ToughSonic® ultrasonic sensors play a part in the success of the Trebro AutoStack II, the ultimate high-production automatic turf harvester.

How it Started

Back in the 1980s, brothers Mike, Gregg, and Don Tvetene were working at their family-owned Tvetene Turf Farms in Billings, Montana. The business was faced with a critical labor shortage at the same time that it was experiencing huge demand for their turf.

Out of necessity, the brothers conceived an automatic turf harvester that could cut and stack sod using just one operator. Their biggest motivator, recalls Gregg, was the years of hard work they had put in stacking turf by hand on the family farm.

The brothers worked by trial and error to get an automatic stacking harvester working smoothly. Mike focused on the electronics, Gregg worked on the hydraulics, and Don handled welding and fabrication. At the time, mobile electronic systems were not sophisticated enough to handle the tasks required, so Mike designed a system that would control stacking, harvesting and drive functions.

The brothers formed a new company, Trebro Manufacturing, Inc. Their hands-on experience, hard work, and continual testing and trials resulted in the introduction of the “AutoStack," the first successful automatic stacking turf harvester, in 2000. 

How It's Going

The AutoStack was an instant success as turf producers from around the world were eager to take advantage of the benefits of labor savings, increased production, and improved quality of the finished product. 

Trebro and the AutoStack were also recognized with an Industry Innovator award from the Turf Producers International and the Montana governor’s exporting award.

The AutoStack, and now the AutoStack II, use an automated "Ultra Steer" system to guide the harvester with precision while the operator watches over the other aspects of the harvesting process. Trebro explored several different sensor technologies for the steering system before selecting Senix ToughSonic-100.14 ultrasonic sensors. 

ToughSonic Helps Get the Job Done

Senix's ultrasonic sensors are mounted on the steering arms of the AutoStacker and AutoStacker II. Here, they monitor the harvest line to maintain ¼” steering accuracy. The ToughSonic-100.14 was selected for its tough, all-weather construction and ability to communicate rapidly with the Trebro’s electronic control system through an RS-232 interface. 

Trebro Manufacturing has sold more than 750 automated harvesters in 22 countries. It has employees in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with parts warehouses in all of these locations plus Europe and Australia. At its heart are still the three brothers.

For more information on how Senix can help with your application, contact us at info@senix.com or click here.