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Krone's new testing facility at Lingen.
German manufacturer Krone has opened a new testing facility at its Lingen site.
The Future Lab complex, built in just under a year at a cost of €20million, covers around 30ha and houses 30 staff.
It will be used as a validation comples to allow the company to test machinery, but also to prove supplier componentry before it is installed into Krone products.
On-site, a 4,000 square metre building houses three large-scale test benches - two for servo-hydraulic testing and another to monitor performance levels.
There are also facilities to test components, sub-assemblies, electronic systems and software applications.
A further department is available to test transmissions - particularly conducting 'lifetime usage' evaluations. This is before these are incorporated into products such as the Big X foragers, Big Pack balers and the recently released Premos pellet harvester.
Making the most of the latest energy saving technologies, the building features solar panels for electricity generation.
The indoor facilities are complemented by a 1.1km test track that offers gradients up to 18% that will be used for driving tests, homologation procedures and software validation.
"The facility will provide us with excellent opportunities to explore the industry's rapidly emerging technologies, such as autonomous driving strategies," says Krone Group chair Bernard Krone.
In other Krone news, following on from the Big X 480, 530, 580 and 630 models being configured to a 3.0m transport width as far back as 2013, the larger 680, 780, 880 and 1180 models are to follow suit, courtesy of a new 680/80 R38 front tyres option.
Compatible with all types of headers, using the optional transport running gear for the XCollect maize header, all Big X models now stay within the bounds of maximum permissable axle load ratings, according to the company.
Certainly a late starter in the self-propelled harvester arena, Krone has gone on to be a key player, with 2025 marking the 25th anniversary of presenting the results of its R&D programme, with a leap into high horsepower machines – the first BiG X with a claimed 540hp.
The arrival of new F8 and F9 designations for its 8000 and 9000 series forage harvesters, signals a swag of upgrades from John Deere, highlighted by topping the 1000hp mark for the first time.
Waikato-Bay of Plenty farmer Hugh Jackson recently secured this year’s FMG Young Farmer of the Year title in Invercargill.
Ashburton-based Carrfields has signed an agreement with Manitou to take over the distribution and retail rights for Manitou Agricultural Equipment covering the lower North Island and the South Island, effective August 1, 2025.
With June ending and following the most upbeat National Fieldays for several years, tractor dealers are reporting a lift in sales.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand says it is seeing strong farmer interest in its newly launched nProve Beef genetics tool, with early feedback and usage insights confirming its value in helping farmers make better breeding decisions and drive genetic improvement in New Zealand's beef herd.
The Innovation Awards at June's National Fieldays showcased several new ideas, alongside previous entries that had reached commercial reality.
To assist the flower industry in reducing waste and drive up demand, Wonky Box has partnered with Burwood to create Wonky Flowers.
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Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will leave the door wide open for continued conversions of productive sheep and beef farms into carbon forestry.
Federated Farmers says a report to Parliament on the subject of a ban on carbon forestry does not go far enough to prevent continued farm to forestry conversions.
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