Wide booms gaining momentum The quest to optimise spraying efficiency, reduce crop damage through less wheels track, minimise spray time and increase the area covered between fills continues with the release for the HARDI COMMANDER TerraForce. Farmers in Australia will undoubtedly lead the trend to bigger capacities and wider booms to improve their productivity and work rates.
The term “work rate” is often used to discuss how many hectares per hour can be covered with a given sprayer configuration. This table illustrates the improved productivity with wider booms, travelling at 25 kph.
Boom width M |
18 |
20 |
24 |
28 |
30 |
32 |
33 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
HA/hr @ 25kph |
45 |
50 |
60 |
70 |
75 |
80 |
82.5 |
90 |
95 |
100 |
105 |
By enlarging tank capacities and extending boom widths, consideration must be given to the increase in dynamic loads and forces being transferred throughout the sprayer’s structure. Additional tank volume, particularly when filled with liquid fertilisers, puts enormous loading on the chassis, axles, hubs, tyres and drawbar.
Thought also has to be given to the other stresses created by auto steer snapping onto and staying on line, the speed in which the sprayer is being towed, and the increasing need for brakes to keep the trailer under control. And all this is based on the premise that it must perform beyond the customer’s expectations, be robust and low maintenance.
HARDI Australia continue to set the trend as a class leading sprayer manufacturer amid growing competition with the recent introduction of their new flag ship COMMANDER 10000L with new TerraForce booms to 42m.
HARDI remains at the forefront of big boom development with a new generation 36 to 42 metre three dimensional truss TerraForce booms.
The strength of the new low maintenance 36 to 42m Terra Force boom is in its heavy duty three dimensional truss construction and it needs a heavy duty chassis to carry it. That’s why HARDI has introduced the new 6000, 8000 &10000 COMMANDER range to accommodate it. These chassis are based on the proven 9000 COMMANDER released in 2006, originally designed to carry larger volumes and wider booms. The success of this product was a key for the development of the TerraForce boom.
TerraForce boom makes spraying easier, faster and more productive:
- Truss boom design
- On-the-go boom stability control
- Yaw movement control and energy absorption
- Boom wing shock absorption
- Fast acting boom height control
- Faster wing tilt
- Soft open/close, rapid transfer folding
- Reduced turbulent air flow over nozzles
- Easier to flush and clean, high capacity low residue fluid system
The TerraForce is an exceptionally strong and low-maintenance boom with on- the-go adjustment of boom stability to suit the operating conditions. When the boom is in the open position a positive open locking mechanism ensures the boom wings perform as one truss. Independent wing suspension minimises wing tip movement and yaw movement caused by cornering, auto steering, acceleration, and deceleration is dampened. Both tilt speed and boom height control is faster due to larger powerful cylinders. Boom breakaways are designed to break in any direction.
The TerraForce boom structure provides protection and a laminar flow of air over and around the nozzles. The new higher capacity, low residue boom line fluid system provides an additional 30% fluid capacity minimising pressure loss between sections and nozzles.
The COMMANDER 6000, 8000 and 10000 trailers provide the capacity to spray longer and the TerraForce 36, 38, 40, & 42 booms make a perfect combination to spray more hectares easier, faster and more efficiently.
Contact your
local HARDI sprayer specialist for more information