Test Drive solid product distributor Pegasus 4.6 Air

The Pegasus 4.6 Air is a self-propelled distributor of solid products from PLA, which replaces conventional rotating discs with 30 meter bars with deflectors that guarantee a more homogeneous distribution of the applied products.

The destination of the Revista Cultivar Máquinas team for this test was the region of the Third Plateau of Paraná, Palmeirinha, close to the city of Guarapuava, in the state of Paraná. Our interest was to learn about and evaluate in the field the solids distributor, model Pegasus 4.6 Air from the manufacturer PLA.
This equipment, which was launched in 2014, had its design completely redesigned in 2017, with the adoption of a new cabin, and a complete readjustment of the front part. This new design won the International “Best of the Best” Award – Industrial Product Category at RedDotAward, in Germany, one of the largest and most respected professional design competitions in the world.

This distributor was designed with the aim of overcoming problems arising from the lack of homogeneity, common in traditional equipment that distributes through discs, using centrifugal force. Its structure allows the application of solid products, such as seeds, fertilizers and correctives on already established crops, as is the case with the application of black oats on soybeans, as we will detail to the magazine's readers.
A team accompanied us in the test, mainly from the PLA technical area, including engineer Rodrigo Oliva, who is the company's Marketing manager, and Mr. Douglas Machado, who is a PLA regional salesperson. The salesman Antônio Silvestre accompanied us representing the dealership Trator Sul, which is an authorized LS reseller with headquarters in the city of Ponta Grossa and in partnership with PLA sells its products in the region.

TEST
To carry out the test, the first step was to know every constructive detail of the machine. Once in the field, we started a detailed checklist of all the components that make up the Pegasus 4.6 Air to understand how this distributor of solid products works.
The Pegasus chassis is the base structure of the equipment and in our opinion a good point to start the technical description and its particularities. This structure is the same as the one that the PLA mounts on the 4.6 Pegasus Sprayer and is made up of a metal profile frame structured on three levels, the first, upper, to support the tank, an intermediate one that serves to mount the engine and a portion front that serves as support for the cabin and all components related to entry and exit and movement of people.
As is appropriate and usually recommended in this type of machine, which due to its size supports various tensions during work, factory engineering provided for flexibility in the structure, which is known as a powerflex chassis, providing three levels of support and support for the machine. to the terrain, which generally presents irregularities. There are two rear tie rods and one front, which, according to technicians, gives the equipment greater stability. To increase this flexibility, a system of tie rods and pantographic devices was designed to minimize tension in the structure when it is subjected to large movements resulting from interaction with the terrain. This was one of the concerns we heard from technicians who are used to seeing material rupture problems in competitor equipment.
At the ends of the tensions that join the axles to the structure, PLA placed a ball joint, instead of ending with a fixed joint. The idea is to minimize maintenance, because if there is wear, all you need to do is change the ball joint, without the need to change the entire tensioner arm.
To articulate the axle in relation to the chassis, the project included the placement of pneumatic bags with shock absorbers, making the suspension active and easily controllable from inside the cabin itself.
At the end of each axle, cast iron wheel columns (shins) surround and protect the hydraulic hoses and support the hydraulic wheel motors. By the way, the excellent casting quality of these shins is worth highlighting.
The axis, which is telescopic, allows the gauge to be adjusted from 2,8 to 3,2 meters. However, if the customer wishes to customize the equipment, one of the alternatives is to request the machine with the possibility of wide gauge change, which can be from 3,5 to 3,9 meters. The gauge adjustment is fully automatic and can be done with hydraulic assistance by the operator from inside the cabin, with a slight movement of the vehicle. Furthermore, it is possible to see on a scale printed next to the axis the gauge achieved by the adjustment. We found that the axis adjustment system in its housing is innovative, as technil wafers were placed for adjustment, both vertically and horizontally. These wafers are placed in front and below the shaft, providing easier control of gaps that may arise in this location.

