Innovative new technologies from AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO) garnered six 2016 AE50 Awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). Winning products are selected based on their innovation, significant engineering advancement and impact on the market served. The winning products from AGCO include the Fendt® 500 Vario® tractors, Sunflower® SF9830NT single-disc air drill, Sunflower SF6830 high-speed rotary finisher, 3300 Command™ Series corn head, Hesston by Massey Ferguson® 2200 Series ProCut™ large square baler and the Hesston by Massey Ferguson WR9800 Series RearSteer™ SP windrower, which also has also been recognized as World Ag Expo 2016 Top 10 Winner.
“These award-winning innovations are a few of our latest advancements built to make a real difference in the field and on the customers’ bottom line,” says Karsten Pedersen, director, Strategic Marketing at AGCO. “Based on the needs and desires of customers, AGCO’s designers focus on bringing to market products that help our agriculture customers improve their efficiency, productivity and profitability. We’re proud to have their efforts recognized with the AE50 awards.”
The AE50 award program is sponsored by Resource, the membership publication of the ASABE, to emphasize the role of new products and systems in bringing advanced technology to the marketplace. The awards were presented Feb. 9 during ASABE's annual Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference (AETC).
AGCO AE50 Award Winners
Fendt 500 Vario tractors meet the needs of operators who demand more with less. Providing award-winning German engineering, the Fendt 500 Vario tractors range from 110 to 150 HP (107 to 137 PTO) consolidating proven innovations from Fendt’s high-horsepower tractors to expand the product line in North America. The tractors are equipped with the Varioterminal™ display which provides control of all functions for tractor and implement, including the VarioGuide™ automatic steering system, VarioDoc™ documentation system and built-in camera function. The Fendt VisioPlus cab curves up into the roof for nearly triple the upward angle of sight, making these tractors ideally suited for loader work.
The Sunflower 6839 high-speed rotary finisher is specifically designed for high-speed operation and high residue flow unattainable with traditional shank-equipped finishers and cultivators. It produces a consistently smooth, level seedbed combining four types of rolling, ground-engaging tools in a three-step process: spherical disc blades and reels, wavy coulters and Sunflower-exclusive Rolling Spider tines. Unlike many vertical tillage tools, the 6830 can build a perfect seedbed in one pass. It is the first Sunflower tool to be equipped with Sunflower’s maintenance-free disc gang bearings.
Sunflower 9830NT Series single-disc air drill is a single-rank, single-disc-opener system that provides high-speed seeding performance. The 175-bushel central-fill tank consists of two commodity chambers in a 60/40 split for seed capacity of 5.83 bushels per foot. The seed is accurately metered through a stainless steel venturi-type metering system with a dedicated meter flute for each row. The IOS task controllers and electric meter drives provide responsive rate change with three-section zone control and seeding rate turn compensation. The AgControl™ system controls each meter shaft by section. This new air drill has a 30 ft. (9.1 m) working width and narrow 11 ft.-five in. (3.5 m) transport width.
AGCO’s 3300 Command Series corn head offers the latest technology to support harvesting higher yields from tougher stalks at a faster harvesting rate yet with reduced header loss of both kernels and cobs. The low-density polyethylene snouts feature a new geometry, allowing smoother feeding without butt-shelling and ear bounce. The redesigned gathering chains and lugs are synchronized to the large 20-inch auger that reaches over the gatherer and row units, providing top performance in down corn. The chopper position and swing diameter minimize intake of plant material. The horsepower required to drive the 3300 Series header was optimized to save up to 20 percent compared to a leading competitor. The 3300 Series is available in non-chopping and chopping models, with the chopping function easy to dis-engage.
The Hesston by Massey Ferguson 2200 Series ProCut Large Square Baler has been designed to deliver a more uniform and consistent cut length. It is equipped with wider, bolt-on rotor teeth and two hydraulically selectable knife banks to allow operators the ability to quickly engage or disengage the knives and to change cut lengths through the monitor. The rotor teeth can easily be replaced if a foreign object is encountered. For improved capacity, the new re-designed rotor promotes aggressive and even crop flow to bale edges, while keeping the packer fork system in place. The ProCut is also equipped with a hydraulic drop down and slide out knife bed drawer, giving the operator easy access to all knives with no tools required, improving service access and maintenance time.
Hesston by Massey Ferguson WR9800 Series RearSteer SP Windrower provides easier transport, higher travel speed and enhanced machine stability at higher speeds. With the RearSteer option, a draper head can be towed with the windrower at up to 20 mph (32 kph). Using fully active hydraulic cylinders for true rear steering, this top-of-the-line option provides stability and driver comfort at up to 24.5 mph (39 kph) without a header and without the need for additional ballast, cab or rear axle adjustments. This new feature can be engaged from the cab.
For more information on these new products, visit your nearest AGCO dealer or visit www.agcocorp.com
About the AE50 Program
The AE50 award program is sponsored by Resource, the membership publication of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), to emphasize the role of new products and systems in bringing advanced technology to the marketplace. As many as 50 winning engineering developments were chosen for their value in helping farmers, food processors and equipment manufacturers cut costs, enhance quality and increase profits.
The annual AE50 recognition program honors companies offering the best products engineered for agricultural, food, biological and related systems available on the market for the first time in 2015. A panel of blue-ribbon international experts in these fields chose the winners.
About ASABE
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers is an educational and scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering and technology for sustainable agricultural, food, and biological systems. Members are consultants, educators, executives and others who uniquely understand the interrelationships between technology and living systems. Founded in 1907 and headquartered in St. Joseph, Michigan, ASABE comprises 8,000 members from more than 100 countries.
