Friday, 18 March 2022 10:55

Sun and sand no bother

Written by  Mark Daniel
One of Valtra's tractors has been basking in the searing heat of a Saudi Arabian desert. One of Valtra's tractors has been basking in the searing heat of a Saudi Arabian desert.

Valtra Tractors usually hit the headlines for their cold-weather performance – not surprising given these machines are manufactured in Finland.

However, one of the company’s N-Series units has recently been seen basking in the searing heat of a Saudi Arabian desert.

The N155 has been playing an important support role in the Extreme-E race series, where two dozen electric SUVs are competing for the title.

Equipped with an array of winches, a front-end loader and oversized dual tyres  front and rear, the tractor’s workload includes scooping up rocks and boulders, towing the generators used to recharge racing car batteries, and using pallet tines to move ancillary vehicles.

The Extreme-E series is designed to raise awareness for climate change, alongside showcasing the performance and benefits of low-carbon vehicles, by racing electrically-powered vehicles in remote locations. All championship cars are based on a fully electric SUV called Odyssey 21, which has a peak output of 550hp and can power the 1.7 tonne vehicles from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds.

This race calendar kicked off on the UK’s south coast just before Christmas, with the remaining events scheduled for Sardinia in May, Chile in September and Uruguay in November.

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Case IH Wins EIMA Award for Optum Suspension System

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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