Dirt and Data: Isuzu Engines’ Pro Panel

As the world’s demand for food grows, farmers the world over have been on an endless pursuit to produce bigger and better yields, be it stock, grain, fruit or vegetables.

With advances in robotics, sensory technologies and other automated, pilot-less applications, an agricultural revolution of sorts is underway across Australia and the world, well and truly disrupting the traditional economic models of agribusiness. Of course, such technology isn’t isolated to the agricultural industry. This brand of sensory and adaptive remote technology is already steadily transforming the way we live, be it safety features in modern cars or fridges that reorder items that are running low. In Europe, robotic pickers, as well as devices to monitor vegetable growth, are currently being tested. And for livestock farmers, sensory technologies can help to manage the health and welfare of their animals, regardless of geographical location. Isuzu, a brand lauded for its innovation and early adoption of new technology, has its finger on the pulse of this transformation. And its local off-highway Isuzu Engines division is no exception. Tomorrow’s farming, today Enter Isuzu Engines’ Pro Panel, an advanced engine control system. Specifically geared towards the irrigation and water movement sector, the Pro Panel is a cost-effective, customisable, all-in-one engine and irrigation pump control, monitoring and protection system. Allowing complete and unimpeded access to both engine and pump control functions, this fresh Isuzu Engines innovation is laden with features allowing seamless manipulation of a comprehensive range of engine and irrigation pump control features.

CONTROL FEATURES
ENGINE	IRRIGATION PUMP
Complete mechanical or electronic engine control, monitoring and protection (built-in watchdog)	High/low irrigation pump pressure switch control and protection, as well as monitoring (sensor only)**
Engine performance monitoring, including oil pressure, coolant temperature, battery voltage and engine speed	Low oil or water levels switch controls*
IP65 enclosure with built-in E-Stop switch	High/low water flows switch controls, as well as monitoring (sensor only)**
Remote start/stop/shutdown engine control	Flexible timer programming, 24/7 automatic pump control
Complete detailed event history and log

*Programmable up to 5 minutes of start-up delay for priming purposes **Programmable up to 60 minutes of start-up delay This Isuzu Engines solution is directly devoted to the engine power plant, and is both 3G- and 4G-compatible—meaning remote access using smartphones or other connected devices via a free app or web-based software.­­ Isuzu Engines Engineering Manager, Matt Sakhaie, said the convenience and near complete accessibility of the Pro Panel gives Australian farmers genuine value on multiple fronts. “This controller panel means remote monitoring and control of your engine and pump from literally anywhere an Internet connection can be sought. “Depending on the level of sensory technology installed, a huge swathe of the irrigation process can be taken care of remotely, saving huge amounts of time and, of course, money,” Mr Sakhaie said. “We’ve been in front of Australia’s farming and agricultural stakeholders for the last couple of years, actively seeking feedback and intelligence to further improve our offering. “We produce extremely reliable engine products and power solutions for a range of applications, and the Pro Panel is seen as the next leap forward to instil lasting efficiencies in agricultural operations across this great country.”