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Pottinger says its recently released Mergento VT 9220 belt merger rake is better suited to ‘fragile’ crops such as lucerne and clover.
While most rakes or swathers are tine-based, over the last few years more and more manufacturers have been adding belt-based mergers to their product offerings.
The choice is brought about as some users believe that “raking” grass across the ground, particularly with larger machines, increases the risk of soil contamination and can also result in leaf loss.
The latest manufacturer to offer the solution is Pottinger, with its recently released Mergento VT 9220 belt merger. The company suggests it is better suited to ‘fragile’ crops such as lucerne, clover or alfalfa. However, it will also work equally well in conventional grass or straw crops.
Offering left, right or central delivery, the machine can also be set up to deliver two single swaths if required. Configured for central delivery, a working width of 9.2 metres can be achieved, while in side delivery, this reduces the overall working width to 8.7 metres.
An over-dimensioned, central-spine frame – fitted with rear wheel equipment – carries twin lateral frames that support the conveyor assemblies. Up front, the pick-up uses six rows of tine bars to lift the cut crop from the ground. With the aid of a roller crop press for short crops, it then drops the material from a point about 120mm above the conveyors.
Each conveyor assembly is centrally mounted, which is said to offer even weight distribution.
At the same time, the machine also delivers 3-D ground tracking – particularly on uneven ground or slopes. Carried on a chassis roller system, the conveyor units use three hydraulic cylinders to react quickly to ground adaption. It also offers vertical movement from +475mm to -195mm and lateral movement from +30 to -13 degrees.
To facilitate a clean pick-up, inclination of the conveyor in the direction of travel can be adjusted from +11.5 to 0 degrees.
Overall control of the unit, including direction of travel and belt positioning, is taken care of with an in-cab terminal.
The machine has the added benefit of automated switch on/ switch off at the headland.
This is aid to increase the output with tidy swath starts and finishes as the operator does not need to clear the belt between bouts.
Production is scheduled to start in August, with availability towards the end of the year.
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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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