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John Deere’s largest production facility outside of North America, the German Manheim plant, recently celebrated the milestone of producing its two millionth tractor.
Housing John Deere’s largest production facility outside of North America, the German Manheim plant, recently celebrated the milestone of producing its two millionth tractor.
Having taken 37 years to hit the one million mark, it has been a further 30 years to reach this latest milestone. An impressive achievement given that as average horsepower has increased, volumes and sales have declined in most of the major markets around the world during the last two decades.
Looking back over the Manheim story, in the early 1950s, John Deere was looking at expansion overseas, particularly in Europe. This initially fell at the first hurdle after plans to build a Scottish factory were stymied by a change in British government policy.
At around the same time, they were approached by a German banker trying to sell a near bankrupt company called Lanz. Despite its pre-war market share of 40% with its Bulldog model, the company was failing to keep up with more modern designs.
Undecided on the relative merits of establishing a new factory or buying an existing manufacturer, John Deere initially rejected the takeover offer in 1956, before a rethink saw it agree to buy Lanz in a deal that came with its factory at Manheim.
The deal also included Lanz’s stock of unsold tractors, which were subsequently painted in the well-known yellow and green livery and sold as John Deeres.
Now, all of John Deere’s mid-range tractors are built at Mannheim.
The two millionth example was a 6R 250, wrapped in portrait photos of more than 300 staff as a thank you gesture. The tractor was unveiled in the presence of John Deere chief executive John C. May and will eventually be given a place of honour in the factory museum next to the one millionth tractor – a JD 6400.
Currently, the plant is undergoing an $80m investment programme encompassing environmental technology to significantly reduce energy consumption and emissions, alongside reducing waste, including water, and a lowering of noise levels. In all, the plant currently employs 3300 staff and holds the title of the biggest tractor manufacturing plant in Europe.
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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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