ContourControl and SwingStop

The new active boom guidance with live swing compensation for Super-L2 booms that reduces vertical and horizontal boom movement.

ContourControl active boom guidance reduces vertical boom movement.

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With the new, active ContourControl boom guidance, AMAZONE offers innovative technology that not only fulfils the demand for higher operational speeds but also gives even more precision during application.

The basis of the new boom guidance system is a quick-reacting hydraulic system. In this system all the hydraulic functions are actuated from a central hydraulic accumulator on the boom to provide extraordinarily short reaction times. Extremely short distances to the hydraulic rams, and the accurately operating hydraulic control, ensure the realisation of the different functions in a fraction of a second.

Within the standard specification of ContourControl boom guidance, six ultrasonic sensors are included which are evenly distributed over the complete working width of the boom. The two outer sensors on each side control, independently of each other, the angling of the left and right hand boom. The two sensors per side are electrically connected in parallel so that sensor considered is that which is closest to the target surface. The sensors in the middle scan the crop to the left and right hand side of the machine and regulate the height of the centre segment which is guided in its height via the parallelogram.

To apply crop protection chemicals even closer to the crop and to minimise the drift risk, AMAZONE already offers today the possibility to operate with a nozzle spacing of 25 cm. In this way the usual target surface height of 50 cm can be further reduced. To ensure the precise maintenance of this small distance in practice under all conditions, ContourControl also allows the negative angling of the outer boom sections. So, when driving over a hill, the boom ends on the left and right hand side can drop below the level of the centre section. In this way, even under these conditions, the pre-set application height can be accurately maintained.

Via the new Flex-fold for Super-L2 booms with ContourControl, the folding is done 40 % quicker. Thanks to this intelligent boom folding, non-productive time when changing fields is considerably reduced.

Active SwingStop swing compensation to reduce horizontal boom movements

To also maintain the horizontal boom position with these increasing demands, AMAZONE offers, as a special option for ContourControl, the active SwingStop swing compensation. Due to external influences, such as ground undulations, driving around bends, acceleration forces and increasing operational speeds, the booms are put under enormous strain horizontally. This may result in the boom ends swinging round and thus negatively affecting the lateral distribution at the outer ends of the booms.

When the boom swings forwards, in the direction of travel, underdosing is the result. If the boom goes back when driving forwards, then overdosing occurs. In practice, this overdosing and underdosing are clearly visible in the field.

As horizontal movement occurs more at the boom ends, this effect is increased enormously by wider boom widths. To reduce this swing action today in the market, mainly passive systems consisting of buffers and dampers are used. With SwingStop, AMAZONE offers an innovative active swing limitation in the horizontal direction. To reduce this horizontal swing effect, SwingStop measures, via acceleration sensors, the resulting acceleration at the boom ends. The two actively-operating hydraulic rams in the boom suspension compensate live for these swing movements and in this way provide a very smooth horizontal boom ride. So, on the move, the system immediately compensates for any horizontal boom swing movement that occurs with the aid of these two rams.

Whilst ContourControl provides a very good vertical boom ride, SwingStop optimises, especially with wider boom widths, the horizontal ride.

The boom guidance, which operates exceptionally quickly and accurately, of course, means higher forward speeds during application. In conjunction with the electric AmaSelect individual nozzle switching, one can achieve, with this technology, a level of performance and a degree of precision never reached before.