Blackcurrant Trailers We can offer 4 versions of trailers. 1. 2 wheel trailer for use with trays. 2. Trailers used in conjunction with our rear conveyor and has the ability to fill 4 boxes at a time. 3. As above but using a 4 wheel trailer. 4. A new edition to the range is a straddle trailer as the name suggests the trailer straddles the row of blackcurrants this allow 6/7 boxes to be filled at a time. This option is very useful for longer rows. The blackcurrants are collected from both conveyors and deposited into a central conveyor mounted on the trailer as the machine turns the the centre of the conveyor is over the trailer hitch so allowing the minimal loss of currants. The conveyor can be supplied on it's own to fit an existing trailer if required.

Fertilser spinner A frame work mounted on the top of the chassis is used to attach a standard fertiliser spinner.

Forklifts We have developed a pair of forklifts for all of the Samson harvester range. This allows you to fill two boxes at a time. With the use of a reversible cross conveyor this allows each box to be filled individually. The operator stands on a removable platform which also acts as a latch to hold the boxes in position. We also have developed another forklift that is able to carry 2 boxes on each side. When filling the first box the 2 spare boxes are stored on the side of the machine, once the two lower boxes have been filled the 2 empty boxes are placed on top allowing 4 boxes to be carried. At the end of the row the boxes can be dropped off as normal. The picture shown is for the single box forklifts

Platforms These platforms can be used to fill trays or to fill the big boxes. The big boxes need to be loaded and unloaded with a forklift.

Pruners SFM Technology offers a range of 3 blackcurrant pruning machines, each specifically designed to provide optimum performance when carrying out shaping, base pruning or centre pruning.

SAMSON BLACKCURRANT HARVESTER SFM Technology Ltd have developed a self-propelled straddle blackcurrant harvester to complement their existing range of apple harvesting machinery. The Samson is designed to harvest both small and large bushes efficiently due to the uniquely flexible conveyors which minimise fruit loss. It is powered by a 4-cylinder water cooled diesel engine, which, through a series of 5 pumps drives the transmission and the other hydraulic systems. The machine is fundamentally different to other harvesters in that the chassis has been designed on the basis of a tractor power unit with a pivoting front axle which ensures good traction and steering with the added advantage of providing stability for the operators at the rear of the machine. For maximum all-round visibility and precise control, the driver is seated at the front of the machine directly above the bush divider. Simple hydraulic controls, all situated to the right of the driver, allow easy operation with minimum effort. There are variable speed controls for the shakers, fans and conveyors which are engaged independently. The Samson is fitted with 3 tachometers; for engine speed, forward speed and shakers. The engine is stopped electrically by a dedicated switch and in addition, at the rear of the machine , there is a "safety stop button" which allows any of the operators to shut down the whole harvester and which automatically brings on the brakes.

SAMSON BLUEBERRY HARVESTER After numerous years of manufacturing experience gained from supplying machinery to fruit growers in many industry sectors. We are please to announce a new machine to our range the Samson Blueberry harvester. The main power unit is based on the same rugged and reliable chassis design that has become synonymous with SFM Technology products and allows for the easy fitting of equipment that is designed on a modular basis. The Samson is fundamentally different to other straddle machines in that the chassis has been designed on the basis of a tractor power unit with a pivoting front axle which ensures good traction and steering with the added advantage of providing stability for the operators on the machine. The Samson's hydraulic system provides maximum flexibility with the advantage of economic use of power. The closed loop transmission system provides adequate speed ranges for harvesting and road use. Three independent pumps are used for the harvesting/spraying modes and are dedicated to the primary functions of shakers, fans and conveyors. The system is designed to ensure that surplus oil flow is returned to tank without creating excess back pressure. The size of the pumps and the motors have been carefully matched and run at relatively low hydraulic pressures. The oil temperature is controlled automatically by an electric oil cooler set to run at 45ºC. Typically the required engine speed is around 1500 r.p.m. which gives excellent fuel economy with a daily consumption of around 30 litres of diesel per day, with a low noise factor.

