Testing of Agricultural Machinery

Two categories of tests viz. (1) COMMERCIAL & (2) CONFIDENTIAL will be carried out at Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute (CFMT&TI), Budni and other Regional Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes.

1. COMMERCIAL TESTS are for establishing performance characteristics of machines that are or ready for commercial production. The following types of commercial tests will be undertaken:

1. Initial Commercial tests on indigenous or imported proto-type machines ready for commercial production.
2. Batch Test on machines which have already undergone Initial Commercial Test and or are being manufactured commercially in the country.
3. Test in accordance with OECD Standard Test Code shall be undertaken on machines (which are already undergone initial commercial test) on the specific request of the manufacturer/applicant, exclusively for export purposes.

2. CONFIDENTIAL TESTS are for providing confidential information on the performance of machines whether ready for commercial production or not or to provide any special data that may be required by the manufacturer / applicant.

General Regulations for All Tests

1. Machines may be tested at the request in waiting of the manufacturer / accredited importers referred to as applicant herein-after.
2. Tests will be carried out at the discretion of the Director, Central Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institute, Budni or Director of any of the Regional Institutes, hereinafter referred to as “Testing Authority” to whom application on prescribed form may be addressed. For testing of tractors, only Director, CFMT&TI, Budni will be recognized “Testing Authority” for the whole country.
3. All the tests will be conducted as per BIS Test Code. If for any machine / component the BIS test code is not available, the test code shall be framed by the Testing Authority whose decision shall be final.
4. The amount of test fee and other estimated expenditure will be intimated to the applicant who will deposit it in advance through a Bank Draft drawn on the Bank mentioned in the application form in favour of the Director of the Institute. The advance will be adjusted at the end of the test. The applicant shall deposit the balance charges payable in the manner indicated above, before test report is released.
5. (i) All charges on account of test fees, stores, fuel, oils, lubricants, spare parts, general stores, workshop charges, other items as laid down by the Ministry of Agriculture, labour over-heads incurred during the test shall be borne by the applicant. (ii) If the tests are carried out at a place other than the premises of Central Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institute, Budni or the Regional Institutes, all transportation charges from the place of test, traveling allowance / daily allowance of the staff etc. shall be borne by the applicant. (iii) The machinery will be delivered by the applicant at the testing Institute. However, if the machinery has to be collected by the Testing Authority either from the railway station or from any other place, all charges incurred in transport up to the Institute shall be payable by the applicant. (iv) If a machine is withdrawn, permission of the Testing Authority will have to be obtained. In such a case the test fee plus all the other expenditure as indicated above for test conducted shall be charged.
6. (i) Parts of assemblies of machines worn out or damaged during test shall be replaced/ repaired by the applicant free of cost within the time specified by the Testing Authority. (ii) In case some parts are required by the Testing Authority for destructive tests, these shall be arranged free of cost by the applicant. (iii) In case, any services are provided by the Testing Authority these will be charged for.
7. The cost of laying foundation, fixtures, etc. which are not normally available at the Institute and which are found necessary for working of the machine under test and all special stores items shall be borne by the applicant.
8. Parts and assemblies of machines worn out or damaged during the test may be handed over at the discretion of the Testing Authority only after the test report has been released.
9. The applicant will make his own arrangements to collect the machine within one month of intimation by the Testing Authority. If the applicant fails to remove the machine in this period, the applicant will be liable for payment of ground rent as fixed by the Testing Authority for a period not exceeding four months. After the expiry of 3 months one month notice will be served on the applicant by the Testing Authority. If the applicant fails to remove the machine within this period, the machine will become the property of the Institute and may be disposed off by auction at the discretion of the Testing Authority.
10. If any unpatented machine or a machine in respect of which a proper application for patent has not been duly made, is submitted for test, it will not be published or disclosed to the public by the Central Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institute, or Regional Institutes and the matter will be treated as confidential so that the right of the inventor or a person claiming through him to get a patent for a machine is not prejudiced.
11. If in the course of testing a machine/ component, any invention and/or developments originate from the officers of the Central Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institute, the Government may at the discretion take out separate patents to protect the subject matter invented and/ or developed.
12. If a machine submitted for confidential test has been tested as per relevant commercial test procedure and the procedure followed for commercial testing has been observed in all respects, then on the request in writing of the applicant, the confidential test report may be converted to Commercial Report.

Additional Regulations Governing Commercial Tests

1. If a machine is already in commercial production in India, the sample for batch test shall be new and be selected by the Testing Authority or his accredited representative at random from series production. No alteration / modification that would alter its practical performance shall be allowed thereafter.
2. If the test is related to some branch of development work on which the Testing Institute is engaged, the whole or any part of the test fee may be remitted with the approval of the Ministry of Agriculture. No test fee or other charges will be levied for commercial testing of machines developed by research units for ICAR or other Semi-Government Organization, Universities or State Government Departments.
3. (i) The commercial test report may be used commercially by the applicant and may be published in full without any alteration or omission. No extract or abbreviated version shall be published without the written approval of Testing Authority. (ii) The applicant may mention in advertisements that the machine/ component has been tested at the Central Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institute, Budni or Regional Institute (as the case may be) and shall invariably quote the number of the Test Report in advertisement. All the pamphlets or advertisements meant for public should indicate only performance values observed by the Testing Authority.
4. The Government of India reserves the right to publish or communicate to any person or body the results either wholly or in part together with such comments and additional information as they think desirable.
5. In case of machines which are marketed and are not tested for the benefit of the farmer, the Institute on the direction of the Government, reserves the right to carry out commercial test on any such machine sold in the country and to publish the result thereof.
6. In case of damage to or breakdown of any particular component during the course of testing, the applicant may replace the part with a new one having the same specifications, Testing Authority may at its discretion permit replacement of any component which the applicant has learnt is defective on account of material or workmanship. However, replacement of complete assemblies shall not be permitted. If major breakdown occurs, necessitating replacement of major assemblies, the applicant may be allowed to withdraw the machine.
7. In case the machine is withdrawn from test because of reasons stated above, the applicant shall have to submit another machine after incorporation of required changes or replacements. The test report of the first machine containing the results of tests conducted and clearly stating the reasons for non-completion of tests, shall be released immediately after withdrawal of the machine from test. The test report of second machine shall contain a reference to the testing of the earlier machine.

