Agritechnica 2023: robust NSK bearings support soilfriendly farming solutions

<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20231013/1697169940829867.png" title="1697169940829867.png" alt="1.png"/></p><p style="text-align: justify;">At Agritechnica 2023 (12-18 November, Hanover, Germany) NSK will address a trio of&nbsp;hot topics impacting the agriculture sector: sustainable tillage, chemical-free weed&nbsp;control and the use of robotics. From Stand C12 in Hall 15, the company will&nbsp;demonstrate its prowess in helping agricultural machinery manufacturers leverage&nbsp;the latest bearing technologies to drive better performance, sustainability and&nbsp;economy. Visitors to the stand will see three examples of real-life customer systems&nbsp;that use NSK’s innovative bearing solutions.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Continuous lubrication systems and optimal sealing are among the differentiating attributes<br/>that ensure NSK bearings deliver long life, even in challenging operating conditions. The<br/>best way to validate this claim is to showcase successful projects, which is precisely the<br/>company’s approach at Agritechnica. All of the customer solutions on display will relate to<br/>sustainable weeding and maintenance systems that help the agriculture industry replace<br/>glyphosate and preserve the ground in an environmentally friendly way.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A case in point is the FarmDroid FD20 ecological and CO2-neutral automatic weeding and<br/>seeding robot with solar panel. Thanks to autonomous 24-hour operation without external<br/>energy costs, FarmDroid estimates a payback period of around 12 months for those<br/>investing in its FD20.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In terms of operation, the FD20 uses a GPS signal to mark the placement of crops at<br/>seeding and subsequently performs mechanical weed control, both between and inside the<br/>rows. To execute these tasks in a reliable manner, the FD20 takes advantage of NSK’s<br/>6004 series precision deep-groove ball bearings with DDU seal on both sides to prevent the<br/>ingress of contamination. Further supporting the robustness of this bearing are inner and<br/>outer rings made from NSK’s proprietary ES1 stainless steel material, which provides better<br/>corrosion resistance than standard martensitic stainless steel without any compromise in<br/>hardness. The result? Reduced maintenance and downtime costs.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another key customer exhibit on the NSK stand will be the Ferri front flail mower for<br/>embankment and edge trimming. Attaching to implement carriers such as the Unimog, the<br/>Ferri flail mower is ideal for maintenance tasks around the farm. These innovative mowers<br/>take advantage of NSK Agri Disc Hubs: double-row angular contact ball bearings with a<br/>split inner ring that absorbs high axial and tilting forces during motion. Housed in a robust<br/>unit, NSK supplies Agri Disc Hubs with customer-specific dimensions and a combination of<br/>labyrinth and contact seal designs to prevent both the ingress of contaminants and the<br/>escape of grease.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">NSK’s spotlight will also shine on the Adelhelm vineyard/orchard roller hoe for mechanical<br/>weeding. This type of mechanical tillage system enables chemical-free weeding, while<br/>simultaneously providing optimal soil preparation. In these rotary hoes, which do not require an external drive, NSK Agri Disc Hubs ensure low-friction roller rotation in challenging operating conditions that include the presence of stones, dust, dirt, moisture and shock loads.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Even under extreme duress, Agri Disc Hubs – and thus the equipment they serve – deliver<br/>a service life that is several times greater than that of other commercially available<br/>solutions. Furthermore, the modularity of these cost-effective, self-lubricating, ready-toinstall units ensures fast adaptability to specific requirements.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">NSK will also present a variety of other industry-specific bearing innovations at Agritechnica<br/>2023, mostly produced at its factory in Neuweg, Munderkingen, Germany. The plant,<br/>founded in 1954 as a rolling bearing production facility for a leading agricultural machinery<br/>manufacturer and taken over by NSK in 1990, has particularly flexible production facilities.<br/>This capability creates the potential to produce even small batch sizes of customer-specific<br/>rolling bearings with high efficiency.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">“We have decades of experience and knowledge regarding the operating conditions of<br/>rolling bearings in agricultural machinery,” states Gregory Paczek, Agricultural Technology<br/>Industry Manager at NSK. “Our track record of supporting agricultural OEMs in the<br/>development of new and sustainable solutions is second to none, as visitors to Agritechnica<br/>will discover.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p><p><br/></p>