“Lowe Manufacturing is highly respected for the quality of its attachments used in fencing, construction, landscaping, rental, contracting, utility, or agricultural applications. Richard and Mary Lowe have done an outstanding job growing the company and enhancing the Lowe products and brand. We are excited about maintaining the Lowe brand, the company’s people, and its locations in western Wisconsin.”

said Randy Schickert, president, and CEO of Berlon Industries.

The combination of these two financially healthy organizations will continue to partner with equipment dealers throughout the U.S. for sales of their attachments. Those dealers will have a broader selection of buckets and attachments available from the combined business.

Richard Lowe will retire from the company, which was founded in 1971, while Mary Lowe will remain with the business.

“Berlon looks to be a perfect fit for a continuation of Lowe Manufacturing. Their business model is in line with the Lowe model, which is based on quality products made by dedicated and talented people, and an entire staff that cares deeply about the customer.”

Richard Lowe said.

Richard Lowe added that Berlon’s commitment to maintaining the Lowe brand, people, and facilities was an important factor in the acquisition agreement. All staff at both Lowe Manufacturing and Berlon Industries will be retained.

The acquisition includes the Spiral Metals, LLC, division of Lowe Manufacturing, which specializes in non-standard helicoid flighting, sectional flighting, and conveyor screws. The spiral products are used within Lowe’s attachments and sold to outside customers.

Innovation, product quality, and extensive knowledge of the use of buckets and attachments have been key aspects of the success and growth of both Berlon Industries and Lowe Manufacturing. That innovation includes Berlon’s “Snowgrr” which adds tremendous efficiency in snow removal at distribution centers, its Material Long Bucket for removing material underneath conveyors and other equipment, and Lowe’s XR Series of trenchers.

Source: Berlon Industries

The post Berlon Industries Acquires Attachment Company Lowe Manufacturing appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

The Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) announced today it is introducing the updated AEF ISOBUS Database (DB) app to give agricultural equipment dealers, manufacturers and end users a convenient way to access its database, the only comprehensive repository of all ISOBUS compatible products in the world. Users may now easily drill down by brand, product, or ISOBUS functionality to confirm product compatibility while in the office or in the field, for free.

“With so many different manufacturers creating a wide scope of agricultural products around the world, when you start using different brands together, they are not always technologically compatible,”

said Andrew Olliver, Vice Chairman, AEF.

“However, when products all share the same ‘nerve system,’ more commonly known as the ‘ISOBUS,’ they communicate seamlessly. The AEF ISOBUS DB app identifies which products on the market are compatible and are ISOBUS-certified.”

Through the AEF’s app, the agricultural equipment community may now look up a product’s ISOBUS compatibility, find information if a customer is having trouble in the field, research ISOBUS compatibility of new equipment and accessories, or identify ISOBUS functions. Information can be shared with others through the app using messaging tools such as WhatsApp or email.

Only products that are AEF ISOBUS certified are listed in the AEF ISOBUS Database. Currently there are approximately 80 companies listing their certified ISOBUS products in the database, a number that keeps growing.

“This is an incredibly useful tool, especially for ag equipment dealers, when they have to advise their customers on their next ISOBUS equipment purchase,”

said Olliver.

“Dealers will find the app’s new module and option views essential.”

In the app’s module view, users can view detailed information about ISOBUS products, such as the

individual controllers to see exactly which functionality they support. This helps dealers make product recommendations, as well as diagnose service compatibility issues. The option view provides the ability to view the compatibility of multiple product features.

Download the new AEF ISOBUS DB app today (Mobile App – AEF Online (aef-online.org)) and create an account for free. Or, you can find the new app by searching “AEF ISOBUS DB” in Apple’s App Store or in Google Play. Available for Android and iOS smartphones, the app allows users to create a free account for 24/7 access on the go.

