Fliegl BUFFALO: A revolution in grassland harvesting

Rotor loading system with holding hopper opens up a new dimension in efficiency

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Fliegl BUFFALO is a completely new combination of rotor loading system, pickup, cutting rotor, holding hopper and overloading apparatus. Material is taken up, cut, stored in a holding hopper and overloaded onto the transport vehicle. Fliegl BUFFALO means continuous loading, continuous transport, full utilisation of capacity. The result is a harvesting process with unprecedented efficiency - a revolution in grassland harvesting. At the Agritechnica 2017, the Fliegl BUFFALO was awarded the Silver Innovation Award. A patent application has been filed for the all-in-one loading system.

Like all true innovations, the principle of the Fliegl BUFFALO is simple: the system is made up of the pickup, cutting rotor, holding hopper and overloading apparatus. Straw, hay and grass are taken up out of the swath by the pickup, chopped by an easy-pull cutting rotor, stored in the hopper and from there overloaded onto a transport vehicle. The harvesting process is in two phases, i.e. the Fliegl BUFFALO carries out the loading, holding, and overloading in phase one, and the removal is performed by one or more transport vehicles in phase two. This is fundamentally different from the corn shredder chain, which is organised in three phases, in which the crop is usually overloaded by the shredder onto a push-off trailer attached to a truck.

The method established by Fliegl BUFFALO is completely new: the loading assembly is continuously in operation in the field, is not involved in the removal transport, and does not have to be emptied. There is no switching between loading and transport. There are no more periods where the loading assembly is unproductive, and capacity utilisation rises to 100 percent.

The holding hopper acts as a buffer between the pickup and the overloading. This means that the loading assembly and overloading assembly can be switched on or off independently of each other. This brings a number of benefits compared with overloading systems without a hopper:

First of all, efficiency is increased: the Fliegl BUFFALO continues working just as before - even when no transport vehicle is available and during changes of transport vehicle. Secondly, collisions are avoided: in cramped areas, the Fliegl BUFFALO and the harvest wagon do not have to work close to each other. They can be temporarily separated; the BUFFALO goes on harvesting, then moves back alongside the transport vehicle and overloads both the material stored in the hopper and the newly harvested material at the same time. This increases working safety. Thirdly, harvesting losses are minimised: whereas the problems of coordination between the overloading assembly and the pickup assembly usually mean that harvested material falls to the ground, the Fliegl BUFFALO system can cover distances in the uncoupled state without losses. Fourthly, field hygiene is improved: if harvested material does not fall to the ground, then there can be no fermentation, or rotting, or fungal growth.

Fliegl BUFFALO offers the option of overloading by synchronised conveyor belts. Crop material is clamped between two parallel conveyor belts so that very dry material can pass over the belt without losses.

Fliegl BUFFALO has the very latest beacon technology for vehicle identification. Equipped with the FLIEGL TRACKER, the Fliegl BUFFALO can exactly identify any harvest vehicle fitted with the appropriate beacon and detect whether it is in the correct filling position. This is more than a common ultrasound sensor, which may be able to detect whether there are obstacles present, but not to determine their exact position, and certainly not their identity. A coupling with the Fliegl TRACKER means that, with Fliegl BUFFALO, activation/deactivation of the overloading belt can be controlled electronically.

Even the fill level in the BUFFALO holding hopper can be monitored electronically. Information about the exact fill level is important not just for the driver, but also for the functioning of the entire system. Overfilling can lead to blockages, and must therefore be avoided. If the maximum fill level is being approached, the electronics respond with the Tractor Implement Management (TIM) system and slow down the tractor as required. Overfilling of the hopper, with all its negative impacts on the machine, and the cleaning and possible repair costs, cannot occur.

Compared with the corn shredding chain, Fliegl BUFFALO has significantly lower energy costs, not only because the Fliegl BUFFALO consumes less fuel than a shredder, but also because the two-phase harvesting chain uses less energy than a three-phase one. Area output is increased with the Fliegl BUFFALO compared with a loader wagon. There is significantly less soil compaction compared with a push-off trailer or forage harvester.

As a single assembly, Fliegl BUFFALO has the capability to completely reorganise the entire hay harvesting process. The transport fleet, which is frequently present and well known with the shredder chain, can be used in full for harvesting the crop. The capacity of the loading assembly is utilised continuously. The Fliegl BUFFALO all-in-one loading system has greater impact compared with a loader wagon and raises the efficiency of the entire harvesting process.