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Staff at Massey Ferguson’s Beauvais factory in France celebrate production of its 1,000,000th tractor.
Massey Ferguson recently announced that its Beauvais factory in France has produced its 1,000,000th tractor, having started manufacturing tractors on the site 62 years ago, in late 1960.
During the celebrations the keys of a MF 8S.305 Dyna-VT – the 1,000,000th tractor – were handed to farmer and contractor Thierry Aubrée from Brittany. He said, “I’m passionate about new technologies including RTK guidance, section control with a focus on soil preservation and sustainable farming practices. The MF 8S exudes this modernity thanks to its efficient engine, smooth transmission, perfect wheelbase and offers visibility, cab comfort and precision farming connectivity capabilities”.
The Beauvais tractor story started with the MF 825 in 1960. From there, the site grew continuously, producing favourites such as the MF 3000 series in 1986 – the first tractor with on-board electronics, and the MF 8600 in 2008, introducing the efficient power concept, reducing environmental impact courtesy of the first use of SCR technology on an ag machine.
In 2020, the new MF 8S arrived, featured a 24cm gap between the cab and the engine installation, said to reduce heat, noise and vibrations being transmitted to the cab, while at the same time improving cooling and performance.
On an operational front, from 2010 the site saw a major transformation through the implementation of Lean Manufacturing, contributing to improved quality and response to the growing demand of customers. In 2013, a factory extension programme commenced with the start of the Beauvais 2 cab assembly line. From 2019, vertical integration saw a new logistic centre, and the launch in 2020 of a Tractor Customisation Workshop.
Along the way, the plant was named Factory of the Year 2016, while also introducing additional manufacturing capability for small parts and prototypes using 3D printing. Key components, produced in house include hydraulics (1,340 parts references), gearbox reconditioning, the printing of tractor decals (300 references) and more recently the launch of a new unit to produce fuel and AdBlue tanks.
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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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