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Causing a stir…….Pondstir is a heavy-duty, shore-based stirrer designed to mix and mix the liquid and solid factions of effluent ponds or storage towers.
The Pondstir from Dannevirke-based Metalform, as its name suggests, is a heavy-duty, shore-based stirrer designed to agitate and incorporate the liquid and solid factions of effluent ponds or storage towers.
The result is a homogenous mix that cna be moved efficiently by effluent pumps or vacuum tankers.
Built extensively from high-grade galvanised steel, the design features a triangular pedestal that is bolted to a concrete pad at the edge of the pond. Cleverly, the unit is supplied with pre-formed ground anchor boxing forms of a 2 cubic metre capacity, needing a flat level site and the obligatory load of around 5 tonnes concrete.
A deep, square-section support tube, of 10 metre or 12.5 metre length, carries a large propeller, surrounded by a heavy-duty shroud, not unlike an empty oil drum with sloping sides. The interaction between the propeller and the shroud is designed to increase the velocity of the liquid, while at the same time creating a vortex that keeps solids in suspension, and helps reduce the build-up of silted areas within the pond.
Depth control and operating angle is achieved using an integral foot at the business-end of the machine, alongside a chain/racket system at the pedestal. As part of the design, the impellor is driven by a 4 or 7.5kW motor housed in a fully sealed unit at the working end, removing the need for a complicated driveline associated with shore-mounted power plants.
The manufacturer suggests that the ease of installation, combined with superior performance and minimal servicing requirements, makes effluent agitation a cost-effective solution on most farms given the $15,000 - $20,000 price tag, depending on specification.
Massey Ferguson has announced a strategic supply partnership with International Tractors Limited (ITL), a manufacturer of low-horsepower and compact tractors, with recognised brands such as Sonalika and Sollis, to expand its portfolio with a new tractor range.
With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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