Tag Archive for: Innovation

SIS Synthetic Turf Innovation

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SIS Synthetic Turf Innovation: One of the world’s leading turf manufacturers has enhanced its diverse product range, following a £1.8m investment in a new factory and technology.

Industry-leading SIS Pitches, based in Cumbria, has developed its products to extend the life of its 3G pitches and improve overall player experience.

SIS Synthetic Turf Innovation

The improvements could see pitches last up to 10 years – two years more than the industry standard.

Exclusively available from SIS Pitches, the SISTurf Xtreme and SISTurf Xtreme Ultra products features a new premium yarn.

The yarn is made in the UK with specially developed polymer to create a natural look and feel. The new technology makes the product more resilient, improves performance and increases durability.

Both products use SISGrade infill made from Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM). It is both fire resistant and odourless, making it ideal for indoor use. The product is highly resistant to ageing, weathering and UV. It also conforms to the strictest REACH and EN safety standards.

SISTurf Xtreme and SISTurf Xtreme Ultra also feature a SISBond polyurethane premium backing which has been specially engineered to provide a much stronger and durable backing than other systems. It is primarily used for elite performance, providing enhanced fibre retention and improved moisture-resistance.

SIS Pitches is a full-service provider in specialist sports pitches and landscaping grass. Last year, they designed, constructed and installed SISGrass hybrid pitches at six 2018 World Cup venues, including the Luzhniki Stadium pitch for the opening match and the final.

Luke Edwards, SIS Pitches technical director, said: “We have evolved our product range and are excited to offer our best-performing yarn to date.

“Both SISTurf Xtreme and SISTurf Xtreme Ultra include our premium infill and backing systems, and deliver outstanding performance, durability and resilience.

“Our synthetic pitches are being used all around the world in a variety of sports and we are vey proud to be able to make these products available to our customers.”

SIS Synthetic Turf Innovation

Last month, SIS Pitches reaffirmed its commitment to UK manufacturing when it announced its new turf production facility in Maryport. The new factory, which covers an area of more than 2,100 square metres, is one of the most technologically-advanced production facilities in Europe, designed to deliver high quality, long-lasting synthetic surfaces.

The factory utilises the latest technology in thermal insulation, LED lighting, laser-fire detection and advanced cladding systems, while the new backing plant will be the most advanced turf backing system in the UK.

George Mullan, SIS Pitches owner and CEO said: “Our new state-of-the-art factory features world-leading turf production technology and provides us with the platform to increase our production volumes.

“We can produce pitches six times faster than before which equates to more than six million square metres of turf every year.

“At SIS Pitches, we are always looking at ways to stay one step ahead and these recent improvements in innovation and technology reaffirm our position as the market leader in the manufacturing of synthetic turf.”

For more information, please visit the SIS Pitches website: http://www.sispitches.com

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Kubota Establish Innovation Centres

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Kubota Establish Innovation Centres: Kubota Corporation (Headquarters: Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan; President and Representative Director: Masatoshi Kimata; hereinafter referred to as “Kubota”) is establishing Innovation Centers in Japan and Europe as organs for the creation of new business ventures, products, and services in Kubota’s fields of business including agriculture and construction. Working together with external partners, the Innovation Centers will advance open innovation for proactive engagement with ICT, AI, and other advanced technologies, and accelerate the creation of new business, products, and services.

Kubota Establish Innovation Centres

Background and Aims

・To date, Kubota has pursued the development of products responsive to the needs of customers mainly through specialized development departments for each of its product lines, such as agricultural machinery and construction machinery, working in partnership with an in-house research and development department in charge of advanced technologies and component technologies. At present Kubota is developing and strengthening its research and development bases both within Japan and internationally to respond to business globalization and product line expansion.

・At the same time, in order to respond to changing customer needs such as the rising awareness of food safety, environmental conservation, and other aspects of social sustainability, the company needs to deliver new forms of value such as “system solutions” utilizing ICT, AI, and other advanced technologies, beyond the existing product lines. These technologies are evolving at an increasingly rapid pace, and in order to engage with them in a timely manner it is essential to pursue partnerships (open innovation) with venture businesses, companies in other industries, universities, research institutes, and other external partners.

・It is for this purpose that Kubota is establishing its new Innovation Centers, which will take the lead in planning and proposing new business activities, products, and services that transcend existing boundaries between different product lines, promote open innovation through investment in and joint research with external partners, and seek to create new forms of value that surpass customers’ expectations.

