Vogelsang has launched a new trailer-mounted XSplit unit designed for contractors and multi-site farms.

The German manufacturer says that the trailer enables contractors to offer separation as a service or can be used on farm to separate slurry or digestate in almost all locations.

Slurry separation is a process which involves the removal of the solid, fibrous segment before returning the liquid segment to a storage tank. Taking for example this Vogelsang unit, the slurry is sucked from the slatted tank using a conventional slurry hose and fed into the separator using a progressive cavity positive displacement lobe pump.

Like the majority of slurry tankers on the continent, the system utilises such a pump which works on pressure and can operated bi-directionally, rather than vacuum, which is common in Ireland.

Such a supply pump is required in order to keep the system consistently running at 0.2 bar in the negative, to maintain suction.

Line of defence

The slurry is fed through a RotaCut macerator, which is the system's first line of defence.

Equipped with three blades, the macerator is designed to chop the fibres in the slurry, with a stone trap designed to catch stones and any foreign debris.

From here, the slurry continues its journey up through the elevator to the XSplit separator. This is where the actual separation takes place.

The slurry is fed into the press screw. Essentially, the slurry is forced against a screen, which sees the liquid fraction squeezed through and escapes downwards via gravity through a discharge pipe at the bottom of the separator.

The remaining solid fraction is then pushed out at the end of the separation cylinder.

Vogelsang’s new unit

“The new XSplit trailer is much lighter than previous versions and will come with the option of a remote-control system that can be operated using a mobile phone,” says Vogelsang’s Andy Hayhurst.

The 4G-enabled remote control technology that can be linked to a phone and is part of a new control system available on the ‘expert’ model brings greater flexibility.

“The new remote system will enable one operator to use the trailer unit more safely. For greater safety, it also features two boxes, one for high and another for low voltage,” says Hayhurst.

Mounted on the brand’s Pro Frame, the XSplit weighs in at 3.1 tonnes and has been designed to sit low to the ground for better stability and balance during transport and operation.

“15mm rubber discs seal the whole chamber, so operators will not have to form a plug manually. Time is also saved by the dry matter content adjustment, which is both quick and easy.

"These small but important differences make the XSplit safer, especially for operators who may not be accustomed to using separators,” adds Hayhurst.

“The new trailer offers all the functionality of the XSplit in a light, mobile package that can help safety-manage slurry in multiple locations and we believe that with the pressures livestock farms face that it will be a welcome solution,” concludes Hayhurst.

These trailer systems offer the option to have slurry separated, on occasion, to help free up space or to separate slurry in harder to reach storage.