Smart tech: Portable new system designed to cut sprayer loading times and mistakes by automating chemical blending

Fast loading times are critical for maximizing sprayer efficiency, but mistakes are also more likely to happen when loading in a hurry. An Iowa-based company, Praxidyn, has designed a portable, modular system to shorten the time it takes to blend chemicals and refill the sprayer, while also reducing the chances of errors by automating the process and recording what’s going into the tank. As CEO and owner Doug Applegate explains, the MixMate system measures volume by weight or flow, automatically recognizing when a jug is empty and reconciling actual volumes, accounting for residues left in a container (or a sloppy operator!) He says the jug system can drain, weigh, rinse, record and reconcile the data from a jug in about 12 seconds. “It’s pretty common to load a 1,200 gallon sprayer in about five minutes,” he says. The Android-based system records everything that goes through the MixMate and synchronizes it via Praxidyn’s Intersect cloud service, making it accessible from the office. Read more