Category: R & D

For customers with multiple doors in a bay we understood the difficulty of having to open and close each door manually, so we came up with this unique rack and pinon design that allows operators to open and close multiple doors from the one automation unit, or from the one manual winch. With the added benefit of being able to open the door in both directions.
We then needed to find ways to allow our automation to operate multiple heavy doors at once using our existing AutoWinch system. This led to the PosiDrive. Padman Stops’ first automation product that utilises a positive drive system rather than the usual cables and pulleys. Because we know cables often become obstructed with trash and slime – Read More

Definition of fast watering in 2004:
Surface Irrigation applied faster than 10 ML/day per HA

 

In 2004, Padman Stops began their “Fast Watering” project, with the aim of creating a high efficiency irrigation system. The theory behind the system was that irrigating faster than the water can soak below the root zone would result in higher effeciency.

 

John Padman, with this in mind, built a pump with a flow meter that could be used in a trial to measure the effect of “Fast Watering”. Trials conducted have found that the faster the water, the less water is used.

 

In one trial the application rate of the pump was found to be down to 0.3 mega-litres (30mm application) of water per hectare compared to 0.77 mega-litres (77mm application) per hectare for conventional irrigation.

 

In recent times, the irrigation industry has been overwhelmed by drought and water restrictions. The aim of the “Fast Watering” project is to reverse this trend.

 

The findings from three farms that were monitored during the irrigation season between August 2007-2008 are that “Fast Watering” has resulted in water savings of 180.92 mega-litres.

 

This is the equivalent of approximately 72 Olympic sized swimming pools*.

 

Water Saving Advantages:
• Additional water can be used to grow more feed or sell.
• Reduced water logging, and soil degradation.
• Increased plant growth, and reduce weed growth.
• Minimize leaching of nutrients.
• Low energy, green irrigation is more carbon efficient.

 

Keys that control infiltration rate:
• Watering speed
• Soil Condition
• Plant Density
• Soil Type
• Length of Bay
• Slope of Bay

 

*Calculation based on FINA approved Olympic sized swimming pool of 2.5ML

With a rice growing region nearby in southern NSW, it was only a matter of time until we looked for ways to develop structures suited to improving their irrigation methods.

 

The R4 & R7 Rice Headwalls functionality evolved from the ability to add boards in the grooves, to aluminium slide doors to 100% Watertight rubber flap doors with options for automation.

 

These were very popular and we supplied thousands per year until the millennium drought hit and slowed the industry down.

John grew up on a dairy farm so was well versed in the challenges of farming from an early age. Long hours, muddy fields and tricky, manually operated equipment were always a constant battle.

 

While working on the farm, John found himself in the shed more and more developing solutions to make farming more manageable.

 

His focus at this time was on watertight irrigation outlets with an interest in automation. During this period, John also invented his own ‘automatic teat cup remover’ for the dairy amongst other inventions to make farming a bit easier. A philosophy he has continued throughout his career.