Applied launches its Varimount 120 PTO driven air compressor at the 2023 National Ploughing Championships

The 2023 National Ploughing Championships was the backdrop to the launch of Applied’s new PTO driven air compressor – the Varimount 120 – essentially a little brother to the Varimount 350. 

The launch was hosted by Father Phil – father of popular agri influencer, Farmer Phil – and attended by an enthusiastic crowd, despite the inclement weather, including people from the agricultural, construction, and related sectors. 

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the turnout for the launch of the Varimount 120, the latest addition to our family of PTO compressors. We’re also grateful to Father Phil for hosting the launch. His presence and warm personality, no doubt, helped drive attendance and keep the audience engaged,” says Mark Clendennen, CEO of Applied Concepts Ltd. 

“We believe the Varimount 120 is a game changer for farmers, contractors, and people working in the agricultural, commercial, construction, and light industrial sectors. And this year’s National Ploughing Championships gave us the perfect opportunity to showcase what it can do.” 

Applied’s Varimount 120 does not disappoint, building on the same features and functions that have made its big brother – the Varimount 350 – the world’s number one PTO compressor. 

“With a guaranteed output of 120 CFM, it’s ideally suited to a range of applications like blowing down equipment, powering a blasting machine, or jetting cable into a pre-installed duct,” adds Mr. Clendennen.

The air power you need, when you need it!

“The goal was to create a PTO Compressor that delivers the same level of reliability, versatility, and durability offered by the Varimount 350 without requiring the same horse power and with an emphasis on affordability,” explains Mr. Clendennen.

The Varimount 120 may be a smaller unit, but it’s made to the same exacting standards that have made the County Offaly based company Europe’s leading designer and manufacturer of blasting machines and PTO driven air compressors. 

“Everything we do at Applied is about our customers. Our customers wanted an equally robust, but more compact, lightweight version of the Varimount 350 that can run off smaller model tractors and the Varimount 120 offers just that. We’re very conscious of the economic burdens facing our customers and our role in engineering machinery geared to help them cut their running costs while boosting productivity and efficiency.” 

“We felt the demand warranted investing in the development of a PTO compressor that delivers the air power to tackle everyday agricultural, commercial, construction, and industrial tasks at a price point that fits our customers’ budgets.”

Following in the footsteps of the world’s number one PTO Compressor

The Varimount 120 follows in the footsteps of the Varimount 350, which set the benchmark for PTO compressors. The brainchild of Applied’s expert mechanical and product design engineers, it is designed and manufactured at Applied’s state-of-the-art facility in Birr, Co. Offaly. Over one thousand hours of field testing have proven it tough enough to surpass customers’ expectations in a range of applications, even in the harshest of outdoor environments.

“Our customers deserve a compressor that can handle anything they throw at it. That’s why we’ve checked and rechecked every element to ensure it lives up to the same attention to detail and exceptional manufacturing standards they’ve come to associate with the Applied name,” adds Mr. Clendennen.

Like the Varimount 350, the Varimount 120 can be quickly and easily mounted onto the rear or front linkage of any tractor. What’s more, the Varimount 120 shares the tractor’s engine. This two-for-one design means diesel emissions are automatically halved, making it better for customers and better for the environment. Plus, its compact size makes the Varimount 120 suited to manoeuvring in tight spaces without adding unnecessary extra weight.

Every aspect of the Varimount 120 is engineered to ease our customer’s workload while eliminating the challenges and potential hazards of towing a standard mobile compressor. From its Pinnacle Air End and patented pneumatic controls to its Combi-Cooler and premium quality finish, the emphasis is on maximised performance and hassle-free maintenance, making the portable air power our customers need more attainable and affordable.”

But the Varimount 120 is not just good news for customers. Its launch promises to create ten new positions at Applied’s manufacturing facility, Birr, County. Offaly.

“The Varimount 120 a project that has been two years in the making and thanks to Father Phil, its launch at the 2023 National Ploughing Championships has been a huge success,” concludes Mr. Clendennen.

About Applied Concepts Ltd.

Applied Concepts Ltd. is Europe’s leading designer and manufacturer of blasting machines and PTO driven air compressors. Established in 2010, the company operates out of Birr, Co. Offaly, in the Republic of Ireland where its state-of-the art production facility is based. From superior quality, CE approved portable blasting machines and blasting cabinets to best-in-class PTO compressors, the Applied name comes with a promise of safety, durability, and unbeatable value for money backed by the technical support of its expert Applied Service Team. 

Contact Details

Contact Person: Wendy Borland (PR Campaign Manager), Mark Clendennen (CEO, Applied Concepts Ltd.)

Contact Number: +353 (0)57 913 7929

Email: wendy@appliedpi.com

Website: www.ptocompressors.com

Address: Roscrea Road, Birr, Co. Offaly, R42 XW08, Republic of Ireland

The Department of Social Protection

The Department of Social Protection will be attending the National Ploughing Championships from 19 to 21 September. 

We will be based in the Our Rural Future: Supporting People and Communities section of the Government of Ireland Village, at Block 3 | Row 22 | Hub 348 seen on the map here.

The changes in the State Pension (Contributory) and the new Auto-Enrolment scheme are our focus this year.

Over the course of the three days, experts from the Department will give talks on the latest developments taking place on State Pension (Contributory) changes and the new Auto-Enrolment retirement scheme that will give employees extra income in retirement.

These presentations will take place in the nearby We’re Taking Climate Action section of the Government of Ireland Village based at Block 3 |Row 23 | Stand 361, each day at 10:30am.

