We have produced an acoustic canopy for Greencrop’s irrigation pumps for a number of years; this design, although effective, was derived from a few rough sketches produced some time ago and was beginning to look a little dated. As Greencrop were about to switch to a new engine which would have required some revision to the existing canopy and following the success of the Bunded Bowser project, they asked us to come up with a new design solution for this product which would not only look more modern, but would be more practical and ideally have better sound deadening properties.
We decided to redesign a completely new canopy and start with a blank sheet of paper; again, we researched what was already available on the marketplace and looked at it from the point of view of the person buying the equipment – what would be their ideal requirements and how could we satisfy these? We also looked at it as before with a view to what most cost effective in terms of production and material usage.
We came up with a design based around a folded steel frame which was considerably larger than the previous model and was therefore able to house the entire engine and pump. Despite this increased size, the amount of material used only increased very slightly due to the new design; this was offset by the new canopy being easier to manufacture so we could keep the costs to the customer the same.
The advantages to the end user were also obvious; anyone wishing to service the engine would have unimpeded access to the whole engine and pump assembly – something not offered by similar models in the marketplace and therefore giving Greencrop a Unique Selling Point. There is also areas for storage inside the cabinet (for tools, hoses etc) as well as the canopy looking much more aesthetically pleasing and attractive to prospective customers.
Greencrop were pleased with the new design and asked us to produce a prototype so they could test it with a fitted engine and pump to ensure there was enough airflow through the cabinet and that the noise levels were sufficiently low. We produced a 1 off which was assembled, fitted and tested; the advantage of the acoustic properties of the new design were obvious – despite using a thinner version of the insulating material used on the previous version (35mm thick instead of 50mm), the new canopy is much more effective at deadening the sound of the engine with the result that the unit runs much quieter than before.
Greencrop were delighted with the new design, both in appearance and performance. The new version is due to appear in agricultural shows this autumn and we are due to start producing them later this year!