Gaining strength doesn’t mean adding weight. Common belief is that strength is directly proportional to weight, but high-strength steel combined with superior engineering has created irrigation systems that are lightweight and uncompromisingly durable at the same time. Yes, Reinke’s pivots look different, but you’ll understand the real difference once the performance starts doing the talking.

Reinke’s mission is to exceed its customers’ expectations with quality, service, and innovation. Reinke is still a family-owned business, thus a lot of emphasis is placed on servicing the client, putting the client first, and giving the client the best aftersales experience.

“Since 1968, being different with purpose, has been the core of all Reinke’s irrigation systems, which is why we’ve been the irrigation system choice for farmers worldwide. Our main aims at Reinke are to add strength without adding weight, and increasing our efficiency without sacrificing durability,” says Paul van den Berg, Technical Service Engineer of Reinke.

Reinke creates irrigation systems that will perform to exceed farmers’ expectations, from centre pivot to end gun.

“We pride ourselves in being the strength-to-weight ratio industry leaders. Everything changes with the use of high-strength and low-alloy steel. All our critical structural components, including water pipes, tower bases, tower legs, truss rods and other components become radically lighter, more agile, and yet stronger. This automatically transforms our pivots from being stiff and lumbering to lightweight, bridgelike spans – flexing where they need to flex and sturdy where they need to withstand challenging field conditions,” Paul explains.

The high-strength steel used in Reinke pivots and lateral move systems can be as much as fifty percent stronger, resulting in a high-strength structure weighing as much as twenty percent less.

“Our hook-and-receiver joint is unlike anything else in the industry, but then again, so is Reinke,” says Paul.

Flotation like no other

The advantage of a lighter system goes back to flotation. The flotation of the systems means you have less strain on your gearboxes and centre drive, which gives your pivots and parts a longer life span.

“A Reinke Electrogator II system eliminates unnecessary tonnes of soil compacting weight. Considering that getting a pivot unstuck or filling wheel ruts take away time and effort from other activities, a Reinke could save you a lot over the course of its life,” Paul states.

“When Reinke introduced the first Electrogator back in 1968, it was built with a double-leg tower. Soon after, we developed the single-leg tower and have continued down that innovative path,” says Paul.

The results were:

• A wider tower base for increased stability
• Absorbs more stress at the tower and doesn’t transfer it directly to the water pipe
• Reduced component fatigue to maximise system life
• Less intrusive structure improves water application at the tower, and causes less disturbance to taller crops
• Increased flotation for better performance

“Along with the wider base that gives more stability and the reduced weight of the span, we lower the centre of gravity which gives the pivot better wind resistance in severe weather conditions,” Paul explains.

A lot of things can be done to improve flotation. This is especially important if you have a muddy soil structure. Reinke’s hook-and-receiver joint which is placed directly in the centre of the pivot enables the pivot to rotate within a cylinder and it enables maximum flexibility across challenging terrain. Even when the span needs to roll slightly it won’t affect the alignment. The internal joints allow the boot to flex without being excessively stretched, furthering longevity.

Smarter tower support design

“The more stress diverted away from the water pipe, the better. The 25,4-millimetre diameter galvanised stiffeners are attached to the bottom of the trussing instead of directly to the pipe, diverting the stress away from the water pipe, distributing the stress more evenly to the entire span and thus pipe longevity gets a giant boost,” says Paul.

Reinke’s V-ring seal system is simply a better way of connecting pipes. The V-ring seal leaves a smooth internal pipe surface that is securely set inside the pipe, and is fully protected from the deteriorating effects of UV light.

“Like our pivots, Reinke is in it for the long run. We settle for nothing less than superior client service and irrigation performance, and we are only a call away for service and support,” says Paul.

Reinke dealers are armed with truckloads of experience, expertise, and extensive training. Your Reinke dealer will work with you in everything from custom design to installation to ensure your irrigation system performs as expected … year after year after year.

To find out more about the pivot that lasts for decades, contact Patrick Ellis at +27-(0)31-350-4525 or send an e-mail to patrickellis@reinke.com