The most northern RANGER EV in the world?

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The most northern RANGER EV in the world?: Known for its remote, unforgiving terrain and polar bears, Svalbard is a Norwegian island situated between mainland Norway and the North Pole – it’s one of the world’s most northernmost inhabited areas and also home to a RANGER EV…

The RANGER EV belongs to Hurtigruten, the biggest travel company in Norway and the largest employer in Svalbard. Owning three hotels on the island, a number of restaurants, a lunch bar, two shops – which sell expedition and safety equipment – and the Polaris dealer, IGP. Hurtigruten Svalbard is also responsible for operating the Culture House.

The most northern RANGER EV in the world?

Kjetil Viklund, General Manager at IGP, said: “We used the RANGER EV a lot for moving things from our storage unit to the shop and vice versa. We also use it as a demonstration unit for our customers. It also is handy when we have special guests to the island who can borrow it as a form on transport.”

The features of the RANGER EV lend themselves to making it a useful machine for the company.

“It has a good loading capacity and is perfect for bringing goods from our storage unit to our shop. It’s very comfortable for the driver and a passenger and gives us shelter from the weather – with average temperatures between minus 9 and minus 16 degrees Celsius cover is appreciated. It’s also very quiet and often it’s easier to use the RANGER rather than a car.”

With the importance of maintaining the biodiversity of the island at the centre of inhabitants minds, the focus on the environment and limiting humans impact is key.

With stunning scenery, a highly diverse and concentration of wildlife and amazing experiences on offer, Svalbard is quickly cementing its place on the tourism map, but with this is the responsibility of ensuring that the environment remains central to operations.

“For me, electric powered vehicles are the future and an environmental focus is very important – as well all know that fossil fuels will not last forever. In my mind, it will take many many years for the market to completely change, but I’m happy that we’ve started.”

Also offering petrol and diesel engines for the RANGER, Polaris celebrated rolling the one-millionth RANGER machine off the production line in 2017 and 2018 marks two decades since the utility vehicle was introduced to the Polaris line-up. Forming a key part of the Polaris product line, the RANGER® is used all over the globe for a variety of tasks.

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Pellenc Airion Maintains Tranquility

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Pellenc Airion Maintains Tranquility: John Rippin, head gardener at the stunning Bodnant Estate in North Wales, believes that his battery powered Pellenc Airion hand blower is the perfect machine to avoid disrupting visitors to the estate.  

The Bodnant Estate, a National Trust property, is a strikingly beautiful agricultural estate in North Wales. Set in hilly and wooded countryside in the lower reaches of the Conwy Valley, it commands spectacular views across to Snowdonia. Stone cottages and farm buildings have been restored using traditional materials and techniques, and the Estate supports farming and encourages other rural activities.

Pellenc Airion Maintains Tranquility

With intimate corners, sweeping lawns, grand terraces and verdant woodland, huge crowds are drawn to Bodnant all year round to soak up the beautiful sights. It is for this reason that John is extremely selective about which equipment he uses to maintain the estate.

“Visitors’ enjoyment is our first priority so our machinery is picked as much for noise levels as it is for performance.

“One of the most useful machines in recent years is the leaf blower. Years ago gardeners would endlessly rake leaves from lawns and sweep paths clean with besoms, but we now use a Pellenc Airion model that does a better job and much quicker. There are now hand-held electric models that run off battery packs and make as much noise as a hair dryer.”

As John says, the Pellenc Airion is extremely silent throughout operation with an intensity level of just 79db – perfect for sensitive areas such as Bodnant. Furthermore, the Arion stays perfectly balanced during operation, regardless of the speed – which can be altered depending on the task required. With a 4 speed setting it is possible to manage the blowing power based on the surface to be cleared. Weighing only 2.55 kg it is extremely lightweight and is the only battery powered blower on the market with a powerful thrust of 17.5 newtons.

It is also waterproof to IP54 standards and is protected from dust and moisture.

As with all Pellenc equipment, operators can expect a full day’s work from the lithium-ion battery. With over 10 years of experience and the world’s first manufacturer to introduce this technology in professional hand-held power tools, Pellenc’s range of batteries have gained world-wide market recognition.

