LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Three Canadian companies have won agricultural engineering awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers this year.
The annual awards recognize the top 50 innovations in machines or processes that had a significant, positive effect on agricultural or food production and were introduced in the past year.
This year, Winnipeg’s MacDon Industries won for its new crop cutting and conveying system in the MacDon R85 Rotary Disc Header. The hay header uses a full width, over-shot, feed auger mounted in back of 10 co-rotating cutting discs. The auger is in two sections with a centre mounted support that is attached to the back of the cutter-bar cradle. At 16 feet wide, the unit can flex to accommodate variations in the field. Because the feed auger covers the whole header width, the cutting discs are set up to maximize the crop throughput, adding capacity and cutting quality. For more information: www.macdon.com/
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The other two awards went to Quebec companies.
One was for a rotary corn head for pull-type forage harvesters, including New Holland’s 900, FP230 and 240, Deere 3955 and 3975 and Gehl 75 and 85 series, as well as Dion’s own machines. The Dion F64 provides uniform crop feeding, without regard for row spacing or direction by using a set of unique gathering drums and conveying chains. The Development Forage Equipment header uses heavy-duty O-ring type chains for crop gathering, and the hardened steel cutter knives are driven by belts for smooth operation. The unit is sold as a user installable kit by the 90-year-old Boisbriand, Que., company. For more information, visit www.dionmachineries.com.
A piston pump from GEA Houle in Drummondville won for its ability to move manure liquids that contain solid content. The Sync2 is a twin cylinder, reversible hydraulic driven pump that uses a pair of cylinders to run two, three or four-inch pistons. The twin pump provides a pulse-free flow that can be managed in downstream separating, storage or placement into a digester. The ability to vary the hydraulic flow provides variable flow rates that make it possible to install the pump into existing barn operations without significant re-plumbing. The pumps are capable of high evacuation line pressures of up to 111 pounds per sq. inch in the four-inch model, resulting in the ability to move material several kilometres. The three inch model, when paired with a 7.5 horsepower motor, can reach flow rates of more than 500 litres per minute at 63 p.s.i. The two inch version with a variable rate hydraulic pump can flow as little as 75 litres through the six inch discharge.
The units are easily serviced with basic hand tools and feature steel flapper doors under each piston for reduced plugging and service. For more information, visit www.gea-farmtechnologies.com.
