Irrigation system: long travels

Problem

This exact casting trolley is used outdoors for pot plant cultivation. It was developed by Rathmakers Gartenbautechnik GmbH in co-operation with the NRW Chamber of Agriculture. Its advantage: the system waters - as the name suggests - very precisely only the pots and does not waste water on the areas between the plants. This means that water is only used where it is needed in cultivation, and the savings potential is usually over 50%. The heart of the exact casting trolley is a long rail that runs lengthwise exactly between two fields. It is on this rail that the exact casting trolley is installed on a carriage. An elongated structure extends from this trolley on both sides, overhanging the fields. When the trolley travels on the rail, the frames also travel over the fields and can water the pot plants via inner-lying cables. A windproof, weatherproof and precise solution was sought for the cable guidance.

Solution

The cable guidance of the various cables required for the exact casting trolley is today ensured via two essential components. On the one hand, a corrosion-free guidelite trough system is used. These guide troughs are usually used on particularly long travels as well as in rather slow applications with low cycle numbers. An E2/000 energy chain of the 3500 type travels in it. It is suitable for the medium load range and safely carries the various cables over a travel of ten to 200 metres. Other special features of the quietly operating energy chain are its high stability and long service life. Despite the slow travel speed, it ensures a particularly precise carrying of the cables. This is also ensured by the rollers on which the chain travels. The roller energy chain has the advantage that it reduces the drive power required on the long travel to less than 25% to move the chain.