TEST REPORT No a

Transcription

1 AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY FUNCTIONAL AND SAFETY TESTING SERVICE TEST REPORT No a SUBSOILER: Artiglio 300 (extensions: b - Artiglio 250, c - Artiglio 400) MANUFACTURER: GASPARDO SEMINATRICI S.P.A. Via Mussons, Morsano al Tagliamento (PN) - Italy Rome, May /8

2 TESTS CARRIED OUT IN COMPLIANCE WITH ENAMA SPECIFICATIONS NO. 03 REV. 2.1 SEPTEMBER 2003 BY ISTITUTO SPERIMENTALE PER LA MECCANIZZAZIONE AGRICOLA (EXPERIMENTAL INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURAL MECHANISATION), MONTEROTONDO - ROME: Supervisor: Test engineers: Collaborators: Ing. Giovanni Santoro Dott. Agr. Roberto Fanigliulo Dott. Agr. Daniele Pochi Gino Brannetti, Mr. Cesare Cervellini TABLE OF CONTENTS DESCRIPTION OF MACHINE 3 ACCESSORIES 3 TECHNICAL DATA 4 TEST CONDITIONS 5 RESULTS OF TESTS 5 MODELS IN THE SAME SERIES 5 NOTES ON FUNCTIONALITY 7 ROAD CIRCULATION 7 SAFETY CHECKS 7 TO FACILITATE INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS, IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED THAT: 1 rpm = 1 rev per min -1 1 MPa = 1000 kpa = 10 bar (10 kg force /cm 2 ) 1 dan 1.02 kg force 1 m/s = 3.6 km/h Manufacturer: GASPARDO SEMINATRICI S.P.A. Tel Fax website: 2/8

3 DESCRIPTION OF MACHINE The subsoiler, model Artigli 300, is a mounted cutting implement that is used to loosen and drain soil in depth (up to 650 mm). In particular, it is used to restore the structure of uncultivated, compacted soil, by means of cleavage, without remixing tilled layers. This makes it possible to remove the so-called plough soles and to facilitate the filtering of water and development of roots deep down, improving the absorption of nutrients. The subsoiler under study, having a working width of about 3.0 m, belongs to the Artiglio series, which consists of 2 models having a varying working width of 2.5 and 4 m. The soil is tilled by 7 tines, arranged in 2 rows, endowed with a traction bolt safety device. To adjust working depth, if the tractor does not have a depth regulation device or a device for levelling the surface of the tilled soil, the implement may be equipped with a pair of rear spike rollers, whose height is adjusted using a hydraulic system connected to the tractor. This system makes it possible to vary the relative height of the rollers in relation to the ground and thus the working depth of the tines, by means of two adjusters located on the sides of the machine. The rollers are free to move downwards (up to a given stop position), and rest on the ground Figure 1 Description of the parts of the tested implement (front view). 1) hydraulic take-offs; 2) hitch for third point; 3) tool-holding beam; 4) tine with reversible coulter; 5) attachments to lower arms of tractor lift. ACCESSORIES The manufacturer has declared that the machine may have the following optionals: pair of spike rollers: attached to the rear of the machine to adjust working depth, level ground and loosen surface clods; coulters with fins: attached directly to the tines to break up a greater volume of soil without remixing the layer in question; side retainers: attached to the sides of the machine frame to keep the clods of soil inside the working area. 3/8

4 Figure 2 Description of the parts of the tested implement (side view). 1) hydraulic cylinder to adjust the working height of the rollers; 2) support frame for rear rollers; 3) machine identification label; 4) coulters with fins; 5) support; 6) valve to close the oil-pressure roller-adjustment system; 7) spike roller; 8) stayrod to adjust the working angle of the rollers. TECHNICAL DATA SERIAL NUMBER OF TESTED MACHINE SIZE working position total width (mm) 3230 total length (mm) 2625 total height (mm) 1520 FRAME type steel box number of beams 4 (2 upper + 2 lower) beam section (mm) 100 coupling to tractor three-point hitch cat. ISO 3 STANDARD TOOLS type curved steel tines total number 7 (3 front + 4 rear) thickness (mm) 36 clearance (mm) 780 angle of attack ( ) 34 longitudinal distance between tines (mm) 755 horizontal distance between tine (mm) 900 theoretical working width (mm) 3000 max. theoretical working depth (mm) 650 protective device traction bolt width of coulter (mm) 87 ROLLERS width (mm) 2976 diameter, including spikes (mm) 398 TOTAL MASS (Kg) with double spike roller /8