MOTOR
The engine that powers the Pegasus is a six-cylinder MWM engine, with a total volume of 7.200cm3 and 220hp of maximum power. This 10 series engine has electronic injection, meeting the maximum requirements of pollution emissions regulations - MAR I.
The engine is installed on the chassis on four cushions, two at the front and two at the rear, as well as the radiator which is also located at the front, on two cushions. This assembly allows the absorption of vibrations coming from the engine, ensuring a reduction in vibrations transmitted through the structure, increasing comfort and reducing breakages of metal parts. To achieve good autonomy during the working day, the manufacturer fitted this machine with a diesel tank with a capacity of 450 liters.

STREAMING
As can be deduced from a machine that must move and, in addition, activate a series of hydraulic drive and product distribution components, the transmission of engine power is an extremely important component. A hydrostatic transmission from the traditional Sauer Danfoss brand, series 90, was fitted to the Pegasus Air, which should be able to handle all the demand. Regarding the movement of the machine, the transmission is continuously variable, without apparent gears, as in mechanical transmission systems. 
The system consists of two transmission pumps, in parallel, with one serving to drive the front axle wheel motors and the other for the two rear axle wheel motors. The individual wheel motors for each are from the 51 series. To transmit the movement and drive the machine's displacement system, the manufacturer provided for the use of ATF hydraulic oil, precisely to avoid contamination, which occurs in the other elements of the system, due to wear of components, especially hydraulic pistons that tend to collect impurities during their opening and closing movement.
To improve heat dissipation, the equipment uses two radiators, one that serves to cool the heat from the hydro transmission system and the other that only acts to reduce the temperature of the distribution system, mainly the oil that drives the turbines that generate the heat. air flow. Just as the cooling system uses these two radiators, the filtration system is also separate, using two filters for the hydro system oil.
The wheelsets, which are covered by plastic fenders, use 380/90-46 tires, and there is no optional alternative to this assembly. On the external side, each wheel has its own mechanical reducer. As standard equipment, the Pegasus distributor comes mounted with directional wheels on the front, however, if the customer is interested, as an option, the four-wheel turning system can be chosen, which has the advantages of reducing crop crushing and reduction of the turning radius when maneuvering. The wheels use a metal structure, which serves as a line opening separator, to reduce crop crushing.

APPLICATION SYSTEM
The application system consists of a product deposit, turbines that generate air flow for the dosers and carry the product with enough energy to pass through the nozzles and an entire hydraulic system for moving and adjusting the application bar.

