Nairn 710 series tractor tow grape harvester

Transcription

1 Nairn Harvesters Ltd PO Box 16305, Christchurch New Zealand Phone: Fax: Web: Nairn 710 series tractor tow grape harvester Nairn Harvesters Ltd history: The Nairn brand began in 1984 manufacturing black current harvesters prior to diversifying into the manufacture of grape harvesters in Since this time Nairn has manufactured over 400 grape harvesting machines, 80% of which are tractor towed harvesters, the remainder being a mixture of two or four wheel drive over row self propelled machines. Virtually all the machines manufactured by Nairn over the past 21 years are still functioning and providing a high quality harvest result that any machine manufacturer will struggle to match. The company is actively involved in exporting these machines to Australia (50%), South Africa (15%), Israel (new market) and the USA (25%) as well as supplying New Zealand (10%) customers. For the self propelled machines Nairn manufactures four different styles of picking heads to match the trellising systems of the various customers we supply. In the past years we have been active in fitting these picking systems to various other manufacturers machines namely UR Machinery and Howard harvesters. We are currently collaborating with Andros Engineering (California, USA) to provide Nairn harvesting technology for twin picking head systems due to the unreliability and performance of previous systems supplied onto Andros rubber tyred track machines over the past four years. This is the same technology fitted to our tractor tow grape harvesters. Nairn has been working closely with our owners to manufacture machines that provide even greater reliability and performance than has been achieved previously. As a result we have developed a variety of upgrade kits that can be retro fitted to any machine that we have manufactured previously. This is a program that Nairn will continue into the future as it has provided existing owners with the ability to continuously improve the performance of their machine as new technology has become available.

2 The Nairn branded harvesters reputation for being a robust, low maintenance high performing machine has found favour with a number of our customers around the world. Shown below is a sample of these customers who have chosen to invest in multiple machines: Wycoff Farms (Washington, USA): Eight (8) Nairn 680 series tractor tow harvesters and three (3) Nairn-Andros machines; Walsh Vineyard Management (Napa, USA): Six (6) Nairn 680 series tractor tow harvesters; Warburn Estate (Griffith, Australia): Five (5) Nairn 1230 series self propelled harvesters; TLC Vineyard Management (Coonawarra, Australia): Five (5) Nairn 680 series tractor tow harvesters; Morton Estate (Hawkes Bay, New Zealand): Three (3) Nairn 680 series tractor tow harvesters. These customers have made this investment in their Nairn machines due to the construction of the machine, the harvesting performance, the reliability of the equipment, the low cost associated with servicing the machine and the durability of the equipment (an owner can expect to have a Nairn harvester fully functional for 20 years +). Our experience is that once customers have owned and operated a Nairn machine they are almost certain to purchase additional Nairn machines for their fleet or will replace an existing machine with a new Nairn from the factory when ready to do so. Nairn tractor tow grape harvester design criteria: Since 1986 Nairn has been working at continuously developing the machines it produces based on the feed back provided by the company s customers. Many of the changes that customers make to their own machines are often incorporated into the machines Nairn manufactures today or offered as options (at time of sale or as retrofit kits). The areas that Nairn have made progressive changes to the machine are as follows: The aesthetic appeal of the machine the cosmetics of the look and feel of the machine more rounded edges, covers, machine colour etc; Making hydraulic and electrical systems more robust, reliable, user friendly and simplified for service technicians to diagnose & repair; Beefed up the construction of the drawbar and A frame system; Making access to various machine functions quick, simple and safe; Developing performance functions such as post saver systems, stick flicker systems, MOG removal systems and rear controls to improve the machines functionality; Adapting our current technology to enable the machine to be used for harvesting other crops such as olives and coffee; 1. Basic machine dimensions Picking post height (available for picking rods) = 1435 mm Height of Machine = Approximately 3100 mm Width of machine = Approximately mm with floatation tyres Machine length = Approximately 4600 mm from rear to A frame; Machine weight = Approximately 4500 Kg This machine is manufactured in a number of variants from the standard dimensions given above to suit customer s individual situations, these being: High top picking post height is increased to 1735 mm for placement of bow rods, making this machine suitable for double cordon trellis systems;