・In order to respond attentively to regional needs, Innovation Centers will be established in both Japan and Europe. The company will also consider establishing centers in other regions in the future.

 Outline of the New Organization

Name Innovation Center
Role Surveys and planning for the creation of new business activities, products, and services in the fields of agriculture and construction, and commercialization thereof
Timing of establishment June 2019 (Japan) / July 2019 (Europe)

For more information on Kubota, please visit www.kubota-global.net or www.kubota-eu.com.

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Husqvarna Innovation At BTME

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Husqvarna Innovation At BTME: Husqvarna, the world’s leading producer of forest, park and garden equipment returns to BTME this year, showcasing a range of new products and innovations from Tuesday 22 – Thursday 24 January 2019. Commercial battery and Automower® products will be on show alongside the latest updates to Husqvarna Fleet Services at stand 112 in the BLUE ZONE. Highlighted at this year’s show will be…

Commercial Robotic Mowing

Husqvarna will be showcasing the latest range of robotic mowers designed specifically for commercial applications. The commercial Automower® range for 2019 consists of the Automower® 520, Automower® 550 and the highly anticipated Automower® 535 AWD capable of maintaining slopes up to 70%. Husqvarna will display the new Automower® machines and will have real life examples of Automower® cutting in amenity, public places, parks, golf courses, airports and more. 500-series Automower® are equipped with Husqvarna Fleet Services, allowing complete control of all robotic mowers, no matter how many are in the fleet from a computer or smart phone.

Husqvarna Innovation At BTME

Commercial Battery Products

Husqvarna commercial battery products are specifically designed for professional applications, with low vibrations, all day capabilities, all weather and durable use. Customers can be sure that battery products will perform to the highest level for their business whilst also helping to save them money.

On display at BTME 2019 will be the complete range of Husqvarna 500-series handheld battery products which offer businesses a performance which is equivalent to petrol machines, coupled with the benefit of ergonomic use, low noise and flexibility as well as a range of different battery options.

Commercial Lawn Care

P 524EFi commercial front mower will be showcased, allowing visitors to learn more about its advanced and efficient electronic fuel injection engine and uncompromising performance. The high capacity, compact commercial front mower offers excellent manoeuvrability in complex areas for professionals.

Alongside Husqvarna commercial front mowers, the company will showcase walk behind lawnmowers in the form of the LC 551SP & LB 553S which demonstrate excellent cutting performance and commercial durability.

Husqvarna Fleet Services 2.0

Husqvarna Fleet Services 2.0 brings the latest in managing small or large fleets of equipment to your desktop computer, tablet or mobile device – keeping all information in one place. Fleet Services reports where products are being used and allows the user to generate fleet audits at the touch of a button, alongside other features such as: maintenance monitoring, runtime and usage style for training. In addition, fleet utilisation now also gives the user the ability to give certain information across other brands and products.

Come and visit Husqvarna at stand 112 in the BLUE ZONE to see how our products can help save your business time and money.

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Sherriff Scoop Innovation Award

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Sherriff Scoop Innovation Award: On day one of SALTEX 2018 at the NEC, Sherriff Amenity’s ground-breaking new app, PrecisionPro, was announced as the winner of the second, annual SALTEX Innovation Award.

Established at the show in 2017, the SALTEX Innovation Award was created to encourage innovation excellence and celebrate the best products within the groundscare industry. The award is bestowed on projects that have a significant impact and ultimately make life easier for the person using them.

Sherriff Scoop Innovation Award

This year’s award received a record number of high quality entries from across the UK and beyond – spanning a wide variety of products, services and equipment. With the entries submitted and rigorously evaluated by an independent panel of judges, it was decided that there were three stand-out innovations – the Toro Outcross 9060 from Reesink Turfcare, PrecisionPro from Sherriff Amenity and the ROBOCUT from McConnel.

The three finalists were given a final opportunity to impress the judges as they took to the stage in the all new Innovation Hub. Representatives from each company delivered a product presentation in front of a packed audience causing the judges much deliberation before making their final decision.

Sherriff Amenity’s PrecisionPro was pronounced the overall winner. Second place went to the Toro Outcross 9060; a super-duty utility vehicle, designed specifically to simplify the groundsman’s day-to-day turf maintenance jobs. Third place went to the McConnel ROBOCUT; an all-terrain remote-control work platform that boosts safety, productivity and efficiency.

