TECHNICAL INNOVATION CONTEST EIMA INTERNATIONAL 2022

• The exclusive RVshift transmission was awarded the prize for technical innovation for the ability to offer an user experience which combines the advantages of a powershift transmission with those of a CVT.
• Two special mentions for merit in the "Technical Innovation" category for Ultrasonic Guidance and EasyBUS. 

Bologna (BO), 5 october 2022 – SDF is one of the world's leading manufacturer of tractors, harvesters and diesel engines. The group operates through the SAME, Deutz-Fahr, Lamborghini Trattori, Hürlimann, Grégoire and Vitibot brands, which have earned a reputation among their customers as machines with advanced technology and superior on-board comfort delivering unparalleled productivity in any situation. The group's goal has always been to offer the market state the art products which maximise productivity both in the field and on the road with continuously evolving innovative features. SDF is proud to announce that it will be taking part in EIMA 2022, where it will be presenting numerous new technological innovations and products which, among other things, have earned the group 1 prize and 2 special mentions for merit in the "Technical Innovation" category.

The exclusive RVshift transmission was awarded the prize for technical innovation for the ability to offer an user experience which combines the advantages of a powershift transmission with those of a CVT. This ground-breaking electronically controlled hybrid transmission offers the user 20 pre-defined, perfectly spaced, powershift stages for speeds from 1.5 to 50 Km/h forward. Depending on the needs, it can be equipped with a creeper function with infinitely variable ratios, for speeds from 0.02 – 5 Km/h.

The new RVshift transmission deliver extraordinarily high levels of transmission efficiency as well as many smart features which have been developed with the target, to ensure an ease of use and maximum comfort. The new PowerShuttle electro-hydraulic reverse shuttle with its 5 user-selectable responsiveness levels allows the direction inversions in complete safety and without having to touch the brake pedal, even on steep gradients while under load and at any speeds. The Stop&Go function which lets the operator stop, hold the tractor and set off again using the brake pedal only, makes work significantly less strenuous even when using a front loader. Also for the new RVshift transmission the hydraulic engine brake (HEB) is available which maximises the engine braking effect when driving downhill. A feature unique of HEB is the possibility, to set the braking force in 10 steps, allowing the driver to cope with any kind of slopes.

The full powershift concept of the new RVshift transmission with its outstanding features, together with a new and intuitive control interface and an ultra-ergonomic joystick, convinced the panel of judges to pick this innovative hybrid transmission as the winner, in a testament to its extraordinary user-friendliness and productivity.

Another technical innovation from the SDF group deemed worthy of mention by the EIMA panel was Ultrasonic Guidance, a system for vineyard and fruit orchard tractors which uses ultrasonic sensors to enable automatic guidance between the rows. This innovative automatic guidance system, which will be in a second step also available as a retrofit kit, emits a continuous stream of ultrasonic pulses which bounce off the plants and are detected by specific sensors. The resulting signals are processed by an electronic control unit to calculate with centimeter precision the distance between the tractor and the plant and automatically steer the tractor through the rows. This system is also capable of automatically determining the foliage density in each individual point, providing invaluable data for variable rate application crop treatment.

One more innovation cited for merit by the panel of the competition was EasyBUS, an app for Android and iOS based mobile devices developed in collaboration with XFarmTechnologies. The APP is an universal, open system conceived specifically to allow the use of field prescription maps regardless of whether or not the tractor or implement are ISOBUS-capable. EasyBus displays the quantity of product to be applied, in relation to the position of the machine and the map loaded, on the screen of the user's smartphone and allows therefore an adequate adjustment by the operator. All standard formats currently used in agriculture are supported. EasyBUS is a solution which allows operators with legacy technology machines, to access and use precision farming methods simply and inexpensively. Additionally, when used in conjunction with SAME and DEUTZ FAHR machines, EasyBus can also connect to the vehicle via Bluetooth and display certain tractor information.