New One Pass Machine Cuts, Dries And Bales Hay

New one pass machine cuts, dries and bales hay HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Balers (6) 14-4-2 A new hay machine that cuts, dries and bales hay in a single pass "will revolutionize the haying industry", according to South Carolinan Steve Wingard who recently received a patent for the first-of-its-kind machine. Wingard has been testing a stationary prototype on his commercial hay farm for the past couple years and recently completed the first self-propelled prototype to take to the field. "We've already proven that the concept works. Our goal now is to perfect the prototype and then turn it over to a manufacturer. Since our patent was issued in April, we've heard from all the major manufacturers and at least a half dozen foreign countries," says Wingard. Key to success of the new one-pass baler is the drying system that gets fresh-cut hay down to 20 to 23% moisture for baling in a trail-behind round baler. Wingard's idea is a little like the "forage mat" making ma-chine recently developed at the University of Wisconsin that uses high pressure to squeeze moisture out of bales, dumping hay back onto the field in flat, compressed "mats" that can then be baled. Two commercial mat-making "maceration machines" are said to be almost ready for market. Wingard's idea is similar but with a new twist. He compresses hay with high-temperature rollers that are so hot they vaporize the juice squeezed out of the wet hay. There are two sets of electrically-heated 8-in. dia. steel rollers. The first set runs at a temperature of about 500 degrees. The second set runs somewhat cooler, depending on the moisture content of the hay. The rollers squeeze moisture out of the hay like a ringer washer. Steam from the vaporized juice is vented out the top of the machine. Unvaporized juice drains out the bottom. Moisture detectors are positioned before and after the rollers. They send readings to an electronic controller that varies roller temperature or changes speed of hay through machine in order to get hay down to the desired moisture content. Wingard says he aims for 20 to 23% moisture. Hay is cut by a conventional sickle bar and baled at the rear by a baler that's unmodified except for the lack of a pickup. "It takes less than a minute for hay to travel from the cutterbar to the baler. You'll have to travel slowly in the field but you're eliminating two or even three trips through the field to cut, rake, and bale hay. It produces extremely high quality forage with all the leaves of the plant intact. Dairy cows love it. They'll choose it over conventionally produced hay," says Wingard, noting that some protein is lost in the high-temperature drying process but that the quality of hay more than makes up for the loss. Wingard's prototype will undergo extensive testing this summer. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steve G. Wingard, Ashley Industries, 419 Lyndhurst Rd., Columbia, S.C. 29212 (ph 803 798-6147).

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