Broughan Engineering Ltd in Tullow, Co. Carlow designs, engineers and manufactures a wide range of high-quality, bespoke agricultural trailers. We spoke to brothers Paul and Patrick Broughan about their recent investments, new innovations and supplying to a growing Irish, UK and overseas market.
These are exciting times for the Broughans who are now exporting their range of high-quality trailers, which includes grain / silage, bale, flat, cattle, dump trailers and low loaders, to Canada as well as to existing customers in the UK, France, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand. 2017 has been an excellent year to date for the successful family-run business which continues to go from strength to strength by offering innovative and unrivalled products at prices farmers can afford.
“We’re embracing new technology all the time,” Paul Broughan explains.
“For example, we’ve recently introduced a new handbrake and breakaway system called Powerbrake-RT, which is supplied to us by another Tullow-based company, Distag QCS. The Powerbrake is a two-in-one combination, agricultural trailer handbrake and break-away mechanism, which can be fitted to both new and existing trailers to comply with 2016 agricultural trailers legislation. It is a purely mechanical system that offers farmers and manufacturers a simple, affordable and safe handbrake and breakaway solution.”
Powerbrake-RT is the most powerful brake on the market, providing three-and-a-half times more pulling force of standard handbrakes. It is designed to achieve a parking brake efficiency of about 16% and a break-away efficiency of above 13.5%. Boasting a simple and robust design, it offers versatile mounting to suit almost any trailer design, can be retro-fitted to any braked trailer or machine and requires little maintenance because of the fact that there are no electronics or hydraulics involved.
According to Paul, spoon hitches are becoming increasingly popular as an optional extra on trailers. “New regulations allow an extra tonne on drawbars which have spoon hitches. There is less wear and hitch damage compared to using traditional towing rings, reducing your operating costs,” he says.
Key features of spoon hitches are: robust, durable and easy to maintain, ensuring a long service life – easy and accessible grease point; smooth confident towing means you can tow at the speeds your tractor was designed for; perfect fit between ball and spoon, thus eliminating rattle for smoother transport of implements; eliminates risk of worn tow rings escaping under the keeper plate, giving you peace of mind; easy and speedy coupling of implement to help you get the job done quickly; ball and spoon are certified and conform to ISO 24347; KBA and VCA approved; no hitch modification required; ideal system for steered trailer attachments.
Chrome rams, which are long-lasting and rust-free, are now supplied as standard on all Broughan trailers. With its combination of high hardness, strength and toughness, Hardox steel has proven itself as the abrasion-resistant steel of choice for extending the service life of equipment, proven by the durability and reliability of Broughan dumper trailers.
Hardox steel can act as a load-carrying part in many applications, due to its unique combination of hardness and toughness. With Hardox wear plate, Broughan dumper trailers have the added benefits of wear-resistance, strong and lightweight, all at the same time.
“Dumper trailer users insist on Hardox because it’s a wear- and abrasion-resistant steel,” continues Paul.
“With the upturn in the construction sector, we have experienced a big increase in the sale of dumper trailers, which range from 14-tonne twin axle to 26-tonne tri-axle. 560/60-22.5 tyres are very popular at the moment, especially on grain and silage trailers.”
About 50% of Broughan’s trailers are now exported, with Canada being their newest market to break into. “We’re exporting to the UK, France, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, and have enquiries coming in from right across Europe. We’re getting our name out there and have over 18,000 likes on our Facebook page,” Paul states.
Broughan Engineering is continually investing in upgrading and sourcing new equipment for its growing business. To be a leader in trailer manufacturing, Paul and Patrick recognise that in order to have a top-quality paint finish, all trailers must be sandblasted prior to entering the spray unit. With this mind, they invested in a new large-scale sandblasting room two years ago. Now, once trailers leave the production area, they enter the blast room where they are blasted using a high-quality steel grit. The blast room is fitted with a state-of-the-art applied blast machine.
Co. Carlow is one of the most prolific agricultural engineering counties in the country and Broughan Engineering is at the heart of it all. The company was established 17 years ago by Paul and Patrick, building upon an engineering legacy started by their father Paddy three decades earlier.
Today’s consumer requirements vary greatly, often requiring a bespoke design approach to suit each buyer, which is a highly-valued attribute of the business. The company motto “where quality comes first” shines through the superior workmanship in every aspect of the finished product.
Patrick concludes by saying: “We design, engineer and manufacture trailers to the highest quality. No other company will give you the same level of service and manufacturing quality that we provide.”
Broughan Engineering Ltd
Coppenagh,
Tullow,
Co. Carlow.
Telephone: 059 9163697
Fax: 059 9163861
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.broughanengineeringltd.com
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 5 No 7, October/November 2017
