A state-of-the-art wheel tracking system, plus an equally sophisticated joystick controller prove that Australian sprayer manufacturers can more than match the technology on offer in Europe.
The Victorian-based Goldacres organisation's official launch of its Prairie Advance EF sprayer range in Ballarat wowed its national dealer network late last week.
Company principal John Richards was in a bullish mood following a restructure programme which will see production ramped up to meet increasing farmer demand.
"We now have a very efficient facility for making spraying equipment in larger numbers," he said.
This is a reference to temporararily suspending production of its self-propelled Crop Cruiser machines to concentrate on maximising the output of bread-and-butter tow-behind sprayers.
Reducing the number of chassis options from eight to four, for example, is a good way of achieving manufacturing efficiencies.
With "well-specced" base models, there's less emphasis on offering the broadest-possible suite of options.
Australia's largest family-owned farm sprayer manufacturer is, therefore, now well-placed to snare more sales based on some startingly advanced innovations.
Take Goldacres' new hub steering system. Ensuring that a sprayer's wheels track those of the tractor towing it is always a top-of-mind issue because the alternative means that valuable crops are trampled whenever turns are made.
The latest sensor technology sees the position of the tractor being monitored for the G forces at work by 'instructing' the sprayer's axle to make the appropriate hydraulic adjustments.
Traditionally, a sensor is placed on the drawbar measures the angle between the sprayer and the tractor, thereby working out the turn radius. However, the joystick controller/sensor's ability to send more accurate yaw-compensating electronic signals to the hub steering system looks to be the way ahead.
Goldacres says it can also accommodate auto-steer technology, plus has now delivered a more stable tractor/sprayer platform without links at the drawbar.
Design engineer Roger Richards says the new hub steering system is so accurate that placing his toe next to one of the tractor's tyres sees the relevant sprayer's tyre pass by within millimetres of the original wheeltracks.
As well, he talked up the Prairie Advance EF's joy-stick controller which permits up to 21 of the sprayer's hydraulic function to be finger-operated, courtesy of a neat-looking console.
Colour-coded, according to a range of tasks, they include tilt, boom raise and lower, plus it has a crab steering capability, when working across hillsides, to name but a few. An added bonus is reduced cab clutter.
"Putting all the sprayer functions in the hands of the operator reduces fatigue on long spray runs because it's all right there - at your finger tips," Mr Richards said.
The Prairie Advance EF sprayer range is made up of 5000L, 6500L and 8,000L capacity spray tank options with choice of Tritech 24m, 28m, 30m, 33m and 36m booms to suit individual requirement.
* Graham Fuller travelled to Victoria as a guest of Goldacres.
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