PUTZMEISTER SA UPGRADE PAINT-PLANT
Hurricane Equipment has completed a major paint-plant overhaul for Putzmeister’s Sub-Saharan Africa branch, installing two advanced spray booths and a purpose-built paint room to modernise the entire refinishing process. The upgrade brings the facility much closer to what you’d expect in a high-end collision repair shop – only on a scale built for heavy construction machinery.
Putzmeister is a global manufacturer known for its heavy-duty concrete pumps, mixers, batching plants, and other material-handling equipment. These machines work in tough outdoor conditions, so their paint coatings are not just for looks – they protect the metal from rust, wear, and harsh weather. A strong, long-lasting finish helps the equipment stay reliable on construction, mining, and industrial sites.
The South African division supplies a wide range of products, from small trailer-mounted mortar pumps to large truck-mounted concrete pumps with impressive reach and manoeuvrability. The company also imports concrete transit mixers from Germany and offers fully galvanised wet and dry batching plants. On top of that, they supply truck-mounted telescopic belt conveyors. As the construction industry evolves, Putzmeister continues to focus on innovation, sustainability, and delivering high-quality equipment for major infrastructure and mining projects across the region.
Recognising this, Putzmeister partnered with Hurricane Equipment to completely revamp their paint operations. The centrepiece of the upgrade is the installation of two new spray booths designed with the same airflow, lighting, and contamination-control standards commonly used in top-tier automotive body shops. These booths use balanced downdraft airflow to pull overspray away from the work surface, helping painters achieve cleaner finishes with fewer defects. The improved lighting and controlled bake cycles also ensure that coatings cure properly, reducing rework and improving overall finish quality.
Alongside the spray booths, Hurricane Equipment installed a dedicated paint-mixing room – an essential element in any modern refinishing environment. Much like in the collision repair industry, a paint room provides a clean, ventilated space where technicians can safely store, mix, and tint coatings without contamination or fumes spreading through the shop. This not only improves accuracy in colour matching but also enhances safety and compliance.
The entire workflow of the paint plant was reorganised to mirror an efficient collision-repair layout: surface prep, masking, spraying, baking, and final inspection all follow a clear, linear process. This reduces bottlenecks, cuts down on unnecessary movement of equipment, and strengthens quality control throughout the refinishing cycle.
Ventilation and filtration systems were also upgraded, improving air quality for technicians and ensuring overspray is properly captured. The energy-efficient bake features within the new booths further reduce operating costs – a key consideration for any high-volume coating operation.
Ultimately, the revamp gives Putzmeister a modern, reliable and far more productive paint facility. With cleaner finishes, better corrosion protection, and faster turnaround times, the company is now better equipped to support growing demand across the Sub-Saharan region – while maintaining the durability and quality their machines are known for.
Story and pics by Jay Groat
