Precision seeding manufacturer Seed Hawk has created a new metering system it says will allow its air seeders to distribute up to 500kg per hectare of seed and fertiliser at speeds of 15 km/h.
Väderstad, a family-owned Swedish farm machinery manufacturer, acquired Seed Hawk in 2013.
The company assessed the Fenix III in its research and development facility in Sweden before it underwent out-of-season field testing in Canada and Australia.
Product manager for Claas Harvest Centre – the Australian distributor for Seed Hawk – Marc Nesbit describes the Fenix III as the ‘Mercedes Benz’ of metering systems.
“This is most advanced seed metering technology yet developed by Väderstad, which is recognised as a world leader in precision seeding,” he says.
Claas says more than 4000ha of field testing – designed to replicate extreme operating conditions – has been completed in the past three months alone.
“The motor, rollers, housing, inlets and outlets work together seamlessly to provide precise, consistent and reliable metering under all conditions,” Nesbit says.
“The metering chamber features stainless steel plate lining to withstand abrasive fertilisers, while the central shaft is mounted on sealed stainless steel bearings.
“The metering roller itself is made of polyurethane, which prevents damage to the motor if a foreign object becomes stuck in the metering system.”
The meters are driven by 40-watt motors, fitted to a 64:1 reduction gearbox, which Seed Hawk says allows the Fenix III to run at a low rpm and seed at a wide range of rates.
Five rollers are available to suit a variety of needs from seed to fertiliser, inoculants, micronutrients and other crop inputs.
“The rollers do not fill from across the entire width of the inlet at the same time,” Nesbit says, “instead they fill from one side of the roller to the other, preventing jamming.
“The motors and rollers can be removed quickly and easily for cleaning or to replace the rollers. Each roller can only be installed in one direction to avoid any mistakes.”
Seed Hawk’s iCon carts – the intended pairing for the new Fenix III system – were launched by Claas Harvest Centre in Australia last year, and feature up to eight independent electronic metering systems, individual load cells in each tank and an iPad-based Wi-Fi control system.
Nesbit says the Fenix III will allow the iCon carts to perform at their maximum capability.