Latest innovations will benefit UK farmers New products announced by Amazone for 2018 include a 2000-litre rear mounted sprayer with a simple single-lever control valve for error-free operation.

New products displayed and demonstrated to European press by Amazone ahead of their public launch at Agritechnica include cultivators, ploughs, drills, sprayers and spreaders, all of which are likely to prove popular with UK growers. David Williams was at the German event. Of Amazone’s 1,800 employees, a quarter work in the research and development department so it isn’t surprising that a large number of new and updated machines are due to be unveiled later this year. The company began its presentation by explaining that 2017 sales are well up on last year and that 80 percent of its agricultural machinery is exported out of Germany. To meet demand the company has invested heavily in production facilities, including a 24ha green field site in Germany where new building construction started in August.

Spreader options increased One hundred years ago, Amazone produced its first fertiliser spreader and 50 years ago its first twin-disc spreader was sold. Now the company offers a large range of mounted and trailed spreaders with state-of-the-art features to ensure product ends up exactly where needed making the most of expensive crop inputs and

helping protect the environment. New trailed ZG-TS spreaders; the 7501 and 10001 have hopper sizes of 7,500 and 10,000 litres respectively. A new hopper shape provides space for a tight 28-degree steering angle of the running gear wheels. This means that 520mm tyres at 1.8m track width can provide perfect matching to the tractor at maximum steering angle. Controlled through Isobus the steering system can also compensate for side slopes by counter-steering and for transport the wheels lock straight ahead if speed exceeds 25kph. Spreading is by Amazone’s established TS unit, offering spread widths up to 54m and application rates up to 10.8kg/sec or 650kg/min. Adjusting between normal full-width and reduced width border spreading is by activating different spreading vanes, from within the cab. DynamicSpread part-width section control offers variation in spread pattern through up to 128 sections, ensuring accuracy in wedge-shaped fields. ArgusTwin

spread pattern monitoring using radar to monitor material leaving the discs is a further option. The new trailed spreaders are the first available with an on-line calibration function. A double chassis allows the hopper to be mounted on four weigh cells, separating it from any influence of the pulling tractor. A tilt sensor automatically compensates for slopes. Information from the weigh cells isn’t only used for calibration but also for intelligent fill level management and to adjust braking force depending on the load, during transport.

Wind issues reduced WindControl is a new option for Amazone’s ZG-TS trailed and ZA-TS mounted spreaders. A wind sensor mounted on the spreader extends above the tractor cab to monitor wind strength and direction. Using wind information together with spread pattern data from the ArgusTwin radar monitors, the spread pattern is adjusted to ensure accurate application.

after fertiliser had been applied. An Amazone App assessed each photograph, counting the number of granules and allowing a comparison to be made of tray contents across the spread width. The latest version of EasyCheck moves from trays to mats, for easier transport and handling, and the colour has changed to purple as black was unsuitable for some fertilisers.

New mounted sprayer Displayed at the press event was a brand new high-capacity mounted sprayer. The UF 2002 has a 2,000-litre tank mounted low and well forward in the frame for a low centre of gravity and keeping it close in to the tractor. The tank has a rounded front section allowing space for the operator to squeeze between the tractor rear wheel and sprayer and a quickcoupling system is an option.

Ensuring even flow FlowCheck is a new option for all ZA-TS mounted spreaders. Ensuring even distribution of material onto the twin discs is essential for a uniform spread pattern and FlowCheck constantly monitors each disc’s torque loading to determine whether flow to one or other has been interrupted. Reasons for poor flow could include foreign objects or encrusted lumps of fertiliser. To monitor flow, hydraulic oil pressure to the disc motors is constantly measured and if an aperture is blocked, resulting in reduced material flow, the disc turns more easily and hydraulic drive pressure is reduced. An alarm warns the operator allowing him to investigate the problem.

EasyCheck updated EasyCheck was introduced at Agritechnica 2015. The kit included black trays which are placed on the field ahead of the spreader, then photographed by smartphone New trailed spreaders include the 10,000-litre capacity ZGTS10001available with steering angle up to 28 degrees and automatic spread adjustment to compensate for wind strength and direction.

p Amazone UK brand manager Simon Brown said the design of the new mounted sprayers, including their SmartCenter operator stations and improved frame design will appeal to UK farmers.

A 350-litre fresh water tank is provided and filling with water and chemical is made easy through a new operator station and induction bowl layout. The induction bowl holds 60 litres and feeds to the main tank through a suction system capable of moving 150 litres/minute, ensuring chemical can be fed to the tank before water filling is complete. A new 7-position valve controls all plumbing functions. The operator simply pulls the handle outward, rotates it to indicate the desired function, and releases it. This makes it almost impossible to make an error at any stage of the operation and the valve seats share a similar design to those of an internal combustion engine, preventing the possibility of leak-back. The new SmartCenter operator station is behind a large hinged cover protecting the main controls from continued over...

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