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AE50 awards were given to the KUHN OptiWrap® OWR 6000 inline round bale wrapper, the hydraulically adjustable windrow merger on the KUHN FC 9330 D RA, the TwinPact plunger design on the KUHN SB 1290iD, and the Smart Soil TechnologyTM feature on the Excelerator® XT. All four machines are being recognized as some of the year’s most innovative designs in engineering products for the food and agriculture industries, earning a feature in the upcoming January/February 2022 special issue of ASABE’s magazine, Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World.
The KUHN OptiWrap® OWR 6000 inline round bale wrapper offers exceptional wrapping productivity with industry-leading pre-stretchers that have a 70% stretch ratio to minimize film and fuel use. This higher stretch ratio provides more efficient plastic utilization and better bale compression, reducing plastic cost per bale. The IntelliWrap™ system controls the wrapping process and allows the operator to easily adjust film layers, seam layers, load delay, and bale dimensions. IntelliWrap controls, combined with the optional FilmSense® system, can adjust pusher and hoop speed to maintain the target layers count even if a stretcher runs out or tears film during the wrapping cycle. The BaleEye photoelectric sensor accurately and reliably detects a bale on the loading platform with no mechanically moving parts.
The hydraulically adjustable windrow merger on the KUHN FC 9330 D RA is one of the most flexible merger systems in the triple mower conditioner segment. The belt speed and position are easily set from the cab, allowing customization of the windrow width from a narrow 5’11” to a wide 11’10”, the widest range in the industry. Additionally, each merger conveyor can be individually folded up and out of the way to make wide windrows without merging. The self-contained hydraulic system compensates for hilly terrain with the help of an onboard inclinometer to control the belt speed.
The KUHN SB 1290 iD TwinPact plunger offers higher bale densities without the need for a dramatically heavier baler and substantial increase in horsepower requirement to operate the baler. The split plunger design intelligently applies the force of a standard 3x4 square baler to half the area, twice. Combined with the longer bale chamber and nine hydraulic cylinders on the iD baler, this system increases bale density. The combination of fewer, denser bales with lower fuel consumption offers customers a lower cost of operation to make heavy, high-quality bales.
KUHN Krause Smart Soil Technology™ uses AEF certified ISOBUS electronic control to bring complete, on-the-go adjustment and multiple function fine tuning on the Excelerator® XT into the tractor cab for the first time. Smart Soil Technology provides “preset only mode” with up to eight user-defined presets, which can be saved, allowing the operator to make multiple adjustments simultaneously with a simple touch of a button. The AEF certified ISOBUS software provides true plug and play compatibility with other certified displays and provides a compatible system from one brand tractor to another without the need of additional equipment.
Companies from around the world submit entries to the annual AE50 competition and up to 50 of the best products are chosen by a panel of international engineering experts. The judges select innovative products that will best advance engineering for the food and agriculture industries.
Kuhn North America, Inc., of Brodhead, Wisconsin, is a leading innovator in agricultural and industrial equipment. KUHN offers a broad range of hay and forage, livestock, and crop production tools, as well as landscape and road maintenance equipment. KUHN, KUHN Knight and KUHN Krause products are sold by farm equipment dealers throughout the United States, Canada and many other countries.