Additional Regulations Governing Confidential Tests

1. Results obtained will be the property of the applicant and will not be communicated to any person or body without the applicant's consent. The applicant shall neither publish the report not any extract from it nor divulge test results to any other person or body without prior written approval of the testing authority. The report shall not be used for commercial purposes.
2. In case of confidential test, adjustment, modification or alteration in the machine may be permitted at the discretion of Testing Authority. (a) The applicant shall supply in English (and if available, also in Hindi) three copies each of published literature, detailed specifications, operator and service (workshop) manuals and illustrated parts catalogue of the machine. Any other details required by the Testing Authority shall also be supplied. These shall be retained at the Institute. (b) The operation, maintenance and servicing of the machine shall be carried out according to the procedure laid down in the manufacturer's printed literature unless otherwise specified by the applicant prior to the commencement of the test. Where choices of adjustments or operating conditions are made by the applicant, the guide in making such choices will be the one suitable for general operations. In case of doubt, the opinion of the Testing Authority will be deemed as final.
3. (a) It will be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the machine is in good condition. In case the machine requires running-in the same will be carried out, in consultation with the Testing Authority, before submission of machine for testing. Details of running-in should be supplied by the applicant at the time of submitting application. (b) Facilities to tune-up, adjust and initially set-up and run-in of the machine before the actual tests commence will be allowed to the applicant. In case of commercial testing, no adjustment shall ordinarily be permitted during the actual tests. (c) Two representatives of the applicant with proper letter of authority will be permitted to witness the test at the discretion of the Testing Authority. The representatives may be allowed to collect necessary factual date about the performance of the machine on the clear understanding that the name of the Testing Authority shall not be associated with any date so collected by the representative or published by the applicant. (d) Permission to collect the data on performance of machine during the tests shall be granted at the discretion of the Testing Authority. (e) For conducting field performance tests on tractors, the applicant may supply implements designed for use with the tractor failing which the tests will be carried out with implements / attachments available with the Testing Authority. In such cases, the Testing Authority will not be responsible for any damage to or variation in the performance of machine.
4. Neither the Testing Authority nor anybody engaged in this behalf for conducting tests will be held responsible for any accident, damage or loss whatsoever, to the machine / component / equipment which may occur while in custody, storage, transit and/or during the tests.
5. When special tests are required to be carried out, all expenditure will be payable by the applicant.
6. The schedule of fees may be reviewed and altered if necessary with reference to cost of maintenance of equipment and apparatus used and labour and time spent on testing, with the approval of the Ministry.
7. The applicant shall also supply special tools, if any, required for servicing, adjustment, major repairs of the machine along with list thereof.
8. In the case of machines which during which during tests are also required to be run on public roads, the applicant will arrange for necessary permission under the Motor Vehicle Act if so required.
9. For component tests such as agricultural discs, ploughs, shards, cultivator tynes etc. the applicant should supply a complete unit of the standard machine for which the components are meant to be fitted. In case of agricultural discs, a complete disc harrow and/ or also plough should be submitted if required by the Testing Authority.
10. The testing of machine/ components shall be commenced by the Testing Authority only after completion of all formalities by the applicant as indicated in these regulations.
11. On completion of test and payment of testing charges in full a copy of the “draft” test report shall be made available to the applicant for scrutiny and comments. In the case of applicant in India, the applicant shall furnish comments within 15 days, and for the applicants from abroad or in case where the reports are to be referred to the principals in the foreign country, the comments would be furnished in 40 days time. In case the applicant fails to submit comments within the stipulated time, the Testing Authority may release the final test report. In case of commercial test report, such of the applicants comments which contribute technically to the contents of the test report will be included in the test report under a separate chapter referred to as “Applicant's Comments” at the discretion of the Testing Authority.
12. Three copies of the test report shall be supplied to the applicant free of cost. Additional copies shall be supplied on payment of cost that may be fixed by the Testing Authority from time to time.
13. The test report issued by the Testing Authority on a particular model or sample of machine / implement / component etc. applies only to that particular model / brand submitted for test.
14. The test reports issued by the Testing Authority only the data obtained on a particular sample of a model / brand tested by the Testing Authority but these do not in anyway signify the approval of the Government or the Testing Authority of the models or samples tested.
15. No interim test report shall be issued on a machine while under test.
16. The Government of India reserves the right to change these regulations at any time as may be found necessary without any notice to anybody and such changes will be binding on all concerned.