OEMs can now substantially reduce development times of agricultural equipment, thanks to Danfoss Power Solutions’ new simulation technology.
The analytical test model, developed in-house, is expected to cut the length of some stages of vehicle development from months to hours.
Machines with hitch controls and other complex systems require calibration in various conditions. This mean that the testing and refining phase of vehicle development can be expensive and arduous, but the introduction of Danfoss’ new testing method means time-to-market for many machines could be drastically shortened.
The new simulation model is the brainchild of Danfoss’s senior systems engineer Dr Thomas H Langer. He explained: “If you want to test the hitch control system on a tractor, you want to make sure that it works in all ground and weather conditions. You would need to either wait for the right weather or move the tractor hundreds, maybe thousands, of miles to find the right conditions for the test.
“This standard approach of testing obviously requires a lot of time and money, and also slows the development process.”
“With this new system, we can simulate the dry climate of southern Europe in 10 minutes, immediately followed by simulating the wet, moist climate of northern Sweden. We can repeat these tests and compare the different results to find the optimal system settings.” Langer said.