The batteries are adaptable to all tools in the Pellenc range and are guaranteed emissions-free, meaning that operators will be contributing to reducing the consumption of fossil fuels while still increasing their productivity – something that John has certainly noticed with his Airion.

“They are great for blowing dust and debris away from patios, paths and drives, blowing grass clippings off a lawn, clearing out gutters and drains, blowing mulch back onto beds and can even be used to get a bonfire blazing.”

Light, odourless, noise-free, with no starting problems and no filling the fuel tank – it’s no wonder more and more people are turning to the innovative technology of Pellenc.

All Pellenc batteries and tools come with a three-year commercial warranty and are distributed in the UK and Ireland exclusively by Etesia UK.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk

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Vredo Delivers Precision In Russia

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Vredo Delivers Precision In Russia: Six Vredo Compact DZ214.075 overseeders have been used in-between matches at the 2018 World Cup in Russia because of their exceptionally high rate of germination.

Precision is seen in a number of different ways at a World Cup, be it Neymar’s left foot in the iconic yellow of Brazil, Harry Kane’s eye for goal or the goal decision system that makes sure every shot over the line counts.

Vredo Delivers Precision In Russia

In-between the moments where the world is watching are the times where Vredo’s precision comes to the fore. Simply put, the machines are being used because they guarantee germination, and this was a deciding factor for Russian dealer Unisaw.

The Dutch manufactured 1.4-meter-wide machines place seed directly into the ground with 7.5cm spacings and use a unique Double V-shaped disc system, is supplied in the UK through Campey Turf Care Systems. The decision to use the machine at the biggest competition in world football was made in co-operation with Russian dealer Unisaw with the reputation of the machine playing a big part.

Having the machines at a World Cup is a source of pride for Vredo export manager, Pieter Teunis Hoogland, who worked closely with Igor Rudakov from Uniclaw to complete the deal.

“The best field managers in the world are familiar with the detailed development of the Vredo Overseeders and they don’t want to take any risks during the World Cup because of the importance of the tournament to Russia and the world,” Pieter said.

“The venues opted to go for certainty and no-nonsense machines, and Vredo is ahead of its game for this target group.”

The pitches at Samara, Saransk, Ekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd and Kaliningrad are all being overseeded with the Vredo Compact DZ214.075. The surfaces at these stadiums vary between hybrid and natural grass and Vredo’s track record on both surfaces was another factor that made them the perfect option.

Overseeding hybrid fields with a Vredo seeder has proven to be a successful combination for many years. For instance, the hybrid fields of the Gelredome Arnhem, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Borussia München Gladbach etc are effectively overseeded by Vredo Overseeders with perfect play turf.

The precise nature of the machine comes from the V-shaped disks that place the seed directly in the ground at a pre-set depth, which can be adjusted between 5mm and 25mm deep. Once the seed is in direct contact with the soil the slit is closed by the compaction roller, re-establishing a level surface and providing the conditions for maximum germination.

For more information, visit: www.campeyturfcare.com

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Golf Club Looks Forward With Toro

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Golf Club Looks Forward With Toro: Rochester and Cobham Park Golf Club in North Kent, which has taken delivery of eight new Toro machines, credits Toro with leaving “satisfying” results in its wake as it looks to the future and promises to increase their Toro fleet within the next five years.

According to Danny Dalton, acting head greenkeeper, the decision to go with Toro and Reesink Turfcare was an easy one to make. From his experience of using the brand at The London Golf Club, Danny says quite simply: “if you want the best results, you get Toro”.

Golf Club Looks Forward With Toro

“Greenkeeping is a tough job, so whatever you can do to make it easier is a good thing. Toro is easy to work with and its outstanding build quality means maintenance is less time-consuming.

“But the main appeal is the quality of cut it delivers. To do your work and be able to look back at what you’ve done and feel 100 percent happy with it is so satisfying, and ultimately what we’re all in it for.”

Adding even more appeal to choosing Toro was the fact that Reesink Turfcare is an official distributor in the UK. Danny says: “Just like you choose Toro for the best results, it’s wise to choose Reesink for its customer service. We don’t have a bad word to say about the support we receive, in particular that from Richard Wood, our rep, who is excellent to deal with.”

