered by their brine pump. Herbicides are fed from the hopper into the flow of water being pumped into the truck tank. (See Innovation 20260053 for information about their permanently mounted truck tank hose.)
Their inductor system leverages the brine pump and hoses already used for winter operations. To these they added a 150 gallon cone bottom tank (hopper), 3 inch control manifold, and fabricated their own hopper stand, complete with casters that allow it to be conveniently rolled where it is needed.
RESULT
RESULT
The new system ensures that herbicides are mixed thoroughly and in the proper ratio of chemical to water. Since the system is closed, the crew’s exposure to hazardous substances is greatly reduced. It is safer because they do not need to climb on the truck to pour in chemicals and route water hoses. This solution costs less than commercially available inductor units and saves time compared with mixing herbicides the previous way.
As an added benefit, running fresh water through the brine pump throughout the summer prolongs the life of the pump by 5-10 years saving the cost of frequent pump replacement.
RELATED INNOVATIONS
RELATED INNOVATIONS
Tank Fill Hose Backflow Preventer (20260053)
Truck Mounted Chemical Inductor (20250012)
Purgatory Shed's Weed Spray Mix System
Chemical mixing tank mounted to their custom frame
Valve detail
IMPACT
IMPACT
BETTER MOBILITY
BETTER MOBILITY
N/A
GOOD HEALTH
GOOD HEALTH
No climbing on trucks
Chemicals are safely handled and contained
CONNECTED COMMUNITIES
CONNECTED COMMUNITIES
N/A
STRONG ECONOMY
STRONG ECONOMY
Chemicals are mixed more efficiently
Truck tanks are filled faster
Brine pumps last 5-10 years longer
EFFICIENCIES
EFFICIENCIES
Anticipated break-even by Mar, 2026 (2 years, 6 months)]
Cost Avoidance: $12,462 over 20 years (Jan 1, 2023 - Jan 1, 2043)*
Labor Avoidance: 9 hours annually*
Benefit/Cost Ratio: 8:1
*Cost and labor avoidance are the average benefits, net of initial and ongoing expenses, projected over the expected life of the innovation. See details.
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