OPERATORS MANUAL
FOR
SPRIMAS MS MOB
MOBILE TEST EQUIPMENT FOR FIELD SPRAYERS
LH No. 020-401-UK Version 1.00
LH Technologies Denmark ApS
Mølhavevej 2
9440 Aabybro
Denmark
Tel. +45 9696 2500
Fax. +45 9696 2501
Internet: http://www.lh-agro.com/
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We have endeavoured to deliver a fault free product. To ensure optimal use of the
equipment we ask that great attention be paid when reading the manual. We are
more than happy to help should any queries arise, both when the product is used
for the first time and at any later date. Regarding responsibility for use of the
product we refer to our sales and delivery terms especially paragraph 7, which
follows:
7. Product usage.
7.1 Any use of the product is at the sole risk of the buyer. The buyer
is therefore not entitled to any form for compensation caused by,
for example, any of the following:
Disturbance to/from any electronic services or products that
Missing or poor signal coverage or a succession hereof from
Functional faults, which apply to or from a PC-program or PC-
Faults that may arise from the buyers negligence to react to
7.2 When implementing any new equipment the buyer must take great care
and pay attention. Any doubts as to correct operation/use should
result in contacting the sellers service department.
do not confirm to the standards for CE marking,
external transmitters/receivers, used by the buyer,
equipment, not delivered by the seller,
warnings and fault messages from the product, or which can be
traced to negligence and/or absent constant control of the
work carried out in comparison to the planned job.
This manual may not be altered, copied or manipulated in any way. Unoriginal
manuals can lead to operational faults damaging machines or crops as a
consequence thereof. LH Agro can therefore not be held responsible for damages
incurred that can be traced to the use of unoriginal or manipulated manuals.
Original manuals can be requisitioned at any time from LH Agro.
With regards
LH Technologies Denmark ApS
Mølhavevej 2
9440 Aabybro
Denmark
Tel. +45 96 96 25 00
Fax. +45 96 96 25 01
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Contents
1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................4
2. SETTING THE TEST SYSTEM UP .................................................................................5
2.1 SETTING THE RAILS UP .....................................................................................5
2.2 SETTING THE CARRIAGE UP............................................................................. 5
2.3 DRIP CHAINS .......................................................................................................5
2.4 SETTING THE PC UP...........................................................................................5
3 THE TEST PROCEDURE................................................................................................ 6
3.1 POSITIONING THE TEST CARRIAGE................................................................6
3.1.1 THE BOOM POSITION IN RELATION TO THE CARRIAGE........................ 6
3.1.2 THE WATER RUNNING FROM THE PLATE ...............................................6
3.1.3 SPRAY HEIGHT AND ANGLE...................................................................... 7
3.1.4 MANUAL POSITIONING OF THE CARRIAGE .............................................7
3.2 SPRAYING............................................................................................................7
3.2.1 START SPRAYING.......................................................................................7
3.2.2 CHECKING THE SPRAY PATTERN ............................................................ 7
3.2.3 STARTING THE TEST PROCEDURE..........................................................8
3.2.4 THE TEST COURSE.....................................................................................8
3.2.5 TRANSFERRING THE TEST RESULTS ...................................................... 8
3.3 PC PROGRAMME "SPRIMAS VERSION 2.0"......................................................9
3.3.1 INSTALLATION AND SETUP OF THE PC PROGRAMME ..........................9
3.3.2 THE PC SCREEN .........................................................................................9
3.3.3 ON SCREEN REFERENCES .......................................................................9
3.3.4 ENCODING VIA THE KEYS .........................................................................9
3.3.5 TRANSFERRING THE WORKING WIDTH...................................................9
3.3.6 MINMIUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PC..................................................9
3.4 SPRAYER TEST IN 2 STEPS.............................................................................10
4 TRANSPORT.................................................................................................................10
5 MAINTENANCE.............................................................................................................10
5.1 SOLENOID VALVES...........................................................................................10
5.2 BATTERY............................................................................................................11
5.3 DROPLETS ON THE MEASURING PLATE........................................................11
6 ERRORS .......................................................................................................................11
6.1 EMERGENCY STOP...........................................................................................11
6.2 THE GREEN LIGHT IS FLASHING.....................................................................11
6.3 NO ULTRA SOUND ECHO................................................................................. 11
6.4 INACCURATE MEASUREMENTS......................................................................11
7 REPAIRS .......................................................................................................................12
8 TECHNICAL DATA........................................................................................................ 12
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1. INTRODUCTION
The mobile measuring and documenting system "Sprimas" is used for the
following measurements:
The sprayer boom spray pattern
The average amount per nozzle
The total amount for the boom
The measurement carriage moves one metre at a time along the test rail under the
sprayer boom and measures the amount of liquid that hits the measuring plate and
runs into the measuring containers. The amount of liquid in the measuring
containers is measured by ultra sound.
