In an industry the size of Australian agriculture, it takes a multitude of smaller parts to keep it running.
Such is the nature of hydraulic technology; there are countless parts and professionals who take responsibility for the efficient functioning of agricultural machinery.
One such professional is Motion Category Manager for Fluid Control Systems, Fellipe Ramos, who manages high-quality fluid power products to meet the needs of some diverse customers.
With a background in engineering and experience in sales, Fellipe understands the needs of his customers from both sides of agricultural procurement.
Motion’s Range of Hydraulic Parts
Boom
Pumps
Cylinders
Filters
Level gauges
Breathers
Accumulators
Cabin
Controllers
Sprayer
Valve banks
Hoses
Fittings
Two beneficiaries of these products hail from Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, where Motion supplies hydraulic cylinders for their tractors.
“Our customer was looking for a local supplier that could reduce their lead times and freight cost,” Fellipe says.
“Fortunately, Motion was able to offer them a local solution for their cylinder requirements and we now have another great Motion customer.”
In 2022, Motion’s Engineering and Services Team, consisting of CRAM and BSC team members, brought these hydraulic solutions closer to their customers.
Fellipe says there were benefits for everyone involved.
“This was also a great example of how we can leverage an inter-connected supplier network and concentrate stock where it’s needed most,” Fellipe explains.
“We’ve saved them on downtime and delivery costs, which in turn supports our local teams to continue expanding their portfolio offering.”
Motion’s Wagga Wagga customer also benefitted from a hydraulic manifold which allows them to save energy and minimise product use through more efficient spraying.
“The hydraulic manifold allows the operator to control each boom independently to accommodate different inclines or terrains. Therefore, it can move up and down or tilt left and right, allowing the boom to keep a certain distance from the ground. This improves the efficiency of the process and saves businesses money on whatever it is that they’re spraying – pesticides, fertiliser, et cetera.” Fellipe Ramos - Motion Category Manager for Fluid Control Systems.
In a similar vein of efficiency, another Motion customer from Toowoomba has recently benefited from phasing cylinders – an ingenious product which allow different sized cylinders to remain synchronised and balanced.
Fellipe emphasises that this solution was suggested to keep the customer’s chaser bins level, to allow for maximum capacity.
“After consulting with our engineering and product teams, phasing cylinders were supplied by Motion,” he says. “This solution includes one master cylinder and several slave cylinders. The system transfers the oil from one to another, maintaining the same volume over different size cylinders.”
While these customers from regional NSW and Queensland have used such solutions in agriculture, they are widely used across industrial applications.
Fellipe explains that Motion tailors its hydraulic systems to the needs of its customers, depending on how hard-wearing the application will be.
“There are many different types of hydraulic cylinders. In a steel mill, for example, you’ll find more heavy-duty cylinders, as well as on mobile equipment like excavators,” he states.
“There are also tie-rod cylinders which are commonly used in machine tools for the automotive and manufacturing industries.
“Motion covers the whole range. We work with our suppliers to offer everything from heavy-duty to lightweight, affordable to expensive.”