INTERNATIONAL
Turbine Conversions and Zanoni Equipamentos Atomizer Testing at the Pesticide Application Technology Lab, University of Nebraska North Platte by Ann Hatfield - Grahek
Left: PAT team L to R - Manager Jeff Golus, Director Dr. Greg Kruger, Supervisor Barbara Vukoja. Center: 2nd option of wind tunnel PAC facility. Right: PAT manager Jeff Golus preparing the wind tunnel.
A 22 | agairupdate.com
Turbine Conversions, Ltd (TCL) partnered with Zanoni Equipamentos in 2019, the Brazilian leader in spray system production, to represent their line of stainless steel dispersal equipment in North America. “Zanoni Equipamentos is a family run business built on innovative, quality products, it was logical we form a partnership.” commented Bill Hatfield President TCL. “The past 30 years I have brought innovative new options to our ag aviation partners. I was impressed with the manufacturing quality of Zanoni and knew it would be another way we could support our partners in the industry. Mark Grahek, is taking the lead on this new product line. His experience with Hatfield Spraying and Turbine Conversions for the past 20+ years makes him the right man for the job.” Mark Grahek shared, “After speaking with operators at both the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo in Orlando & the 2020 Canadian AAA Convention
in Victoria, British Columbia, there was definitely interest in the Zanoni atomizer. We had tremendous positive feedback from operators that worked the atomizers during the 2020 season for mosquito control in North Carolina and Louisiana. But we wanted some empirical data that supported the testimonies. This data would assist in having the Zanoni atomizer be added as acceptable equipment in the Canadian and American forestry program’s RFQs.” Mark had heard about the wind tunnel at the Pesticide Application Technology Lab (PAT) located at the University of Nebraska North Platte and decided to arrange testing on the atomizers. To obtain data required, Mark reached out to PAT director Dr. Greg Kruger to discuss the possibility of Turbine Conversions testing the Zanoni Atomizer in their wind tunnel. After several conference calls between Dr. Greg Kruger., Lucas Zanoni and Mark Grahek to set up the protocol, arrange for equipment donations (the atomizer being tested
