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We first began looking at what options we had when renewing our grounds maintenance contract to see what the industry had to offer. We were drawn to the idea of utilising robotics in line marking and grass cutting to try to improve our fields and environment for our students. I made contact with Marcus and his team who came to site to see if what they had to offer would be suitable for our requirements. This was a very positive meeting and Marcus and the team explained clearly what they do and what they had to offer. This is what we were looking for and decided to push forward with looking more at the idea. We also attended an open morning which displayed exactly what the big mow had to offer for large grass areas and the automate line marker too.
As a high school wee need to keep on top of the line marking across the site. We also need to keep vehicle movement to a minimum during the school day. Having tractors around the field whilst the students are out is not ideal. After discussions with the PE department we came up with a plan for the line marking requirements each term. It was agreed this could all be possible. I sent a spec out and Marcus and the team could meet everything needed.
We have Sam arrive on site every 2 weeks. He sets up the line marker to do it job, then whilst that is at work Sam will head around site and cut the smaller grass areas and other items in the required specs agreed. He will also carry out any maintenance needed to the big mow unit. If I have ever had an issue with the big mow unit I have been able to call either Sam or Marcus and they have talked me through any quick and easy fixes to the unit. The issues are mainly with items on the field not being in the correct place. We have learnt it is very important that if goals are moved, they need to be put back into the no go zone as they are not in the way of the big mow. If there is an adjustment needed to any of the line markings from PE such adding a few squares to a grid or enlarging a pitch slightly. I just ask Sam on the day and it done at the click of a button. I have never had an issue in contacting ground tech and they have always been helpful and responsive to our needs.
In the past our field has been cut by a tractor. This has regularly left clumps of grass across the field. It would also only be cut every 2 weeks, meaning the grass cuttings are long. This has caused us issue in lessons from students unable to fully undertake their sports properly due to clumps and build up of grass. During lunch it also encouraged students to throw the grass at each other and roll around in it on wet days the cutting would get all over their shoes and be walked into the school building causing issue for the cleaning team having extra to clean.
Since we have introduced the big mow robotic mower to school site we have notice huge improvements across all of the areas above. As the unit is on site all the time we are able to mow all our field areas fully every 3 days and cut to a length we are happy with consistently. Doing this allows us to cut at night when no one is on site and we now do not have a tractor driving around the school during the day. As we are cutting regularly the cuttings are very fine and do not clump. The cuttings are so fine that if stuck to a shoe they will be walked off before heading into a building. We can also cut the grass in multiple directions which helps the grass grow better and the trimming that go back into the grass can help with the nitrogen and goodness the soil needs to produce healthy grass. From a PE point of view, when doing sports on a wet field their footwear is not getting wet any more as the grass is cut regularly meaning it doesn’t grow high enough to smart the tops of their feet. Our fields are looking immaculate and ideal for sports. Visiting sports teams have commented highly on how the fields look and play. It has really bought a respect onto fields as they now look like they are cared for and looked after.
Our field ls are in such a better place using robotics compared to traditional services.
We know when we are due a visit as agreed at the start of the contract and this has been the case the majority of the contract so far. If there is going to be a delayed visit, we are informed in plenty of time. This doesn’t mean a missed visit. This is just possibly the next day. The consistency of service and personnel is second to none.
We utilise the line marker on every visit and the accuracy is amazing. Sam will ask it to re mark a pitch and the marker will be pin point every time with what it did last time. At no point has it tried to mark just off what was already there. It is so precise it is astonishing. The quality of the lines is amazing and the straightness is something you can never achieve with manual marking. The time saved in robotic marking has meant Sam is able to do a few other things to whilst the unit is at work.
We would highly recommend the use of robotics in the educational environment for the benefits it brings compared to traditional manual activities. The results are outstanding and has improved our site no end and the facilities we offer our students. Working with Ground Tech has been a very simple and easy process and would highly recommend them for delivering such a service to anyone wanting to improve the look, condition and environment of their surroundings.
When you choose GroundTech, you not only receive access to the most innovative robotics on the market, you benefit from over 20 years of expertise in the grounds maintenance industry. That’s the GroundTech Difference.