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CLAAS’ next generation four-rotor Liner swathers offers four models with working widths from 9.3 to 15m.
Claas' next generation four-rotor Liner swathers offers four models with working widths from 9.3 to 15m and feature telescopic arms, excellent ground contouring, ease of operation and a low transport height.
The telescopic arms extend and retract via a patented threestage system for rapid adjustment of the working width.
“Depending on the model, the width of each swath can be adjusted from 1.3 to 2.5m and the overall working width from 3.4 to 4.9m,” says Claas Harvest Centre product manager – Claas, Luke Wheeler.
The more basic Trend configuration sees swath width adjusted manually using a simple springloaded lever, while raking height is adjusted using the crank handle on each rotor. In the premium specification Business configuration, working width, swath width and rotor lift are all hydraulically controlled using the ISOBUS-compatible terminal inside the cab.
The layout of each model sees four equalsized rotors that operate at the same speed, allowing for optimal interplay between the wide-raking front rotors and the rear rotors, which handle a larger volume of forage, to ensure maximum throughput, uniform swathing and minimal contamination.
Each rotor drive assembly is continuously lubricated and hermetically sealed for maintenance-free operation with friction clutches protecting each rotor against overload and allow work to continue non-stop even during load peaks. Claas claims the mechanicallydriven rotors have 50% more raking force than hydraulic drives.
The shaft speed in the two gearboxes on the main frame has been reduced from 540 to 350rpm, with the freewheel of the drive shaft positioned directly inside each gearbox, enabling the rotors to rotate freely in transport position.
Trend models are configured so each rotor is supported by a fourwheel chassis, while Business variants have a six-wheel chassis and wider tyre equipment. The support wheels are positioned as close to the circle of rotation of the tines as possible to optimise ground contact and smooth rotor guidance.
“The upgraded floating cardan suspension system enables the rotors to move in three dimensions as they are pulled across the field,” Luke says. “Only 20 percent of the weight is applied to the front rotor wheels, enabling optimum ground-contour following by the rotors.”
Front and rear rotors can be raised and lowered in succession by sequential control, with the rear rotor wheels touching down first, which prevents the tines from digging in and damaging the grass sward.
The 57mm diameter tine arms are firmly attached by a 20-spline shaft and secured with a bracket, and integrate a pre-defined bending point to provide protection for the rotor housing in the event of a collision. Each arm is fitted with four 9.5mm dual tines, offset by 10 degrees to help crop lift, which are secured via a bolt.
All four-rotor Liner swathers fold to a 4m transport height without having to remove the tine arms, with a transport width below 3m and foldable rear light arms to negotiate narrow entrances. Up front, a new two-point hitch has maximum turning angle of 80 degrees, allowing tight turning manoeuvres, while a semi-automatic stand and parking bracket with colourcoded hydraulic hose connections simplifies attachment and removal to the tractor.
Massey Ferguson has announced a strategic supply partnership with International Tractors Limited (ITL), a manufacturer of low-horsepower and compact tractors, with recognised brands such as Sonalika and Sollis, to expand its portfolio with a new tractor range.
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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