The measuring containers are emptied automatically with solenoid valves when
the test is finished.
When the test is finished the carriage automatically returns to the start position. A
cable is used to transfer the data to a PC.
Properties:
Fast and simple setup and breakdown of the system.
Low transport volume due to compact construction with removable measuring
plate.
Very simple operation.
Continual flow metering for automatic adjustment of the measuring time for the
nozzle size - minimum test time.
High accuracy due to ultra sound measuring.
Accurate carriage positioning due to the metering wheel.
Safe data transfer from the carriage to the PC.
Easy to use and functional software for test data documentation.
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2. SETTING THE TEST SYSTEM UP
IMPORTANT!
As the test results can be affected by, i.e. frost or wind we recommend
testing the system indoors.
NOTE!
As the measuring plate has sharp edges to fulfil its purpose personal injury might
incur. Work gloves should be worn when handling the plate.
2.1 SETTING THE RAILS UP
Join each individual rail section and position horizontally where the test is to be
carried out. The test rail length must be at least the boom width + ½ metre. All
nozzles must be in the test rail length. For safety reasons and to ensure that the
carriage does run off the test rails a stop is fitted at each end of the test rail.
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The carriage will stop and run back and switch off if the carriage runs to one of the
stops or meets another obstruction.
2.2 SETTING THE CARRIAGE UP
Seen from the tractor the carriage is positioned at the start of the test rail to the
right so both switches can be seen. Place the test plate on the carriage. The
chains on the plate should be facing the tractor. Fix the plate in place with the
snap locks.
2.3 DRIP CHAINS
The chains on the plate are used to settle the liquid flow and must not be removed.
Lay each of the four chain sections in the middle of the profile next to each other.
The ends of the chains should hang into the measuring container's funnel.
2.4 SETTING THE PC UP
The PC should be placed in the dry away from the spray area (all connections for
the printer, screen, etc can be seen in the PC manual). The included 25-pin
connector is connected to either COM1 or COM2 on the PC depending on the
configuration of the PC. Lay the round plug next to the carriages start position.
NOTE! The plug must not get wet.
Switch the computer on and start the program with "messen" (the test procedure is
started.
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3 THE TEST PROCEDURE
Note!
When conducting a test the sprayer may be contaminated with chemicals. For
health and safety reasons chemical resistant gloves should be worn at all times.
3.1 POSITIONING THE TEST CARRIAGE
Sprayer boom Nozzle 1
Direction of
travel
On/Off
switches
3.1.1 THE BOOM POSITION IN RELATION TO THE CARRIAGE
The sprayer boom must be parallel over the rail. Ensure that the carriage has
enough room to move along the whole length of the rail. The spray direction
should be adjusted to ensure that the spray hits the measuring plate at a right
angle. The sprayed liquid must hit the plate behind the drip chains to ensure
accurate measurement. The height from the lower end of the nozzle to the channel
separators should be the same as the recommended height for the nozzles being
tested (normally 50 cm). The first nozzle (to the right when seen from the tractor)
must be directly above the first channel separator on the measuring plate (above
the start/stop switches as seen on the above diagram). The test results are
displayed in the order the test has been carried out.
3.1.2 THE WATER RUNNING FROM THE PLATE
Ensure that the liquid running from the channels does not run past the drip chains.
If this is the case then the chains and the plate must be cleaned.
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3.1.3 SPRAY HEIGHT AND ANGLE
Under certain circumstances it might not be possible for the carriage to run under
the sprayer frame and tank. If the hydraulic hoses from the tractor cannot reach
ramps can be used. The angle between the spray direction and the plate must not
be less than 90o (see 3.1.1) as the liquid might accumulate on the measuring
plate. The sprayer frame must be supported to avoid accidental damage to the
measuring plate and carriage should the sprayer be lowered.
3.1.4 MANUAL POSITIONING OF THE CARRIAGE
NOTE!
Stay clear of the carriage ends (on the test rails) when manually operating the
carriage to avoid accidents. The carriage can be driven under the nozzle for
precise adjustments. This is done as follows:
The carriage must be switched off (no green light), press and hold the green
button and the carriage will move slowly after 2 - 3 seconds. After a short while the
carriage will run faster. The carriage can be stopped again by releasing the green
button. The carriage will run in the other direction in the same manner as
described above if the green button is pressed again.
3.2 SPRAYING
Important!
The sprayer must have been rinsed with clean water according to the rules for
testing the sprayer. Before filling the sprayer with clean water it is important to
check, visually that the inside of the sprayer has been cleaned and rinsed.
