An Australian agricultural equipment manufacturer has switched from oil-impregnated nylon bushings to Vesconite Hilube polymer ones on the hydraulic tynes that it manufactures for seeding ma-chines. The Vesconite Hilube polymer is valued by farmers and agricultural equipment manufacturers for being a self-lubricating, wear resistant polymer, which is widely used in tough agricultural applica-tions characterised by grit, mud and water.

With seeder tynes being the teeth that cut through the soil during seeding, their exposure to harsh wear conditions is significant. OptiAg Systems director Peter Hills explains that there are up to 80 or more hydraulic tynes on a seeding machine. These allow for seeds to be planted at the correct depth so that seeds have bet-ter access to moisture and nutrients.

Speaking about the introduction of Vesconite Hilube bushings to his tynes, Hills says: “I believe it to be a superior product to the oil-impregnated nylon we have been using”.

“As grain growers ourselves, we are looking for the best product for use. We want to provide our clients with the best possible product as well.”

OptiAg will be testing the lifespan of the Vesconite Hilube bushings as compared to the oil-impregnated nylon bushings and expects that, although there are higher upfront costs associated with the Vesconite Hilube bushings, the longer life and the lower maintenance requirements will show the Vesconite Hilube bushings to be a superior product.

Vesconite Bearings at Caltex Hall – Nampo

South African self-lubricated polymer-bushing manufacturer Vesconite Bearings will have its poly-mer bearing materials, Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube, on display at the Caltex Hall at Nampo, South Africa’s largest agricultural exhibition, in May.

Its polymer bearings are valued by farmers and agricultural equipment manufacturers for being self-lubricating, wear resistant and useful in tough agricultural applications characterised by grit, mud and water.

Their display at Nampo is seen as a recognition that Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube bearings are important products to have displayed at South Africa’s largest agricultural expo, where role-players in the farming industry seek solutions to challenges that they face.

Vesconite Bearings’ factory in Virginia produces rods, hollow bar and wear plates for the agricul-ture and other industries, and also machines bushings and wear components to specification for the industry.

The company also provides extensive machining services and has the largest machine shop in the Free State, with 60 computer numerically controlled lathes and machining centres, and numerous large conventional lathes that are capable of machining bushings up to 3 000 mm in diameter.

Vesconite Bearings has warehouses in Johannesburg, Texas, the UK, the Netherlands and New Zealand, with stocking distributors in Argentina, Australia and Singapore.

The company boasts customers in more than 100 countries, exports over half of its total sales, and dispatches large orders regularly to the US, China, South America and Australasia.

Vesconite
www.vesconite.com