Month: April 2012

Micron Group, a leading producer of hand-held and vehicle-mounted sprayers and aerial atomisers, has recently appointed a further four new sales, technical and accountancy staff to support its expansion plans in the UK and Europe.

Toby Whatley, a university graduate with a BSc in agricultural engineering from Harper Adams, joined the company as a Technical Sales Specialist in April 2012. As well as his up-to-date knowledge of the agricultural market and its needs, Toby brings practical understanding of product design and development, aftersales service and technical support. Toby will assist our R&D, Sales and Marketing departments in delivering customers innovative and value-adding products and providing them with technical and sales support.

As part of Micron Group’s strategy to offer market-leading innovative products, the company created two additional R&D positions which have recently been filled by Michael Mills and Martin Botfield. Michael took up the role of a Design Engineer and is responsible for product design, fabrication, technical drawings and documentation. His extensive experience in mechanical design, structural engineering and machining will prove invaluable in his new role.

Martin Botfield was appointed as a Technical Writer/Design Engineer with responsibility for CAD product design, technical illustrations and authoring. Martin is experienced in various aspects of mechanical design and technical documentation to further enhance the varied skill set of Micron’s R&D department.

Last but not least, Charlotte Pash joined the Micron team in April as an Accounts Assistant. Charlotte has an up-to-date MIAB qualification and her role will be to provide assistance in preparing monthly management accounts.

The appointments follow Micron’s recent reorganisation in 2011 in order to enhance the company’s offering and services, during which Graham Thompson, Ausra Landey and Naomi Terry were also employed in the newly created roles of European Sales Manager, Group Marketing Manager and Group Management Accountant respectively.
 

Image: Micron’s New staff (left to right): Michael Mills, Charlotte Pash, Toby Whatley and Martin Botfield. 

From cradle to… long life!

We followed our products from concept and development through to production and quality testing, packed them with care and shipped them to you. But for us, the process doesn’t end here. We’d love to know whether our products are serving you well and that you’re getting value for money. This is why we’re organising a Photo Competition of Micron equipment in use.

Share your experience and win a Canon IXUS

Enter our photo competition to share your user experience with us and you could be the winner of the stylish Canon IXUS 117 HS Digital Camera featuring:

• 28mm Wideangle Zoom with Optical Image Stabiliser
• High Sensitivity 12.1 Megapixel Sensor
• 3.0” LCD Screen
• Full HD Movies with Dynamic Image Stabilisation
• 32-Scene Smart Auto
• High Speed Burst and Super Slow Motion Movie

To enter, simply email your photo(s) showing our products in use to [email protected] by 31st May 2012 with the subject line “Photo Competition” – it’s that simple! (Be sure to read the Terms of Conditions below.) And, to maximise your chances of winning, you can send as many images as you like which will be classed as separate entries.

Picture perfect

To qualify as a competition entry, the image(s) should picture Micron equipment in real life application and should be at least 300KB in size. We’d like to leave the rest up to you to really get your creative juices flowing:

• The photo(s) could be taken in a field, on a road side, plantations, golf course or in the air – in fact, anywhere where you have used our products
• Any current model of our hand-held sprayer, weed wiper or applicator or any vehicle or aircraft mounted equipment could be featured in the photograph

Terms & Conditions

1. To enter the competition for a chance to win a Canon IXUS 117 HS Digital Camera, photo(s) should be emailed to [email protected] by 31st May 2012.
2. The winning entry will be decided upon by Micron Group and notified by 18th June 2012.
3. The winning image will be awarded a Canon IXUS 117 HS Digital Camera (Black).
4. The prize cannot be interchanged for another item or money.
5. Upon entering the competition, the entrant is consenting for the image to be used by Micron in its publicity and marketing materials and to be shared with third parties.
6. Images must feature Micron equipment in use and be at least 300KB in size.
7. Multiple images can be submitted by one person and will be classed as separate entries. 

Eliminating weeds in the crop and weed seed free crop yield are not the only priorities in contemporary arable farming. Farmers are increasingly mindful of obligations to establish and maintain biodiversity along field margins safeguarding them from contamination from herbicides used to treat the crop.

These eco-rich areas typically extend from the crop margin to the field boundary. The latter may be a hedgerow and/or a water course or a grassy bank to encourage and maintain populations of beetles and other useful arthropods.

However, there is a clear farming requirement for establishment and maintenance of a barrier against wild plant encroachment into the crop where ecologically valued species become weeds (a plant growing in the wrong place at the wrong time). In many instances, there is a pressing need to eliminate the opportunity for black grass to re-establish in the cultivated area. By the same token the eco-rich field margin must be delineated and protected against any ingress of herbicide by direct overspray or spray drift from applications to the crop.

The most efficient and cost-effective way of achieving this delineation is through maintaining a completely weed free strip using a non-selective (total) herbicide such as glyphosate. However, there is then absolutely no margin for application error where the crop meets the strip or where the strip interfaces with the field margin.

Ultra-accurate application can be achieved with the Enviromist range of shielded CDA sprayers from Micron Group which satisfies the high degree of accuracy and safety demanded when spraying herbicides in such environmentally sensitive situations. The Enviromist range of sprayers is ideal for crop margin spraying and other applications such as spraying along pathways and fence lines where the same degree of accuracy in targeting and placement is required.