3 Wide The frame of the machine is manufactured 100 mm wider than standard machine to provide is with improved lateral stability when used in hill country conditions; Combination high top & wide for specialty crops such as coffee or special situations as double cordon trellis systems grown on rolling hill country; Super high top & wide picking post height increase to 2035 mm for placement of bow rods. This is a new specialty machine for 2007 purpose built for harvesting dwarfing olives grown in hedgerows. The dimensions given here enable the machine to be transported on a normal truck deck and have the ability to be transported on freeway systems (such as exist in the USA) under low level over passes without restriction. Considerable thought has gone into tailoring the machines design to match the differing circumstances under which owners will need to transport the equipment. The design of the machine allows for maximum picking height of the picking rods while keeping the machine as compact as practically possible. The compactness of the machine enables the owner to minimize the size of the tractor towing the harvester. Nairn Harvesters Ltd recommends a minimum tractor size of 80 horse power for flat to gently rolling terrain. Where the terrain slope exceeds 15-30% slopes Nairn recommend the use of horse power tractors. In those areas of the USA, Australia and South Africa where grapes are grown on rolling terrain the Nairn tractor towed harvester dominates due to its compact size providing stability and a low centre of gravity. 2. Hydraulics The design of the hydraulic system fitted to the Nairn harvester minimizes heat generation, maximizes reliability & performance and should operate in excess of 10,000 hours prior to requiring major service overhaul (for normal expected yearly operational times of hours this equates to 20+ years). The hydraulic system is run off the PTO output of the tractor and is designed to operate at 540 rpm s without the necessity for the tractor driver to match the hydraulic pump output to the harvester s systems requirements. There are three pumps mounted to a twin output step up box that provide the hydraulic oil to the harvesters systems. The main system pump servicing the conveyors, rams and fans is a variable displacement pump which automatically regulates its oil output to match the machines requirements thereby minimizing any heat generation. The shaker system is coupled to its own pump which ensures that head speed of the machine is accurate to within 1% and should any fluctuation in head speed be detected then this can be rectified by simply lifting the pressure setting of the shaker system control. Generally it has been our experience with grapes that have light well trimmed canopies in NZ require approximately psi to drive the picking rods while the big bushy sprawls of Australia and South Africa require psi. By having the pressure setting so that it is adjustable we are able to set the pressure to match the harvesting conditions and thereby minimize heat generation caused by the operation of the shaker system. The wheel drive system is coupled to its own pump (which is piggy backed to the shaker pump) and like the shaker system receives its own oil independent of the requirements of the main system or shaker system. Our experience has shown that under normal operating conditions the machine can be expected to operate at degrees centigrade. When the wheel drives are being used such that the machine is being towed up a long uphill situation with minimal push from the wheel drive system an elevation in oil temperature of degrees can be expected. This is because a maximum amount of oil is being

4 spilled across the relief valve generating heat and this is a function of any wheel drive system. The oil cooler fitted to the machine is designed to dissipate the heat generated by the machines functions. When these machines are commissioned at the factory we are unable to get the system temperature to rise above 40 degrees centigrade after several hours of operation. This is due mostly to the fact that the machines are being run dry and not in a harvest situation. The oil cooler fitted to the machine is sized such that the machine is able to operate in 40 degrees centigrade harvesting conditions. Please note: All hydraulic systems on a Nairn harvester are installed to minimize the potential for hydraulic oil contamination. Shaker system pump. The wheel drive pump is piggy backed behind this pump for wheel drive systems. Main system pump Large, high thermal capacity oil cooler. Hydraulic oil return line Electrical junction box High wear floatation tires. Rated to be towed in excess of 25 mph Hydraulic oil tank

