The DLG (German Agricultural Society) hs announced the three winners of the 2022 Systems & Components Trophy – Engineers’ Choice. With this trophy, which has now been awarded for the second time, the DLG recognizes not only the inventive spirit of the supplier industry but also the important contribution to agricultural machinery.
From the shortlist of 20 nominated innovations, the jury, consisting of development engineers from the agricultural machinery industry, selected the final winners: Danfoss Power Solutions for its DDP096 Digital displacement pump, Robert Bosch for its Bosch Off-Highway Surround Sensing and Faster for its electronic Faster ABC (Always the Best Connection).
Systems and components play a key role in the development of innovative agricultural machinery. With the Systems & Components Trophy – Engineers’ Choice, DLG recognizses components or systems with novel or significantly improved concepts that can make a significant contribution to the development and production of agricultural machinery and other off-highway machinery.
Key evaluation criteria include practical significance for the industry, benefits in terms of profitability and processes, as well as for the environment and energy consumption, but also improvements in terms of workload and safety. The award is thus an ideal complement DLG’s renowned Agritechnica Innovation Awards for innovative products and machinery in agriculture.
DDP096 Digital displacement pump – Danfoss Power Solutions ApS
The digital displacement pump creates hydraulic fluid power with both high efficiency and controllability using solenoid valves to actively control each cylinder on a shaft turn by shaft turn basis, a new method. This offers a fast response rate and reduces losses by up to 90 percent compared to conventional pumps. A new feature this brings is that groups of cylinders can be brought out to the endplate and controlled independently, thus producing a multi-service pump within a compact package. Up to 3 separately controllable outputs from one pump body are possible with the current product.
Bosch Off-Highway Surround Sensing – Robert Bosch GmbH
To measure and maintain a determined distance between an off-highway vehicle including implement and any obstacle, radar and ultrasonic sensors can work together. For collision warning and avoidance, the system is useful e.g. for a sprayer boom or while harvesting grapes as it ensures that the harvester maintains the optimal distance to the vines. Thanks to the object localization, the system not only warns the driver, but also delivers exact distance and position of other objects e.g. in parallel driving mode. The radar sensors can determine the position and direction of up to 40 static or moving objects simultaneously. Suitable for harsh environments, the system complies with IP69K and with any E/E-architecture of mobile machinery. Also Bosch camera systems can be combined or used individually with the previously mentioned systems for environment display and sensor visualization.
Faster ABC (Always the Best Connection) – Faster S.p.A.
This new electronic system guides the expert user – for example a fleet manager, dealer or the manufacturer – to create and save an intended pairing between one tractor and one implement, an advantage when dealing with farm fleets consisting of multiple hydraulic implements to be connected with multiple tractors. The benefits are improved fuel efficiency, predictive maintenance information, and contribution to safety through minimization of operator error. The hydraulic quick release coupling functions as an “intelligent node” recognizing the intended pairing. Once created by an expert user, the saved hose connection is suitable for repeated use. A unique RFID tag on each hose identifies the implement while an ECU, which transfers the information to the tractor, automatically adjusts the level of hydraulic power. Because the system detects the proper insertion of the coupling, it can also alert the operator of any accidental coupling disconnection during machine operation.
For a full list of nominees visit the DLG website.
