Measurement of thrown material

Axmat is a control system optimizing the lateral distribution of disc spreaders.

Axmat is a joint development of Rauch Landmaschinen­fabrik GmbH and MSO Meßtechnik und Ortung GmbH. MSO has developed the core radar system.

For this purposes MSO disposes of know-how for the application specific develop­ment and manufacturing of radar systems.

Axmat has been bestowed on the gold medal for novelties at Agri­technica 2013.

MSO has - exclusively for Rauch Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH - further developed the Axmat swivel arm system for measuring the lateral distribution on disc spreaders towards the Axmat system. Axmat is manufactured and in production by MSO.

Axmat measures the lateral distribution on both discs with two fixed ring segments. Each of these ring segments does consist of 27 radar sensors - in total for two rings 54 sensors - detecting the flow of thrown material continously with high resolution. The thus measured lateral distribution is applied in the superordinate Rauch control monitor to adjust the position of the material flow tripping orifice to the spreading disc thus controlling the lateral distribution.

Detection of the lateral distribution

The innovative MSO radar sensor system for measure­ment of material flow is the core function element of the Rauch Axmat system. It features four radar frontends in a row on a multi­processor module. The radar signals are sampled at a high rate. Each radar frontend supposes of it´s own micro­controller (32-bit Arm Cortex M4F) for processing. Further processing and communication is handled by another dedicated MCU.

The MSO radar sensor system is mounted on a swivel arm in a fully protected casing. By swivelling the arm the material flow from the disc is scanned with high resolution. Integrated in the MSO radar system is the processing of the measure­ment data and computing of the lateral distribution of the spreading "fan". The angle correlated lateral distribution is being output to the Rauch ECU and used for control by adjusting the position of the tipping point of the material flow onto the disc.

Benefits and advantages

• Contactless measure­ment of a free thrown material flow.
• Detection of angle corellated lateral mass distri­bution in the "launch" area of the disc.
• For all material being spread by the disc spreader.
• Optimization of monitoring, control and closed-loop control of a disc spreader.
• Simplifying and improving the setup of the spreader.
• Optimizing the cost intensive mineral fertilization.
• Continous control (self-adjusting) and function monitoring of the spreader.
• Insuspectible to soiling.
• Fully IP69K protected.