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Belgian effluent, manure and transport company Joskin is expanding its manufacturing capacity.
Most agricultural machinery manufacturers are struggling with increased order books, reduced component supply and increasing costs.
This plus a shortage of manufacturing capacity has led the Belgian effluent, manure and transport company Joskin to expand its home base at Soumagne near Liege, as well as its other European plants.
Commenting that capacity is not only being limited by floor space, but also the availability of assembly staff, the company is planning to introduce more automation, alongside structured expansion outside of its home country.
Both strategies should lead to better overall quality, says the founder's son Didier Joskin. "Despite the high investment cost, the result will be improved quality and production processes and, consequently, increased user satisfaction."
The investment in Belgium will include a duo of optical-fibre laser cutters capable of cutting the thicker steel plate being used in heavier machines, with the ability to handle sheets of up to 4 by 2 metre dimensions. Additionally, the technology offers significantly higher processing speeds, almost no deformation of the sheet steel and a much lower energy consumption.
At the company's Leboulch site, south east of Caen in Normandy, plans are in place for a new 5,900m2 extension, intended to house welding facilities, as well as an automated shot-blasting machine for larger parts that are currently difficult to process.
Nearer to the home base, Joskin is planning a 15,700m2 unit on a 6ha site at Esch-sur-Alzette in the south of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, to create a factory dedicated to the assembly of large tipping trailers and muck spreaders, scheduled for construction in 2023.
Elsewhere, at Trzcianka in Poland, the construction of a 12,000m2 buffer storage hall between the production and the galvanising processes began in March, with an option to purchase 9ha of adjoining land for future expansion.
Global tyre manufacturer Michelin has extended its agricultural trailer tyre range, with the introduction of its new WorkxBib series, designed for tipping trailers, slurry tankers and manure spreaders.
Following the record-breaking success of its hydrogen-powered Hydromax, JCB is ramping up its investment in the business, key to the first major change at the executive level of the business, with George Bamford stepping up to the post of joint chairman, alongside his father Lord Bamford.
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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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