Small air bubbles, caused by certain cleaning agents, in the test liquid can disturb
the test procedure (see 6.3). The sprayer must therefore be totally rinsed with
clean water after cleaning.
Rinsing the sprayer with clean water is important as the person conducting the test
is in danger of contamination by chemicals both on exposed skin and breathing in
particles floating in the air.
3.2.1 START SPRAYING
Start the pump and adjust the sprayer pressure to the pressure to be used for
testing, i.e. 2 bar.
3.2.2 CHECKING THE SPRAY PATTERN
Visually check the spray pattern. If there are any nozzles that are not spraying
correctly, correct the problem to save time and water.
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3.2.3 STARTING THE TEST PROCEDURE
If the carriage is switched off (green light off), switch the carriage on by pressing
the green button (green light on).
The test procedure is started by pressing the green button, but should not be
started until the measuring plate is wet and the cable connecting the carriage to
the PC is disconnected. The green light will be brighter.
The carriage will automatically switch off if the test has not been started after 15
minutes, and if no data transfer to the PC has taken place.
Pressing the red button (emergency stop) will stop the carriage at any time.
3.2.4 THE TEST COURSE
Note!
Do not stand on the rails when operating the carriage to avoid personal injury.
The carriage will now move along the rail one metre at a time and stop for a
suitable amount of time after each metre to measure the amount of liquid in the
measuring containers.
The measuring and waiting time depends on the nozzle size (l/min.) and is
automatically calculated by the system after the first measurement.
When no liquid is measured in the outside channel the test will stop and the
carriage will return to the start position.
It is possible to determine the test length exactly before the test starts, e.g. a 12
metre working width is entered as 12 metres. This means that the spray area at
the end of the boom, that does not fully overlap, will not be measured. For more
information regarding this see 3.3.5.
The test is finished when the carriage returns or when the carriage is outside of
the width being tested.
The test can be stopped at any time by switching the sprayer off, the carriage will
return to the start position.
The test can also be stopped at any time by pressing the emergency stop (red)
button. The test data will be lost. The carriage will return as described in 3.1.4.
If the carriage runs into one of the stops at the end of the rails or runs into an
obstacle of any type the carriage will return to the start position, the test data can
be interpreted.
The green light will flash should an error occur. If the carriage is connected to the
PC the error will be displayed on the screen.
3.2.5 TRANSFERRING THE TEST RESULTS
Connect the carriage to the PC with the data transfer cable when the carriage has
returned to the start position. The test data can be seen on the screen.
Note!
If the sprayer test is to be carried out in two parts (see 3.4) do not connect the
carriage to the PC until both parts have finished.
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3.3 PC PROGRAMME "SPRIMAS VERSION 2.0"
3.3.1 INSTALLATION AND SETUP OF THE PC PROGRAMME
The PC programme must be installed on the PC before the first test is carried out.
From a DOS-prompt and with the supplied disk in either disk drive "A" or "B" (if the
wrong drive is selected type "A:" and press enter or "B:" and press enter). Type
"install" and press enter, the install program will start. Up to three user data can be
input, i.e. "Customer". A customer name can be entered when using the program,
this name will appear on the test results. Select the serial port that the data
transfer cable will be connected to. These settings can be altered during use of the
programme by pressing the F8 key.
3.3.2 THE PC SCREEN
If the carriage is connected to the PC the date & time of the clock in the carriage
will be displayed at the bottom of the PC screen. A finished test is automatically
transferred to the PC, this can be seen on the screen.
3.3.3 ON SCREEN REFERENCES
A list of keys and their function, i.e. change a setting or perform an action, is
shown on the main screen to the left. In the other screens a list of keys with their
functions will be shown on the bottom of the screen.
3.3.4 ENCODING VIA THE KEYS
Pressing the key "Bild" will display a list of the sprayer settings. Check these
settings (working width, spray angle & height) before the test results are
calculated. These settings ensure that only the fully overlapped boom width is
used for the calculations. The test results will be inaccurate if these settings are
incorrect. These encodements can take place both before and after the test.
3.3.5 TRANSFERRING THE WORKING WIDTH
(Only possible when testing the boom as one section) The program item working
width, which is only available when the carriage is connected to the PC ("Transfer
working width to carriage") ensures that the carriage only tests the encoded
working width. This saves time and water as only the fully overlapped working
width is tested, so nozzles with a wide spray angle (i.e. >130o) are only tested in
the area that fully overlaps. The transferred width is automatically deleted in the
carriage after 10 minutes. Using this function is optional.