The solid products deposit is a pressurized metal box, with a capacity of 4,6m3, placed on load cells that send weight information to the control systems in the cabin. The top closure of the tank is done by means of two lids, with manual opening and rubber sealing on the edges. Pressurization greatly reduces product flow variations, establishing flow continuity. In other non-pressurized systems, the effect of slope can cause variation in the applied dose (kg/ha). Pressurization provides flow stability across the entire application range, even on days unsuitable for application with conventional disc systems.
Below the deposit, on each side of the machine, there are two turbines that, hydraulically driven, generate an air flow that drives the solid particles of the product that are being deposited on deflectors, mounted internally within a diffuser. This diffuser individualizes the outlet that goes to each hose, which in turn is connected to the distribution nozzle. In this diffuser, the air flow enters horizontally and collects the product that is falling vertically from the bottom of the tank and is dosed by channeled rotors, inside a prismatic structure at the bottom of the diffuser. Due to the need to obtain high distribution efficiency, the system works with pressure and therefore must be well sealed and with minimal air losses. Product dosers can be of three types, one for fine seeds such as canola, where application rates are very low, and the other two (medium and coarse seeds) which can be used with seeds and products with larger grain size, such as This is the case with black oats, which we were using in the test.
As we stated, the application system needs to be independent of the transmission system, to suffer and cause little influence on the movement of the machine, which is why the project included an exclusive pump for this system, with a closed circuit, using 68 oil and two filters for the hydraulic pistons.
A frame is mounted on the rear of the chassis, which is the same as the boom sprayer manufactured by PLA. In this vertical tower, the height of the bar can be adjusted to a horizontal plane ranging from 1,5m to 2,4m, depending on the type and stage of the crop on which the equipment is working.
A hydraulic piston is mounted in the center of this frame, which drives the bar support. Between the two vertical rails on which the bar support is adjusted there is a distance of two meters, which serves to increase the lateral stability of the bar. In tests, the main advantages of this arrangement are the reaction time and the ability to raise and lower the bar always vertically, depending solely on this hydraulic cylinder. 
These rails, where the bar support slides, have two ways of locking, which can be locked during transport routes or unlocked when the equipment is being used to apply the product.
The application bar is a metal structure assembled in the form of an inverted lattice, where fixed diffuser nozzles are arranged every 1,5 meters. One of the positive points of the equipment is that the way the bar is mounted on the support features some mechanisms to maintain the horizontality and leveling of the bar during application. One of these mechanisms, very ingenious, features a kind of connecting rod, one on each side, which oscillates during the movement and maintains the level. Therefore, they must be unlocked during application. To absorb the movement resulting from the bar's inertia at the beginning and end of the movement, the project has two springs that absorb the forces, preventing the bar from advancing and lagging when the vehicle starts moving or even when it reduces speed. for maneuvers. Another positive point should also be highlighted, which is the fact that the side pistons that collect the bars are articulated on a pin that is at the top, so if the piston breaks, the bar stays in place. When assembly is via lower articulation, as in other machines, the piston breaking causes the bar to fall.
After dosing the product and sending it through the hoses to the outlet, clogging may occur, especially with hygroscopic products, which tend to build up inside the tank. To prevent the operator from continuing work without the product flowing through one of the exits, there are flow sensors in the hoses, close to the exit. In this way, in the event of an obstruction that cannot be overcome by the air flow, the operator will be notified by the system and the information will appear on the monitor.
Therefore, as we reported, there are nine exits on each side of the bar, 18 in total. It is the standard for this equipment that applies a range of 30 meters. 
In the center of the rear frame there is a panel where the hydraulic system valves are located. There are seven ways, opening and closing the tips, controlling the height of the bar, opening and closing the bars, 45 degree effect of the bar and locking the frame.
As for height, the bar can have this dimension adjusted from a vertical distance to the ground at the lowest of 1,5m to close to two meters, which can be useful for large crops, such as corn, for example.

CALIBRATION AND APPLICATION

After knowing how the machine works, we put it into operation for testing. We start the operation with a calibration of the application system.
The calibration procedure is quite simple and consists of informing the machine system of the dose to be applied and collecting the amount applied in each of the deflector nozzles in a given time. To do this, we put the distributor motor into operation and position it in working rotation, activating calibration mode on the monitor and stipulating a time of 30 seconds for the product to be collected in raffia bags, which we then transfer to trays, with the mass. of product collected in each nozzle, which was taken individually for weighing.  
Our plan was to calibrate the equipment to apply black oats at a speed of 15km/h with a target rate of 100kg/ha. To characterize the flow and specific weight, a constant must be entered for each product to be applied. The ideal is to choose one side for calibration, collecting product from nine nozzles and informing the system of this weighing. 
For the width of the sprayer, it was expected to collect a weight of 15kg on the nine trays, which is the range rate of the calibration test. The equipment will be considered calibrated when the flow collected is equal to expectations. If the desired quantity is not obtained, the system must be informed of the weight collected and the calibration operation repeated. 
Analyzing the data obtained during equipment calibration, we found excellent accuracy, with a small application variation of a maximum of -0,18% to 5,83%, on an average variation of 2,56%, which would vary the application rate from 98,7kg/ha to 101,28kg/ha over a designed black oat dose of 100kg/ha.
In the area of ​​the Farm where we carried out the test, white oats are sown over soybean crops in more than a thousand hectares, at this dose of 100kg/ha. Also under cover, canola seeds are sown on approximately 46 hectares, with very small doses of 5kg/ha. 
The great advantage that the producer sees in this equipment, inserted into his production system, is the possibility of carrying out in 25 days with the Pegasus what would need to be done in 45 days, using nine seeders, coupled to nine tractors. In addition to the high labor requirement, saving time and fuel is combined with the best argument, which is taking advantage of the moment of application, as this operation has to be carried out at the appropriate time. Delaying it means entering the field with soybeans at a time when threshing is worrying. The fact of not having to wait for the harvest to implement the cover crop provides a gain of at least 25 to 30 days of oat or canola development time.
During the test we moved at a constant speed of 15km/h, applying black oat to the area covered with soybeans. We verified that the tracks, all previously marked, were followed perfectly by the autopilot system and during maneuvers there was a need to regain control using visually the paths previously taken by the sprayer. After the maneuver, very easy operations were carried out to resume the journey with the pilot, open the application system and control the travel speed. 
The quality of the vibration absorption system was notable in the test, ensuring great comfort in the cabin and it was also found that the control of the bars' oscillation was quite effective, even in very undulating conditions. 

