Tecnofruit, the harvesting wagon that cuts down the working time

 

Present in the farming equipment sector for over 40 years, Hermes of Gargazzone (Bolzano) has its production site in Sirmione-Lugana (Brescia), specializing in the design and implementation of solutions for fruit harvesting. Above all, the Hermes brand is linked to the “belt collection system” of the Tecnofruit wagons. The South Tyrolean company explains that this technology is designed to automate work processes without however completely eliminating labour. “The operator - explains the Bolzano-based company with a technical note - must just remove the fruits from the plant and place them on the dedicated conveyor belt”. The subsequent phases of displacement of the fruit until it is laid in the bins are carried out automatically by the machine. This is a beneficial solution not only for harvest workers, who are subjected to much less stressful workloads, but for the quality of the final product, which sees a significant reduction in damage and dents. Once the fruits are loaded onto the belts, a system of belts and brushes places the fruit in the bins at the rear of the machine. Thanks to the rear carrier, the operator has up to 16 empty bins available and can carry three full ones. Tecnofruit is powered by a fuel-efficient diesel engine, with low polluting emissions and minimum noise levels, driven by an automatic ultrasound device. “Despite having an advanced technological profile - underlines Hermes Mulching - we have in any case tried to limit the electronics to the bare minimum, in order to keep the maintenance on the machines to a minimum. Thanks to the particular frame and wheels (which guarantees an optimal grip to the ground) and its lightness, Tecnofruit is not just a harvesting wagon, but on occasion it can become a true multi-purpose “vehicle” capable of carrying out all the basic operations of orchard maintenance (thinning, dry and green pruning, and managing anti-hail nets). Switching to this configuration is simple, just remove the central section of the machine, the one tasked with transferring the fruit. From a strictly operational point of view, Tecnofruit technology optimizes the entire production because it allows to cut the working time to a significant extent, to the full benefit of the production yield. In fact, as the manufacturer specifies, with Tecnofruit it is possible to increase the harvesting speed by 35% compared to other systems on the market (each operator can harvest up to 300 kg per hour).