With the GrindStar®, SAPHIR will be presenting a world first at Agritechnica. The system was designed in cooperation with the Institute for Construction and Agricultural Machinery Technology at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences and design partner seed2soil GmbH & Co. KG for full-surface, ultra-flat stubble cultivation as part of the post-harvest management process. The project was funded by Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank - Germany’s development agency for agribusiness and rural areas - for a period of three years. It consists of rotating tools that slide flat over the ground, can cut and shred at the same time, and are arranged on two rows of rotors which are driven solely by the forward speed. The front rotors rotate in the opposite direction to the rear rotors. This arrangement and the symmetrical design of the rotors result in a full-surface working pattern. Uniformly flat processing is achieved by the parallelogram-guided, spring-loaded suspension of the 75 centimetre rotors, the unique blade tools and the specially developed pressure relief system in the rotor. This results in significantly improved height guidance and ground adaptation during stubble cultivation compared to existing systems.
Patented technology for fast and efficient post-harvest management
The granting of a patent confirms the technical progress and innovative character of the GrindStar®. The equipment works quickly at 12 to 18 km/h, and significantly reduces fuel consumption thanks to the low tractive power requirement of just 20 hp per metre of working width. The GrindStar® does not require any complex and expensive electronics or drive technology that is susceptible to wear. Thanks to the special technical design, ultra-flat processing is carried out at a working depth of 0 to 2 centimetres without the operator having to carry out time-consuming checks and adjustments. In addition, the GrindStar® is particularly easy to pull, boasts low process costs, and encourages volunteer grain, volunteer rape and weed seeds to germinate without burying the seeds. This reduces herbicide use and prevents resistance. Harvest residues such as grain, rape and maize stubble are shredded, frayed and deposited evenly. This results in pronounced surface rotting, and pests such as slugs and corn borers are deprived of a place to hide.
Premiere at Agritechnica
SAPHIR will present the GrindStar® system for the first time at Agritechnica 2023. Further innovations from SAPHIR from the areas of grassland maintenance technology, silage technology and municipal technology will also be presented in Hall 27 at Stand E05.