The winning innovation, PrecisionPro, is a dedicated app for sports turf to measure any area, guide the operator in calibrating a spreader for any granular product and also help apply fertilisers accurately.

According to Sherriff Amenity, PrecisionPro was created due to the common issue of turf managers misjudging green/sport surface size which often results in problems such as over applying or under applying fertilisers – both of which can have a negative effect on turf performance, disease and budget.

PrecisionPro allows turf managers to have an accurate measured area by simply opening the app and walking the perimeter of the area. Calibrating spreaders has always been a difficult task but with the Calibrate feature in the PrecisionPro app, users are guided through each step of the process. Furthermore, its advanced GPS functionality informs the user when to start and stop the calibration process.

The app also features a function to ensure that every operator walks at the same speed – if someone is walking too fast or too slow then they are alerted by colour coded screens. As well as calculating the g/m2 and the operator’s walking speed, the Apply feature ultimately ensures that the exact amount of nutrition is being applied to the turf.

Commenting on the award, Karl Parry, Sherriff Amenity’s PrecisionPro developer, said:

“We are really excited to win this award. PrecisionPro has been a long time in the making but it has all been made worthwhile now. SALTEX was the official launch of the app and after we won the award people kept coming onto the stand to find out more about it, so the word definitely got round at the show.

“I’m really proud of the whole team because it has been a big collaborative effort.”

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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Innovation Award Finalists Announced

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Innovation Award Finalists Announced: The three finalists have been announced for the Innovation Award at SALTEX 2018, with Reesink Turfcare, Sherriff Amenity and McConnel competing to get their hands on the prize.

After making its successful debut at last year’s show, the SALTEX 2018 Innovation Award attracted even more entries from various exhibitors across the globe and included a wide variety of high-quality products, services and equipment.

Innovation Award Finalists Announced

Judged by an independent panel of industry experts it was decided that the Toro Outcross 9060 from Reesink Turfcare, PrecisionPro from Sherriff Amenity and a product that cannot yet be named from McConnel were the stand out entries.

The final three companies will now take to the stage on the first day of SALTEX in the all new Innovation Hub (stand K021) from 11.30am to 12.35pm. A representative from each will take place to offer a great insight into their respective innovations and answer questions from Innovation Hub host Kevin Lynch – a former referee and current football speaker.

The winner’s ceremony will then commence in the Innovation Hub at 2:30pm where the overall winner will be announced.

Innovation Hub visitors can also expect interviews with industry experts and those at the forefront of new groundscare innovations and listen to research and trial work findings. Furthermore, a number of key speakers will take to the stage to discuss and explore current groundscare trends.

Kevin Lynch and IOG CEO Geoff Webb will kick-start proceedings at 11:00am on the first day of SALTEX by commenting on what most would agree has been a golden period in innovation in sports turf over the last 10-15 years.

A panel debate featuring Horticulture Week’s Sally Drury, IOG regional pitch advisor Rob Donnelly and IOG learning programme architect Chris Gray will take place shortly after. The panel will be providing an update on new technology in groundscare and will have their say on what key developments they feel have had a significant impact on the industry.

It is no surprise that digital media is being utilised by many within the industry and this topic will be explored in the next session.

The loss of important active ingredients is becoming more frequent than ever and a number of products are being taken off the market, especially in regards to pest management – so an expert panel will be exploring alternative solutions.

This will be followed by sessions on what’s new in grass cultivars, cordless machinery and robotics.

Reinforced pitches for cricket and tennis will be the final topic of the day with turf consultant Alex Vickers, ECB pitch advisor Chris Wood and Neil Stubley from the AELTC – who will discuss their views.

The Innovation Hub will conclude with the SALTEX 2018 Innovation Award winner’s ceremony.

The programme of events will be replicated on day two of SALTEX.

SALTEX 2018 is free to attend. To register your attendance and beat the queues visit www.iogsaltex.com

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Innovation Success For EGO

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Innovation Success For EGO: A new cordless line trimmer from EGO has claimed two awards for innovation at top European trade exhibitions.

The technology was awarded with GaLaBau’s Innovation Medal in Nuremberg, and a Technology Innovation Award at Bologne’s EIMA exhibition.

Innovation Success For EGO

The cordless outdoor power equipment specialist received the coveted accolades for its ST1510E – Power+ Line Trimmer featuring POWERLOAD™ technology; the industry’s first line trimmer tool with a fully automatic line re-loading system.

