[Case Studies] Two Decades Of Poclain-Driven Mazzotti Sprayers

Mazzotti, an Italian self-propelled sprayer manufacturer, has been using Poclain drive solutions for over 20 years. In 2017 Mazzotti joined the John Deere group and has been integrating more within the Green Giant. Poclain has remained a key partner in this integration phase.

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In 2017 Mazzotti joined the John Deere group and has been integrating more within the Green Giant, for instance using Deere engines. Poclain has remained a key partner in this integration phase.

A quick look in the range of Mazzotti shows that there are two types of machines and that Poclain is a major supplier for both ranges.

The first range, Ibis, is dedicated to small specialty crops like vegetables, horticulture or salads. This range has been a traditional business for Mazzotti. It includes machines in the range of 2,000 to 3,500 L. On this range Mazzotti uses the MS motors, which are multipurpose motors capable of providing both torque and speed to cover the whole spectrum of sprayer propel requirements.

More recently Mazzotti has been developing a series of sprayers targeting large crops. The range features machines that cover the full spectrum with tanks from 2,500 to 6,500 L. Among the key benefits of this range, their compact design, light weight and short turning radius (3.8 m on the 4,000 L model) stand out.

These large machines need to reach a speed of 40 kph and rely on Poclain wheel motors equipped with three-gear transmission ratios. They also benefit from Poclain's multidisc brakes providing service brakes on the front wheels and usually parking brakes on the rear. These brakes are enclosed, protected from external pollution and integrated in the front part of the motor bearing supports. The largest machine uses combined brakes in all four wheels, whereby the same internal wet disks are used for service and parking braking, using two different brake pistons.

On Mazzotti's larger machines Poclain does not only power the four wheels but also supplies the electronics with the SmartDrive CT300 electronic control unit and its software. They control the propel drive and provide the following functions:

Basic propel: forward, reverse, acceleration and deceleration ramps, and gear shifting
Self-calibration of both propel pumps so that their respective flows are perfectly synchronized for identical input electric currents
Management of work and road modes
Eco-drive to adjust the engine speed to actual power needs. The system reduces fuel consumption by managing engine speed, pump stroke and motor ratio shifting
Combined hydrostatic and friction braking, relying on Poclain proportional brake valves and multidisc service brakes

Francesco FERRARINI,
Technical Sales Engineer

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