In parallel with research aimed at making its axles connected, the Adr group is also working on new construction solutions aimed at minimizing maintenance requirements.
In the last ten years, the most striking technological evolution in agricultural mechanization has concerned the digitization of machines and related components. A process that has not spared the axles, as well demonstrated by the most recent innovations in the sector introduced on its units by Adr Axles, construction solutions that will obviously be the protagonists of the stand set up by the Lombard multinational on the occasion of Eima 2021. In terms of digitization and The lion's share of connectivity will be the “Teknoax 2.0” axles, tubular assemblies made by plastic deformation and therefore free from welds that could undermine their solidity, as well as being much lighter for the same capacity than traditional and obsolete billet axles. The tubular structure also allows electrical wiring and pipes to pass through them, with the first possibility being exploited directly by the manufacturer to create an axle monitoring system both in terms of current and previous functional status. Using specific sensors and a dedicated control unit, the system stores all the main working parameters of the axle, from the loads supported to the working hours to the distances travelled, also checking the evolution of brake wear, information which is then made available and archived on PCs, tablets and smartphones.
Axles and pressures under control
The same system also allows tire pressure to be monitored, a parameter that Adr in collaboration with the German company Ptg now allows to vary to adapt it to existing activities and the funds on which it operates. The operator can then inflate the tires when going from the field to the road to minimize energy absorption, only to quickly return to minimum inflation pressures when returning to the field, so as to minimize soil compaction. Thanks to these solutions, even the axles can ultimately contribute to achieving those environmental protection objectives that are dominant today in agriculture and animal husbandry, it being understood that the possibility of making the groups connected and "intelligent" also allows the creation of trailers aligned in content with the most recent directives governing sectoral aid. The above while also increasing the efficiency of the trailers themselves. On the one hand it happens that thanks to the contained weights of the "TeknoAx" axles, the capacities are increased, on the other that, being able to carry out the relative interventions in predictive terms, machine downtime and costs due to maintenance are minimized. It should be noted that this latest return is not accidental, but is part of a precise design and research strategy, the same one that recently led to the launch of the "Ka" series tandem suspensions, leaf spring units capable of capacities ranging from four and 16 tons, therefore oriented towards the most demanding and severe uses, created by drawing on the experience gained in the automotive field. Therefore, light and stable parabolic profile leaf springs, robust fastening structures made with cast steel and, above all, articulation pins operating through bushings made with plastic fibers and rubber which eliminate any maintenance requirement at the root
So much so that the "Ka" series is proposed on the market with the slogan "Maintenance free". They cannot yet be defined as such, but the "HydroCompact" suspensions and the "Vario Track" axles are at the top of ADR production, with the former exploiting hydraulics to ensure a homogeneous distribution of the static and dynamic masses weighing on the wheels and the possibility of adapting the structure of the trailer to the activities in progress without jeopardizing the possibility of having steering systems and large section tyres. This is thanks to cylinders that do not protrude from the shape of the frame connected to the axle through a patented solution that reduces the fatigue stresses on the anchors. The "HydroCompact" suspensions represent the ideal compendium for the "TeknoAx" axles, just like the "VarioTrack" axle represents the optimal equipment for equipping high-end sprayers, vehicles called upon to operate on ever-changing inter-row spacings and which therefore must adapt to this parameter its own roadways. Until yesterday the operation had to be carried out in whole or in part manually, while today it is possible to manage it on the go by acting on the hydraulic distributors chosen to pilot the cylinders that arm the "VarioTrack". This is in fact made up of two fixed tubular groups capable of carrying capacities of around 15 tons inside which flow as many full body groups piloted by two hydraulic cylinders which, by exiting and re-entering the tubular sections, create the necessary track widths.