5 TEST CONDITIONS TRACTOR USED The subsoiler was coupled to a 4-wheel drive tractor having the following characteristics: rated power total mass coupling device TEST GROUND 205 kw 11,000 kg cat.3 ISO The test area was formed by a series of strips of hard, flat land. The ground surface was characterised by the presence of weeds, with a coverage ratio of 92%. Prior to tilling the following were measured: texture, relative humidity, referring to the mass of dry ground, and the apparent density of the test ground; penetration resistance cone index (C.I.) - of the soil layer to be tilled (tab. 1). skeleton (%) 0 sand (%) 2.3 lime (%) 43.4 clay (%) 54.3 liquid limit (%) 62.2 plastic limit (%) 40.3 plasticity index 21.9 humidity 0 m 0.25 m (%) 18.9 humidity 0.25 m 0.5 m (%) 19.7 average apparent density: from 0 m 0.25 m (g/cm 3 ) from 0.25 m 0.5 m (g/cm 3 ) average penetration resistance (MPa) Table 1 Physical-mechanical properties of test ground. RESULTS OF TESTS Two sets of tests were conducted, setting the implement at different working depths, called test A and test B respectively. After having established the most appropriate gear for the tractor (6 th ), according to the traits of the test ground, inserted double traction and the differential locking mechanism and moved the accelerator lever to the top, the functional and operational characteristics (referring to one hectare) given in Table 2 were determined, moving up and down the field. Gaspardo Seminatrici Artiglio 300 The results of the analysis of soil tilling effected by the implement are given in figure 3. Table 2 shows, for test A, a specific traction force of about 41.6 dan/m cm (per metre of effective width and centimetre of working depth on hard soil), resulting in a significant absorption of power for implement traction of 60.8 kw, operating at a sustained working speed. Wheel slip was 6.4%. For test B there was a specific traction force of about 85.3 dan/m cm, resulting in an absorption of power for implement traction of kw. In this case wheel slip was 19.9%. The table also shows that the theoretical working width was used to the extent of 95.4% in both tests, while the thickness of the tilled layer on the hard ground was, in test A, 0.36 m with a soil swaft of 0.09 m, while for test B the thickness of the tilled layer was 0.45 m, and the swaft 0.08 m. With regard to soil tillage, the data given in figure 3 were used to calculate values for the soil loosening index: 0.73 and 0.69 respectively for test A and test B. In test A, clods with a diameter > 200 mm constituted 12% of the total; clods with a diameter < 25 mm were 68%; clods with a diameter of between 25 and 100 mm were 15%. In test B, clods with a diameter > 200 mm made up 8% of the total; clods with a diameter < 25 mm were 24%; clods with a diameter of between 25 and 100 mm were 24%. The following ratios were also calculated for tests A and B respectively: 1) surface roughness index: 5.4% and 7.1%; 2) hard ground coverage ratio: 92% and 88.5%; 3) interment of vegetation biomass: 70.0% and 62.3%. The average hourly consumption of fuel was, for test A, 28.5 kg/h, and for test B 44.1 kg/h; test A had the lowest value for average energy cost per tilled volume of 1000 m 3 (28.4 kwh). The analysis of working times for the two tests showed up significant differences in terms of forward speed and operating capacity. Test A was conducted at a forward speed of 6.5 km/h, while test B was performed at a speed of 5.2 km/h. Under these conditions the working capacity was, for the two tests, 1.4 and 1.2 ha/h respectively, thanks in part to the low incidence of end-of-field turnaround manoeuvres. MODELS IN THE SAME SERIES Tests conducted on the subsoiler model Artiglio 300 showed a traction power required for 5/8

6 tilling of 60.8 kw under the conditions described in table 2 (test A), in other words 8.7 kw per working tool used, and a working capacity of 1.36 ha/h. It may therefore be supposed that under the same test conditions and for a different number of tines, different traction power and working capacity values might be obtained compared with those given in table 3. Elements Performance Test A Test B theoretical working width (m) effective working width (m) operating working width (m) use of working width (%) tilled layer on hard ground (m) working depth on hard ground (m) swaft (m) tilled section (dm 2 ) surface roughness index after tilling soil loosening index after tilling effective working time (h/ha) working operating time (h/ha) operating yield effective average speed (km/h) theoretical working capacity (ha/h) working operating capacity (ha/h) hourly fuel consumption (kg/h) unit fuel consumption (kg/ha) average traction force (dan) average traction power required for tilling* (kw) engine speed (rpm -1 ) power supplied to tractor engine (kw) global energy cost (kwh/ha) average energy cost per tilled volume (kwh/1000m 3 ) tractor slip (%) Table 2 average results obtained with subsoiler Artiglio 300 at two different working depths. (* Global power expended for machine traction, excluding losses of transmission due to wheel-spin, wheel slip and the power required for the tractor s hydraulic functions) Test A 51% 12% 5% 8% > <10 Test B 8% 10% 14% > <10 7% 17% 44% 14% 10% Figure 3 Clod level of soil after passage of subsoiler (legend shows clod size classes in mm). 6/8

