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Australia
leads the world with a new generation of precision farming practices that
use sound waves to control the depth of seed deposited in the soil, laser
beams to level the land for cotton, rice and sugar plantations, and
satellites for automated control of equipment in the field. At
the forefront of these developments is Horwood Bagshaw, the major tillage
and seeding machinery supplier in Australia, with the largest market
share. Now
with its world class factory in Mannum, it’s hard to believe that this
company was placed into receivership in 1987. While harvester
manufacturing was the company’s main focus, seeding and tillage
machinery proved the most profitable. But it wasn’t until the current
owner, Peter Sweeney, took control in 1997 that research and development
came to the fore. The
University of South Australia’s expertise in machine design and
knowledge of tillage and seeding systems matched Horwood Bagshaw’s need
for research and development leadership. Associate
Professor John Fielke, Leader of UniSA’s Agricultural
Machinery Research and Design Centre, was appointed Manager, Research
and Development on a half time basis. The
University’s more objective and more scientific approach to development
has helped to remove inefficiencies and take out some of the guesswork,
according to Sweeney. “John
brings a refreshing level of knowledge and greater exposure to new
developments, as well as the benefits of contacts within the university
system and, by introducing other disciplines, we have been able to improve
product quality to a higher level than previously,” Sweeney said. “We
examine Horwood Bagshaw’s ideas, assess market requirements and make
recommendations that point the company in the right direction to
successfully implement their ideas,” Professor Fielke said. This
teamwork has proved so successful that in just two years the Horwood
Bagshaw/UniSA combination achieved national recognition as the 1999 winner
of the nation’s AusINDUSTRY Award for outstanding achievement in
collaborative research and development between a university and a company
with a turnover of less than $50 million. This was awarded for the design
and evaluation of tillage and seeding equipment. “This
machinery includes an electric drive air seeder that utilises satellites
to direct the seeder to automatically disperse seed and fertiliser at set
rates and controlled depths in the field. A blending system allows
separate placement of seed and fertiliser or a blend of seed and
fertiliser at certain depths within the soil, and a metering system
ensures uniform and accurate placement into the airstream for distribution
evenly into the soil. With the ability to switch itself on and off like a
robot, this machine is seen as the forerunner to the driverless tractor
and places Australian farmers at the forefront of technology,” Professor
Fielke said. “Another
major achievement for the quad wheel air seeder has been the steering
linkage designed at UniSA. This gives very good tracking ability when
following behind a tractor and good flotation over the soil without
sinking, reducing soil compaction, despite being the biggest available
machine of this type on the Australian market with the largest capacity in
the world at 15,000 litres. This increase in capacity, from 8,000 litres,
means that farmers don’t have to refill bins as often and it expands the
range from 3,000 to 15,000 litres. The high capacity seeder has the
robustness to withstand the stresses and strains when pulled by larger,
more powerful tractors and over the areas that they are covering. Other
features include air-warming devices that allow farmers to work in a
greater range of conditions and larger tyres for wetter and softer
conditions.” The
air seeder distributes seed and fertiliser to a tillage machine. When
Professor Fielke began his research at Horwood Bagshaw, the company’s
range of tillage machinery included four models varying in size from six
to 14 metres wide. “We
have broadened that range to include about 15 smaller and larger machines,
varying in size from just over three metres to a massive 18 metres wide. A
major engineering task and achievement has been the ability to incorporate
a double fold. This allows the widest machines to fold to a width of about
seven metres, making them safer for farmers to transport on roads,”
Professor Fielke said. “Because
of the complexities of these large engineering projects, few manufacturers
produce these wide machines. We have taken the principles of good
flotation, using large market-leading size tyres and giving special
attention to row spacing and tyre layout so that tyres don’t touch
cropping areas, as well as incorporating subtle changes that add up to a
well performing machine,” he said. Horwood
Bagshaw’s association with UniSA’s Agricultural Machinery Research and
Design Centre has allowed the company to improve its products and have a
greater understanding and knowledge of how they work, giving the company
total confidence in its machines. The
Centre’s professional team is the largest group of Australian university
researchers working on agricultural machinery design and development. Media
contact: Geraldine Hinter (08) 8302 0963 or 0417 861832
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