Granulate portioning means

1 . An interchangeable system for an agricultural spreading machine, comprising:

a granulate portioning means having a removable portioning module; and

a band placement module comprising a replacement housing cover;

wherein the granulate portioning means comprises:

a portioning rotor which is configured to combine granulate grains during a rotational movement to form granulate portions;

a housing in which the portioning rotor is arranged, wherein the housing comprises a housing main body and a housing cover; and

an electric drive device for rotational driving of the portioning rotor;

wherein the electric drive device is fastened to the housing cover, and the housing cover and the electric drive device are components of the removable portioning module which is assembled on the housing main body in a non-destructive and reversibly detachable manner,

wherein the band placement module is configured to be non-destructively and reversibly detachably assembled on the housing main body for converting the granulate portioning means from a portioning configuration to a band placement configuration instead of the portioning module and, in the assembled state, to pass an air-granulate flow through the housing of the granulate portioning means comprising the replacement housing cover without forming portions.

2 . The interchangeable system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the portioning rotor is a component of the removable portioning module.

3 . The interchangeable system according to claim 2 ,

wherein the portioning rotor is secured to the portioning module against falling out when the portioning module is removed.

4 . The interchangeable system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the electric drive device has a drive housing which is fastened to the housing cover.

5 . The interchangeable system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the portioning module has an inlet opening for granulates to be portioned by means of the granulate portioning means.

6 . The interchangeable system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the portioning module comprises at least one wall portion of an outlet channel for granulate portions to be discharged from the granulate portioning means.

7 . The interchangeable system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the granulate portioning means comprises one or more positioning members by means of which the portioning module is configured to be positioned with repeat accuracy in an assembly position on the housing main body for assembling on the housing main body.

8 . The interchangeable system according to claim 1 , comprising:

an air separator into which an air-granulate flow can be introduced and which is configured to separate air from an introduced air-granulate flow; and

wherein the granulate portioning means is connected to the air separator and is configured to produce granulate portions from an air-granulate flow which has passed the air separator.

9 . The interchangeable system according to claim 8 ,

wherein the air separator is connected to the portioning module of the granulate portioning means.

10 . The interchangeable system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the band placement module has an inlet opening for the air-granulate flow to be passed through the granulate portioning means.

11 . The interchangeable system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the band placement module comprises a plug receptacle for receiving a connector plug.

12 . The interchangeable system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the band placement module comprises at least one wall portion of an outlet channel for an air-granulate flow to be discharged from the granulate portioning means.

13 . A method of operating an interchangeable system, comprising:

generating granulate portions by means of a granulate portioning means of the interchangeable system, wherein the granulate portioning means has a portioning configuration during the generation of granulate portions, in which a portioning module is assembled on a housing main body of the granulate portioning means;

converting the granulate portioning means from the portioning configuration to a band placement configuration by replacing the portioning module with a band placement module, so that in the band placement configuration the band placement module is assembled on the housing main body; and

passing an air-granulate flow through the granulate portioning means without forming portions, wherein, during the passing of the air-granulate flow, the granulate portioning means has the band placement configuration in which the band placement module is assembled on the housing main body of the granulate portioning means.