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Lemken's smart iQblue connect for TIM (tractor implement management) has recently been certified by the independent Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF).
This makes the company the first manufacturer to be awarded this certification for implement control.
The smart iQblue connect retrofitting kit, already awarded a silver medal at Agritechnica 2019, offers the opportunity to use the benefits of TIM control for smart tillage. Combined with the ISOBUS interface of the tractor, iQblue connect allows data to be exchanged between the tractor and implement. This lets the implement control tractor functions such as ground speed or spool valves automatically.
The flexible retrofitting solution permits existing tillage implements to be automated by installing and iQblue connect module, which can also be used on a range of implements. Connected to the tractor via its ISOBUS interface, the module also features GPS and a mobile data connection for communication purposes. The system automatically adapts to the implements it is connected to at any time and therefore substantially reduces the user's workload.
When fitted to a plough, GPS-based workig with control is easily achieved. With iQblue connect transmitting implement data on the plough's GPS position, and current working width, to the TIM which enables the hydraulic control unit on the tractor to automatically control the cylinder for the plough's working width. This ensures that the plough always produces a precise and straight furrow.
At the same time, it also allows operators to plough towards a target furrow, vastly increasing the efficiency when ploughing wedge-shaped fields.
For semi-mounted cultivators, the working depth can be detected by a sensor, using iQblue connect to collect the area-specific target working depth from digital maps. From this, the TIM adjusts the working depth of the tine section and levelling tools to the changing soil conditions in the field via the tractor's hydraulic system.
An important prerequisite for using iQblue connect is that the tractor has TIM functionality with AEF certification.
AEF is a neutral, multi-vendor organization that works to promote the increased use and standardisation of electronics in agricultural technology. Its members include all leading agricultural technology manufacturers.
iQblue connect is compatible with implements by other manufacturers and will be available from October 2021.
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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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