HARDI Australia made a statement last year with its revolutionary RUBICON 9000 self-propelled boomsprayer.
It was a game-changer for the company – a collaboration between Hardi Australia and fellow Exel Corporation company, French-based self propelled experts Matrot.
The 9000 delivered productivity in spades with Pommier front-mounted booms from 36.5 to 48.5 metres (120-160ft) and a stainless steel tank holding 9000 litres of liquid product.
Last week at the company’s new product launch in Adelaide, HARDI dealers were introduced to the 9000’s little brother, the RUBICON 6500.
Featuring a Cummins Tier 3A 8.9 litre engine developing 250kW (335hp) linked to a Sauer Danfoss H1 hydrostatic transmission, it can be optioned up with a 280kW (375hp) power plant.
As its designation suggests, it has a 6500L stainless steel tank with front-mounted Pommier aluminium boom options of 36.5m (120ft) or 48.5m (160ft).
The tank fill volume is set, and once reached the fluid valves automatically switch over to agitation and boom priming.
The tank content is then agitated and the spray circuit is primed at standby operating pressure in readiness to start spraying.
Suspension is by way of fully independent, leading arm, over-ride air bag system.
Other standard features include auto boom height control, reverse camera in-screen, 630L stainless steel rinse tank and nozzle rinse, and active full re-circulation – a feature which basically involves a pressurised and automatic valve-sequencing system.
As with the 9000, which was also displayed at the launch, the 6500 features the company’s new ActivAir technology.
This is a rapid nozzle on/off control system, which uses an on-board air supply to instantaneously open and close the non-drip nozzles during spraying.
Air pressure is reticulated along the boom through 8 millimetre tubing to electrically activate solenoid valves and then through 4mm tubing to each non-drip valve.
ActivAir’s rapid nozzle control is fast and accurate, making it ideal for AutoSection control systems.
The spray lines are divided into 14 sections to ensure minimal overspray when AutoSection control is in operation.
When a solenoid is activated to turn the nozzles on, air pressure opens the non-drip valves and the nozzles start spraying.
When the solenoid is deactivated to turn the nozzles off, the non-drip valves are held closed under spring tension.
When the nozzles are off, the fluid system continuously recirculates the spray mix through the boom tubes at high volume, ensuring the boom is primed before spraying starts.
HARDI has only made a few changes to the 9000, re-designing the stainless steel tank for a sleeker, lower look.