CLAAS combines high-tech and design

Double success at the iF Design Awards 2017

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Modern agricultural machines are not just high-tech products – they can also score with their appealing industrial design. This is precisely what CLAAS has proven with two new products and has resulted in it once again being one of the prize winners of the internationally renowned iF Design Award.

This year’s iF Design Award Night 2017 ceremony were held at BMW Welt (BMW World) in Munich, where around 2,000 guests celebrated along with this year's award winners. Here, the high-performance CLAAS JAGUAR 900 forage harvester won an iF Design Award in the category “Product”, while the mobile GPS transmitter, RTK FIELD BASE, won a coveted iF gold award. Both products, which were in competition with 5,575 entries from 59 countries, won the jury over with their harmonious blend of technology and aesthetics.

"The JAGUAR 900 owes its success at the iF Design Award 2017 to the close and effective collaboration between CLAAS and the firm Budde Industrie Design from Münster," says Dirk Lahmann, Project Manager for the new JAGUAR. The JAGUAR 900 is a forage harvester in the highest performance category and used for harvesting green forage. According to the verdict of the jury, its contours follow the flow of material and epitomise performance and power right down to the chopper units. The high-quality machine provides a reliable and comfortable workplace with a good field of vision. In addition, all maintenance areas are easily accessible and are geared towards the needs of the user. The large air outlets at the back enable the optimal removal of hot air from the engine. The forage harvester has a striking appearance and is entirely harmonious in every detail.

The second CLAAS product to be presented with an award, the mobile GPS transmitter, RTK FIELD BASE, received an iF gold award. "It's not only in our machinery, but we also strive to achieve a perfect balance between function and form in our electronic components," said Christian Radons, Managing Director of CLAAS E-Systems, commenting on the award.

The RTK FIELD BASE fine-tunes normal GPS signals, transmits these up to six kilometres away and automatically steers entire agricultural fleets across fields with an accuracy of about 2 to 3cm. The CLAAS RTK FIELD BASE display differs significantly from competing products in that it allows customers to make all of the adjustments directly on the display without having to use external tools. All of the other design elements of the mobile transmitter are also designed to make the use of the transmitter as easy as possible; for example the handles, which make it easier to transport and set the unit up. The jury's verdict on the RTK FIELD BASE: "With this mobile base station CLAAS is not only setting standards in terms of technology. The device is a winner because of its outstanding operation and ability to adapt perfectly to operating conditions.”