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Machinery & Equipment

Expected battery cycles required per machine lifetime. (Image source: IDTechEx)

IDTechEx’s new report, ‘Battery Markets in Construction, Agriculture and Mining Machines 2024-2034’, showed that CAM machines require a diverse range of battery solutions to cater to their individual needs

It has taken around 15 years to convince car owners that battery power is a viable alternative to their fossil fuel comfort blanket. In the construction, agriculture, and mining (CAM) industries, electrification is an even steeper uphill battle. In these industries, if a machine runs out of battery, the operators will soon start losing money. Moreover, these industries have a broad spectrum of machines, each with unique use cases. In case of agriculture machines such as tractors, electrification presents some unique challenges.

Energy consumption

The first challenge is that the use case of tractors is incredibly energy-intensive. For the most part, the purpose of a tractor is to drag machinery through a field. Sometimes, this work is low intensity, such as mowing grass in large fields. Here, the mower attachment isn’t too heavy and creates little resistance with the ground. On the other hand, plowing a field creates lots of resistance and, therefore, uses lots of energy. Additionally, if a field has soft mud, the tractor will lose energy due to the tires slipping. When we compare a tractor and an excavator for example, although both machines have hard and similar workloads, the excavator is at its peak load only momentarily as it breaks through the ground while a tractor works at a constant near-peak capacity. From a battery standpoint, this means that the tractor needs substantially more storage to give the same run time.

Chassis size

While large construction machines have large chassis to incorporate the battery, tractor chassis are a little more compact. Additionally, large excavators can handle the weight of the battery, with many already having concrete ballasts for balance. Excessive weight however, could be an issue for tractors, especially when operating in wet mud. Tractors are also more sensitive to the location of the weight, preferring an even weight distribution across the wheels for the best stability in the mud. So, not only do tractors need more battery power per hour than other similarly sized CAM machines, but they also have tighter constraints on where that battery can go.

Uptime

Construction and mining machines tend to be in almost constant use, but many tractors have very seasonal work. They could sit dormant for large portions of the year, but come harvesting time on a large farm, they could be running 24/7 for days at a time. High uptime in peak season means that the battery needs to be capable of rapid charging to minimise downtime. This is typically tough on batteries, as regular fast charging can degrade their cycle life. However, on the positive side, sporadic usage means fewer cycles are needed over a vehicle’s lifetime. Many tractors have life expectancies of around 2,000-5,000 hours, whereas large excavators might operate more than 10,000 hours over their life span. A shorter life expectancy, with fewer cycles required, opens up battery options to more cutting-edge and emerging technologies.

Battery technologies

Today’s dominant battery technologies are Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), used almost ubiquitously throughout the automotive industry. NMC offers good energy density but typically recharges slower compared to LFP. LFP has compromised energy density but is cheaper and can be recharged more quickly. Both have plenty of cycle life for agricultural applications, but IDTechEx suggests that other emerging options with higher energy density could offer a better fit.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) and silicon anode batteries are two emerging technologies that might work well in tractors. Both offer improvements in energy density when compared to NMC and LFP, making it easier to put more kWh of battery capacity onto the tractor. Both offer good to high recharging performance, minimising downtime. Finally, both offer the equivalent or higher safety than LFP and NMC. Unfortunately, both technologies are also very new, still in the early stages of commercialisation, and therefore are very expensive. Solid-state batteries and silicon anode batteries make a good fit for agricultural machines from an engineering perspective, but unfortunately, they don’t quite make the business case, for now.

IDTechEx’s report considers a total of 15 machine types across construction, agriculture, and mining, evaluating the needs of each and matching them up against ten existing and emerging battery technologies. The report forecasts that SSB and silicon anode will have a small market share of battery demand for agricultural vehicles once they are more mature, but demand will still be dominated by NMC and LFP, even in 2034.

The Axial-Flow 260 series offers the new ActiveTrac four-roller hydraulic suspended track system having a larger footprint. (Image source: Case IH)

In May this year, Case IH announced the new Axial-Flow 260 series that offers unparalleled productivity, while also allowing growers to access subscription-free, integrated technology to meet the unique needs of their operations

Equipped with Harvest Command combine automation, the Axial-Flow 260 series automatically optimises settings to boost throughput and grain quality. Operators can also get easy access to real-time machine metrics, field performance and grain quality through high-resolution Pro 1200 Dual Displays.

Moreover, the all new RowGuide Pro and AccuGuide autoguidance systems enable growers to experience improved on-row accuracy, minimised header losses and less operator fatigue. These tech solutions, including AccuSync with in-field data sharing between multiple machines, are all provided with no subscription requirement.

The Axial-Flow 260 series also offers the new ActiveTrac four-roller hydraulic suspended track system which has a larger footprint that reduces compaction and increases flotation by 14% compared to fixed track offerings. Operators are also entitled to additional privileges like luxury seating that includes massage, heating, and new air conditioning technology, along with simple seat controls, to easily optimise the operator's comfort level during long harvest days.

