Amazone has become the first manufacturer to offer a hydro-mechanical actuated axle-steering system with the launch of UniTrail tracking for UX3200 and UX4200 trailed sprayers.
Axle steering, in comparison to drawbar steering, offers the advantage that the sprayer gives true tracking following without the negative influence that drawbar steering has on the horizontal yaw movement of the boom. This is all the more significant the wider the boom width goes. Plus, when working on slopes, sprayers with axle steering are inherently more stable than machines with drawbar steering.
Until now, the only axle-steering systems were electro-hydraulically controlled, for which a complex electronic regulation system is required. The previous Amazone system, for example, needs the machine-overlapping Amatron+ in-cab terminal, whereas the hydro-mechanical actuated UniTrail can be controlled using just the machine specific Amaspray+ terminal.
The most important advantage of the new UniTrail system is the quick-to-react, and yet absolutely smooth, steering characteristics that are completely independent of forward speed. Furthermore, the system is still steerable even when the boom is folded in, which could be especially useful in sensitive row crops.
With UniTrail axle steering, the tracking takes place through a closed hydraulic system. It consists of a master cylinder that is mounted between the pivoting, lower link mounted cross shaft and the drawbar which is connected to two slave cylinders fixed left and right to the steerable sprayer axle. During the steering action of the tractor, the master cylinder either extends or contracts, causing the hydraulic oil in the slave cylinders to be displaced altering the angle of the sprayer wheels.
If necessary, when in field mode the axle steering can be over-ridden via a double-acting spool valve on the tractor. Should the steering encounter an obstacle, then it is protected by a hydraulic pressure relief valve.
An indicator scale is used so the operator can see the axle angles. The axles can be manually brought to the middle position between field and road mode, or manually correct the steering when working across slopes.
In road mode, which is selected from the tractor seat, the master cylinder and slave cylinders are uncoupled so that the oil just passes to and fro between the two chambers of the master cylinder while the slave cylinders on the sprayer axle are locked in the middle position.
The connection of the sprayer to the tractor is provided by the solid square section Category II cross shaft. This new concept, with its extremely robustly constructed mounting, has up to now been associated with big soil engaging equipment or seed drills, but is very smooth running and provides a huge load carrying capacity.
The machine travels on the road just as smoothly as a machine mounted on a drawbar pin. The play in the lower linkage is so slight that it has little effect on the driving behaviour. With the new system, where permissible, it is possible to drive at up to 40 km/hr with a full sprayer tank.
Axle steering, in comparison to drawbar steering, offers the advantage that the sprayer gives true tracking following without the negative influence that drawbar steering has on the horizontal yaw movement of the boom. This is all the more significant the wider the boom width goes. Plus, when working on slopes, sprayers with axle steering are inherently more stable than machines with drawbar steering.
Until now, the only axle-steering systems were electro-hydraulically controlled, for which a complex electronic regulation system is required. The previous Amazone system, for example, needs the machine-overlapping Amatron+ in-cab terminal, whereas the hydro-mechanical actuated UniTrail can be controlled using just the machine specific Amaspray+ terminal.
The most important advantage of the new UniTrail system is the quick-to-react, and yet absolutely smooth, steering characteristics that are completely independent of forward speed. Furthermore, the system is still steerable even when the boom is folded in, which could be especially useful in sensitive row crops.
With UniTrail axle steering, the tracking takes place through a closed hydraulic system. It consists of a master cylinder that is mounted between the pivoting, lower link mounted cross shaft and the drawbar which is connected to two slave cylinders fixed left and right to the steerable sprayer axle. During the steering action of the tractor, the master cylinder either extends or contracts, causing the hydraulic oil in the slave cylinders to be displaced altering the angle of the sprayer wheels.
If necessary, when in field mode the axle steering can be over-ridden via a double-acting spool valve on the tractor. Should the steering encounter an obstacle, then it is protected by a hydraulic pressure relief valve.
An indicator scale is used so the operator can see the axle angles. The axles can be manually brought to the middle position between field and road mode, or manually correct the steering when working across slopes.
In road mode, which is selected from the tractor seat, the master cylinder and slave cylinders are uncoupled so that the oil just passes to and fro between the two chambers of the master cylinder while the slave cylinders on the sprayer axle are locked in the middle position.
The connection of the sprayer to the tractor is provided by the solid square section Category II cross shaft. This new concept, with its extremely robustly constructed mounting, has up to now been associated with big soil engaging equipment or seed drills, but is very smooth running and provides a huge load carrying capacity.
The machine travels on the road just as smoothly as a machine mounted on a drawbar pin. The play in the lower linkage is so slight that it has little effect on the driving behaviour. With the new system, where permissible, it is possible to drive at up to 40 km/hr with a full sprayer tank.
For more information visit: www.amazone.co.uk.