Entering the European market in 2019, POWERLOAD™ removes the need for the fiddly and frustrating process of loading new line – a problem that anyone who has used a garden line trimmer is all too familiar with.

To load the ST1510E – Power+ Line Trimmer featuring POWERLOAD™ technology, users simply insert the trimmer line through the head of the tool. After a push on its green activation button, the automatic re-loading system then perfectly winds the line onto the spool in less than five seconds… and it’s ready to go!

After beating 105 unique entries for the Innovation Medal award, The Federal Association of Garden, Landscape and Sports Facilities presented EGO with the Innovation Medal at GaLaBau – Europe’s leading exhibition for the design, construction and maintenance of urban, green and open spaces.

Innovation Success For EGO

Similarly, the line trimmer technology will be recognised in November at EIMA as winner of its Technology Innovation Contest. The competition acknowledges genuinely innovative machines, accessories or components capable of improving productive procedures and the quality of the work of operators in the sector.

Like all EGO products, the ST1510E – Power+ Line Trimmer featuring POWERLOAD™ technology uses a 56 volt Arc Lithium battery, engineered to match or surpass the performance of petrol powered outdoor power tools.

The unique battery technology has an innovative design to maximise battery cooling and in turn provide users with the industry’s highest energy capacity in a hand held battery. This allows users to complete jobs with less noise, less fuss and no harmful fumes.

 Vince Brauns, European Product Manager at EGO, said: “Since the line trimmer was invented in the 1970s, gardeners, landscapers and consumers have all been continuously plagued by the difficult task of re-loading new line.

“Our POWERLOADTM technology truly is a first of its kind and will finally put an end to these frustrations. We are delighted to have won the GaLaBau Innovation Medal and EIMA Technology Innovation contest and will continue to develop our cordless outdoor power products and make the lives of our customers easier and easier.”

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SALTEX Innovation Award Entries

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SALTEX Innovation Award Entries: SALTEX plays host to the most technologically advanced-equipment showcase in grounds management. After a successful first outing at last years show, the SALTEX Innovation Award returns for 2018 and visitors will get the chance to cast their eye over every entry at the show.

Here is a snapshot of some of the exciting entries:

SALTEX Innovation Award Entries

Sherriff Amenity – PrecisionPro; a dedicated spots turf app designed to help users measure, calibrate and apply granular products.

Lantra – Integrated Weed Management is the latest training course added to Lantra’s Pest & Weed Management suite of training and qualifications.

Trimax Mowing Systems – the Snake S2; a rotary, roller mower designed for sports turf and golf courses.

Trimax Mowing Systems – the QuikLIFT; a new feature for the PegasusS4 which allows all three decks to be lifted with the blades still engaged.

Trimax Mowing Systems – the LocTEK; a patent pending stubless roller bearing system for increased retention, bearing life and replacement ease.

PSD Groundscare – ELIET Turfaway 600; with a 60 cm-wide cutter the Turfaway 600 has been designed for major lawn renovation that requires complete reconstruction.

PSD Groundscare – TS Industrie GS/Puma Tracked Remote Controlled Shredder is a remote controlled tracked green waste shredder.

Net World Sports – FORZA Alu110 Football Goals; are available in eight sizes and can be purchased as both freestanding and socketed.

Reesink Turfcare – Toro Outcross 9060; a super-duty utility vehicle, designed specifically to simplify the groundsman’s day-to-day turf maintenance jobs.

Reesink Turfcare – Toro Groundsmaster 1200; a robust pull-behind rotary mower for sports and groundscare turf maintenance applications.

T H White Machinery Imports – Spider X Line; a new remote-controlled slope mower which can climb slopes of up to 40 degrees independently.

T H White Machinery Imports – Ferris 400S; a zero-turn mower with a 48 inch cutting width developed for light commercial or large domestic mowing customers.

Allett Mowers – c34 Evolution; a new electric, large area, walk-behind cylinder mower with inter-changeable cartridges.

McConnel – ROBOCUT; an all-terrain remote-control work platform that boosts safety, productivity and efficiency.

Bulldog Tools – Mini Shovels; two brand new shovels (a square mouth version and a round mouth version) that are lightweight and very easy to carry in any transport.

Helping Hand Environmental – Street Boss; a multi-functional sustainable litter collection system which allows the operative to undertake a range of cleansing tasks.

