Optyma, a weeding machine for customized processing

The Oliver company of Engazzà di Salizzole (Verona) presents the Optyma weeding machine at Agritechnica. This equipment has a double frame - one fixed to stabilize the machine and the other movable, guided by an operator or an automatic driving system - with two stabilizing wheels and mechanically adjustable in height (specifically on raised beds), and with a number of elements that varies according to the rows to be processed. The elements operate on the side of the row or of the plant and are characterized by two front side hoes; two opposing photocells; two rear opening blades for inter-row cleaning; a series of hoes for weeding. The first work phase is the “soil preparation”. To optimize the operations, a pair of side hoes are applied to the front of the row. They are placed on the same axis as the rear opening blades and have the task of dislodging or extracting from the row any foreign bodies, acting as a crust breaker and preparing the soil for the reading by the photocells and the work of the rear cutters. When the photocells’ reading is interrupted by a plant, an immediate impulse is sent via optical fibre to the control unit which controls the synchronized opening of the blades (it is driven with compressed air from a solenoid valve). The closure can be adjusted to the parameters set in the control unit that take into account the type of crop, the volume of the plant, and the forward speed. The size of the opening blades varies depending on the driving system, but generally they are 6 cm long, 3 mm thick, and 2 cm wide, and are slightly angled to facilitate sliding and reduce friction in the ground. The working depth of the machine is such as not to damage the clump or root of the plant. The inter-row distance is adjustable as needed, as well as the number of rows and the composition of the machine.