Hunter Opens New Spray Sprinkler Test Facility

Hunter Industries recently opened a new on-site spray sprinkler test facility at the company’s headquarters in San Marcos, Calif. The multimillion-dollar laboratory adds new capabilities to Hunter’s existing testing laboratories and is focused specifically to support the company’s growing spray sprinkler business. Its unique design and testing hardware offer one of the most sophisticated, comprehensive testing environments maintained by an irrigation products manufacturer. The company used the facility to develop the recently introduced Pro-Spray® line of fixed pattern spray nozzles.

Hunter developed the facility in order to maintain better control over individual product testing, giving the company the ability to adapt and adjust spray head and nozzle development based upon test results. The company notes that having the ability to conduct such extensive research on-site provides the opportunity to do more thorough testing and strengthen and maintain the company’s already strong reputation for high-quality products. The test facility can also be used for testing of competitor units to assure that the Hunter offerings meet or beat industry standards.

Among the more notable tests performed at the new facility are:

• 2-D Automated Collection Grid – Allows densogram testing of spray sprinkler nozzles of any pattern to ascertain Distribution Uniformity, CU, and SC data. Determines flow, radius, and density of water to ensure that distribution is uniform (so grass will be green everywhere). The grid includes catchments that measure the entire sprinkler pattern, which is specifically valuable when testing spray sprinkler nozzles.
• High Pressure Burst Testing – Performed on the body and body cap of Hunter products. This test allows up to 1200 PSI to be pumped into Hunter sprinkler bodies (most Hunter sprinkler bodies usually can handle up to 600 PSI).
• Environmental Chamber – Permits testing of all products in the harsh climates contractors put them in. Product operation can be tested in sub-zero temperature on the low end and 140o F on the high end.
• High Pressure/High Heat Accelerated Life Wear Tanks – Simulates years of job site conditions in a shorter time. Allows the company to determine the longevity of products in typical field conditions.

The new facility is viewed by Hunter as the perfect complement to the extensive independent testing that the company’s products already undergo at the Center for Irrigation Technology. The Fresno, Calif.-based operation is the industry’s most highly regarded independent testing authority. Hunter uses these independent tests to provide third-party verification of the results achieved in its testing facility.