Briggs & Stratton UK – Vanguard 200 engine; a commercial grade air-cooled petrol engine designed from the ground up which delivers significant performance enhancements.

Evopos – Evopos; a modern dealer management system providing stock control, EPOS, workshop, whole goods control, accounts, CRM, Ebay, Web and e-commerce modules.

Etesia UK – Pellenc ULiB 1200 battery; lightweight and offers increased autonomy of up to 20% – up to five hours of work with the most energy-consuming Pellenc tools in the range.

Hayter/Toro – ProStripe 560; a professional walk-behind rear-roller rotary mower, designed primarily for sports playing surfaces, to cut and collect grass, or to remove debris and divots.

EGO – POWERLOAD™ Line Trimmer; a new line trimmer with a fully automatic line re-loading system.

Block Blitz – Paving Sand; to keep paving joints clean and deter weeds and moss.

Block Blitz – Big Blitz; a jumbo dust pan and brush which is oversized, light-weight and super strong.

Block Blitz – Block Blitz Shield; new paving treatment which protects new and recently laid paved surfaces.

A panel of expert judges will select the winning product and the winners will be announced on the first day of SALTEX at a ceremony to be held on the show floor in the all new Innovation Hub.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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SALTEX Announce Innovation Hub

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SALTEX Announce Innovation Hub: In a new addition for 2018, visitors to SALTEX will be able to experience the very latest groundscare ingenuity in the Innovation Hub, a new area on the show floor which is purely dedicated to innovation and new concepts in grounds management.

SALTEX plays host to the most technologically-advanced equipment showcase with hundreds of exhibitors pushing the boundaries with new products and services. Within this fast-paced and evolving industry, manufacturers are more forward-thinking than ever before to ensure their products match their client’s needs and with over 8,000 SALTEX visitors, these new technologies are certainly under the spotlight.

SALTEX Announce Innovation Hub

According to the SALTEX 2017 visitor survey, an incredible 97 per cent claimed that their main reason for attending the exhibition was to see the latest innovations. Taking this feedback on-board, SALTEX event organisers have decided to host, for the very first time, a dedicated Innovation Hub.

Visitors can expect to watch interviews with industry experts and those at the forefront of new groundscare innovations and listen to research and trial work findings. Furthermore, a number of key speakers will take to the stage to discuss and explore current groundscare trends such as cordless/environmentally friendly equipment, robotics, GPS control machinery, pesticide alternatives, pitch lighting (including watering systems and oxygen) and pitch monitoring systems.

In this exciting new feature, delegates will be able to engage in conversation regarding key topics or seek advice while using the opportunity to network with the industry’s most innovative business leaders and exporters – making the Innovation Hub a must visit area for all attendees.

The Innovation Hub will also play host to the SALTEX 2018 Innovation Award ceremony. Entries to the second ever SALTEX Innovation Award are now open and visitors can again expect to see the latest and very best in new grounds care technology.

Making its debut at last year’s show, the Innovation Award attracted a number of high-quality entries from across the globe spanning a wide variety of products, services and equipment.

The independent panel of judges, who based their decisions on a number of factors including what the entry offers the industry and how it makes life easier for the person using it, were unanimous in selecting four stand-out entries – and by all accounts 2017 was the year for new line marking technologies.

The standard was incredibly high resulting in a tie for first place. Rigby Taylor’s Intelligent One autonomous robotic line marker and Fleet Line Markers’ MAQA line marking machine were announced as joint winners of the first ever SALTEX Innovation Award.

Second place went to Oregon’s Gator Speedload, which judges said was a quick and simple device which negated the need to dismantle the head each time to re-load/wrap new strimmer cord. Third place went to the Etesia Hydro 80 MKHP4 E-Connect, due to its ability to set up multiple users and record data – allowing organisations or clubs to monitor the amount of use and user’s ability.

Due to the popularity of last year’s Innovation Award, SALTEX 2018 is expected to attract even more entries and all will be revealed in the lead-up to the show. Additionally, by referring to the show guide, SALTEX visitors will be able to follow an Innovation Trail enabling them to see every single entry on the show floor.

SALTEX takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on October 31 and November 1.

Visitors can register to attend SALTEX for FREE via the website – www.iogsaltex.com

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Innovation Through Renovation

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Innovation Through Renovation: When Toro developed its irrigation strategy, one of the first thoughts was longevity, so it should therefore be no surprise that Toro sprinklers dating all the way back to the 1960s are easily updated when clubs look to renovate their irrigation.

