Radium Engineering

RDT

"Radium Engineering recognized a need for deep-rip traffic control applications in some parts of South Africa. In cooperation with the former Agricultural Technical Services, Radium embarked on a research and development campaign. Initial testing showed that ripping in specific soil types, like sandy soils, led to unforeseen complications. When tines penetrated deeper than 500mm, a compaction layer could form from the bottom upwards, creating a tunnel-like effect deep below the surface that would ultimately lead to even greater compaction. After several experiments, the Dual Tine Ripper was developed. The design runs two or three aligned tines directly behind one another, with each tine ripping only 300mm of soil. Tine positioning was critical, allowing each shear to work in the vacuum created by the shear ahead of it. Incorrect placement doubled the work and drastically increased energy requirements. Radium determined the optimal combination of shears, their sequence, and size, finding that draught requirements were considerably reduced. Radium<92>s new design used 40% less energy and resulted in an ideal root zone of up to 1000mm deep without any side-compaction. The Dual Tine Ripper eliminated compaction around and below the deep-working sheers, allowing water and roots to penetrate deeper for improved and more consistent growth. It is built on in-depth research and extensive testing, making it a reliable, refined, and quality piece of farming equipment."