Two HARDI nozzle series gaining momentum

Produced by world leading spraying equipment manufacture HARDI, the LowDrift and MINIDRIFT are fast becoming the preferred choice among HARDI owners for their precision performance and drift reducing spray qualities.

'Drift reduction continues to be the hot topic of discussion between those with a vested interest in the spraying industry’, said Corrie Eichner, HARDI Australia product manager and broadacre farmers have been the quickest to adopt these new nozzle options.
LowDrift nozzles will deliver medium to coarse spray quality while the MINIDRIFT nozzles deliver coarse to very coarse. A set of each will satisfy almost every application need, providing careful consideration is given to the spraying situation and the chemicals being used.

HARDI triplet saddles enable a quick and easy way to select the right nozzle or even switch between nozzles during spraying.
‘These nozzles are designed to maximize the effectiveness of weed and pest control in variable conditions’ said Corrie. ‘They provide good deposition with significantly less drift than conventional flat fan nozzles.'

Many variables have to be taken into consideration when undertaking a spray task, some are controllable and some not, but they all have a bearing on the efficacy of the application and the return on investment.

'HARDI is a renowned leader in nozzle and application technology. Their design, engineering and manufacturing excellence is never compromised and underpins our nozzles’ precision performance and spray quality’ said Corrie.

The design of the LowDrift nozzle includes a pre-orifice which creates a pressure drop within the nozzle so that the final outlet orifice produces larger and slower moving droplets. This makes the droplets less sensitive to wind, reducing drift by up to 50% compared to standard nozzles.

'What happens is a thicker spray sheet emerges from the nozzle due to the lower outlet pressure. This breaks up into bigger droplets unlike a standard flat fan nozzle which has a thinner spray sheet and finer droplets susceptible to drift’ explained Corrie
 

The MINIDRIFT nozzle is an air induction design and is fitted with a venturi air inlet between a pre-orifice and the outlet orifice. This creates a negative pressure in the nozzle which allows air to flow in through the side holes and become infused into the liquid droplets. The air and spray liquid generate large slow moving droplets reducing drift by up to 75% over standard nozzles.

HARDI nozzles maintain their precision characteristics longer because they are moulded in very durable SYNTAL thermoplastic’ said Corrie. ‘They are available in the ISO standard colour coding and sizing of 015, 02, 025, 03, 04 and 05. They have a 110 degrees flat fan spray angle and are designed for 50 cm nozzle spacing with a boom height of 35 – 70 cm.'

They can be purchased as a cap and nozzle all-in-one design or nozzle tip only which fits into other manufactures nozzle caps.

Engine Drive Option

Hydraulic horsepower is not free. Modern seeding systems delivering dual granul and liquid products on bars greater than 15m (50ft) typically require 25-30Kw (33-40hp) of total hydraulic horse power. With additional single and dual agitation systems, this requirement can increase to 35-40Kw (47-54Hp). This in turn can draw up to 45Kw (60Hp) from the tractor engine.

The Ausplow Multistream M140003BT, M180004BT, M220005BT and M270006BT tow betweens can be fitted with an optional 45Kw (60Hp) Yanmar 4 cylinder, naturally aspirated, water cooled diesel engine driven power pack. The engine is equipped with four valves per cylinder, electric start and full engine protection. It drives a dedicated hydraulic pump utlising its own hydraulic and fuel tanks which drive all fan, metering and agitation hydraulic functions on the Multistream.

The unique design of the engine drive captures, hydraulic, radiator and exhaust heat and directs the total heat captured into the airseeder fan intake. Testing in the field has shown this gives and increase in air temperature at the seeding boot of approximately 15-20 degrees celsius, which significantly reduces the build up of fertiliser in air seeder heads and hoses.

The engine also provides peace of mind knowing that regardless of whether the combined seeding rig is turning, being lifted out of the ground at the end of a run or to avoid boggy ground or is attached to an older tractor with insufficient hydraulic horse power, fans revs will not alter, virtually illuminating the risk of blocking hoses.

Finally the engine allows the Multistream to be used on smaller FWA tractors if used for post emergent fertiliser applications. It also allows the Multistream to be used as a combined power and air source for grain silo aeration during the off-season.

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