The existing sprinkler body is simply fitted with the latest Toro head technology not just replacing new for old, but for more precision, accuracy, efficiency and economy.

Innovation Through Renovation

In the case of Toro pop-up sprinklers, the company’s 600 series that launched in the US back in 1967, and 700 series first seen in the 1990s, can be easily interchanged with Toro sprinkler head conversion assemblies, in as little as 60 seconds! The same applies to the more recent DT series and 835 series, too.

And most of the time, says Reesink Turfcare, an official distributor of Toro Irrigation in the UK, these upgrades can be made without the need for mini-excavators and massive disruption. Infinity sprinklers for example have been designed to be upgraded from the top down with the Smart Access feature allowing future upgrades to be faster, easier and cheaper.

Plus, it’s not just the sprinklers that can be upgraded, Turf Guard in-ground moisture sensors and Lynx control system software can be integrated into existing irrigation systems. Some have credited Toro’s Lynx control system for example with bringing industry buzzwords ‘interchangeable’ and ‘future-proof’ irrigation to life.

Upgrading with Toro brings true innovation to your irrigation: every replacement sprinkler head brings with it design improvements – you aren’t just replacing the casing, but addressing specific irrigation needs, such as arc retention to achieve a strict start-stop without unwanted movement, eliminating dwell points and subsequent pooling, ensuring even distribution.

A classic example of this comes in the form of Premier League football club Manchester City which upgraded its Etihad Stadium irrigation system in 2015 with the installation of 16 Toro R Series conversion assemblies. These were installed with new artificial turf covers around the perimeter of the pitch, alongside changing some of the nozzles in existing bodies to boost overall efficiency and optimise water use. A key point is that the original piping system was kept intact and that this cost-effective upgrade concentrated on the sprinklers and their internals.

The benefits this upgrade brought was the fact that there is now no dwell point at the end of each sprinkler arc, and the adjustable trajectories, which are particularly beneficial on a windy day, can be set to minimise drift from the spray.

Robert Jackson, irrigation field manager for Reesink Turfcare, says: “It is tempting to regard the updating of an irrigation system as something that can only be carried out by specialists, with disruption to play and revenues for months on end. In some instances that will be the case. An aging irrigation system could well be beyond economic upgrading, extension or repair. But what about a more recent system that is now starting to show its age; is a bit of an upgrade possible and worthwhile? With Toro, the short answer has always been a qualified yes.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award

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Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award: The best in brand new grounds care technology was celebrated in the very first SALTEX Innovation Award at the NEC, Birmingham on 1 and 2 November 2017.

Making its debut, the Innovation Award attracted a number of high-quality entries from various exhibitors from across the globe. There were 24 entries in total spanning a wide variety of products, services and equipment.

Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award

The entries were judged by an independent panel of industry experts who based their decisions on a number of factors including what the entry offers the industry and how it makes life easier for the person using it.

The standard was incredibly high, resulting in a tie for first place.

Backed by unanimous support by all judges, during the first day of the exhibition, Rigby Taylor’s Intelligent One autonomous robotic line marker and Fleet Line Markers’ MAQA line marking machine were announced as joint winners of the SALTEX Innovation Award 2017.

The Intelligent One (iO) is said to be the world’s first fully autonomous robotic line marker. It can mark out a standard sized football pitch in 35 minutes, using just 3.3 litres of ready to use Impact XP paint. The iO eliminates the task of stringing out for the first markings and operates hands-free. Once the pitch template has been entered into the supplied tablet, the iO is placed at the corner of the pitch and will mark out all the outside and inside straight lines, the ‘D’, centre circle, corner angles and penalty spot without any direct operator involvement.

The MAQA line marking machine uses GNSS technology to reduce the time it takes to mark by a massive 75 per cent. Initial marking that might have taken two men up to four hours can now be completed by one person in 20 minutes.

Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award

The standard of all Innovation Award entries were of such high calibre that the judges chose to award second and third place awards as well.

Second place went to Oregon’s Gator Speedload, which judges said was a quick and simple device which negated the need to dismantle the head each time to re-load/wrap new strimmer cord. Third place went to the Etesia Hydro 80 MKHP4 E-Connect, due to its ability to set up multiple users and record data – allowing organisations or clubs to monitor the amount of use and user’s ability.

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