3.3.6 MINMIUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PC
An IBM compatible PC with MS DOS 3.3 or higher. The PC must have a hard disk,
a 3.5" floppy disc drive, a Parallel port for the printer, a serial port for the data
transfer cable, minimum 640 kb memory plus a VGA graphics card.
The printer must be able to print graphics and the system (DOS version, printer
and graphic card must allow for the "Print Screen" function to be used).
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3.4 SPRAYER TEST IN 2 STEPS
It is possible to split the sprayer test into 2 steps if the test rails are smaller than
the total width for the sprayer being tested.
The first test step is carried out as usual and the carriage is positioned so that the
first nozzle (first nozzle to the right when seen from the tractor) is directly above
the first channel separator. The left-hand boom can remain folded. Complete the
visual test and complete the first test as normal (see 3.2.3 and 3.2.4) but do not
connect the carriage to the PC.
When the second step of the test is to be carried out, the carriage must measure
at least the last measured nozzle (from the first step of the test). Position the
carriage (using the start/stop buttons) so that the first channel separator is under
an already measured nozzle. Visually check all nozzles to save time and water
and start the second part of the test. To ensure that the overlap for the middle
nozzles is correctly tested then at least one nozzle from the first part of the test
must be to the right of the carriage start position for the second test.
The total boom width must be encoded into the PC when transferring test data to
the PC. The PC programme will automatically calculate the test result using both
parts of the test, which are stored in the carriage. To put both parts of the test
together the PC programme will ask what the nozzle number was when the
second part of the test was started (see the text in the upper part of the screen).
Nozzle number 1 is the first nozzle to the right when seen from the tractor.
4 TRANSPORT
Always place and fasten the carriage to the short test rail for transport. When
placing on the rail ensure that there is enough room for the pulse wheel.
Inaccurate test results will be given if the pulse wheel or sensor are damaged.
The carriage must always be transported horizontally as the carriage is fitted with
a car battery (containing acid). The measuring plate must be handled and packed
with care to avoid damage to the edges (a bend of 1 mm = an inaccuracy of 1%).
5 MAINTENANCE
5.1 SOLENOID VALVES
The valves in the measuring containers should be open during pauses in the test
procedure. This is not the case if the test is stopped with the red button. The
valves will, however, open automatically after 15 minutes. The valves must be
rinsed with clean water when open before longer pauses.
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5.2 BATTERY
The present voltage of the carriage battery is displayed on the right-hand side of
the screen each time data is transferred from the carriage. When the voltage is too
low a warning will be given. If the voltage is lower than the required minimum
voltage, the unit will not operate.
The battery can be charged with any charger that can be used with a 12V car
battery.
Note!
ALWAYS connect the charger to the + and - terminals on the side of the
carriage and NEVER directly to the battery. The Sprimas electronics will be
damaged if the charger is connected directly to the battery.
5.3 DROPLETS ON THE MEASURING PLATE
If the water from the sprayer makes too many droplets on the measuring plate
then the plate must be cleaned with a grease removing substance, i.e. alcohol.
6 ERRORS
6.1 EMERGENCY STOP
Pressing the red button will stop the carriage immediately should problems occur.
6.2 THE GREEN LIGHT IS FLASHING
If the system registers an error or incorrect operation the green light will flash. The
registered error and probable causes will be displayed on the screen when the
carriage is connected to the PC.
6.3 NO ULTRA SOUND ECHO
Empty the measuring containers and rinse with clean water if the test liquid was
contaminated (cleaning agents, herbicide, antifreeze). Fill the sprayer with clean
water.
6.4 INACCURATE MEASUREMENTS
Probable causes; uneven liquid flow in the channels.
Solution:
Remove grease, oil, wax and any build up of material in the channels and on
the drip chains.
The water should run along the drip chains into the measuring containers.
Alter the position of the boom ensuring that the water is sprayed behind the
drip chains.
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7 REPAIRS
Repairs should only be carried out by trained personnel.
Note!
Moisture in the electronics housing can lead to incorrect operation of the system.
8 TECHNICAL DATA
Number of measuring channels: 10
Measurement range: 50 - 800 ml/min
Measuring container volume: 67 ml
Fill height measurement using ultra
Resolution +/- 0,07 mm
sound sensor:
Maximum working width: 36 Meter
Travel sensor: 2500 pulses per revolution
Sensor wheel circumference: Approx. 200 mm
Test time per m incl. Travel & wait time
At 100 ml/min per channel: 15 - 20 seconds
At 400 ml/min per channel: 15 - 20 seconds
Return speed: 0,4 m/s
Battery capacity: 44 Ah
Consumption for 10 metres test: < 0,5 Ah
Surrounding temperature
Testing: 0°C - +30°C
Storage: -10°C - +40°C
CE mark: EMV/VDI recommendation 4500
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