Danish manufacturer Samson Agro will unveil a tractor-mounted filling arm – for slurry tankers – at Agritechnica.
It will be known as the Front Arm Pump (FAP).
The unit mounts onto a tractor’s front linkage – the same tractor that is towing a large tanker. It enables the tractor to fill the tanker being towed behind.
The unit is intended to transfer slurry from, say, a large nurse tank at the headland or, alternatively, high-speed ferrying (transport) tankers.
It has a maximum reach of 3m. Maximum slurry transfer rate is 7,500L/min, thanks to its centrifugal pump.
Filling starts using a vacuum from the ejector on the tanker, which primes the centrifugal pump on the front-fill system. The centrifugal pump then continues filling without using a vacuum.
The filling arm is mounted on one side, to ensure that the driver’s visibility is not impeded too much. It has integrated lights, along with a storage compartment – to hold tools and other miscellaneous items. Integrated mirrors and a camera system are available as optional extras.
The FAP can be removed without the need for any specialist tools; it has its own stand (feet) when not in use.
The unit has a net weight of 980kg. If more weight is required at the front of the tractor, Samson says that plates can be fitted under the base.
The FAP can be operated via Samson’s SlurryMaster 8000. A series of automatic functions protects the system against incorrect use.
The centrifugal pump stops automatically when the tanker is full and a slide-valve below the pump closes. A “smart” timer function can be activated, so the arm lowers automatically into the transport position.
At this year’s Agritechnica exhibition, Samson will also premiere two new spreaders.
One spreader, dubbed the US for short, is a new ‘Universal Spreader’. The series includes four sizes from 28m³ to 40m³. Key selling points, according to the firm, include a relatively low loading height. It is designed to tear up and spread heavy and extremely compact material, using a newly-developed spreading table.
The preview model that will be at Agritechnica is a US 340 – the largest model in the series. This is a three-axle machine.
The second new spreader is the single-axle FLEX, with a capacity of 20m³ – specifically the FLEX II 20E. This is based on the current FLEX spreader, but is equipped with a number of improvements.
The FLEX II 20E can be supplied with new control and weighing systems, as well as much larger wheels – to make it easier to pull and cause less soil compaction and crop damage.