SAMSON COMBINED BLACKCURRANT HARVESTER After numerous years of manufacturing experience gained from supplying machinery to fruit growers in many industry sectors, SFM Technology Ltd have brought together proven harvesting and spraying equipment to create this single versatile unit. The main power unit is based on the same rugged and reliable chassis design that has become synonymous with SFM Technology products and allows for the easy fitting of equipment that is designed on a modular basis. In an environment where greater emphasis is placed on reducing capital tied up in equipment and making the correct machinery investments choice, the Samson combined machine ensures just that. The Samson is fundamentally different to other straddle machines in that the chassis has been designed on the basis of a tractor power unit with a pivoting front axle which ensures good traction and steering with the added advantage of providing stability for the operators on the machine. The machine is supplied with a factory-fitted cab to protect the driver from hazardous chemicals when being used with the sprayer module and provides good visibility when in harvesting mode. The Samson's hydraulic system provides maximum flexibility with the advantage of economic use of power. The Samson has been carefully designed to suit the grower and the operator to provide:- Flexibility of operation Good manoeuvrability High yields/efficiency Economical speeds Good accessibility for cleaning and maintenance Uniformity of components Reliability Competitive price. Speed and ease of changing the modules HARVESTING The Samson has been designed as a ‘straight from bush to bin’ machine to minimize the number of times the blackcurrants are handled and to reduce unloading time on the headlands. With options to carry from 2 to 6 bins, the Samson will suit all the varying needs of today’s grower. SPRAYER The standard module will deliver chemicals via 16 spray heads to the row that the machine straddles and the 2 half-rows on the outside of the machine. Using SFM Technology’s patented target-spraying air knife system, the chemical can be delivered effectively and efficiently to the bush with the minimum of waste from excess drift.

SAMSON RASPBERRY HARVESTER We have developed a self-propelled raspberry harvester to complement our range of existing apple harvesting machinery The Samson is designed to harvest both small and large bushes efficiently. It is powered by a 4 cylinder diesel engine, which, through a series of 5 pumps drives the transmission and all other hydraulic systems. The machine has been designed on the basis of a tractive power unit with a pivoting front axle which ensures good traction and steering, with the added advantage of providing stability for the operators at the rear of the machine With in the chassis, the centre frame and conveyors are raised and lowered. The facility to control the height of the front and the rear independently provides added flexibility when harvesting in differing sizes of bush. The design of the centre frame in relation to the conveyors ensures good presentation of the fruit over the conveyors.

SAMSON ROSE-HIP HARVESTER SFM Technology have designed and manufactured a self propelled rose-hip harvester developed from their experience gained in similar machines used for harvesting soft fruit around the world. Single pass on all sizes of rose hip plants Precision beater bars combine high crop recovery with low plant damage Variable speed hydrostatic drive to suit all harvesting conditions and maximise performance Easy unloading of pallet boxes The plants pass through a system of spring loaded fishplates above the ground that direct the rose hips onto the conveyors and transport them towards the rear of the harvester. The beater area is totally enclosed using aluminium sheeting at the sides to prevent crop loss. The plants enter the harvester through a pair of transparent spring loaded doors that eliminates loss of crop through the front of the machine. The rose hips are transported on a pair of hard wearing conveyors with durable stainless steel flights through a pair of 300mm diameter drums to remove debris. Lift elevators carry the rose hips up to the back of the machine past two 400mm diameter axial fans that remove the remainder of the debris leaving a clean crop.

SAMSON SPRAYER After numerous years of manufacturing experience gained from supplying machinery to fruit growers in many industry sectors, The main power unit is based on the same rugged and reliable chassis design that has become synonymous with SFM Technology products and allows for the easy fitting of equipment that is designed on a modular basis. In an environment where greater emphasis is placed on reducing capital tied up in equipment and making the correct machinery investments choice, the Samson sprayer ensures just that. The standard module will deliver chemicals via 16 spray heads to the row that the machine straddles and the 2 half-rows on the outside of the machine. Using SFM Technology’s patented target-spraying air knife system, the chemical can be delivered effectively and efficiently to the bush with the minimum of waste from excess drift. A single frame is used to mount a 2500 litre tank, spray pump, boom valves, pressure set, rinse tank and chemical induction hopper. The 2 fans that produce the air to assist efficient delivery of the chemical are also mounted on this frame. The outer booms can be raised and lowered independently or the whole boom section can be adjusted hydraulically. There is a computer monitor fitted in the cab which allows the operator to set the required chemical application rate which is automatically adjusted to compensate for changes in forward speed. The system can also be overridden. Each nozzle holder contains a choice of 2 tips and has 3 positions and on/off settings to minimize the need to change nozzles. This is especially useful when spraying small bushes where the upper nozzles can be turned off.

Side conveyors Due to customer demand we have developed 2 versions of side conveyors. These allow the harvester to fill boxes that are on a trailer across the row, this means that a greater number of boxes can be filled at a time. The 2 options that we have are either vertically or side folding. 1 or 2 side conveyors can be fitted. If using 2 conveyors then trailers can be filled from either side of the machine (not at the same time).

TRAILED SPRAYER Features of the machine include hot-dipped galvanised chassis, adjustable wheel width, pivoting tow bar, which enables the fan to keep running even on the tightest corners, adjustable boom positions with 1200mm of horizontal travel and SFM’s proven patented air-assisted target spraying system with low drift for excellent bush penetration. The machine has a PTO driven fan and spray pump, which require about 18Kw power. The tractor will also require additional power for transmission. The spray-boom rams are connected to the tractors’ hydraulic circuit.

Tray Handling of fruit This was a common method of handling blackcurrants, there is a greater need for personnel to help with this operation, also things can get very hectic in heavy crop conditions.