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Abbey Machinery is teaming up with Munster Technological University to develop the next generation of intelligent, connected tankers and feeders.
As agriculture moves rapidly into the technological age, the advancement of Irishmade autonomous farm machinery is being enhanced by researchers at Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software and Tipperary-based Abbey Machinery, who recently announced a new research partnership agreement.
Led by Professor Joseph Walsh from the Munster Technological University’s Kerry campus, the partnership says global food production will need to increase by nearly 70% to feed a growing population, meaning the agricultural industry has to become more innovative by using technology to add value to our food supply chains.
“The farmers leading the way in adopting the new technologies will ultimately accelerate the movement that transforms the global agri-food system into one which will efficiently feed nine billion people by 2050,” says Walsh.
The partnership with Abbey would leverage MUT’s innovative Agri- Tech research in IoT, AI and manufacturing to develop the next generation of intelligent, connected tankers and feeders.
“These machines will be designed to allow remote operation and monitoring by employing state-of-the-art technologies and techniques in sensor networks, communications, and data analytics,” he says.
Abbey Machinery managing director Clodagh Kavanagh says that as an export-orientated company with 60% of sales coming from overseas, their goal is to research and develop the next generation of smart, connected, and automated tankers and feeders.
designed to allow remote operation and monitoring by employing state-of-the-art technologies and techniques in the fields of telematics, sensor networks and communications, and data analytics to meet the needs of our customers in Ireland, Britain, France, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand and Iceland,” says Kavanagh.
“The research has two strands, namely nextgeneration smart electronic architecture for agriculture machinery and software systems for telematics monitoring and remote operation.
“The necessary deliverables for Abbey Machinery will be a prototype of the full-stack software platform that monitors the telematics, automates service reminders, and also remote operations that have the potential to lead to the development of new products and services for us globally.”
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With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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