7 Subsoiler Artiglio series Working width (m) Working tools (no.) Operating capacity (ha/h) Traction power (kw) Mass without accessories (kg) Artiglio Artiglio Table 3 Evaluation of traction power required for tilling and of working capacity of subsoilers of Artiglio series manufactured by the firm Gaspardo Seminatrici. NOTES ON FUNCTIONALITY CONNECTION AND ADJUSTMENTS Coupling of the implement to the tractor was simple and easy to perform, and using quick couplings may be carried out by a single worker. A double support stand facilitates coupling and uncoupling operations. The equipment does not require preliminary actions except for the replacement of worn working tools and adjustment of the length of the third-point arm so that the tool operates in a horizontal position. The working depth is adjusted via the controls of the tractor lift, or, if the rear double roller is present, via a hydraulic system connected to the tractor, which varies the relative height of the rollers in relation to the ground and the working depth of tools by means of two adjusters located on the sides of the frame. During the working phase, the implement was easy and safe to manoeuvre, although care had to be taken not to bury the tines in the ground during manoeuvres or changes of direction. QUALITY OF WORK PERFORMED Despite the clayey-limy and hard nature of the ground, the results obtained by the subsoiler Artiglio during field testing showed a good level of clod grinding and a constant working depth along the entire test area. It is thus possible to achieve good working results under ground conditions deemed to be difficult. The quality of work performed is in any case dependent, for this type of equipment, on the choice of forward speed and working depth, selected according to the properties of the soil. The analysis of results obtained under the test conditions showed up noticeable differences when using the subsoiler at different working depths, thus the choice between the two possibilities should be assessed in terms of fuel and tyre consumption, and with reference to the possibility of having a more powerful tractor at one s disposal in view of the traction power required for deeper tilling. Use of a 205 kw tractor appeared correct for the test conditions, even though a less powerful tractor may have been sufficient, as declared by the manufacturer, particularly for less cohesive and hard soils. ROAD CIRCULATION For the purposes of the Highway Code the machine is classified as a mounted agricultural machine, and is therefore an integral part of the tractor (art. 57, Legislative Decree 285 of 30/04/1992), does not require type approval and may circulate on the road only as exceptional transport. If the machine is mounted on a type-approved trailer, road circulation is via an agricultural trailer. SAFETY CHECKS The machine is endowed with CE marking, an identification plate, safety pictograms, a user and maintenance handbook and an EC manufacturer s declaration of conformity. The EC manufacturer s declaration of conformity certifies that the machine conforms to the following harmonised standards and technical specifications: UNI EN 1553:2001 and ISO 11684:1995. Checks carried out with reference to documentation sent by the Manufacturer did not show up inconsistencies with the contents of the aforementioned standards. The relative documentation has been filed. 7/8

8 THE PRESENT CERTIFICATE IS VALID FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS OR UNTIL REFERENCE REGULATIONS FOR THE SUBSOILER MODEL ARTIGLIO 300 AND RELATIVE EXTENSIONS ARE ALTERED, AND IS OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED BY ENAMA MEMBERS: ASSOCAP (Associazione Nazionale dei Consorzi Agrari) (National Association of Agricultural Consortia) CIA (Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori) (Italian Farmers Confederation) COLDIRETTI (Confederazione Nazionale Coltivatori Diretti) (National Confederation of Independent Farmers) CONFAGRICOLTURA (Confederazione Generale Agricoltura) (General Agricultural Confederation) UNACMA (Unione Nazionale Commercianti Macchine Agricole) (National Union of Agricultural Machine Dealers) UNACOMA (Unione Nazionale Costruttori Macchine Agricole) (National Union of Agricultural Machine Manufacturers) UNIMA (Unione Nazionale Imprese Meccanizzazione Agricola) (National Union of Agricultural Mechanisation Enterprises) AND BY MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE ENAMA, IN WHICH THE FOLLOWING ARE ALSO REPRESENTED: MIPAF (Ministry for Agricultural and Forestry Policies) Regions and Autonomous Provinces ISMA (Istituto Sperimentale per la Meccanizzazione Agricola) (Experimental Institute for Agricultural Mechanisation) E.NA.M.A. - ENAMA - ENTE NAZIONALE PER LA MECCANIZZAZIONE AGRICOLA (NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL MECHANISATION BODY) VIA LAZZARO SPALLANZANI, 22/A ROME TEL. 06/ FAX 06/ info@enama.it 8/8