TEST REPORT No

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1 AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY FUNCTIONAL AND SAFETY TESTING SERVICE TEST REPORT No HORIZONTAL FLAIL MOWER: TSMA 180 MANUFACTURER: GF COSTRUZIONI MACCHINE AGRICOLE S.R.L. Via Cassia Cimina Km Loc. XXX Miglia Sutri (VT) Rome, July 2004

2 TESTS CARRIED OUT IN COMPLIANCE WITH ENAMA PROTOCOL NO. 02 REV. 01 BY EXPERIMENTAL INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURAL MECHANISATION, MONTEROTONDO ROME: Supervisor: Test engineers: Collaborators: Ing. Giovanni Santoro Dott. Agr. Roberto Fanigliulo Dott. Agr. Daniele Pochi Mr Gino Brannetti Mr Cesare Cervellini TABLE OF CONTENTS DESCRIPTION OF MACHINE 3 ACCESSORIES 3 TECHNICAL DATA 4 TEST CONDITIONS 5 RESULTS OF TESTS 5 NOTES ON FUNCTIONALITY 7 REMARKS AND INSTRUCTIONS 7 ROAD CIRCULATION 7 TESTING OF SAFETY REQUIREMENTS 7 To facilitate interpretation of the results, it should be remembered that: 1 rev/min. = 1 min -1 1 Mpa = 1000 kpa 10 bar 10 kg force /cm 2 1 m/s = 3.6 km/h 1 dan = 1.02 kg force d.m. = dry matter C.V. (coefficient of variation) = parameter indicating the extent of data deviation from mean value. MANUFACTURER: G.F. COSTRUZIONI MACCHINE AGRICOLE S.r.l Tel./Fax gf.srl@virgilio.it 2

3 DESCRIPTION OF MACHINE The side-shift horizontal flail mower manufactured by G.F. Costruzioni Macchine Agricole, model TSMA 180, is a mounted agricultural implement designed to shred grasses and shrubs, hay and corn-stalks, and to crush hazel cuttings, vine and kiwi shoots and wood cuttings. The implement is coupled to the tractor via a three-point hitch (ISO category 1 and 2). The underframe consists of a robust welded-steel structure capable of withstanding the collisions and vibrations to which this type of machinery is subjected. A second arch-shaped frame welded to the main frame is designed to harden the implement s structure, and in particular to allow the semiautomated lateral movement of the machine in relation to the tractor s three-point hitch in order to be able to operate in the vicinity of plants and mounds with a minimum distance along the row of 70 cm. The main frame supports the bevel gear unit which, in addition to the angle transmission of drive, multiplies the revs from the PTO unit in order to transmit drive to the rotor holder and operate the gear pump of the hydraulic circuit for lateral movement of the rotor. The plant is circumvented by means of a feeler unit positioned on the front right side of the implement, which controls a dual-effect hydraulic cylinder, positioned inside the headstock for the three-point hitch. An ad hoc lever, which can also be manoeuvred using a cable from the cab, makes it possible to manually move working parts. Drive from the central bevel gear to the rotor holder is transmitted via an overgear, transversal to the forward direction, and via the shaft to a pair of pulleys located on the left side and interconnected via 4 v-belts, which transmit drive to a horizontal rotor on which tools are radially bolted. The pulleys are connected to the shafts via tapered couplers, for greater duration and reliability. The tested machine was endowed with a bevel gear unit (36-12 teeth), which with the tractor s PTO at 540 rpm allowed a rotation of the overgear of 1,620 rpm, with a gear ratio of 1 3, and from this to the pair of pulleys which, via a gear ratio of 1 1.4, allowed a rotation of the rotor of 2,268 rpm. The tools are curved steel hammers with sharpened edge to facilitate the cutting action. The implement is also endowed, at the front of the frame, with a pair of metal support wheels and an adjustable rear roller, bolted to the main frame, both having the job of keeping the cutting height regular, particularly on bumpy terrains. The theoretical working width of the implement is 1.80 m. A diagram of the tested machine is given in figure 1. ACCESSORIES The manufacturer has declared that the machine can have the following optionals: metal front wheels to adjust cutting height, replacing the roller; chain traction: ensures high flexibility for the 3 rd point, making it possible to pass easily over the roughest of ground. 3

