The Fendt Former 12555 X. The future is electrified.

AGCO/Fendt has many years of research experience in the area of electric drive technology. In 2013, the agricultural equipment company presented its Fendt X-Concept project, the first results of a Fendt tractor which, in addition to the hydraulic connections and the PTO, also has a high-volt connection. Now, at the Agritechnica 2015, AGCO/Fendt is the first manufacturer to present a hay rake with an innovative integral electric drive. It has an electric motor integrated directly on the rake socket.

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In 2001, AGCO/Fendt already recognised the potential of electric drive technologies and began intensive research work, at first on an electric tractor ground drive. The goal was to develop electric machines and matching power electronics and an electric safety concept suitable for mobile use. These included considerations of how the electric power generated by an e-tractor can be transferred optimally to the implement. The hay rake now being presented, the Fendt Former 12555 X, is supplied with electricity by a 700-V direct current interface specified by the AEF (Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation) and has an integral electric drive for each rotor.

Electric drives are environmentally friendly

Fendt developed an exceptionally efficient torque motor for the Fendt Former 12555 X, which is integrated in each rake socket. A separate housing, bearings and gearbox are not required. Every motor is regulated independently via its own power electronics.

In addition to numerous benefits for the operation, adjustment and servicing of the Fendt e-hay rake, electric drives are more environmentally friendly than mechanical implements. This is apparent in its efficiency-optimised operation, which saves fuel – and therefore costs – and reduces the danger of grease and oil contaminating the fodder and environment.

Separate speed regulation in each rotor

Electric drives are simple, dynamic, can be regulated highly precisely and have numerous advantages over the conventional hydraulic and mechanical drives on hay rakes. For example, mechanically driven rotors cannot be regulated independent of each other. On the Fendt Former 12555 X, however, it is possible to adjust the speed on each rotor separately – independent of the engine speed and ground speed of the tractor. This makes it possible to react quickly and individually to the different structures of the forage crop.

Another advantage of the Fendt Former 12555 X is that it requires significantly less maintenance effort and causes less wear, since, for example, the electric implement does not have any joints that need to be greased and does not have any gear steps. Unique is also that each rotor can be stopped quickly and individually, for example, at the headland. This significantly reduces hazards for persons and machines. Additional cooling for the motor is not required.

The Fendt Former 12555 X, a four-rotor hay rake with a working width of 12.50 m, four rotors and twelve double tines, will be available on the market at the end of 2016.