INNOVATIONS were able to vote for those products they thought best exemplified excellence and innovation in the industry .
Winners were as follows :
COURTS DIVISION Wipe-Out Stain Blocker ( California Sports Surfaces )
Wipe-Out Stain Blocker is a concentrated acrylic latex stain blocking primer that provides exceptional adhesion and stain blocking properties as a preparation for the installation of athletic surfaces , as well as existing acrylic surfaces . This product can help prevent the formation of unsightly rust spots that can detract from the appearance of a new court . The product is available in conveniently sized 30- and 55-gallon drums . It is easy to apply with a 50-to 70-durometer rubber squeegee and takes just two hours per coat to dry for most applications , depending upon local weather conditions .
FIELDS DIVISION Synthetic Turf Infill Containment System ( Sportsfield Specialties )
Sportsfield ’ s Pedestrian and Equipment Synthetic Turf Infill Containment Systems are designed to be installed in the access areas of a synthetic turf field to capture the infill and other potential contaminants as people and equipment exit the playing surface . The pedestrian version incorporates brush assemblies designed to remove infill from cleats as athletes walk across them , and the equipment version uses heavyduty galvanized steel grates that allow maintenance equipment and emergency vehicles to be parked on them while the infill is removed using air or water . The infill is contained within the bottom of the trays and can easily be removed using a vacuum . The trays are modular and can be installed in a variety of configurations to meet the needs of a specific project .
IA 2022 New Product Contest winners
The Irrigation Association ( IA ) announced the winners of its 2022 New Product Contest . This year ’ s contest combined both virtual and live elements . All products and technologies entered in the contest were featured in the online product showcase at irrigationshow . org and displayed in person at the 2022 Irrigation Show and Education Week held Dec . 5-9 in Las Vegas .
Thirty new products and technologies were entered in three categories : landscape irrigation , landscape lighting and agriculture irrigation . Products were evaluated based on innovation , design quality , increased water / resource-use efficiency , ease of use and product life expectancy . Official judging was conducted via Zoom Oct . 11-12 , and the winners were announced live on Dec . 8 during the general session at the Irrigation Show .
New in 2022 , the IA recognized three products in each category : gold , silver and bronze winners .
The gold winner of the landscape irrigation category is the Ultrasonic Flow Sensor by Rain Bird Corporation ( pictured ). The Ultrasonic Flow Sensor reads flow rates for landscape irrigation controllers using ultrasonic waves instead of the traditional impeller-type sensor . Specially designed with wide set ultrasonic reflectors inside the body , it can be installed immediately after a pipe bend or in the same box as a master valve , able to sense both high and low flow rates without special calibration .
The silver winner of the landscape irrigation category is Irrigation Management as a Service by Calsense , and the bronze winner is the LXME2 & LXME2 PRO controllers by Rain Bird Corporation .
The gold winner of the landscape lighting category is the Brilliance Sector Selector by Brilliance . The Sector Selector creates specific zones that can be controlled independently from a single transformer . The silver winner of the landscape lighting category is RUPS – Renewable Universal Power Supply by Lite the Nite , and the bronze winner is INSPIRA by Unique Lighting Systems .
The gold winner of the agriculture irrigation category is the S5 Pressure Compensating Heavywall Dripline by Rain Bird Corporation . The silver winner of the agriculture category is the Nelson
R2000FX Rotator by Nelson Irrigation Corporation , and the bronze winner is AlphaDisc by Netafim . Visit irrigationshow . org for more details about the contest and to see all the products entered . sportsfieldmanagementonline . com January 2023 | SportsField Management
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