4 Figure 1 Diagram of the tested machine and its parts (front view): 1) Headstock for tractor s 3-point hitch; 2) 3 rd point linkage; 3) overgear for transmission of drive to tool rotor; 4) protective plating for belt-based side shift; 5) metal wheels to adjust working height; 6) coupling to lower arms of tractor lifting device; 7) coupling of cardan shaft to tractor s PTO, with protective cap; 8) cylinder for side shift of implement, with relative hydraulic circuit; 9) shredding chamber with hammer rotor; 10) arch-shaped feeler unit TECHNICAL DATA SERIAL NUMBER MACHINE: 001 SIZE in working position total width (mm) 1,990 total length (mm) 1,230 total height (mm) 1,000 FRAME type sheet-metal box and welded steel plates; coupling to tractor 3-point hitch (ISO cat. 1 and 2). DRIVE TRANSMISSION from PTO double-joint cardan shaft; main transmission constant straight-toothed bevel gear (36-12 teeth), with gear ratio of 1 3; transmission to tools the cross-drive shaft leaving the bevel gear unit is connected to the tool rotor via lateral transmission to 4 belts operated by pulleys (with gear ratio of 1 1.4), allowing a speed of rotation of the rotor of 2,268 rpm (43.3 m/s); PTO speed 540 rpm STANDARD TOOLS type total number 20 length of hammer (mm) 117 width of cutting edge (mm) 139 thickness of cutting edge (mm) 6.5 mass of single hammer (kg) 1.1 tool rotor width (mm) 1,800 diameter of shaft (mm) curved pressed-steel hammers hinged to the horizontal axis; diameter, including tools (mm) 365 adjustment of cutting height via metal wheels and rear roller (0-50 mm); 5 SIDE SHIFT operation maximum range (mm) hydraulic, controlled from tractor; 500 (to right vis-à-vis tractor s 3-point hitch); 4

5 PTO POWER REQUIREMENT resulting from tests (kw) 16.5 TOTAL MASS in working set-up (kg) 670 TEST CONDITIONS Tests were conducted by the Experimental Institute for Agricultural Mechanisation of Monterotondo (Rome). TRACTOR USED The was coupled to a tractor having the following characteristics: rated power 58.8 kw total mass 2,955 kg hitch device cat. ISO 1 The speed of rotation of the PTO was set at 540 rpm, with the drive shaft at 2,067 rpm. length of swath (m) 50 average width of swath (m) 1.50 maximum height of swath (m) 0.30 density of pruned materials on swath (no. branche s/m 2 ) 20.4 average length of material (m) 2.15 average diameter of material at cutting base (mm) 29.8 average humidity of fresh wood cuttings (%) 9.1 mass of swath (kg/m 3 ) 12.7 mass of 50 m of swath (kg) 190 Table 1 Properties of woody surface where tests were carried out. TEST GROUND The test ground was chosen along the rows of a poplar grove on which cuttings had been piled, laid out to form an even swath, in order to assess the operating efficiency of the implement s semi-automated side-shift system and of its feeler unit. Prior to shredding operations, the main properties of the woody surface were determined, as shown in table 1, while table 2 shows the diameter classes of wood cuttings. Diameter classes % < > Table 2 Percentage distribution of diameters (mm) measured at cutting base of pruned materials making up the test ground. RESULTS OF TESTS After having established the most appropriate gear for the tractor (1 st, slow), according to the properties of the test ground, inserted double traction and moved the accelerator lever to the standard position of 540 rpm of the PTO, the functional and operational properties (referring to one hectare) were determined. Cutting shredding tests were conducted at a forward speed of 1.60 km/h, deemed to be typical of normal working situations using the implement in question and in view of the properties of the test ground, in order to obtain small-sized shreddings and a limited amount of unshredded material along the swath. The implement s working capacity, referring to the mass of material passing through the machine, was 6.6 t d.m./h, while the effective working capacity was 0.29 ha/h, with an hourly fuel consumption of 7.2 kg/h and consumption per unit of surface area was 25.4 kg/ha. 5

