For nearly ten years, the agricultural engineering company has been relying on
iglide® G300 from igus® GmbH, Cologne. The all-rounder bearing is particularly resistant to external influences. More than 650 dimensions are available from stock. "And we make full use of this spectrum", states the mechanical engineer, Reiner Irsigler. "There is almost no dimension that we do not use in our broad model range. In addition, the price/performance ratio is also spot-on, which of course makes economic sense."
Engineering and mobility
Dieter Opitz, the company's founder, set a milestone for the garden and landscaping industry by developing and producing modern technology for transplanting purposes. The machines were developed in the sixties and brought about enormous labor savings. Today, tree nurseries and landscaping businesses could not operate without these machines. Cleanly severed roots, tree conforming root ball shapes, gentle work in rows and reliable transportation: the tree transplanters ensure smooth and time saving operations at a very favorable cost/benefit ratio.
In addition to functionality, reliability and flexibility are among the crucial characteristics taken into account during the technical design phase. These are particularly compact machines that can be mounted on a variety of hauling equipment depending on need, and can be maintained with a minimum of effort. Even fully customized special purpose equipment is possible.
Today, an appropriate solution is available for any tree. The product range comprises twelve tree transplanters. They can dig root balls ranging in diameter from 36 cm to 2.50 m with a root ball depth from 30 cm to 1.50 m. Transplanting campaigns are generally scheduled for the spring and the fall. "When the season ends, the machine is normally cleaned with a steam jet and at best stored in a hall", Roland Schlesag states. "Since plain bearings are self-lubricating, the trouble spots will not incur storage damage due to the good dry-running properties. We rely on hard-chromed materials for the bolts. We believe that this is the ideal pairing that guarantees rugged machine engineering. “
Plain bearings for rotating and swivel movements
The ideal root ball transplanter will handle trees with considerable care. Their low working height permits trees to be removed without causing damage. The root ball matches the shape of the natural root growth. The favorable spade geometry and clean cut facilitates an accurate shape. The root ball stays intact, as it is fully enclosed by the spade. The low weight of the mounted equipment limits damage to the soil and roots.
Agricultural engineering requirements place particular emphasis on the absence of lubricants and long service life. Root ball transplanters place loads on iglide® G300 plain bearings primarily during swivel movements. In detail, this involves gimbal mounted hydraulic spade cylinders, as well as hinges and locks for the opening and closing frame components. On large machines that are mounted on trucks, plain bearings in the joints also ensure a secure connection of the primary arm with the swivel arm.
The highest loads are placed on the machine elements in the areas of the gimbal mounted spade cylinders when the four spades are steadily pushed into the soil with considerable force. A spade on one of the larger machines can theoretically push down with a force of 15 t. The means that a force of 150,000 N is applied by the hydraulics.
"We have had nothing but the best experience in this area with the plain bearings", states Reiner Irsigler in this regard. "They will hold up to the enormous surface pressures over time. This is in addition to their lack of lubricants, which is proving itself in daily use, whereas the soil permanently bonds to lubricated machine elements. Over time, the soil incrementally penetrates the bushings, creating friction and ultimately resulting in a failure."