5 The control valves for the conveyor and shaker systems are motorized flow controls (or motorized needle valves). These valves are extremely accurate in their operation (approximately 100% accuracy) but also provide a high degree of reliability in that should the actuation motor experience a malfunction then it can be operated manually just like a normal needle valve. If absolutely necessary this could be done for an entire harvest season without effect on the quality of the harvesting merely some minor inconvenience for the machine operator. 3. A frame The A frame pickup of the machine has been designed to allow the operator to connect the machine to the three point linkage of the machine in the quickest possible time. Three point linkage system connections allow for quick and easy fitting to the tractor Swivel hitch assembly The harvester is attached to the A frame using a captive 360 degree swivel hitch. All parts of this assembly are replaceable. All the wear bushes fitted to the assembly are designed to be non greaseable. Note also the certified safety chain fitted between the drawbar and A frame. 4. Drawbar The drawbar system has been designed as a double hinge assembly that attaches to the chassis of the machine. Experience has shown us that this system will provide the machine with a 15 year plus service interval prior to refurbishing the hinge pins. Please note the check valve fitted to the side of the drawbar (colored blue). This valve ensures that the oil to the steer ram is instantly shut off once the actuation of the solenoid valve controlling the ram function ceases. The effect of this is that the operator of the machine has very accurate and positive control of the ram function. If the check valve is not fitted the steer ram on the drawbar can feel a bit loose due to the closure time of the solenoid valve (if the check valve is not fitted). This is a similar operational feel to a car with worn steering joints.

6 5. Picking chamber feed in (optional extra) The feed in system to the picking chamber has been designed to allow the crop to be harvested to be funneled into the machines picking chamber with minimal risk of damage to the limbs of the plant. In 2006 Nairn developed the over tunnel feed in for the first olive harvester and we now offer this as an option for our grape harvesters. Please see photographs below. Over tunnel feed in Over tunnel feed in Canvas safety sides 6. Picking chamber design The internal housing of the picking chamber has been designed so that the chamber is fully enclosed so that there is little opportunity for the grapes or olives (once picked from the tree/vine) to escape from the bucket collection system. This is a development that has come about from our involvement in the olive industry. 7. Picking post design For the 2007 machines the picking posts are offered on machines with 1435, 1735 or 2035 picking zones, so that the machine can be matched to the crop that it is required to harvest. The bearing system fitted to the bottom of the picking post are being fitted with a rubber sealed cap assembly that is grease filled to help prevent the ingress of fluid or dust contaminants into the bearing. We developed this system two years ago due to the observation that in grape harvesters (Nairn and the other manufacturers) the bottom bearings were failing prematurely most likely due to the ingress of grape juice and water into the bearing. Traditionally one can expect to get hours from the top shaker post bearings and to need to replace the bottom shaker post bearings on an annual basis almost regardless of hours operated. With this development we are hopeful of being able to achieve similar service intervals for the bottom shaker post bearings as that which we expect from the top shaker post bearings. The picking system design is such that it allows the full energy of the picking rods to be exerted or applied to the plant being harvested. Other systems which are not constructed such as this require

7 additional energy to be feed into the hydraulic system to overcome the movement of the picking head this means additional parts that wear and increased heat generation in the hydraulic oil due to the added inefficiency of these systems. 8. Shaker drive system design With the Nairn drive system we use four eccentric bearing housings to generate the movement in the shaker posts. This ensures that eccentric drive system is completely balanced with the action of the LHS eccentrics balancing the action of the RHS eccentrics. Our current expectation is that owners should achieve a 3500 hour service interval prior to needing to replace the bearings in the eccentric system. This is a much higher service interval than what is achieved in other machines. 9. Bucket conveyor system The bucket conveyor design has proved itself to be a robust and reliable performer over the past 21 years. Since first being designed Nairn has modified the bucket lip (to provide longer chain adjustment and more positive bucket overlap less bucket jams), the turn over sprocket design (positive bucket placement over front sprocket less bucket jams) and the bucket shaft design (complete independent adjustment of LHS & RHS bucket chains). All the tracks, wear strips, corner profiles and bucket sprockets are serviceable and easily replaceable. The bucket conveyor system should provide 6-8 years of honest serviceable life prior to needing any major refurbishment work. Much of the wear witnessed in the bucket conveyor system can be traced back to the quality of the operator driving the machine, the size of the crop being harvested and the speed at which the bucket conveyor system is being operated. The buckets are designed to be overlapping so that there is no opportunity for loss of juice or crop from the conveyor system. Please note: the bucket conveyor system is designed so that the LHS and RHS bucket chains are completely independent from one another allowing for independent adjustment on either side of the machine. See photo below. 10. Lighting system The lighting system fitted to the machine has been placed such that the operator or observer working with the machine can see all the critical areas of the machine at night without the need to have a torch in their hand. In this way they can be on the machine with both hands able to hold onto the safety rail and make the observations that they need to make.

