- Location
- Hannover, Germany
Innovation Award AGRITECHNICA 2019
An independent expert commission appointed by the DLG (German Agricultural Society) determined the winners of the Innovation Award AGRITECHNICA from among 291 approved applications for product innovations, based on stringent criteria. One innovation was awarded a gold medal and 39 innovations received a silver medal.
The winner of the only Innovation Award in gold is:
John Deere Walldorf GmbH & Co. KG (Hall 13 stand C40)
eAutoPower gearbox e8WD for 8R large tractors. Joint development with JOSKIN, Hall 4 C12
Stepless transmissions with a hydrostatic-mechanical power split have been used in agricultural tractors for over 20 years. Up until now, additional generators for electric drives with a higher power requirement were installed on tractors (fan, compressed-air/air conditioner compressor, etc.) or on implements.
The eAutoPower gearbox for the new 8R large tractors from John Deere represents the first electro-mechanical power split gearbox in agricultural technology. Technically, the hydro unit (pump/motor) is completely dispensed with; instead, two electric motors are used as a continuously variable actuator. The electric motors have been specified so that they not only supply the drive, but can also provide up to 100 kW of electric power for external consumption. The resulting possible tractor-implement electrification is demonstrated with a system solution for spreading manure developed together with Joskin, where two axles on a tridem spreader are electrically driven.
On the tractor side, this electrical integration results in improved gearbox efficiencies and reduced maintenance costs. In addition, the surplus power flows occurring at certain operating points can be "tapped" when utilising electric power for external electrical components, which further improves the overall efficiency. Used in combination with an axle drive on a manure spreader, the results in practical use include, among other things, higher traction, reduced slip and improved track guidance on side slopes.
The winners of the Innovation Award in silver are:
1. AGCO Deutschland GmbH, business unit Fendt (Hall 20, stand B14b)
Automated Vehicle and Implement Guidance in Wine-Growing. Joint development with Braun Maschinenbau, Hall 20, B14f
Operating farm machinery under vines requires a high level of concentration from the tractor driver. The tractor must be steered precisely, while at the same time monitoring and controlling the implements.
The automated vehicle and implement guidance system jointly developed by Fendt and Braun considerably increases output in wine-growing tasks – while simultaneously reducing the strain on the driver. The ground contour, vines, poles, etc. are recorded using laser technology and the information is passed on to the Fendt 200V Vario narrow-track tractor via an ISOBUS interface. Furthermore, the 3D position is determined with a gyroscope and the tractor assumes the track and implement guidance based on this information. The height and width of implements mounted on the left and right between the axles can be controlled independently of each other, however the system can also be used for the lateral guidance of rear mulchers.
The combined tractor/implement control system therefore simplifies the operation of farm machinery under vines. In addition to reducing the strain on the driver and increasing output, more exact guidance of these tools also enables the reduced use of other crop protection measures.
2. AGCO International GmbH, Switzerland, (Hall 20 stand B14)
Fendt IDEALDrive
While harvesting threshing crops, the steering wheel and the steering column impair the view of the harvested crop being pulled-in directly in front of the inclined conveyor. This is particularly true under difficult harvest conditions. Problems with crop flow recognised too late result in the consequence of possible clogging and downtime, and of overall threshing output.
With the Fendt IDEALDrive, AGCO provides an unobstructed view of the area directly in front of the combine harvester by dispensing with the steering column and steering wheel. The driver's seat is equipped with a left-hand armrest with a joystick. All the functions of the steering column – from the steering wheel to the turn signals – are integrated in it. The intensity of the steering commands are conversely proportional to the driving speed, increasing safety when driving on public roads at up to 40 km/h. The system meets the EU requirements for road approval.
The IDEALDrive is the first self-propelled agricultural machine completely operated with a joystick. In addition to the improved view, the manoeuvrability and operating comfort during harvesting work, and the overview when driving on public roads, and with it the safety, are increased. All in all, as in the construction machine sector, the system makes a contribution to increasing the efficiency of combine harvesting.
3. Alliance Tire Europe BV, Netherlands, (Hall 04 stand C28)
398 MPT - High Speed Flotation Truck Tire
Agricultural trucks, with drive and chassis technology designed for off-road use, are becoming increasingly important in European agriculture and forestry. Up until now, no suitable tyres were available for the rear axles of a large number of these vehicles where the inflation pressure could be reduced to a reasonable level in the field, while also allowing driving speeds of more than 65 km/h on the road at a higher inflation pressure.
The Alliance 398 MPT now enables fast driving on motorways and expressways and, due to the tread design and reduced tyre inflation pressure, offers excellent traction and reduced loading of the ground in fields and off-road. The design, with steel belts and a steel body, enables low heat-up at high driving speeds, driving safety and flexible adjustment to terrain with a reduced tyre inflation pressure.
With tyres like the Alliance 398 MPT, the border between arable land and asphalt is more "permeable", i.e. the lorry technology, which is considerably more energy-efficient on the road compared to tractors, can in some cases also be used for agricultural transport on fields under the more difficult ground conditions there.
4. AMAZONEN-WERKE H. Dreyer GmbH & Co. KG (Hall 09 stand H19)
AmaSelect Row
When hoeing row crops, the areas between the rows are processed, however the longitudinal spaces between the plants are not.
Currently, this gap in weed control cannot be closed with purely mechanical methods, however this is possible with a combination of special boom sprayers. Here the operating conditions of both systems must be seen as rather contrary. The hoe operates optimally under dry conditions and the crop protection agents are more effective with corresponding soil moisture.
The AmaSelect Row System enables the user to switch over from area application to boom application, without conversion measures and at any time, with a "standard" field sprayer in field operation in various row crops (sugar beets, maize, potatoes, etc.). For this purpose, the AmaSelect 4-fold nozzle body offers a 50 cm partial width switching and nozzle positions at a 25 cm and 50 cm distance with flexible switching of each individual nozzle. This unique nozzle body design enables row referencing with both 75 cm and 50 cm row widths without conversion measures. A nozzle configuration for the individual farm is equipped and programmed depending on the row width of the crops. The system can be switched over from boom application to the usual area application as desired at the press of a button. The desired application quantity for areas and boom application is stored in the control terminal. As a result, the application quantity is automatically adjusted during a function change, preventing overdosing in the boom.
The basic condition for boom application with this method is, of course, the exact position of the cultivated crop being captured during sowing by means of RTK, as well as exact track guidance. In addition, optimum boom positioning is assumed, as a combination of spraying angle and distance from the ground determines the width of the spray band. Using the special nozzles with a 40 degree spraying angle, a spray width of 25 cm results when it is 35 cm from the ground. This, of course, can be varied depending on the boom height.
Traditionally, boom spraying is often combined with mechanical weed control. With AmaSelect Row a decoupling of the two methods is achieved; each system can be optimally run accordingly, enabling the performance of both systems to be optimally utilised. As a result, the amount of crop protection agents used in row crops is considerably reduced without a loss of performance. That lowers costs while protecting the environment.