“The Axial-Flow 260 series combine represents a significant leap forward in integrated technology throughout the harvesting process for growers,” said Leo Bose, harvesting segment lead at Case IH. “We purposefully bundled precision technologies so there are no subscriptions or activations required to run the machine. The subscription-free connectivity gives customers the ability to remotely view machine and agronomic data via the new Case IH FieldOps platform, which will launch later in 2024. The technology stays for the lifetime of the hardware, boosting resale value.”

Spectrim with LUCAi is very easy to operate thanks to the user-friendly interface. (Image source: TOMRA Food)

The Fresh Fruit Company of New Zealand (Freshco) recently implemented the new LUCAi upgrade package on its TOMRA Spectrim grading platform and found it to be a game-changer

This upgrade package for Spectrim includes Deep Learning models, pre-trained by vast datasets captured from TOMRA machines across the world and precisely labelled by TOMRA’s data science team. Thousands of high-resolution, multi-channel fruit images are assessed every second and cross-referenced with these datasets to make grading decisions. The technology enables the precise detection and classification of even the trickiest apple defects, such as splits and punctures across multiple varieties.

“The main defects are around the stem area. The splits are really hard to get around the stem, and you are forever working on the splits and punctures,” explained Robin Mudgway, Technology & Machinery manager at Freshco. “With LUCAi we get a model from TOMRA and then we just put our own severity and confidence into it.”

Moreover, the technology also enables operators to seamlessly switch varieties without slowing down the process, while also allowing customers to easily adjust the severity of grading parameters – something which previously had to be done by experienced operators – to cater to seasonal dynamics and market preferences. For example, a model that is making stem splits and punctures on Gala apples can also be switched to a different variety having the same defect, without making any adjustments.

“We deal with a lot of Royal Gala and Breeze apples, and they tend to have a lot of splits. LUCAi made it really easy to control that,” stated TOMRA Food senior application engineer, Glen Kaunds. “Production was not slowed down at all like it would have in the past. This means that throughput stays at a good pace within the shed.”

Spectrim with LUCAi also has a user-friendly interface, making it very easy to operate and track grades. More data, for instance, is visible on the platform with the percentage also being displayed upon making a change.

NOVACAT V 9200 CF for perfect swath placement. (Image source: Pöttinger)

Austrian agricultural machinery manufacturer Pöttinger's revolutionary mowing technology, CROSS FLOW is now available for the NOVACAT V 9200

This mower combination, NOVACAT V 9200 CF features impressively low weight and a low power requirement. Feedback from the field was the basis for this development, following demand for a cost-effective and straightforward system for merging swaths. CROSS FLOW works without a conditioner and is characterised by its low weight compared to conventional swath merging systems. This technology ensures optimum conservation of the forage and soil, as well as the running costs, thanks to the fuel savings.

Moreover, without a conditioner, the forage is handled extremely gently. Thanks to the closed trough shape, the forage is transported directly from the sward to the swath. This prevents forage losses, minimises dirt ingress and avoids disintegration losses.

The NOVACAT V 9200 CF with CROSS FLOW auger can be used very effectively both on grassland as well as with whole plant silage.

New Holland aims to bring autonomous solutions across all segments it serves, particularly in the speciality crop market. (Image source: CNH)

New Holland recently announced its multi-phase partnership with leading autonomous technology company, Bluewhite to enable the collaboration on distribution, manufacturing and integration of Bluewhite's autonomous solutions for New Holland tractors, thus enabling them to operate fully autonomously in orchards and vineyards among other specialty crop operations

Formerly known as Blue White Robotics, Bluewhite brings sustainable autonomous innovation to permanent crop growers worldwide, thus driving the growth of resilient farms. Using its AI-driven autonomous farm solution, the company leverages AI, sensor fusion, advanced vehicle integration and precision implements control to help growers manage their fleets and data.

New Holland aims to bring autonomous solutions across all segments it serves, particularly in the speciality crop market. Bluewhite's unique technology and proven capabilities in orchards and vineyards helps New Holland customers address immediate challenges, such as labor shortages and rising operational costs in the specialty crop market. Through a combination of savings in inputs, labour and maintenance costs, the technology has been successful in reducing operational costs by up to 85% depending on the specific use case.

“We’re incredibly excited about collaborating with CNH and New Holland to accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in the field that not only improve productivity and profitability for growers but also promote safe and sustainable methods of producing food,” said CEO of Bluewhite, Ben Alfi. “Our long-term partnership with CNH and New Holland combining leading autonomous technology with the best tractors and harvesters in the orchards and vineyards sector is a milestone in achieving our mission of making cutting-edge innovation accessible to the agriculture sector."

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