6 It can be seen from table 4 that the effective working width was 1.78 m, with a utilisation ratio of the theoretical working width of 98.9%. With regard to operating performance, the PTO speed was 546 rpm, while the speed of the tool rotor was 2,293 rpm. The peripheral speed at the top of the tools was 43.8 m/s, permitting a high degree of shredding of test ground materials. Under these conditions, the tractor was subjected to an average load of 29.0 danm, with absorption of power at the tractor s PTO of 16.5 kw. QUALITY OF WORK PERFORMED To assess the quality of work performed by the implement on the test ground, samples of shredded material were taken, each over a surface area of one square meter, in order to measure the length of woody fragments obtained and determine the amount of dry matter. Table 3 shows the percentage distribution of the length of cuttings, with material broken down into size classes. Length classes % < > Table 3 percentage distribution of shredded materials by length class (size classes are expressed in millimeters). It may be seen from this table that 4.8% of shredded material was in the +100 mm size class, while 95.2% of cuttings were in size classes below 100 mm. The largest percentage in terms of length of cuttings was for the size class between 25 and 50 mm. Finally, the average length of shredded woody materials was determined at 53.4 mm. Performance Elements motor rpm rpm average PTO speed rpm 546 average speed of tool rotor rpm 2,293 peripheral speed of tool rotor m/s 43.8 theoretical working width m 1.80 effective working width m 1.78 working width utilisation ratio % 98.9 effective working time h/ha 3.51 effective average speed km/h 1.60 effective working capacity ha/h 0.29 dry matter mass t ds/ha 23.3 working capacity t ds/h 6.6 hourly fuel consumption kg/h 7.2 unit fuel consumption kg/ha 25.4 average torque at PTO danm 29.0 average PTO power kw 16.5 power supplied to tractor engine kw 23.2 average length of shredded material mm 53.4 average humidity of fresh cuttings % 7.9 Table 4 Average results obtained with TSMA 180 during field shredding tests. 6

7 NOTES ON FUNCTIONALITY Tests on the G.F. Horizontal flail mower, model TSMA 180, were conducted on woody poplar prunings, characterised by a low level of humidity, chiefly to highlight the main feature of the implement, which is a robust shredder also suitable for shredding pruned branches having a diameter of up to 30 mm at the cutting base. Tests demonstrated the efficiency of the semi-automatic side-shift system: the distance between the machine and poplar trunks along the row, set at 25 cm, was correctly observed. The implement s tools reduced the test swath to small-sized fragments in a single passage. The machine also presented robust manufacturing characteristics and tool types. No maintenance activity was needed, nor were there any particular difficulties, the implement being easy to use and capable of an excellent performance in working conditions deemed to be difficult. The system used to adjust drive belts is extremely simple, allowing the user to act directly in the field. Finally, the use of a 59 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 demanding working conditions. REMARKS AND INSTRUCTIONS The implement is endowed with instruction and maintenance handbook in compliance with existing law provisions. 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), it does not require type approval and may circulate on the road providing it complies with mass and jolt ratios with the tractor and with law provisions. TESTING OF SAFETY REQUIREMENTS 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 745:2002, 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 THE PRESENT CERTIFICATE IS VALID FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS OR UNTIL REFERENCE REGULATIONS FOR THE HORIZONTAL FLAIL MOWER MOD. TSMA 180 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