Preventive maintenance of pivots can avoid major losses to producers

Before starting a long trip on the road, it is always recommended to check the electrical and mechanical components of the vehicles, so a good preventive inspection will provide greater safety along the journey. With irrigation pivots, the premise and recommendation are the same, however, many producers do not take the same care as they do with their cars, and only carry out corrective maintenance, that is, after a problem has occurred causing the equipment to stop. At this moment, every minute that passes is lost money and could compromise the entire harvest planning.

To avoid this unnecessary risk, the recommendation is to maintain the equipment before the harvest begins. According to Claudemir Queiroz de Camargo, technical assistance supervisor at Lindsay, the ideal is to plan this review before planting. “The guideline is that irrigators always follow the recommendations of their equipment manufacturer. We, for example, have a manual with the necessary biannual reviews, thus ensuring the perfect functioning of the Zimmatic by Lindsay technology”, highlights the specialist.

Because the pivot is equipment that travels on uneven terrain, some basic care and checks are essential. One of them concerns metallic structures, mainly checking the screws, carrying out the necessary retightening and checking whether the alignment is correct. Another precaution is in relation to hoses, pipes and sprinklers and especially attention to electrical components. As unstable energy is a serious problem in several regions of Brazil, there may be cases of overload, which could damage pivot components or compromise their operation.

According to Camargo, it is also essential to pay attention to oil changes in reducers and gearmotors, as well as lubrication. “The recommendation is that equipment reviews be carried out every six months. Speaking exclusively about oil changes, the ideal is to change it every four thousand hours or up to two years”, reinforces the specialist.

The importance of planning

As many producers still forget to plan maintenance for their pivots, when there are sudden failures the race against time begins. “In irrigation, repairs quickly are essential, there was a problem, the producer wants it to be resolved quickly, there are even resellers who work day and night, on duty, as the customer comes first, but sometimes, due to the difficulty of access to the property or the need to replace parts, the work can take days, so it is essential to anticipate these problems, says Camargo.

One of these resellers that works to meet the needs of producers is Águia Representações Comerciais, from Sorriso, in Mato Grosso, which operates throughout the state. According to Rodrigo Borges, the reseller's irrigation director, as the pivot is often not a piece of equipment used all year round, and is used more during periods of drought, the irrigator ends up leaving care for it aside, and will only turn it on again. it when it needs to be irrigated again. “Repairing is generally more expensive than overhauling, which is why we always advise the customer to carry out preventive maintenance to avoid unforeseen events during the harvest, when the problem will generally occur, causing a lot of inconvenience,” he says.

According to him, these problems occur both for the producer and for resellers, as everything that is not programmed generates a rush. “The customer never fails to inspect the harvester before harvesting or the planter before planting, but sometimes they fail to do the pivot, but we have observed that those who have been irrigating for a long time generally follow the maintenance recommendations better, this because many of them learned the hard way what needs to be done and become aware”, highlights Borges.

It is important to highlight that following the recommendations and scheduling inspections is the responsibility of the irrigator, as is the case with vehicle dealerships. “Resellers are unable to have operational control of each farm, as we do not have access to information on hours worked, crops planted and other data, making it impossible to predict the exact moment to review. That's why our recommendation is that the producer always pays attention”, highlights the director of Irrigation of Águia.

Retrofit

For farmers who have older irrigation equipment and want to improve their performance, making them more efficient and sustainable, in addition to the usual maintenance, Lindsay also offers the retrofit option. The procedure consists of modernizing and updating used equipment, whether changing control panels (changing from analogue to digital panels) or replacing components. A profitable alternative that can generate savings of up to 70% compared to purchasing a new pivot.

With digital panels, producers can have access, for example, to FieldNET technologies by Lindsay manages the pivot, turns it on and off and records all operations and integrates sensors, such as the rain gauge, which is installed. It can be connected to the internet via Ethernet, GSM (cellular), or via radio. FieldNET Advisor manages water storage in the soil and recommends irrigation, known as management. “Having the most advanced technology on the market available, even in older equipment, is certainly much more advantageous, as in addition to greater convenience, the producer will have more efficiency and sustainability in the use and management of resources”, concludes Camargo.