John Deere wins SIMA gold and silver awards

Following a gold medal won by the 900 Series round baler at the SIMA 2011 show, John Deere has been awarded gold and silver for two of the company’s latest innovations.

Both will be on display on the John Deere stand at SIMA 2013 in Paris in February.

A gold medal has been awarded to the John Deere multi-fuel tractor.

This research machine features an engine that can be operated with different types of mineral or bio-based fuel, either individually or as blends, in a single tank.

Input sensors measure various properties of the fuel or blend in the fuel tank. Subsequently, the tractor’s electronic control unit (ECU) optimises the engine settings to comply with Stage IIIB/Interim Tier 4 emissions standards. Finally, a model based software programme analyses signals from the emission output sensors to check the specified engine setting parameters.

This single tank solution can be used with any pure or blended fuel, including plant derived biofuels produced on-farm.

However, if such a design was to be marketed in Europe, the relevant legislators would have to adapt the certification methods used for internal combustion engines in agriculture, which are currently based on diesel fuel only.

A silver medal has also been awarded to John Deere’s Remote Display Access (RDA). Due to be available from late 2013, this telematics solution allows remote access to the on-board GreenStar 2630 display unit.

This means the operator working on a tractor, combine harvester, self-propelled sprayer or forage harvester can receive immediate, real-time assistance from his fleet or farm manager, or from the dealer – for example, to get support for machine and implement set-up (including ISOBUS), optimisation and troubleshooting. With this innovative technology, potential machine downtime or insufficient use of the equipment in the field can be significantly reduced.

When required, the operator calls the relevant expert for assistance on a mobile phone.

From anywhere in the world, that person can then log on via a dedicated website and view the machine’s on-board display screen on their own computer, tablet or smart phone. This application is a new addition to John Deere’s FarmSight initiative, which includes a range of machine and logistics optimisation and agricultural decision support features.

Both these new award-winning technologies have been developed by John Deere’s European Technology Innovation Centre (ETIC) in Kaiserslautern, Germany, in close collaboration with the company’s various research and development departments and external research partners.