Agmaster
Agmaster is the manufacturer and distributor of Harrington No-Till Seeding Systems, Presswheels and Rotary Harrows. As market leaders in the industry and through its continuous improvement program, Agmaster is dedicated to innovation, producing quality products and providing value for money.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Crop Cultivation
- Market Focus:
- Nationally (across the country)
About Us
- Agmaster’s manufacturing facility and office is located in Welshpool, Perth, Western Australia. The business re-located from Collie in 2014.
- The new premises is well equipped with some of the latest technology in manufacturing machinery and employs 12 full-time staff.
- In the factory, where possible, production processes are carried out with automated machinery.
- This includes:
- Robot Welder – used to weld components where possible and practical.
- Auto-feed Bandsaw - for cutting pipe and RHS
- Plasma Cutter – this machine is CNC controlled (computer numeric controlled) and uses the latest torch technology to cut underwater. Typically plate is cut in 50-75mm of water depth. The major benefits of this are to restrict plate distortion, minimize noise and fume. All parts to be cut are computer drawn and then nested using a specific software program to maximize the plate utilization and minimize waste.After a cutting program is generated in the office it is downloaded to the machine via a fibre optic cable link. An operator then activates the program and sets the machine going. From this moment the machine is self managed and generally requires very little operator support. Fast, clean cutting is then achieved, e.g. 10mm plate is typically cut at 2500mm/minute (just over 40mm/second).
- Profile Cutter – CNC controlled similar to Plasma except it has 4 oxy LPG cutting torches.
- CNC Lathe – for machining of components.
- CNC Twin Pallet Milling Machine – allows the operator to unload and load one pallet whilst opposite pallet is being machined. All knife points are machined in this machine to produce an optimal surface for tungsten application.
- Heat Induction Units – designed to provide uniform, consistent heating for tungsten application.
- 3D Printer - has been a great tool for our product development processes. It enables us to print a full size model in plastic so we can see what does and doesn't work and adjust our designs accordingly.
- The factory has also numerous other punching, cutting, bending and purpose build machines for processing components.
The Factory
Agmaster’s manufacturing facility is located in Collie, Western Australia. Purpose built in 1996 the factory covers 3000m2 and is well equipped with some of the latest technology in manufacturing machinery.
The majority of Agmaster products are produced in-house; however some items that require specialized machinery are outsourced. The steel castings for points and presswheel components are cast at a foundry in Sydney. The rubber tyres for presswheels are also moulded in Sydney. The majority of the company’s tungsten requirements are from England. Plastic products like the rotary star harrow hubs, tips and presswheel rims are all injections moulded in Perth. Most other raw materials and products are sourced from suppliers in Western Australia.
Agmaster employs 5 people fulltime aided by up to 10 casual employees during peak production periods (January – May).
In the factory, where possible, production processes are carried out with automated machinery. This includes:
- Auto-feed bandsaw – for cutting of pipe and RHS
- Robot Welder – used to weld components where possible and practical.
- Plasma Cutter – this machine is CNC controlled (computer numeric controlled) and uses the latest torch technology to cut underwater. Typically plate is cut in 50-75mm of water depth. The major benefits of this are to restrict plate distortion, minimize noise and fume. All parts to be cut are computer drawn and then nested using a specific software program to maximize the plate utilization and minimize waste.
After a cutting program is generated in the office it is downloaded to the machine via a fibre optic cable link. An operator then activates the program and sets the machine going. From this moment the machine is self managed and generally requires very little operator support. Fast, clean cutting is then achieved, e.g. 10mm plate is typically cut at 2500mm/minute (just over 40mm/second).
- Profile Cutter – CNC controlled similar to Plasma except it has 4 oxy LPG cutting torches.
- CNC Lathe – for machining of components.
- CNC Twin Pallet Milling Machine – allows the operator to unload and load one pallet whilst opposite pallet is being machined. All knife points are machined in this machine to produce an optimal surface for tungsten application.
- Heat Induction Units – designed to provide uniform, consistent heating for tungsten application.
- The factory has also numerous other punching, cutting, bending and purpose build machines for processing components.
The Owners
Geoff and Mike Glenn started manufacturing 'No-Till' products in 1994 following development by Darkan WA farmers Ray and David Harrington
Along with making Agmaster products in the early days, Mike and Geoff were heavily involved with promoting the concept and they ran extensive seminar programs through Western Australia, then expanding through to the cropping regions of Eastern Australia. They brought with them farmer experiences and researchers from W.A. to promote this new 'No-Till' farming which in just a short few years became the major form of cereal crop establishment in Australia.
As their business was only just starting this was a huge undertaking which had a great result for many farmers who took on this new technology.
In 1997 Agmaster introduced No- Till Star Harrows as a non-aggressive levelling attachment. Later, a steel coil harrow was developed to suit wet and sticky sowing conditions. These fit the same carrier arm as the star harrow and has proven to work well across many soil types.
1998 saw the introduction of Slip & Clip Points – the quick change option that allowed different size points and adaptors to be used in a common holder.
Agmaster Presswheels came to the market in 2002. Their unique self tracking and independence pressure capabilities have seen over 60,000 of these manufactured.
By 2013 Agmaster had developed it’s Seeker Boots that split the seeding row into 2 rows approximately 8 cm apart and landed the seed onto firm shoulders for enhanced seed-soil contact and quicker germination.
2017 sees the release of Kwik fit boots that that brings together all of the previous seed placement boot options that can be interchanged on a common boot mount.
Agmaster continues with its development program that now includes a “Chook Foot” wheel. Look out for this in 2017.
