Tyre pressure tech snags gold

Tyre expert Trelleborg has joined forces with German ag-machinery manufacturer FENDT to develop an autonomous wheel system capable of adjusting the pressure of a combine harvester's tyre automatically according to the load that it is carrying, in order to reduce soil compaction.

The Variable Inflation Pressure (VIP) system has been awarded a gold medal at the 2017 SIMA Innovation Awards, announced at a pre-exhibition press conference recently ahead of the main event in February 2017. The awards, launched in 1931, aims to acknowledge product and technological innovation in the global agricultural industry.

"To receive the 'SIMA Innovation Award' Gold Medal is a tremendous honour for us," says Trelleborg Agricultural and Forestry Tyres President, Paolo Pompei.

"It gives us great pride that the agricultural industry recognizes Trelleborg’s long-standing commitment to developing innovative solutions."

The VIP system consists of a set of sensors measuring several parameters including load, pressure and temperature; as well as an electronic central processor controlling a compressor and a valve to adjust the tyre pressure. The system is directly integrated on the tyre rim.

"By determining and adopting the right tyre pressure without manual intervention, farmers can reduce soil compaction by over 10 per cent, resulting in a five per cent higher crop yield," says Trelleborg Agricultural and Forestry Tyres R&D Director, Piero Mancinelli.

"This can be achieved while allowing full connectivity with the farm network, mainframe as well as VIP App interface and machine fleet.

"We are continuing to test the VIP system in the field for several crops in the most demanding applications prior its official concept launch at the 2017 SIMA Exhibition in Paris."

Aside from Trelleborg's VIP system, another tyre technology developed by MICHELIN, named the MICHELIN EVOBIB, has also been awarded a gold innovation medal by the SIMA committee.

The 2-in-1 tyre allows farm machinery to move from field to road with ease, thanks to the tyre's unique tread pattern and design. When inflated to road pressure, only the central portion of the tread pattern, which has been designed to target road performance, is in contact with the ground.

When restored to field pressure, the tyre widens and expands, allowing the entire tread to be in contact with the ground. It limits sliding, and allows surface soil to be spread evenly under all the studs, hence minimising soil disruption and compaction.

A series of innovations including Case IH and New Holland's autonomous tractor concepts, as well as John Deere's electric tractor prototype have been given silver or special mention awards, all of which can be seen in the flesh at SIMA next year.

The SIMA agricultural trade show will be held in Paris from February 26 to March 2, 2017.