Reduced environmental impact

The Enviromist range of sprayers includes the Spraydome, the Spraymiser and the Undavina, all of which use proven Micron CDA (Controlled Droplet Application) spray technology featuring spinning disc rotary atomisers to produce optimum sized droplets within a narrow size range for maximum spray efficiency. All Enviromist sprayers incorporate a shielded design which virtually eliminates the risk of spray drift whilst benefitting from the spraying accuracy and low volumes achieved by the use of CDA atomisers. This system offers significant increases in spray efficiency and crop and environmental protection and safety which include:

• Excellent targeting of spray droplets and accuracy of spray placement
• Optimum coverage of weed plant surfaces using significantly lower application volumes compared with traditional hydraulic pressure nozzle spraying
• Enhanced spray retention, with discrete spray droplets on weed leaf surfaces drying more quickly to protect against wash off and to allow more rapid entry of herbicide into the plant, and, with systemic products such as glyphosate, translocation to all parts of the weed for faster total kill. 
• Economical spray volumes of down to 20 l/ha which allow users to reduce both water and chemical volume, as well as the overall time taken to spray. 
• With virtually no drift onto non-target areas or run off into the soil, all-round environmental protection is ensured with minimum wastage.
   

Spraying along the crop margin and footpaths

When it comes to crop margin spraying, the Spraydome is a perfect choice for achieving a delineated weed free strip along the margin. It has also been proven to be an effective tool for the demarcation of public footpaths across cultivated areas.

Incorporating CDA technology to optimise spray efficiency and a plastic shield to contain the spray, Spraydome is ideal for herbicide application in situations where it is critical to avoid contamination of soil in the adjacent areas, especially in crop margin treatment with an economically valuable crop on one side and ecologically valuable wildlife on the other.

The Spraydome uses up to 90 per cent less water compared to traditional hydraulic pressure nozzle sprayers and features the Enviromist control system to monitor the flow at each individual spray head. The system includes a light indicator to monitor the operation and working of the CDA atomiser.

Any trees encountered are catered for by Spraydome’s ‘breakaway’ system that gently rolls around the tender stems of young plantings to protect their soft and still green bark from mechanical abrasion and herbicide damage.

The sprayer can be ATV or tractor mounted to suit users’ requirements. With units from 40cm to 120cm in diameter within the range, the Spraydome is capable of spraying varying widths.

Along fence lines and pathways

The sprayer of choice for herbicide application along fence lines is the Undavina which can be mounted on most ATVs and tractors. Undavina’s freely rotating and shielded spray heads ensure precision application and minimal drift because the spray droplets are confined and contained under the soft vinyl spray hood.

The Undavina provides efficient application of spray liquid right up to fence lines. This excellent reach is awarded by the Enviromist ‘breakaway’ system which allows the spray head to swivel around fence posts and apply herbicide right up to the post. Like Spraydome, the Undavina also features the Enviromist flow control system including an indicator light to monitor the correct functioning of the spray head.

Undavina comes in a range of dome diameters – 30cm, 45cm, 60cm and 90cm – to cater for all required applications.

Whist Undavina is ideal for spraying along fence lines, the Spraymiser has been specifically designed for pathway spraying. A lightweight sprayer with universal fittings, the Spraymiser can be easily attached to the rear of an ATV, tractor 3 point linkage or any suitable vehicle with a 12 volt DC supply of at least 3 amps. A wide range of models (nominal working widths of 60, 120, 140, 160, 180 and 200cm) is available to cater for almost all pathway weed control requirements.

Spraymiser provides outstanding weed control at low volumes using its revolutionary vertically mounted CDA spray heads that allow for a low profile shield to fit around them to virtually eliminate spray drift. Optimum performance is ensured by Enviromist’s flow control system, allowing use of spray volumes down to 20 l/ha.

The Spraymiser can be used in conjunction with the circular Undavina or Spraydome units to achieve wider spray widths where required and to simultaneously treat pathways and fence lines, making the Enviromist range a versatile and cost-effective choice. 

Micro-system, Micron Group’s Polish distributor, has won a Gold medal at Polagra-Premiery agricultural exhibition in Poland with its innovative sprayer T430Osza. The judges were impressed with the sprayer’s modern design and effectiveness.

A result of close collaboration with Lukomet, specialists in greenhouse equipment production, the Micro-system T430Osza sprayer has been specifically designed for fungicide and insecticide spraying in greenhouses. Its robust construction holds a Honda LPG engine to power the sprayer, a 70 litre tank and modern electronic steering. The sprayer uses Micron’s proven Electrafan heads which provide considerable cost-savings over conventional nozzle sprayers. Incorporating CDA (Controlled Droplet Application) technology, each Electrafan head features a rotary atomiser and a fan which helps to carry the spray droplets to the target, producing a spraying pattern of evenly-sized droplets. Each atomiser has an independent feeding system for consistent output, regardless of the spraying speed. The Electrafan heads are mounted on an expandable mast which allows users to easily change the position and the height of individual atomisers.

It is paramount to maintain stable climate conditions in the greenhouse, and the T430Osza keeps the variation in humidity levels to a minimum thanks to the sprayer’s low liquid consumption. The Electrafan spray heads use a fraction of water that would be required by a conventional sprayer – just 60 to 120 l/ha compared to a more typical 1200 l/ha. Chemical usage can also be reduced by up to 70% whist still providing excellent crop coverage.

The T430Osza runs on standard rail tracks which are fitted in most greenhouses. The sprayer treats one side of the row going up, and the other side on the way back. Users can program up to four lane lengths and adjust the spraying speed which can be set between 1 to 60 m/s.

The unit boasts a compact and lightweight design and is fitted with rubber wheels to reduce damage to the rails.