The order, which consists of two Reelmaster 5610 machines, two Reelmaster 3100 with sidewinders, two Greensmaster 3250-D greensmowers, a ProCore 648 aerator and a Workman MDX-D is, says Danny, the start of an ongoing relationship: “The plan is we will order more Toro over the next five years, I am aiming for a ‘red shed’! Not only do we have our members to keep happy, but we have a comprehensive and varied events calendar too, and there’s no doubt Toro and Reesink are the partners we need to make sure the course presents at is consistent best.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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A Look At The Polaris Opole Factory

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A Look At The Polaris Opole Factory: Founded by David Johnson and brothers Edgar and Allan Hetteen in 1954, Polaris Industries is now a global powersports leader. Employing over 10,000 people worldwide with annual sales in 2017 of $5.4 billion, Polaris has been the world leader in off-road vehicles for over 30 years. In 2014, Polaris enhanced its manufacturing capability by opening the first Polaris factory intended for the production of off-road vehicles outside of North America in Opole, Poland.

With over 300 employees, the 33,700m² Opole facility plays a pivotal role in the production, homologation and development of off-road vehicles for Europe, Middle East and African markets for Polaris. In 2017, the Opole Distribution Centre was built which occupies an area of 17,500m².

A Look At The Polaris Opole Factory

The average journey for one of the 7000 active components coming into the facility from one of the 200 vendors from around the world, would start upon their arrival into the warehouse area. There are over 3300 pallet locations in the racking system and 1000 supermarket flow rack locations for the components to be housed and sorted. Any parts that come from overseas in disposable packaging are repacked into internal reusable boxes.

Next stop is the Welding area, which currently produces 46 ATVs and 26 SXS each day. Each of the 10 dual stations for ATV or 20 stations for SXS chassis are fitted with fume ventilation systems and a Visual Work Instruction screen which presents an isometric view of the parts to the operator. There’s a robotic welding cell too, where suspension components are manufactured.

Painting operations consist of both plastic and metal painting areas. The plastic paint areas have two spraying ovens installed and the metal painting system has an automated painting line which takes care of the whole process from chemical pre-treatment to curing. All painters are trained in house to ensure they’re perfectly qualified.

The facilities and plant service team ensure the factory runs smoothly and equipment is maintained. There is also a dedicated test team who put the vehicles under scrutiny on the 2km test track, situated at the rear of the factory – this also includes an asphalt test area, to simulate on-road experience. This data, along with the experiences of the test drivers, is used to further develop vehicles with the US team.

Once the components have been welded and painted, they make their way to their penultimate stop – assembly. There are two horse-shoe shaped assembly lines – one for RZR, RANGER and GENERAL vehicles and one for ATVs and ACE vehicles. Operators are provided with visual work instructions – 3D image files and the operator can rotate the image to view different angles – instead of paper instructions. The material is presented in convenient packing and locations so that there’s little material handling for the operator.

Designed with efficiency at the heart, all of the operators are visible from any point on the line so that the group leaders can see how the production is flowing and make any corrections should there be any problems. The length of the assembly process depends on the complexity of the vehicle. An example of a complex vehicle would be the RANGER, which takes around one hour 20 minutes to assemble. Staff are rotated between the different assembly lines to ensure they are skilled on both lines and their minds are fresh.

Once assembled, vehicles are tested on a rolling road to check all functions and then put directly into a crate and wrapped, ready for distribution. Random vehicles are pulled from the line and checked for extra quality checks. Nearly 40,000 have been produced since the ISO 9001 certified factory opened in 2015 – it was the first Polaris factory with a certified Quality Management System.

“Working at the Polaris factory here in Opole isn’t just a job for our employees – our staff take part in charity events, attend Polaris events and are able to experience the Polaris product for themselves. We foster a positive working environment and as a result have a low staff turnover. Since opening the factory, the nearly three-quarters of the staff who started with us in 2015, are still with us and we have members of the same family who work here. We look forward to the future of the Opole facility – and see it going from strength to strength due to our capacity and our employees skills.”, said Director of Operations at Polaris Opole, Bogusław Dawiec.

‘Understand the riding experience. Live the riding experience. Work to make it better.’

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