The new Accura range of drills from HE-VA will be launched at Cereals 2004 with 3 and 4 metre mounted models for ploughing and minimum tillage based arable farming systems.

There are two basic specifications for the UK market. The first – the Accura Suffolk – is aimed at the light to medium land farmer as a high speed cultivator drill minimising horsepower required to cultivate, level and drill.

Ideally used in conjunction with a front press, the Accura Suffolk is designed to level, cultivate and consolidate the ploughed land with a levelling board, three rows of cultivating spring tines and a toothed packer roller. These operate in front of the two rows of 12.5cm (5 inch) spaced Suffolk coulters giving a consistent seed depth before a levelling harrow covers the seed.

The second version of the drill - the Accura Vector - is for use on minimum tillage type seedbeds although it can also be used in plough based systems. The configuration consists of a levelling board, two rows of Vector disc coulters, a finger levelling harrow, U-profile roller and a following harrow.

In conventional ploughing systems, the Accura Vector is used in combination with a front press. However, in minimum tillage systems it can be used on its own.

The spring loaded, adjustable levelling board evens out any roughness in the seedbed left by cultivations and provides an even seedbed for the Vector disc, which is a scalloped straight disc, with replaceable coulter tip, set at a slight angle to the direction of travel. It cuts through any trash, placing the seed precisely at the predetermined depth before the finger harrow covers the seed slot.

Tough individual leaf springs on which each Vector disc is mounted can exert up to 100kg of pressure to ensure penetration and consistent seed depth even in the heaviest of ground while offering protection from shock loading in case of stones, etc.

One of the crucial elements in the Accura Vector drill configuration is the U-profile packer roller, positioned in line with the Vector disc coulter in front of it to ensure maximum consolidation behind each disc whilst leaving the surface open.

This is achieved by the use of “Soil to Soil” packing. The U-profile roller is designed to fill with soil which is used for consolidation rather than the smooth surface of a ring. This leaves the surface open to penetration by rain and air, providing ideal conditions for seed germination. In the event of heavy rainfall the relatively unconsolidated soil between the rings allows water to permeate through the surface quickly, preventing waterlogging.

Fast precise drilling and consistent germination in wet or dry conditions are the key features of the Accura Vector drills, which are designed for high speed operation with minimal horsepower requirement and running costs.

Both the drills use Rauch air drill metering technology and feature hydraulic drive fan units and a 1000 litre grain hopper, vertical fold markers, return to tank tramlining and lights as standard, along with all the normal options to be expected from a modern drill.