The northern German agricultural machinery manufacturer Amazone has commissioned Dipl.-Ing. Tietjen GmbH to develop an air brake system for the Pantera 4504 self-propelled sprayer. This means that the vehicle is also allowed to pull a tank trailer in addition to its container volume of 4,500 litres. The maximum permissible towing capacity of the Pantera is 16 tonnes. The field sprayer is then refilled directly at the field - eliminating the need for frequent trips back to the farm. Saving additional journeys is particularly interesting for contractors because they often have to travel further distances to get to their customers' fields. This combination of field sprayer and trailer is allowed on the road at 40 km/h.

Determination of the braking devices

Before developing the compressed air kit for the sprayer, a design of the brake system must first be carried out. Measurements are carried out in advance with the vehicle in order to analyse the braking behaviour and to determine the optimum braking equipment for the compressed air brake system. A compressor is not part of the kit in this case, as the vehicle is equipped with a compressed air supply system for cleaning work and a compressor has already been installed for this purpose.

For the design of the air brake system, the weight of the vehicle in loaded and unloaded condition must also be determined. Weighing is done with a single-wheel scale, which allows the measurements to be taken directly on the spot.

Additional components

In addition to the air brake system, the vehicle is also equipped with a 7-pin trailer socket (12 V), which is included in the scope of delivery of the air brake system. As an option, Dipl.-Ing. Tietjen GmbH also offers a trailer towing device.