Partnership for production

Ease of installation and global support were key in MTS-Sandei choosing Volvo Penta to supply engines for its harvesters

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Italian manufacturer, MTS-Sandei, has been making harvesting machines for nearly 15 years, and is now a global leader, producing more than 100 units per year. Initially focusing on tomato harvesters, it now also makes units to harvest other crops, including strawberries, cucumbers, onions and peppers. In 2015 MTS decided to install Volvo Penta engines in all its new and upcoming machine ranges. Two of its popular units are the THV800 and its TH400. The company is now launching a new tomato harvester series that includes the THR650, THR750 and THR850, which are equipped with Volvo Penta’s 8-liter TAD871VE and TAD851VE engines.

“We needed an engine with high torque at low rpm that was also easy to install,” says Andrea Zanoli, operations manager. “As we sell our harvesters to companies that operate all over the world, with different emissions regulations, we wanted to ensure that the same machine could be fitted with a Stage IV or Stage IIIA engine with no extra effort.

“Some of our customers often don’t know where in the world the machine they purchase from us will end up – so it’s important that we can fit the right engine on the machine at the last minute, depending on its country of use. The Volvo Penta D8 engine is easy to install and has the same footprint in both versions, so that’s crucial for us”.

High uptime for a short harvesting timeframe

MTS was founded in 2003 and added the Sandei brand of harvesters to its agricultural fleet five years later. Its machines pick up the fruit or vegetables and the soil and stones together, and implement mechanical procedures through the optical sorters to separate them, until the crop alone is placed cleanly in the trailer. The machines can be customized with a range of attachments to suit the customer’s needs. The new THR harvester series has a new transmission and performs more efficiently than the THV series that was launched in 2016. It also features a completely new cabin and controls for enhanced operation and ergonomics.

An absolute priority of harvesting machines is that they need to be ready when the produce is – and have a short timeframe within which they can operate before the crop deteriorates. As such, high uptime and engine reliability are fundamental for the success of harvester manufacturers. Thanks to the premium engineering that goes into Volvo Penta engines, they have very low downtime, ensuring that the harvesters are able to work when needed.

MTS-Sandei’s customers have high expectations of the machines and therefore require an engine that gives high performance, along with low fuel consumption and emissions. In addition, with customers and machines operating around the world, it is vital for MTS-Sandei to be able to rely upon the Volvo Penta Action Service network, assisting customers wherever they are in the world, 24/7, in 28 languages.

“Our customers often operate in remote parts of the world and, due to the perishability of the produce they work with, it’s important that if things go wrong they know they can get quick and efficient support – in their own language,” adds Zanoli.

Global service for customers

Volvo Penta’s TAD871VE is an off-road, 6-cylinder, 7.7-liter diesel engine. It features common-rail fuel injection, overhead camshaft, and variable geometry turbo. Optimized SCR technology and a cooled EGR contribute to efficient combustion. The TAD851VE is also a 6-cylinder, 7.7-liter diesel engine. MTS-Sandei will be installing Volvo Penta’s EU Stage V engine solution in its machines upon the implementation of new emissions regulations.

“We have been working with MTS-Sandei for several years now, and it shows that they value our engines and service by continuing to choose us as a supplier for their new harvesters,” says Renato Deda, Volvo Penta’s sales manager, Italy and Spain.

“Our engines provide high uptime, low operating costs, ease of installation, and a great service network around the world. As a company, MTS-Sandei has grown well over nearly 15 years, and we’re pleased to be able to partner with them so that their customers get the best production of crops.”

Volvo Penta is displaying its products in Hall 16 Stand C23, at Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany, from November 12-18. MTS-Sandei will be on the Casella Macchine Agricole Srl stand (Hall 21 Stand J24) at Agritechnica.