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AGCO’s engine plant at Linnavuori, Finland.
Global tractor manufacturer AGCO – the home of Massey Ferguson, Fendt and Valtra – has released a totally new engine design.
This comes as a result of a €1 billion investment at the Linnavuori engine production plant, near Nokia in Finland.
With what appears to be a growing list of alternative fuels, which hold potential for future use – including as hydrogen and natural gas, in both compressed and liquid forms. AGCO suggests that the way forward to utilise these “alternative” fuels is a new engine, designed from the ground up to be compatible with them – rather than adapting existing engines.
The company claims their new CORE engine family can be easily developed to run efficiently with different fuels as they become adopted as replacements for fossil diesel.
Compression ignition engines have been with us for over 130 years and remain the most practical solution in many applications. While electric vehicles are becoming more common, AGCO notes that battery capacity is not yet enough for off-road machinery applications, except for compact machinery – typically less than 75hp.
It says the chief advantage of diesel fuel is that it has a high energy density and is reasonably safe and easy to handle.
Thermodynamic principles also mean that higher compression ratio engines are more efficient.
Unfortunately, however, engineering constraints created in handling the higher temperatures involved puts a limit on their ultimate size.
The first engine from the new family is the CORE75. This is a 7.5L block, which delivers 1,450 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque at 1,300rpm (revolutions per minute). This is the highest in its power class, according to AGCO.
By reducing engine speed at maximum torque by 200rpm, fuel economy is improved, with a specific consumption of only 188g/ kWh.
Already fitted in the latest Fendt Vario 700 series tractors, the company claims it marks not only a new generation of flexible engines, but also a firm commitment to the internal combustion engine as a power unit for many years yet.
Designed as a multi-fuel engine, the CORE units are likely to be seen across the whole AGCO range and beyond.
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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