Cutting, milling and sanding in one pass

The Redexim Multivator is an ideal machine for use in the major maintenance of sports fields. Using four milling hooks per element, this machine removes sand from the top layer and brings it onto the field, where it is used to level small and larger uneven areas.

Tilko Gernaat, product specialist at Van der Haeghe: "You mow the field as short as possible and then you can work the field with the Multivator. The Multivator is tractor-driven. With nine milling elements equipped with durable carbide blades - with a standard distance of 200 mm between the blades - a maximum of 45 m3 of sand per hectare can be brought to the surface at a working depth of up to 14 cm deep. The milling knives are equipped with a widea plate 1 cm wide. This makes them more wear-resistant and the knives bring up more material as a result." This operation not only brings sand to the surface, but also prevents compaction of the topsoil. In addition, the roots are provided with air. For proper operation, Van der Haeghe recommends a tractor with a power rating of at least 74 kW/100 hp. The recommended driving speed is a maximum of 3 km/h, depending on the available power and terrain conditions. 

At the front and rear of the machine is a smooth steel roller for adjusting the working depth. Gernaat: "In some circumstances, it is better to pre-cut the turf before trenching. For this, the smooth steel roller is replaced by a roller with pre-cutting knives that cuts slots in the turf, after which the milling knives bring up the sand. By cutting the turf first, you can avoid damaging the sod or creating ragged edges that dry in." Behind the milling knives is a roller with cutting blades that cut the top layer precisely between the milling elements and move it slightly sideways. This reduces the milled-out trench slightly and prevents the sand hauled upward from falling back into the trench. To aerate the milled-out soil (for faster drying), the machine can optionally be equipped with a hydraulically driven brush roller. The sand lies on top of the field, after which unevenness can be leveled with a drag frame. After that, all other desired operations can be carried out and, finally, the turf can be overseeded.

"This method of sanding was first applied to the sports fields of the municipality of Rotterdam some thirty years ago," Gernaat knows. "At Sportbedrijf Rotterdam, Ko Rodenburg was then working as the cultural-technical manager of the sports fields. The cost of sanding, including the cost of the sand to be delivered to a city with more than two hundred soccer fields, was a major expense. In addition, the sand that was brought in was often of a different composition and the desired connection to the field was not always achieved. By using field-specific material, the composition of the top layer remains the same and a more homogeneous top layer is created. Disturbances in the top layer are broken up and water permeability becomes much better. As more air reaches the roots, root growth is stimulated and a stronger turf is created. Costs are greatly reduced because no sand needs to be brought in and the number of operations is less."