Pensions and Auto-Enrolment experts will also be available on our stand each day to answer queries on the new Auto-Enrolment retirement scheme and the changes to the State Pension (Contributory).

Visitors can learn the latest information on the Long-Term Carers Contributions Periods and the enhanced Pensions Contributory Statement now available at MyWelfare.

A visit to our stand is also a must for anyone interested in creating and verifying a MyGovID account, which gives safe, online access to a range of government services including JobsIreland, Revenue, the National Childcare Scheme and the National Driving License Service (NDLS).

There will also be staff from the Rural Social Scheme at our stand for the duration of the event.

For queries in relation to the Department’s attendance at the National Ploughing Championships, please email us at Customerservice@welfare.ie

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empowerDX, a Leading Home-test Provider Launches in Ireland

empowerDX Ireland, a leading producer of self-sampling health tests, will attend the National Ploughing Championships 2023, the largest agricultural show in Europe, which will take place in Ratheniska, Co. Laois, Ireland, from September 19th to 21st. 

Inspired by the work of the Agriculture & Food Development Authority in promoting health and wellness among the farming community, empowerDX Ireland will be showcasing its innovative and high-quality products for human health and wellness, such as self-sampling blood and DNA tests.

empowerDX tests are already available in several countries across the world, including the USA, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. In Ireland, empowerDX is initially launching the following home tests: Colorectal Cancer, Haemochromatosis, Prostate Cancer (PSA), Diabetes, Vitamin D and Cholesterol, with additional tests to follow. Home health testing can provide the public, especially those who have busy lives, like farmers, with an accessible, affordable and convenient way of monitoring, and increasing their knowledge about, their health.

The National Ploughing Championships 2023 is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and the event will feature ploughing contests, livestock exhibitions, machinery demonstrations and many other activities related to the farming industry.

empowerDX Ireland invites attendees to visit its stand at the event and discover its latest self-sampling health test innovations and solutions.

For further information about empowerDX Ireland, please visit www.empowerDX.ie or contact support@shop.empowerdx.ie.

About empowerDX: 

Following the successful footsteps of its sister company in the USA and joining the recent launch of empowerDX in a number of European countries including Germany, Portugal, Spain and Italy, empowerDX Ireland will offer Irish customers affordable, safe, easy to use and modern home health testing kits to screen for a wide variety of health considerations. 

Customers order testing kits online, collect their sample from the comfort of their home and then send the sample to be analysed by empowerDX’s partner laboratories, which are part of the international network of Eurofins laboratories. Customers receive an uncomplicated, intuitive, and user-friendly report containing their results; accessible through a secure online account a few days after the laboratory receives the sample.

Virtual Reality Quad Experience

VIRTUAL REALITY QUAD EXPERIENCE AIMED AT IMPROVING FARM SAFETY WILL BE AVAILABLE AT PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS – FRS TRAINING 

10 quad related deaths on Irish farms over last decade 

Special training programme on quad safety will be rolled out around the country

A virtual reality (VR) quad bike experience, aimed at helping improve farm safety, will be available for visitors to the National Ploughing Championship from FRS Training. The VR experience will take the user across various agricultural scenarios and terrains such as the farmyard, herding cattle, rough and inclined ground, showing how these vehicles should be handled. 

Quad bikes have been growing in popularity as agricultural vehicles in recent times but their use has also led to a number of accidents occurring. 10 quad related deaths are reported* to have occurred on Irish farms over the last decade.

From 20th November 2023, Government regulations will make it mandatory for all quad operators to undergo training and to wear appropriate protective equipment, including a helmet.  To help address these significant agricultural health and safety regulations, FRS Training will be rolling out a new quad bike training programme nationwide. 

The FRS Training Quad Bike Courses will run over two days and will be QQI accredited. The training covers operations, loading as well as health & safety around quad use. Group courses can be arranged, and individual public courses can be booked at www.frstraining.com

Speaking about the VR quad experience and the new training programme, Colin Donnery, Group CEO of FRS Network said, “The use of quads on Irish farms continues to grow.  These vehicles are becoming an increasingly popular choice for farmers as they are a useful and multipurpose vehicle for transport, spraying, spreading and a range of other work on the farm. Yet with this growth in usage, there are rising safety concerns around how they are being operated.

“Unfortunately there have been far too many accidents related to quad bikes on Irish farms in recent years, with at least 10 deaths being linked to their use in the last decade. Part of the problem is that people haven’t been properly trained in how to use these extremely powerful and heavy vehicles, which can lead to high risk driving behaviour and unfortunately in some cases, even dangerous misuse. 

“Our VR quad experience aims to give our visitors an immersive experience that will correct some of the misconceptions people have about driving quads, showing both their advantages and their perils. It will bring the VR user through several typical farm environments and scenarios, such as the farm yard, rough and inclined terrain, using the quad around livestock and more.

“Under new Government regulations, from the 20th November 2023 anyone operating quads on farms will also have to undergo training. We want to make Irish farms safer while also enabling those farmers who use quads to receive the training they need. Which is why we are rolling out our QQI accredited quad training programme nationwide.

“We truly hope that as more people grasp the key health and safety principles behind operating quad bikes, they will become more aware of the potential dangers. This will hopefully help reduce the number of quad related accidents on Irish farms, which is ultimately in the interest of everyone associated with Irish farming,” Mr. Donnery concluded.

The FRS VR Quad Bike experience is open to all free of charge on Row 11, Stand 204 at the National Ploughing Championships, Ratheniska, Co.Laois, between the 19th and 21st of September 2023. 

For further information contact Jimmy Healy, Cogency – 087 6479104

*Figure from Health & Safety Authority (HSA)