HillControl: Greater precision when spreading fertiliser on slopes, hilltops and in hollows

• RAUCH introduces HillControl, a system enhancing fertiliser distribution precision on slopes and uneven terrain using AXIS twin-disc spreaders.

• HillControl employs tilt sensors and specialized algorithms to automatically adjust spreading discs for consistent lateral fertiliser application.

• The system integrates with existing SpeedServo actuators, ensuring easy operation without additional user effort.

• This innovation improves fertiliser efficiency by up to 3%, optimising plant nutrition and reducing overfertilisation on complex topographies.

The HillControl control system from RAUCH optimises the distribution of fertiliser from AXIS twin-disc fertiliser spreaders on slopes and in fields with highly variable topography, such as hilltops and hollows. HillControl ensures consistent lateral distribution, even when the angle of the machine to the ground is constantly changing. The amount of fertiliser distributed unevenly on sloping terrain usually contributes to suboptimal plant nutrition, but with HillControl, this is not the case. Fertiliser efficiency is increased by up to a further 3% on transverse and longitudinal slopes due to optimised distribution.

Advertisement

HillControl is based on algorithms that are calculated separately for each disc depending on the flight characteristics of the fertiliser, the working width and the slope angle. HillControl optimises the machine settings fully automatically via the drop point adjustment.

A tilt sensor detects the position and position change of the spreading discs, which is transmitted to the job computer via the CAN bus. The complex HillControl algorithms thus adjust the AXIS fertiliser spreader for perfect transversal distribution.

The HillControl automatic control system uses the extremely fast SpeedServo actuators for the metering quantity and drop point, which are already available on the AXIS twin-disc spreader. Full integration into the control system makes this function very easy for the user to operate and requires no special attention during operation.

In all currently known spreading systems, the influences of field topology and elevation gradients, e.g. when driving through a hollow or over a hilltop, have not been taken into account in the distribution characteristics.

For the first time, HillControl enables precise fertiliser distribution even on slopes, both across and along the slope, in hollows and on hilltops. Plants are optimally nourished, overfertilisation is avoided and fertiliser efficiency is significantly increased in terrain with slopes and complex topologies.