8 11. Safety system The machines safety system includes four emergency stop switches: One positioned at the LHS rear of the machine; One positioned at the RHS rear of the machine; One positioned at the top of the machine; One positioned on the in tractor control cabinet. In addition to this the machine is fitted with four horn switch positions located adjacent to the emergency stop switches. 12. Harvester control system The harvesters electrical control system has been designed so as to minimize the electronics incorporated into the design. For wheel drive assist machines the operational mechanism for the wheel drive mechanism has to include a potentiometer and electronic control brain to allow the operator to ramp up the pressure applied to the wheel drives for steeper hills the operator will want to increase the pressure to the wheel drives so as to maximize the assistance to the tractor from the harvester. The only other piece of electronic equipment fitted to the machine is a timer for the bucket chain oiler (replacement part from Nairn or any competent electronic shop). Please note that malfunction in either of these systems will not stop the machine from harvesting. The electrical system fitted to the machine is hard wired, color coded, fused and circuit breaker protected. The benefits of wiring the machine in this manner ensures that any competent auto electrician can trouble shoot and repair any malfunction that occurs to the machine during the course of its lifetime. It also means that with direct communication with the factory that our technical staff should be able to direct a repair serviceman to have the machine operable within 30 minutes of making contact. This has been our experience with all our machines where ever they may be in the world. The equipment that we use in our electrical systems is high quality automotive standard components, the majority of which we would expect to be found on the shelves of good auto electrical shops or via our distributors. Compact in tractor control box fitted with wheel drive option Rear junction box

9 The standard functions fitted to the in tractor control box with wheel drive are: Shaker head speed indicator; Low oil level indicator; Tool box door open; High oil temperature indicator; Filter replacement indicator; Low oil pressure to wheel drive system; Emergency stop switch; Shaker hours clock; Horn button; Fan on-off switch; Shaker on-off switch with increase & decrease buttons (green for faster, red for slower); Conveyor on-off-reverse switch with increase & decrease buttons (green for faster, red for slower); Chain oiler button; Flashing beacon light; Work lights; Heat exchanger manual or automatic operation; Boom conveyor up-down-in-out; RHS leg up-down; LHS leg up-down; Drawbar in-out-up-down. Options Forward-reverse wheel drive control with variable pressure assist; Auto steer; Belt sensing. Please note: the wiring for the machine is fused in the in tractor control box as well as in the rear junction box so it doubly protected. The little things: 13. Boom conveyor truck tie down and harvester tie down points The harvester is fitted with four tie down points positioned at the RHS & LHS rear of the machine and the RHS & LHS front of the machine. In conjunction with this the machine also has four lifting points located at the top of the machine to allow it to be craned onto the flat rack it gets shipped on or should it be necessary to crane the machine onto a truck when in service. For truck transporting the boom conveyor is fitted with a tie down bracket that is fitted with a canvas flag so that the machine operator knows that the boom conveyor has been restrained. Between the tie down lugs and the boom conveyor tie down bracket the machine is able to be quickly and easily able to be prepared for truck transport.

10 14. Berry shedders The bottom support structure of the shaker post system is fitted with berry shedders which ensure that the olives that are picked find their way into the bucket conveyor. Please see photo below:

11 15. Ladder and bucket system The ladder access system is designed to provide safe and reliable access to the top of the harvester. The ladder system is fully enclosed with a safety handrail on both the RHS and LHS so that ascent to the top of the machine can be done with both hands holding onto the safety handrails. This minimizes the potential for accidents to happen. The bucket cover system at the top of the machine is hinged to allow all four bucket covers to be raised and pinned in the open position to allow full access to the upper bucket conveyor system. 16. Adjustable work lights The two fluro lights fitted to the machine are installed on hinged mounting bars that are able to be swung out and locked into place where they provide the most beneficial light when the machine is working at night. When the machine has finished for the evening, these lights can be tucked back into the machine for either road or truck transport.

