Irrigating trees in a smart and cost effective way by directing the water where it is needed most, thereby reducing water usage on farms.
The TreeHog has an injection-moulded main body with clipped-in irrigation fittings, ready to ship.
The unit wraps around young trees and makes provision for built-in irrigation and breakout options over a wide range of applications. Irrigation water is now concentrated around the root area of the trees, while evaporation caused by wind and heat is limited, if not prevented at all.
Injection moulding was selected for the design of this product. The main reason was a good production price per unit, based upon production in high volumes. Various colours and material types are available to fit user requirements for this product. This is a high investment, but low unit cost route with good quality and reputable components.
An agriculture specialist who identified the advantage and need to develop technology that would reduce cost and extend resources. Simplicity, good practical thinking and price-point were the drivers.
TreeHog is bought in bulk by medium to large scale farmers and installed around each tree throughout an entire orchard. The product is manufactured locally and distribution takes place on a national scale. For this, a proper design was of utmost importance to ensure stacking and pallet optimization.
”‘n Boer maak ‘n plan ” (the farmer will make a plan). This traditional saying is still true today. South African farmers are innovators and in this case, a young farmer built and constructed a working solution. Our aim was to get this concept into a practical, user-friendly design and, most important, at the correct price point. To design a product with a set maximum price has always been a challenge. But, in this case, to be able to add more features and to upgrade it to even more than our customer’s requirements, really made this a portfolio project!
The farmer behind TreeHog became more than a customer, but a friend as our trip together to China to visit our factory with the first sample was an adventure to remember. We cannot recall another time when we had so much fun! What a treat it was with so many stories that were shared!
