Tong Engineering has announced it is launching an upgraded version of its market-leading Caretaker mobile grader for 2015.
The new models of the Caretaker mobile vegetable grader, will be built to include a host of new features that ensure the company’s market-leading mobile grader continues to offer the most efficient running, effective crop cleaning and advanced control – confirming the Caretaker as the gentlest, most efficient and advanced grading machine on the market.
One of the biggest changes for 2015 is the introduction of the new second generation EasyClean separator. Like the current model, the EasyClean II will feature a fully electric inverter direct drive motor on every shaft, ensuring minimal maintenance and refined control. The new model will be a cartridge-style module and will be built using new uprated heavy duty spiral shafts with a unique helix rib and axial air chamber to ensure the best deformation of the spiral for self-cleaning and exceptional grip on leaf matter. The EasyClean II will also come with a new auto-reject function to ensure any foreign objects are ejected to prevent machine damage.
Another new feature on the new Caretaker is the company’s new and advance Pro-Series control interface which is offered as part of its Auto-Touch HMI touch screen control. With added benefits including a new, larger display with easy to use graphical controls, the Auto –Touch HMI Pro-Series not only provides total touch-screen control of machine speed and settings, it also offers advanced diagnostics including a machine health status report, plus precise fault detection and location of any machine faults or E-stop alerts, significantly reducing downtime and maintenance. Integrated safety features within the Pro-Series control also allow unparalleled safety parameters to be set in place, meaning the new models of the Caretaker operates with a category three safety system.
Complementing the new EasyClean II separator and Auto-Touch HMI advancements are a number of additional features including the option of a new multi-camera monitoring system, which gives easy and instant viewing of multiple areas of the Caretaker for the checking of crop flow and faults from one central location, as well as an angle-adjust presentation conveyor, double-strength PVG belts, trailer reversing sensor for quick and easy loading into the hopper and new energy-efficient LED inspection lighting on the inspection table to reduce crop shadowing, improving visibility and working conditions, making picking-off capabilities much easier.
Edward Tong, operations director of Tong said: “We have been manufacturing the Caretaker since 1980, and over the years we have gained a wealth of experience and knowledge as to what makes for an exceptionally efficient and effective cleaning and grading machine. The new features for 2015 make the Caretaker even more advanced than ever before.
“Through listening to our customers and our constant investment in research and development we have been able to develop the Caretaker, which continues to bring the latest technology to customers looking for an advanced new grader that is not only built to be exceptionally robust and reliable but also has grower’s current and future grading requirements in mind.”