Add-On Gauge For Spray Tanks

Add-On Gauge For Spray Tanks SPRAYING Accessories While spraying 30 000 acres of cropland a year Steve Simon knows exactly how much solution is in the tank thanks to the Accu-Volume system he developed     “Farmers are still buying expensive sprayers that use the same sight gauge that has been used for the past 50 years or more ” says Simon “I wanted something more accurate My system is accurate to plus or minus one gallon ”     The Accu-Volume System measures solution in any size or shape tank by measuring the weight of liquid in a column inside the tank It calibrates for different density products and is unaffected by foam     “The kit takes about 1 1/2 hrs to install and calibration of the unit 40 to 45 min ” says Simon “Many tanks require no modification to install the sensor We include bulkhead fittings for those tanks that require drilling a hole for installation ”     According to Simon’s customers even the new float-based systems used in Deere sprayers can be off by up to 50 gal A 1 000-gal spray tank will actually hold up to 1 050 gal but the float system on the Deere sprayers only measures up to 1 000 As solution is sprayed out the readout counts down from 1 000 When it gets to zero there may actually be 40 to 50 gallons left and the operator has to guess when they will run out     Simon notes that it is vital to know when the tank is ready to run out If it runs out of solution before shutting off the pressure air can get into the plumbing The air has to be purged before starting to spray again     Simon designed his system to solve both problems It counts every gallon not just the listed capacity of the tank     “When the tank is getting close to running out we have an alert on the display ” he says “It counts down the remaining gallons 3 2 1 0 The operator can shut off the pressure anytime they want before it hits 0 ”     Counting every gallon going in means that it is simple to add a specific volume perhaps for treating a specific area     “If you want to spray 830 gal of solution the display will tell you when you’ve put 830 gal in the tank ” says Simon noting that there’s a digital display in the cab and also at the load station on the sprayer     Simon points out that knowing the correct volume in the tank lets you pull off the right amount from the fresh water tank to rinse the tank and the boom This ensures an adequate rinse while maximizing the number of rinses before needing to refill the fresh water tank     The Accu-Volume System costs $1 695 U S and can be expanded beyond measuring spray solutions Additional sensors can be added to other on-board tanks including the fresh water tank or induction tanks and for a low hydraulic oil alert     “Additional uses are preprogrammed and wired to plug and play on our control box ” says Simon “We can also display volumes in dual tank Hagie sprayers and in the future displays will include data from a weather station ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Simon Innovations 23676 Talbot Line Rodney Ont Canada ph 519 671-7394; toll free 855 246-6688; steve@simoninnovations com; www simoninnovations com

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