SEVERAL new developments from Case IH won American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers awards recently.
Known as the AE50 awards, the ASABE titles recognise product excellence for the agricultural, food and biological systems industries in the past year.
Case IH won three awards this year for its 88 Series Axial-Flow combines, Magnum 335 suspended axle design and the Automatic Productivity Management system for its Steiger, Quadtrac and Magnum tractors.
Case IH's APM system automatically adjusts engine speed and transmission gear for maximum fuel efficiency. Case IH claims in some cases, fuel economy can be improved by up to 25 per cent.
The one-touch APM system is operator-friendly, according to Case IH marketing manager Stuart Brown.
The tractor driver selects "in field" or transport mode and the APM automatically adjusts the tractor's gear and engine to suit the load for maximum fuel efficiency.
As well as being offered on Case IH's Steiger and Quadtrac ranges, APM is standard on 2009 model Case IH Magnum tractors.
The AE50 awards are judged by a panel of industry experts who rank commercial impact, contributions to agriculture and engineering and advancements in engineering and technological significance.
"The awards illustrate our commitment to developing products that really work for our customers," Mr Brown said.
"We're always looking at ways to improve our equipment and build in productivity-enhancing features to deliver more value and profit to growers."
Case IH's Axial-Flow combines are available in six models, including three in the 88 Series.
The 88 Series combines represent a redesign from the ground up on previous models, and the range includes the 242kW 7088 model.
Innovations on the 88 Series noted by the AE50 panel included a quick-fold grain tank cover.
