Hydraulic and Electric Drivetrain Solutions

Bonfiglioli solutions for agricultural sprayers have been exhibited at Agritechnica 2023

Italy-based Bonfiglioli exhibited at Agritechnica 2023 its solutions for sprayers and feed mixers but also ventured into the growing market of field robotics.

Manuel Cortesi, AG Market Sales Manager at Bonfiglioli’s Mobility & Wind Industries division, explained the company’s new developments in drivetrains for agricultural machinery: “We are showing our 600 WE Series of planetary wheel drives, which have been introduced to the market already and are in serial production.

“The 600 WE can be coupled to Bonfiglioli’s high-power density electric motor instead of a conventional hydraulic one.” This integrated solution responds to the demands of the market for electrification and reduces fuel consumption and the risk of oil spills.

The electric motor is available in a full range of powers, delivering torque (at the gearbox output) from 4 000 to 40 000 Nm; the Series is also available with a compact, integrated dynamic service brake.

“We are also showcasing our 709TS gear unit for feed-mixers which is easily interchangeable with market standards,” said Cortesi. “This unit has undergone extensive field testing that have proven its reliability.”

The 709TS gear unit for feed-mixers.

The more innovative Bonfiglioli solutions though are related to applications in field robotics. The company showed wheel drives with integrated electric motors developed for two customers. “The first system was engineered ad-hoc for an autonomous electric wheeled viticulture robot and combines a brushless permanent magnet motor BPM Series with a MP Series planetary gearbox and an electro-magnetic parking brake.” Cortesi added that this design resulted in a versatile and silent robot with 94% performance at standard rating.

“The second solution is the 701 CE tracked wheel drive with BPM Series motor and was designed for FieldRobotics, an Italian start-up based in Bologna,” he said.

Both electric solutions contribute to the manufacturers’ aim of shielding the fields from chemicals and dust, thereby making the machines greener, ensuring winemakers and farmers the privilege to offer a premium crop.

According to Cortesi, the developments in electrified components are opening up new markets: for example, the utilization of small electric motors to activate a hydraulic pump are allowing the company to tackle applications like wheel loaders or turf equipment which were not in Bonfiglioli’s portfolio of traditional mechanical components.

For the market of agricultural machinery, Bonfiglioli also offers its Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS) which is a 600 W Series wheel drive with an integrated compressed air circuit. “This system allows to change the pressure of the tyres to optimize the use of the agricultural vehicle when traveling on road and when working in the field; the operator has a controller in the cab from which the system can be managed.”

Cortesi explained that Bonfiglioli’s CTIS has the advantage of being completely integrated in the machines, in comparison with other tyre inflation systems on the market which are composed of external circuits demanding additional space requirements and complexity while also being exposed and sensitive to ambient conditions.

Read more about exhibitors and new products at Agritechnica 2023 in the 1Q issue of Power Progress International, HERE