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The operator can trigger a release button in the cabin that allows the drawbar to release the baler in little more than a few seconds.
In the hectic baling season, the risk of fire is ever present.
The risk is especially high in the summer months, with many reports of balers catching fire from precursors like sparks, flints, accumulated dust or failure of mechanical components. In most cases, the fire can take hold quickly, generating intense heat, with the operator having little chance to disconnect the baler, meaning the tractor is often lost too.
To address the problem, Austrian coupling manufacturer Scharmuller has developed an emergency release system for baler drawbars. Featuring a removeable drawbar shaft, in normal conditions the assembly is held in place by a hydraulic locking cylinder with a pre-load of 140bar.
However, if an event like a fire occurs, the operator can trigger a release button in the cabin that energises a solenoid, allowing the drawbar to release and the tractor to move away from the baler in little more than a few seconds. This is achieved without the driver leaving the seat and removes the risk of injury from the intense heat.
Used in conjunction with breakaway hydraulic couplers, consequential damage created by hydraulic and electrical connections being ripped out cannot be completely avoided. However, the cost is minimal compared to losing both the tractor and the baler.
In addition to the disconnection function, if the baler is equipped with an air braking system, the sudden drop in air pressure means the brakes are applied and the baler is held in a fixed position.
With a suggested retail price of €5,000 (NZ$8,500) the system is not cheap. However, it will certainly give peace of mind to large scale operators who value their machinery. More importantly, it will minimise risk to them and their drivers.
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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