For more information about AEF please visit: www.aef-online.org

The post AEF Introduces ISOBUS Database App for Mobile Convenience appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

U.S. total farm tractor sales climbed 2.5 percent in September compared to 2020, while U.S. self-propelled combine sales jumped 34.6 percent, the third month in a row of growth near or above 20 percent for harvesters. The sub-40hp stayed moderately positive, growing 0.4 percent, while the mid-size 41-100 hp segment was up 2.4 percent. Heavy-duty units saw another big month, with 100+hp units up 23 percent, however, the articulated 4WD segment slowed just 1.3 percent. Year-to-date farm tractor sales remain up 12.2 percent and combine growth moved up to 17.3 percent.

For Canada, September monthly tractor and combine sales were mostly positive as well, with both ag tractors and combines finishing the month in the black. The sub-40hp segment was up 13.5 percent while the biggest growth sector combined harvesters, up 23.5 percent to 142 units sold. Total farm tractor sales were up 7.2 percent despite a 24.3 percent miss on articulated 4WD units.

“The continued growth in ag tractor and combine sales is is good news for the ag equipment industry. Year-to-date, every segment is up double-digits over last year, which was already a high-growth year. We look forward to these trends continuing through the rest of the year, and into the next,”

said Curt Blades, senior vice president of agriculture services at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

The full reports can be found in the Market Data section of the AEM website under Ag Tractor and Combine Reports.

Source: AEM

The post Growth in Ag Tractor, Combine Sales Continues to Outpace 2020 in North America appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Responsibility for process technology and safety

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ranks deficiencies in maintenance safety among the most common causes of accidents in plants. Above all where a number of people are working on one line, it is important to secure the area under maintenance against inadvertent intervention – for example, by means of seals – as the consequences for life and limb can be devastating.

“We hear about workplace accidents during maintenance all the time,”

explains Lisa Schmidt, Product Sales Manager for hygienic valve technology at GEA.

This is avoidable and can easily be prevented with a systematic LoTo approach. Since the solutions currently available were not convincing for GEA valves, the company decided to produce its own package of process technology and LoTo safety systems.

Says Schmidt:

“We consider it our responsibility to support our customers to the best of our ability when it comes to maintaining their duty of care toward their workforces.”

GEA’s customers – manufacturers in the food and pharmaceutical industries – operate complex plants with long lengths of piping where visibility is often an issue. If, for instance, machines are repaired during ongoing operation, it is important to specifically isolate these working areas from energy sources, i.e. sources of danger.

Schmidt reports:

“In our case, the danger lies in the media flowing through the pipelines. Specific valves or entire valve clusters can be secured using our LoTo solutions. One Canadian customer recently ordered 1,600 LoTo devices for all their plant’s butterfly valves, while other operators explicitly designate individual valves to eliminate specific potential hazards.”

Tailored LoTo devices for each valve

A GEA LoTo unit comprises a shut-off device that fixes the valve in the open or closed position and an optional lock that only authorized individuals can open. The type of fixing varies depending on the type of valve; they are available for all nominal diameters and actuator sizes and can easily be retrofitted:

• Butterfly valves can be shut off mechanically. The disk lock version uses a pin that is pushed into the valve stem and can also be used with an extension. This principle can similarly be applied to leakage butterfly valves.
• There are two ways of shutting off single-seat valves: Either the air supply can be shut off directly on the control top or actuator using the airlock principle, or the entire actuator can be locked via a disk lock which prevents the valve disks from moving. This is advisable where a higher level of safety is desired. In the event of a water hammer, the valve remains closed, ensuring an almost completely leak-proof system.
• GEA offers a bellow lock for VESTA valves in aseptic applications with manual actuators which is suitable for large and small nominal sizes.
• GEA LoTo solutions are generally designed for single-seat valves, but the main stroke in double-seat valves can also be locked. As VARIVENT and D-Tec valves with lift can still be actuated, the operator should consider using further safeguards here – for example, the air supply to the lifts.

The post GEA Ensures Safe Unit Maintenance through LoTo Principle for Valve Technology appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

CNH Industrial Reman recently added a 3D printer to its manufacturing facility. With the technology growing at an incredible rate, the new 3D printer offers CNH Reman the capability to produce a vast array of complex and custom components, fixtures, and tools.

