Four ASABE awards for New Holland Agriculture
The awards go to the company’s IntelliBale Tractor and Baler automation; SmartTrax for combines; Everest 20 combine harvester levelling system; and T7 Heavy Duty Enhanced Engine Brake.
ASABE award judges said balers with IntelliBale send commands to the tractor to automate the tractor stop, and bale wrap and ejection, on the company’s Roll-Belt round balers.
This reduces operator fatigue, by eliminating repetitive arm and leg movements. It also reduces fuel consumption.
Productivity is also increased, by optimising tailgate raise and lower cycles for each bale.
The Everest Levelling System was described by ASABE as a new way to experience flagship combine technology in extremely hilly conditions.
It is a stand-alone kit that converts the harvester from a standard combine into an expert hill-climbing machine.
Controlled from the cab, it commands each traction wheel separately via a hydraulic cylinder, to keep the harvester level, which greatly increases operating capacity, by maintaining grain cleaning and threshing even on steep side-slopes.
ASABE experts said New Holland Agriculture’s T7 Heavy Duty Enhanced Engine Brake reduces the load imposed upon the tractor axle brakes or trailed equipment brakes.
It is used when decelerating or holding a speed, while descending a gradient.
An electronic control cuts the fuel injection and closes a valve in the exhaust manifold.
Resulting back-pressure generates a negative torque.
The braking effect has been increased further by integrating control of engine components, turbocharger (to maximise the manifold pressure), and cooling fan. Combined effects generate up to 140 horse power of braking effort.
The award for SmartTrax with Flex Technology for New Holland CR or CX Flagship Combines was for “a new, economical way to experience the benefits of using tracks as an alternative to tyres”.
The tracks reduce ground compaction (60% compared to tyres) and improve operator comfort, and are comfortable and safe at road speeds up to 19 mph.
A utility vehicle which quickly converts from two to four-passenger configuration is one of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers’ 50 award winners in 2017 for innovative design in the food and agriculture industries..
The enhanced comfort and performance of the Kubota RTV1140 also impressed the awards judges.
They said it converts in less than a minute from two passengers and 19.1 cubic feet of cargo space to four passengers and 9.9 cubic feet, while still allowing easy access to the cargo bed.
They gave the RTV1140 the “unique” accolade for the combination of rollover protection and cargo bed conversion.
The 4WD machine also has four-wheel independent suspension, a 24.8 horse power diesel engine, continuously variable hydrostatic transmission, and wet disc brakes.
The new Zetor Major HS tractor has 24 forward and 12 reverse gears, thanks to three gear groups, and two-stage PowerShift.
The 76-horse power, four-cylinder engined HS tractor also has a hydraulic PowerShuttle for gear changing under load.
The maximum speed is 40 kph.
The HS launch doubles the Major range, in which the existing model will now be called the Major CL.
Hydraulic lifting power is rated at up to 3,300 kg
In the cab, the steering column can be adjusted in two directions.
Eight working lamps are standard.
Turning front mudguards reduce the turning radius to 3.9 m.
Another feature is a 120-litre fuel tank.
The first Major HS tractors will be delivered to customers in the first quarter of this year.