12 17. Fan controls The fan controls are located at the rear LHS of the machine and are positioned such that the observer can access them by walking along side the machine or by standing on the bottom most rung of the ladder. This ensures maximum safety for all the personnel associated with the harvesting operation. 18. Tool box The tool box fitted to current production machines is fitted into the vertical tunnel pressing on the front RHS of the machine. The tool box is fitted with a courtesy light and a warning light on the in tractor control panel to alert the tractor driver that the tool box door is open.

13 19. Easy out shaker shaft design Every Nairn tow behind harvester is built with the easy out shaker shaft design which allows mechanics to remove and reinstall a new shaker shaft assembly in under 4 hours (provided there is a replacement shaft system waiting) using spanners alone. Once the shaker system is removed it can be taken back to the workshop where it can be worked on where the proper tools are available.

14 20. Hand water and hand wash system Fitted to each Nairn harvester is a combination hand water and hand wash system. This ensures that machine operators are able to clean their hands prior to getting back into the tractor after having made an adjustment to the machine. Options: 21. Rear controls The rear control system allows for the observer walking behind the machine to make adjustments to the shaker head speed and conveyor speed independently of the tractor driver. The rear control housing also contains the controls for the hydraulic pinch system should this be fitted to the machine. 22. Manual grease block system The manual grease block system can be fitted to machines so as to help minimize the time it takes the operator to lubricate the machine at the end of each days harvest. This system is fitted to 33 bearings on the machine with the grease blocks positioned (in the majority of situations) so that the machine operator can see the bearing being lubricated when greasing the machine. This system reduces the lubrication time to 5-15 minutes and helps to ensure that the machine is lubricated according to the required schedule.

15 23. Hydraulic shaker post adjustment The hydraulic shaker post (or bow rod pinch) adjustment is an option fitted for those owners who want quick and convenient adjustment of the shaker post positions. The system is controlled from the LHS rear controls. Hydraulic rams fitted to the eccentric drive system to provide quick and convenient shaker post adjustment Hydraulic pinch controls

16 24. High wear tyres For those owners who are likely to do considerable running on the road towing the harvester, Nairn is able to offer a high wear tyre option as shown in the photo below. 25. Wheel drive system The wheel drive system fitted to the machine is manufactured by Poclain, which is a French based manufacturer that Nairn has been working with for the past two years to supply transmission systems for our equipment. From our experience during this time the performance of their equipment is second to none and it has proved itself to be ultra reliable. The Poclain wheel drive motors use radial piston design technology which provides for maximum use and efficiency of the hydraulic oil provided to them. As an example of their performance we are able to push our 60 horse power tractor down an asphalt road at 7.5 kph ( mph) with maximum forward push from the wheel drive system. This is very impressive when compared with previous wheel drive systems that the company has installed over the years. 26. Stick flicker system The stick flicker system has been developed as a result of input from existing Nairn machine owners. The design now ensures that the system is functional (removes 90%+ canes and 20%+ leaf material) with minimal opportunity for hydraulic oil contamination of the harvest sample due to the hydraulic motor being on the outside of the machine.

17 27. Boom conveyor bin filler The boom conveyor bin filler enables the machine operator to fill bins carried on orchard style trailers with accuracy and a minimum of fruit loss. 28. Post saver system This system ensures that post breakage is kept to a minimum for VSP trellis systems where wooden posts are used to support the trellis structure. This is achieved with the static rods gripping the post and minimizing its lateral movement when the harvester passes over the post. It has been our experience that post breakage in vineyards is kept to negligible levels. Static post saver rods are positioned such that they are directly opposite the bow rods and thereby maximize the support to the post as the machine moves along the row

18 29. Boom mounted MOG remover system The boom mounted MOG remover has been developed by Nairn Harvesters Ltd in conjunction with Nairn owners to compliment other Nairn MOG removal systems (stick flicker in tractor tow harvesters and rear MOG remover in 3080 series self propelled machines). This system provides the machine with the final clean up of the harvest sample prior to discharge into the gondola. This helps to ensure a clean grape sample at the winery largely free of MOG such as leaves and broken canes. This is achieved with a minimal loss of juice from the sample.

