Australian manufacturer Goldacres uses ifm technology to deliver next-generation agricultural sprayers
Australian agricultural conditions are among the harshest and most demanding operating environments in the world.
This is why Australian manufacturer Goldacres specialises in building agricultural sprayers that are rugged, reliable, and in step with evolving farm technology.
These are qualities they share with ifm, whose robust mobile screens are built to withstand tough conditions whilst enabling smart control and real-time visibility of a machine’s condition.
Goldacres chose to partner with ifm to enhance their agricultural sprayers with next generation display technology to bring engineered intelligence into their mobile machines, while making it easy for operators to use in the field.
Since 1978, Australian-owned and family-operated Goldacres has been designing and building spraying equipment that meets the growing demands of modern farming.
Driven by the philosophy to put farmers in the driver’s seat of best-fit technology, Goldacres combine durability with innovation to design machines suitable for Australian agricultural conditions.
With this understanding – boosted by continuous feedback from their customers – every Goldacres sprayer is a fit-for- purpose build.
Robust to smart
A core ethos of Goldacres is to listen to customer feedback to ensure each iteration of agricultural sprayers is meeting requirements in the field. This is what prompted the journey to develop a display and control solution that would meet shifting customer expectations.
“Being an Australian company, we’re very close to our users and feedback was that people wanted to know more about what was going on with the machine,” sales and marketing manager Stephen Richards says.
“That meant developing display solutions that would give them as much information as we could.”
Historically, Goldacres had focused on being robust and mechanically simple, which made their sprayers ideal for tough jobs but limited on smarts and data.
They realised there was a clear need for digital integration which would not only improve functionality and control but provide real-time visibility of key machine metrics and fill levels.
In addition, Goldacres understood that their customers required a reliable, stable product.
Their team has strong empathy for farmers, with many having grown up in regional Australia.
“I grew up on a farm and the last thing you want is your machine to fail out in the field,” Goldacres engineer and electrical integration manager Luke Myers says.
“With that perspective, we needed to develop a solution that would meet this requirement but was also easy to use.”
Finding a solution
To bring smart control to their sprayers without sacrificing reliability, Goldacres integrated ifm’s ecomat display screens – rugged, intelligent hardware designed specifically for mobile machines.
Two screens now serve every machine: an external display for managing all fill functions, and an internal display that acts as a digital dashboard, giving the operator full visibility and control of machine operations.
The internal screen displays key metrics such as engine speed, RPM, and spray control, while the external screen simplifies pre-operation tasks, such as filling and setup.
Both are IP-rated to withstand exposure to dust, mud, water, and vibration, ensuring dependable performance, even in Australia’s most remote and unforgiving paddocks.
The displays are also fully programmable using CODESYS 3.5, allowing Goldacres engineers to create custom interfaces suited to specific machine workflows and operator preferences.
This means user-friendly design is not an afterthought, it’s embedded in the system.
“The external screen does all the fill function of the sprayer, whilst the internal screen is a dashboard showing speed, RPM, and the engine side of the tractor,” Richards says.
“But it also gives the operator full control of the sprayer itself.”
Importantly, the visual displays are underpinned by sophisticated technology, even though for the end user, it’s not complicated to use at all.
“The implementation of a comprehensive control system, featuring robust controllers and I/O modules, was pivotal in ensuring the success and efficiency of these Goldacres’ sprayers, enabling seamless operations and unparallelled precision,” ifm Australia’s mobile vehicle automation expert Aditya Kunder says.
The result is a control system that doesn’t just meet current customer expectations. It gives Goldacres a flexible platform to rapidly develop and deliver new capabilities, while staying true to their reputation for delivering tough, purpose-built sprayers.
Support and vision
For Goldacres, entering the world of smart, software-driven control systems wasn’t just about meeting evolving customer expectations – it was a strategic step to stay ahead in a competitive market.
The move demanded a technology partner with deep engineering capability, proven product performance, and a commitment to long-term collaboration.
“As we were taking that step into what for us was an unknown space, ifm really rose to the top,” Myers says.
“Their product offering, their quality, and their technical know-how gave us the complete package.”
What stood out was not just the rugged build quality of ifm’s screens and control units, but the local support and hands-on expertise.
ifm’s team worked directly with Goldacres engineers – supporting early trials, assisting with programming, and offering technical guidance as new display features were developed and rolled out.
The partnership has been built on shared values: a passion for innovation, a drive to create better outcomes for farmers, and a practical approach to solving complex challenges.
The relationship isn’t simply transactional, but instead supports growth – in this case, helping Goldacres evolve their product offering by building smarter machines.
According to Kunder, the system solutions that ifm can offer companies such as Goldacres are designed to handle Australian conditions.
Besides agriculture, he says ifm has a great track record in providing reliable and robust mobile solutions for the mining, construction, waste and transport and logistics industries.
“For everything from sensors and cameras to cables, rugged HMIs, decentralised I/O modules and powerful controllers,
we are basically a one-stop supplier of high-quality components built specifically for mobile applications,” he says.
“What sets us apart though isn’t just the hardware, but the integration.
“Comprehensive software libraries make it easy for manufacturers like Goldacres to embed advanced functionality, save engineering time and reduce development costs.”
By integrating ifm’s ecomat display systems with innovative programming, Goldacres has delivered a new generation of sprayers that combine rugged reliability with digital intelligence.
The result is more control in the cab, full visibility across the machine, intuitive and safer operation in the field, and faster innovation from the workshop to the paddock.
With robust hardware, flexible software, and strong local support from ifm, Goldacres is empowering Australian farmers with smarter, easier-to-use, and safer technology – built for the field and for a rapidly evolving future.
For more information about the partnership, visit https://www.ifm.com/au/en/au/forms/form-processed-goldacres