Feed quality is certainly one of the limiting factors in increasing the efficiency of an animal production system. Furthermore, in this type of exploration, the cost of food represents an important part of the total investment. Therefore, the use of technology during this production process is fundamental, especially for forages that need to be preserved, such as hay. In general, the animal's response depends on the quality of this food and this is related to the technological processes involved in production, such as cutting, drying, collection and storage.
Haymaking consists of the process of preserving forage for partial dehydration, where water is removed from the plant tissues, causing the material to be preserved for a certain period of time. The use of food from this type of process can positively help the zootechnical indexes of a property when compared to others usually used in the breeding of ruminants and horses. The justification for its use is based on the availability of food at a time of year when food sources are suppressed by low temperatures, such as native pasture in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, or at times of low rainfall and stress. water, as in the center-west of the country.
The growing synergy between technology and field efficiency has brought producers results of great importance in production, improving the availability of food for animals in times of deficiency. Therefore, the haymaking process has been optimized in order to take into account important requirements such as the most appropriate vegetative phase for cutting forage, depending on the species used, atmospheric conditions and other process factors such as drying, storage of bales and the machines used in production.
The entire bale production phase must be carried out taking into account the plant species, environmental conditions and the uniformity of the relief, in order to guarantee a product with good conformation and adequate humidity for correct pressing and storage. Therefore, choosing a machine that guarantees a product with good nutritional quality and easy storage is essential, and must be suitable for the power source of the tractor existing on the property, to improve the cost-benefit ratio of its acquisition.
The performance of balers is also related to the quantity, quality and density of bales produced. The constant innovations applied to these machines can make a real difference, as each step is essential when atmospheric conditions in the field are adverse. Therefore, the tactic of restricting the volume of forage through compression, increasing the density of the dry material as a facilitator for storing larger quantities of hay in smaller spaces, also guarantees quality control if the forage is managed in the appropriate vegetative phase.
One of the ways to select this type of machine is to seek information in order to make a comparison between the models. In this case, the technical catalogs and manuals made available by companies are the main ways of obtaining data, which provide the information and technical specifications of the products, being used as a source of knowledge of values and measurements most appropriate to the work you want to carry out. The objective of this work was to gather and evaluate the relevant information contained in baler catalogs and technical manuals, in order to create a database so that research can be carried out to classify and characterize models according to the performance and characteristics presented by manufacturers. .
43 baler models were evaluated in their standard versions, from 13 companies, including imported models. These machines were divided into two groups, according to the type of compaction chamber or bale formation, these being: variable and fixed chamber. Furthermore, within each group, the variables working width, mass, machine width, power required at the power take-off (TDP), volume and mass of the bale were observed.
According to the information provided, maximum, average and minimum values can be obtained (Table 1), enabling the determination of bale production autonomy and the construction of relationships such as working width by bale width and bale density by width of work. These parameters were obtained through the responsible companies and their catalogues, however it is worth noting that some variables were no longer exposed due to the lack of information made available by the manufacturers.
Table 1 - Maximum, average and minimum values of analyzed parameters
| PARAMETERS | Fixed camera | Variable chamber | ||||
| Highest | Media | Minimum | Highest | Media | Minimum | |
| Working width (m) | 2,40 | 1,90 | 0,80 | 2,80 | 2,10 | 1,10 |
| Machine mass (kg) | 8.800,00 | 3.700,90 | 440 | 9.200,00 | 4.187,20 | 1.200,00 |
| Machine width (m) | 2,75 | 2,10 | 1,35 | 3,15 | 2,76 | 1,65 |
| Power required at TDP (hp) | 180,00 | 75,08 | 12,00 | 180,00 | 85,59 | 35,00 |
| Bale volume (m3) | 25,05 | 12,26 | 0,20 | 3,24 | 1,93 | 0,12 |
| Bale mass (kg) | 2.480,00 | 981,90 | 24,00 | 1.100,00 | 834,80 | 567,00 |
PARAMETERS
Fixed camera
Variable chamber
Highest
Media
Minimum
Highest
Media
Minimum
Working width (m)
2,40
1,90
0,80
2,80
2,10
1,10
Machine mass (kg)
8.800,00
3.700,90
440
9.200,00
4.187,20
1.200,00
Machine width (m)
2,75
2,10
1,35
3,15
2,76
1,65
Power required at TDP (hp)
180,00
75,08
12,00
180,00
85,59
35,00
Bale volume (m3)
25,05
12,26
0,20
3,24
1,93
0,12
Bale mass (kg)
2.480,00
981,90
24,00
1.100,00
834,80
567,00
When evaluating the information, the great variation in the quantitative characteristics of the balers that are available on the market stands out. It can be seen that there are machines with different working widths, ranging from 0,8 to 2,4 m and maintaining a correspondence with the width of the machine. There is a wide range between the mass of the bales, ranging from 24 kg to 2.480 kg. The mass of these machines varied from 440 kg to 8.800 kg. As can be seen in figure 1, 18 baler models were compared, correlating the variables working width, bale volume and power required at TDP.
The highest powers demanded correspond to the machines that produce the largest bale volumes. However, the working widths of these equipment do not vary greatly between models. Figure 2 shows the relationship between the density and mass of bales produced by fixed and variable chamber balers.
Fixed-chamber balers have a greater capacity to produce high-density bales (mostly above 180 kg/m³), while the majority of bales made available by variable-chamber balers are below this density level. However, it is worth highlighting that the densities were obtained according to the values provided by the manufacturers and that theoretically the variable chambers can be previously adjusted to obtain different densities for the bales obtained. Therefore, this relationship is only valid as a comparison of the data made available by each brand, which may be values such as maximum, average or minimum adaptation, without excluding the possibility of correlation divergence for other unevaluated models in the same category, which were certainly not presented due to lack of technical information from companies. It should also be noted that the baler with a fixed chamber of noticeably lower density and bale mass is a mini baler with a fixed chamber, which presents different values when compared to models in the same category.
Figure 3 illustrates the relationship between bale volume and PTO power demand for variable and fixed chamber balers.
The relationship between the power required at TDP and the volume of bales produced indicates an average demand of 70 hp for every 1,0 m³ of volume. The capacity to generate larger bales may also be related to the capacity to collect the raked material by the machine, which will consequently require a greater demand on the power take-off.
It is important to know the variety of baler models present on the Brazilian market, know how to differentiate them at the time of purchase, know their main components and field work methods in order to minimize losses in the haymaking process.
When choosing a haying machine, a careful diagnosis of all parameters is necessary, and not just considering the volume of the bales as a requirement, as each component significantly influences the operational quality of the baler and the bales generated. Therefore, when choosing the appropriate model, the specific characteristics and needs of each property must be considered according to the areas and activities carried out.
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