In Part 6 of our Agricultural Tyre feature, Commercial Tyre Business is focusing on how Continental’s components are helping ensure a ride with fewer vibrations, a lower vehicle weight and more comfort for the driver. Equally importantly, we find out how these factors also improve the tyre’s overall performance on the field.
Agricultural Components Breakthrough Ensures Easier Ride for Tyres
For this feature, Commercial Tyre Business is focusing on how transmission bushings can help improve the efficiency of a tractor. For the Fendt 200 Vario compact tractor line, Continental and Bavarian-based Fendt worked closely to ensure quieter, sturdier bushings for tractor engines with Continental supplying hose, pipe and PA lines, and engine connectors to Fendt for many years.
The transmission bushing component was developed jointly by AGCO/Fendt and Continental to reduce vibrations and noise in the driver’s cab of the Fendt 200 Vario and Fendt 200 V/F/P Vario tractor series. As well as a more comfortable ride, the optimised hose lines with fittings for tractor engines reduce the overall vehicle weight.
An additional benefit of the recently-finished bushings is that they can be used for all other Fendt models, no matter the size of the series. This policy is common to Fendt and unique in the industry.
“Engineers from both companies worked on a customised solution for new transmission bushings to reduce noise and vibrations in the cabin,” says Peter Bugaj, head of product development for vibration technology at Continental. “After two years of testing prototypes and trying them out in the field, they were able to come up with a finished product that ensures truck-level ride and work comfort.”
With Fendt 200 Vario tractors, there is low power to weight ratio – 4.280 kilogrammes, or 34 kilogrammes/horsepower. The entire range can be fitted with the TractorMaster series from Continental. This coupled with the N flex technology, special bead design and cleat technology, ensure the tyres are specially adapted for all-weather and surface types and help spare the soil from excessive soil compaction while maintaining a high yield.
Narrow Sizes and Extensive Research on Hose Lines for Fendt Tractors Ensures Greater Added Value Benefits for Customers
Size is also a factor for the Vario series. The narrowest size is just 1.07 metres wide, which suits work in narrow locations, such as vineyards and orchards. In the driver’s cab, the FendtONE operating concept, complete with a digital dashboard and a multifunction joystick enables smart farming applications and manoeuvrability. Ride comfort is improved by an innovation hidden under the hood, which relates to a reduction in vibrations and noise throught the specially developed transmission bushings that we alluded to earlier.
With Continental also offering composites for hydraulic, oil and fuel lines for Fendt lines, the partnership is bearing fruit within the specialised area of hose lines. “Customers like Fendt trust our specialised knowledge and the exchange of expertise within our group,” reports Arno Filker, hose expert at Continental. Continental has long been pooling its expertise between business areas. In this way, services and solutions come from a single source. That makes for streamlined processes and short coordination channels – saving partners time and money.
It’s fair to say that Continental is maintaining a strong focus on product solutions, be it the recent news on ContiSeal, or its work here helping increase the ride comfort for Fendt users. By helping provide solutions for its tyres to reduce soil compaction – a continual discussion point within the agricultural sector.
