Smart farming systems for Vicon Variable chamber RV 5000 Series

New innovations for enhanced operator comfort and improved productivity.

Auto Feed Control (AFC)

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Vicon has invested heavily into developing new baling solutions, with a particular focus on operator comfort and productivity. The AFC system is an integral part of this continued research.

During normal baler operation in many field conditions, the tractor driver has to weave from left to right during the bale formation process in order to achieve correct bale chamber filling and a consequent good bale shape.

With the patented AFC system these operations become redundant. AFC comprises a hydraulically operated baler drawbar which can steer the baler independently of the tractor, this is operated via a hydraulic valve controlled by the bale chamber filling indicators. During the bale formation phase, chamber filling indicators are interacting with the AFC system and the baler will shift its position to the right or left hand side to ensure an ideal chamber filling pattern.

The AFC reduces stress on the operator, who now only has to focus on keeping an optimum cruising speed, while just driving over the centre of the windrow.

These benefits can result in significantly higher productivity and the production of perfectly shaped, dense bales for optimal wrapping and/or stacking.

Last but not least, there is also a potential fuel saving due to the shorter path need to be taken by the tractor.

New Techno-Pack

The new Techno-Pack has been developed to offer professional farmers and contractors the optimum solution in terms of crop harvesting management.

The Techno-Pack will be available as an option on all ISOBUS compatible RV5000 series variable chamber models. The system consists of two complementary elements, namely, humidity measurement and bale weight measurement

Humidity measurement system

The moisture level of the crop entering the bale chamber during the baling process is continuously measured and displayed on the baler terminal.

A sensor plate mounted in the lower part of the main bale chamber is equipped with a pair of electrodes which pass an electric current through the incoming crop. The system then calculates the percentage of moisture inside the bale, based on the well-established principle that “more water in the crop = better electric conductivity”. This system displays the moisture content in real time, and is able to detect moisture levels up to around 50%. The driver is able to decide at any time if the crop is suitable for baling, or whether he needs to stop according to the conditions and in order to be sure of always getting the best forage quality.

Integrated bale weighing system

The second element of the Techno-Pack is an integrated bale weighing system.

This features two load cells directly incorporated in the wheel hubs of the baler, plus an additional third reference cell, to which a known weight is attached, which is located on the chassis. The two weigh cells in the hubs continuously measure the load on the axle, while the reference cell provides compensation for the effect of working on slopes, along with compensation for machine movement.

Bale weight measurement has obvious benefits for crop harvesting management, where total and individual tonnages per field or customer are able to be recorded, instead of the rather arbitrary ‘total number of bales’ for a given area. The system could also be used to set the weight of the bale as a fixed element of the baling process - letting the baler decide when the bale is finished, based on weight and not based on diameter or density as it is today, which could be interesting for animal ration control for example.

The Techno-Pack illustrates the further application of technology, providing users with an enhanced level of information in order to manage every aspect of crop production, cost control and accountability.

Vicon has received requests from a diverse range of markets for the features contained in the Techno-Pack and expects it to rapidly become an indispensable option for professional farmers and contractors who care about harvesting the best crop quality for their customers.