5 Ways Atomizers Trump Spray Nozzles
Once you’ve determined you’re in the market to purchase a seed treater, it’s important to understand the various options available. Whether your site is a box-to-box or a bulk one, there are several types of treaters to choose from, as well as numerous other features to consider, like weighing devices, metering devices, chemical delivery systems and more.
At UAS, we pride ourselves on thorough, personal customer service. So we’ll walk you through your options and help you make an informed decision on what’s best for you.
But no matter which treater you choose, one thing is for sure: be sure your treater utilizes an atomizer to apply chemistry.
Atomizers offer significant benefits compared to spray nozzles. Keep reading to find out why.
In some treaters, spray nozzles mist the surge of seed as it flows straight down out of the box. That’s problematic. Think about the seeds positioned in the middle of that torrent. They have no way of getting coated—the spray hits the flowing seeds on the outside, but has no way of touching the seeds on the inside.
Atomizers work differently. Above the atomizer chamber, a cone-shaped feature separates the seed and thins out the density of the flow. Then, as the seed falls into the chamber, the atomizer rapidly spins as it constantly disperses chemical, hitting the falling seed at multiple angles. The result is 360-degree coverage.
In treaters with spray nozzles, calibration is tricky. Calibrating chemical rates is based on pairing the correct spray tip with the correct PSI—but these numbers don’t always match up perfectly. On top of this, viscosity can change from treatment to treatment. And so can the temperature. And if you don’t account for these variances, your PSI readings could be off, resulting in inaccurate calibrations and an inefficient use of treatment.
Atomizers give you complete control. The atomizer is connected to a flowmeter, which consistently regulates the flow of chemical. Once your chemical rates are calibrated, the flowmeter ensures the precise amount of chemical is dispersed on any given run. You can set your rates for multiple treatment types too, so no worrying about changes in viscosity.
On top of this, both your flow rates and the total application rate are displayed on a readout screen. This allows you to see for yourself the exact amount of chemical being applied, and to crosscheck your calibrations to ensure they’re correct.
Spray nozzles are susceptible to clogging, and the spray mechanisms themselves can simply stop working. Because of seed treatment’s varying viscosity, buildup can easily occur if a spray nozzle isn’t cleaned thoroughly and often. This buildup can clog the mechanism, resulting in more headaches.
Atomizers are engineered with more sophistication, so buildup and clogging are far less likely. (Obviously, as such with any highly technical component, it’s still important to keep your atomizer clean.)
Because spray nozzles are vulnerable to clogs, they must be cleaned often—like, daily. This takes extra time out of the day… every single day you treat.
Atomizers, on the other hand, only require a thorough cleaning once you’re completely done treating—no nightly cleanup required. Plus, the atomizer slides out, giving you easy access to hose off any residual chemical within the machine itself.
Clearly, atomizers are more technologically advanced than spray nozzles. And seed companies, seed dealers and farmers across the world recognize this. Atomizers are the preferred choice when it comes to any effective seed treatment operation. Plus, at UAS, we’re atomizer experts. So if you have any questions, we’ve got all the answers.
Avoid the headaches that come with outdated technology. Maximize your accuracy, control, efficiency and dollars with an atomizer inside your seed treater.
Learn more about our treaters below, or call 888-402-4787 to talk shop with one of our friendly sales reps.