In so-called snow farming, the snow is stored over the summer, so that it can then be used in the next winter season in addition to the ground snow. However, the problem here is that the bottom part of the snow forms a hard layer of ice.

This means it cannot be broken up with the standard snow groomer blade or it causes massive wear on the machine. Moreover, the resulting chunks of ice have to be processed several times with a rear milling machine before they can be further worked into the piste.

The new ice scraper system

This very cumbersome problem in piste processing therefore demands new and innovative solution approaches. The ice scrapers for the snow groomers ZAUGG AG can optimise this piste processing and make it more efficient. The ice scraper system has been developed specifically for use in snow farming on glacier and racing pistes.

Here, the ice scraper system is welded onto the snow groomer plough blade instead of the original wear strip. For conventional piste preparation, this can then be done in various ways to minimise damage to the piste surface.

Use at the international Ski World Cup

Successful use of the ice scraper has already been demonstrated at the international Ski World Cup in Adelboden. Samuel Oester, Piste Manager of Tschentenalp railways in Adelboden, approached ZAUGG because of the problem with piste processing.

The company was already building ice scrapers for their snowploughs and Samuel Oester provided the idea of adapting these for the snow groomer. Several trials and prototypes were needed here, before satisfaction with the final result was achieved. For these trials, the ice scraper chisels were ordered and welded onto an existing blade.

The test phase

In the tests conducted, it was found that adjusting the cutting angle alters the depth of breaking up, which can therefore be measured out. This meant that the ice could be broken up and removed from the piste evenly.

Moreover, the snow was crushed into relatively small chunks, which meant there was no need for additional crushing with a rear milling machine. A comparison run with the original blade in the same location demonstrated that very large chunks were sometimes torn up and that the breaking-up depth could not be finely adjusted.

This can be explained on the basis of the shape of the blade, which, when tilted forward, becomes too aggressive and damages the piste through uncontrollable submergence. With these findings from the test phase, it was possible to look for a solution together with ZAUGG AG in Switzerland.

The end product

The cooperation has resulted in a universal ice scraper system, which can be used on the one hand purely as an ice scraper and on the other hand like the original clearing blade. The variable assembly means that the configuration can be adapted to the individual requirements. By virtue of the different designs for installation of a wear strip, damage to the piste surface can also be reduced to a minimum.

In Adelboden, Switzerland, they are very pleased with the final result and happy to have this efficient solution to their previous difficulties in snow farming. “Conversion can be completed within half an hour, so we achieve a considerable time saving,” Samuel Oester concludes in praise of the system.