May 18, 2021 - Turf Matters

Rain Bird offers HDF Series: The use of reclaimed water or other lower quality water sources is becoming more common in irrigation projects and to ensure that systems work effectively, whatever the source, Rain Bird now offers the HDF Series of automatic self-cleaning disc filtration equipment.

The company’s filtration products including pump suction screens, centrifugal sand separators and hydraulic suction screen filters are already available. These offer different levels of filtration and modes of operation. However, using water from canals, ponds, rivers, wells, reservoirs or waste water sources for irrigation requires a more thorough approach to filtration. It is essential that contaminants which originate from organic and inorganic matter, such as algae, sand, silt, suspended solids and microbiological growth, are filtered out. This will prevent nozzles, rotors, valves and other equipment being blocked or even damaged, resulting in efficient flow rates and optimised water usage.

Rain Bird offers HDF Series

Within an irrigation circuit, the HDF Series will act as a primary filter for the water source and is located after the pump. Having then passed through backflow and master valve stations, the filtered uncontaminated water is then distributed via any secondary filters to the chosen nozzles, rotors or in-line drip irrigation. The Rain Bird irrigation controller is highly flexible and allows filtration and cleaning cycles to take place without any interruption to flow to the system.

The HDF Series is specifically designed to be used within irrigation systems where manual cleaning would be difficult, time consuming or unwieldy. Three different units provide varying levels of filtration efficiency and capacity. For flexibility, they can operate with or without electricity and include control units that run on 220V AC or 12V DC. The units are manufactured from tough engineered plastics and materials resistant to rust and corrosion from chemicals or water.

Units are pre-assembled and wired for easy installation. All HDF units feature a patented anti-clogging device that generates a helical centrifuge effect moving a high percentage of particles that are suspended in water away from the disk. This ensures optimal performance resulting in water savings, reduced backwash frequency and minimum maintenance requirements.

Choosing the correct HDF Series unit is based on establishing the quality and dirtiness of the water source, determining the required filtration grade and then calculating the number of filters required. The filter cartridge is made up of a number of stacked discs. Water passes through small grooves between the discs which are compressed and impurities are trapped and projected away through the cyclone effect.

During back flushing, water is projected through the discs evacuating the contaminant particles through the drainage manifold. The filtration process restarts when the discs recompress. The systems automatically measure the pressure over the filters to determine when back washing and cleaning are required.

HDF 1×2, HDF 2 and HDF 4 designations refer to the size of the filters and the on-board valves. The HDF 4 is a scalable multi-filter unit with standard filtration of 100, 130 and 400 microns with custom options available. Users can add a number of filters to the specification in order to reach the desired flow rates for the application. Up to twelve, 4-inch filters can be used to achieve maximum flow rates of 575 m³ per hour. The elements inside the filter provide depth filtration across the diameter, not just at the circumference and the helical action inside ensures highly efficient cleaning.

The HDF 2 is also multi-filter and scalable, using up to eight 2-inch filters for a maximum throughput of 192m³ per hour. The single HDF 1 with a single two inch filter is designed for low flow applications and has a maximum throughput of 24 m³ per hour. Its compact design makes it ideal for fitting into tight spaces.

Rain Bird can support all customers in the selection of the optimum HDF Series automatic self-cleaning disc filtration equipment for any application. www.rainbird.eu

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A lighter utility vehicle: Hardest working. Smoothest riding. The Polaris Ranger is one of the bestselling utility side-by-sides across the globe, and has earned its reputation as the ultimate utility vehicle with over one million vehicles built and counting.

To showcase the versatility of the Ranger, Polaris has embarked on a journey across Europe, Middle East and Africa to discover and film how customers are using the Polaris Ranger in their day-to-day lives. The initiative, called Ranger Stories, is set to demonstrate the many ways in which the RANGER line-up is servicing customer lives worldwide.

A lighter utility vehicle

Episode 8 – MW Agri Ltd., Hertfordshire, UK

Heavy machinery and specialist equipment are a must for agricultural and grounds maintenance work, but what happens when a utility vehicle is needed for lighter duties? Longstanding agricultural business, MW Agri Ltd., found a solution in the Polaris Ranger.

Working across a large part of Hertfordshire in the UK, MW Agri Ltd. covers a wide range of agricultural duties, public and private grass management and maintenance tasks. Beautiful landscapes surround this South East region, a number of which are maintained by the team at MW Agri Ltd.

Originally purchasing a Polaris Ranger 900 five years ago, MW Agri has since owned a Polaris Ranger XP 1000 and more recently, bought a 2021 Ranger 1000 from local Polaris dealer Taylors Tools to help out across their many duties.

For the eighth episode of RANGER Stories, Polaris joins MW Agri Owner and Managing Director, Malcolm Weaver, to see exactly what aspects of the Polaris Ranger make it so versatile for ground management. Homologated for road use in the UK, and with the addition of the larger alloy wheels for increased road speed, the Ranger 1000 is perfect for transporting the team across different locations; especially as time management plays such an important role in this line of work. The Ranger 1000 boasts class-leading 1,134kg towing capacity and smooth low-speed drivability, which allows the team to tow all kinds of heavy fencing equipment and implements, and paired with its 30.5cm of ground clearance, the team can access all areas for every client.

Reliability also played a large part when choosing the Polaris Ranger; it’s essential that the company’s equipment doesn’t fail on a job for its clients. The Polaris Ranger 1000 is built to last with a heavy-duty steel front bumper, full body skid plate, longer-lasting sealed suspension bushings and the new Pro-PVTi clutching system which has been engineered with large internal wear components to deliver enhanced drivability, reliability and control.

Malcolm Weaver said, “…the Ranger, with its light footprint and maneuverability, comes into its own taking equipment and materials to remote locations even when the conditions are boggy. With its two-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive options the Ranger gets us through the toughest of conditions. The Ranger also has Turf Mode, which is absolutely essential and one of the main reasons why we bought it which is ideal when working on delicate areas.”

There are no days off when it comes to the upkeep of land, so MW Agri have made full use of the Polaris Engineered accessories for the Ranger 1000, including a full cab kit with a windscreen, full doors, roof and rear panel, as well as an in-cab heater to stay warm on colder winter days. Not only that, they have also added a Polaris fitted winch which comes with a number of benefits when working in woodland – such as retrieving fallen limbs or for some extra pulling power when removing dead branches – as well as tensioning fencing wire.

With its versatility to suit a vast array of jobs, Malcolm and the team at MW Agri rely on the Polaris Ranger as an essential part of their workforce, day-in, day-out.

Catch the eighth episode of RANGER Stories in the UK on the Polaris Off-Road International YouTube channel here.