CABINS

The cabin that equips the PLA Pegasus Air is the result of a partnership with cabin manufacturer Implemaster. It is the same applied to the PLA sprayer, having recently undergone, as we reported before, a design renewal.
After accessing the retractable ladder, you enter the cabin using a small platform. Inside there was a seat with cushioning and pneumatic adjustment, which is supplied as standard in this equipment. The steering column is adjustable and can be retracted for movement, and with a simple touch of the pedal it is brought close to the operator. There is a companion seat to the left of the main one. 
To the operator's right there is a side console with arm support. Lifting the cover of this support gives access to the light switches and the ladder retraction. In front of the support there is a multifunction control (joystick type), where in addition to being able to control the direction and speed of movement, with switches within your fingertips, you can control the application bar.
In front of the multifunction control is the Agrotax monitor, which is responsible for controlling and reporting the speed of the turbine, the opening and retraction of the bars and the opening and closing of the machine's gauge. The Trimble monitor is what controls navigation, the variable rate of product being applied and autopilot control, in addition to session cuts, to optimize the application.
As accessory items, but no less important, the manufacturer placed in the front part, below the cabin floor, between the headlights, a 300-liter tank of clean water and a small ten-liter tank where shampoo can be placed, and there is also a place for placing soap or soap. On the outside of the cabin there are two large rear-view mirrors due to the impossibility of using an internal mirror, as the height of the tank prevents rear view.
As a standout item in embedded technology, mention should also be made of the Trimble controller, which controls the speed of the rotor and the solenoid valve, which controls the opening of the flow and the section cuts.

TESTING LOCATION

The test site was Fazenda do Campo do Meio, in the town of Palmeirinha, municipality of Guarapuava, Paraná. In an area of ​​approximately six thousand hectares, soybean and corn crops are produced in the summer and barley and wheat in the winter.
Close to the harvest point, oats are inserted, which develop as cover to protect the soil and be used in the direct planting system.
The test we carried out was in the CM2 plot, where it was estimated that approximately 70 bags of soybeans would be harvested per hectare. We received full support from the Farm's machine operator, Wagner Santos Miranda, who has been an employee for over seven years and lives with his family there. There are approximately 30 employees involved in production at the Farm. During the test, he explained to us that in addition to being the preferred operator of the Pegasus, he works with the self-propelled sprayer and that it is very important to adapt the machines to controlled traffic, passing the tracks of the different machines used always through the same place, thus reducing excessive kneading, which causes loss of production. In fact, he mentioned to us that loss due to crushing is controlled by the producer. The company's fleet consists of seven harvesters and more than 20 tractors, mainly distributed across two commercial brands. 

For more information about purchasing the product or questions, you can ask here.