When Richard Broch of BrochKlus Mechanisatie was ten, he began tinkering with mopeds. At the age of 18, he was asked to join the horticultural automation sector in the Netherlands.
"I'm 44 now, so I've been around for a while. Sometimes, you encounter things in the field that others haven't looked at or even considered. I then try to improve on those things by testing them and seeing if there's a demand for it, which there often is, as is the case with our new solid tires," says Richard.
Greenhouse growers can use these tires on their crop protection sprayers. Many growers only have one machine for this, so when they have a leak or a flat, they have a problem. To make matters worse, the spraying is often done in the evening when most people have already gone home since, for safety reasons, it cannot be done in a greenhouse full of people.
"There is often only one person around, so it becomes an issue if something doesn't work. You have to fix it before you can get to work, and then it quickly becomes too late to use the pesticides since, in the morning, the team has to get back into the greenhouse. Not only that, but the workable substances in the crop protection you've mixed have a limited usage time. In the worst-case scenario, there's no spraying, and you've lost a bucket of crop protection," Richard explains.
New market
According to Richard, the wheels fit most, but not all, machines. This is because some machines used are battery-powered or have route controls. Solid tires add significant weight to the machines, which means they need more power and demand more from the components and battery, which could damage the system.
"So, by trying to solve a problem for end users, you sometimes end up creating a new one. This can be rather tricky for people since this is quite a new market. That is why I filter out which machines can be equipped with our solid tires, and I test them so customers can be sure of their effectiveness. However, for machines with no route control, which you have to push or drive yourself, it always works."
Richard has many other new ideas but is keeping them close to his chest until they are worked out further. "To know more, it's best to keep an eye on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages."
For more information:
Richard Broch
BrochKlus Mechanisatie
Email: [email protected]