19 Other Nairn Harvesters Equipment: 30. Nairn self propelled grape harvester 31. Nairn-Andros rubber tracked grape harvester 31. Nairn-Andros twin picking head rubber tracked grape harvester

20 32. Nairn manufactured New Holland tractor tow grape harvester 33. Nairn trunk shaker olive harvester 34. The Nairn value proposition why Nairn? Nairn Harvesters Ltd has a proud history of producing high quality, robust, functional, low maintenance, reliable high performance machines that have stood the test of time. Today we can advise you that if you purchase a new Nairn today and look after it, that the machine will still be harvesting your crop in twenty years time. In all likelihood in ten years from now we can be saying buy a machine at that point and you can still be using it in thirty years time. Certainly it is our expectation that our machines are well engineered and manufactured and that under normal sensible use can be expected to run for hours prior to needing a major overhaul for most owners and operators this will mean twenty years reliable service. Nairn Harvesters Ltd actively trades into five countries around the world and from that experience has a wealth of knowledge to bring to customers. From our market involvement we are often exposed to a great variety of ways in which people create solutions to their own harvesting challenges. It has been this interaction that has allowed us to develop our machines/equipment to where we have got to today. Without the active involvement of our existing customers it would have been a much more difficult process to create the value proposition that our machines embody today.

21 Of course it is not just our customers that assist in the process of machine development. Nairn has been actively involved in joint manufacturing projects such as those involving Andros Engineering from California, USA in conjunction with our Washington State distributor (Vinetech Equipment). The result of these efforts are the three Nairn-Andros rubber tyred track machines that are owned by Wycoff Farms who farm 5500 acres of grapes (they also have 8 Nairn 680 series tractor tow grape harvesters). Our involvement in Andros projects is ongoing with the latest being the assistance with a double picking head for harvesting two rows of grapes at once. We have been long recognized as being one of the best manufacturers of tractor tow grape harvesters and our partnership in Australia to manufacture these machines for Case New Holland (one of the world s premier tractor companies) is proof of the machines pedigree. In theory if it is good enough for Case New Holland then the value proposition is most likely compelling for the vast majority, if not all of our customers. Our new series self propelled grape harvesters can be compared to any manufactured by any other company in the world. On the score sheet which considers reliability, annual maintenance costs, robustness, equipment life expectancy, ease of maintenance, access to parts, sample quality, operator comfort (and effort) and harvest performance it is our considered opinion that we can put not only this machine but also our tractor tow harvesters up against any other manufacturers machine for comparison. At Nairn we pride our selves in being multi disciplined and with the ability to manufacture a wide range of products. Nairn has shown it s self to be innovative and responsive to customer requirements. Until 2006 the company was solely involved in manufacturing equipment for the grape industry, at which time an opportunity arose to get involved in the fledgling olive industry by manufacturing our first olive harvesting machine (as shown in photos above). This machine is a trunk shaker machine which under went its first trial harvesting in In 2006 we got involved with our Californian distributor Grape Harvester Sales & Parts (GHS&P) to manufacture a purpose built tractor tow olive harvester for harvesting dwarf olives. These efforts resulted in the machine that worked its first season in California in From this we have worked hard to incorporate the changes recommended from the first machine into the 2007 machine which boasts a picking rod spread of 2035 mm. We believe that this machine is well tailored to suit the dwarf olive harvesting requirements where these trees are being grown to a height of 2900 mm on a row spacing of mm. In 2008 we started manufacturing 4800 mm and 6400 mm folding air seeder drills for the New Zealand and Australian markets. These are marketed under the Aitchison brand name (see for further information) It is our hope that when you consider the value proposition that Nairn Harvesters Ltd has to offer with the machines we manufacture today that you will choose Nairn as your next grape or olive harvester.