As CNH Reman continues to develop its 3D printer capabilities and testing, the company anticipates expansion to the production of component parts that will be assembled into high-quality, finished products for its customers.

“These components typically come at a high cost due to minimum buy quantity restrictions or vendor upcharge for a small batch. The 3D printer will allow us to produce lower volume components in our facility at a reduced cost. The design flexibility will also allow our engineering team to make modifications to these components to improve performance and quality. In turn, producing a better product at a lower cost of ownership,”

said Jeremy Kelley, product engineering manager at CNH Industrial Reman.

In addition, each component, fixture, or tool can also be produced almost immediately within the CNH Reman facility, which reduces cost and long lead times.

CNH Reman is currently working through the setup process and producing prototypes with the 3D printer. To date, CNH Reman successfully produced tooling and fixtures to aid with production and component measurement processes. As the technology continues to advance, CNH Reman believes 3D printers will offer multiple opportunities for advancement in reman products.

“The possibilities of 3D printing are nearly limitless. The expansion of material types and size envelope can offer an endless opportunity in reman product life. This will help to keep our customers’ machines running throughout their lifespan,”

said Kelley.

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Varta and Allgau Batterie will in the future bring together their expertise for the rapidly growing market for application-specific configurable lithium-ion battery packs. In the future, the family-owned company from Bavaria will be able to include the Easyblade and Easyblock products from Varta’s Application-Specific Batteries product group in its portfolio and thus take care of all system integration issues, ranging from hardware, software and chargers to system communication and mechanical fit as well as battery design.

The Varta ASB product group are specially developed battery solutions for use in small and medium-sized vehicles such as driverless transport systems, AGVs, material handling systems, or forklift trucks. The lithium-ion batteries are rugged modular and expandable and can thus be perfectly adapted to applications such as logistics or agriculture.

Thanks to its broad experience in the field of lithium-ion batteries and its strong network in various major industries, Allgau Batterie is the perfect partner for Varta’s Application Specific Batteries Easyblock and Easyblade. Gordon Clemens, General Manager, Varta Power Pack Solutions:

“The cooperation with Allgau Batterie shows that we can offer battery solutions for a wide range of applications – and without long design-in times thanks to our modular systems. For us, this marks the start of several such partnerships in Europe and the USA, because we show that VARTA is the perfect partner for a quick implementation of projects where application-specific configurable batteries are required.”

Manuel Diepolder, CEO of Allgau Batterie and ALLithium, is also excited about the cooperation:

“With Varta, we gain a renowned partner that will help us to achieve our ambitious goals. Our companies complement each other perfectly: VARTA produces excellent cells and modules which we then configure and integrate as intelligent complete systems.”

The post Varta and Allgau Batterie Enter into Partnership for Lithium-Ion Battery Packs appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

GK Spread Pro

This professionally designed spreader easily spreads baits, seed, trace elements, and various types of fertilizer. It attaches easily behind an ATV/UTV or tractor and holds over 700 lbs. of product and will spread over 30 feet in width. The spreader also has a stainless steel frame, hopper, and spinner for easy carefree maintenance. The unique drive system ensures trouble-free and reliable operator safety and stability. Options available include: a hopper cover tarp, various tire/wheel options, and various speed controllers. The hopper stands at a 52” tall, length 92” and shipping weight of 500 lbs.

ATV/UTV Dump Trailer

This new hydraulic trailer has been designed for rugged and heavy-duty hauling of field, garden, and farm debris. With over 2,000 lbs. tilt dump capacity and removable walls, this new trailer will help you make quick work hauling and dumping. Designed and built with heavy-duty steel to outlast and out-perform other trailers on the market today. It is the perfect size for easy maneuvering with our dimensions at 45” wide, 105” long, and 12” tall high walls.

New Size Dry Box

Another new innovative product designed for agricultural customers based on the success of the big GK Dry Box fertilizer spreader mounted on the large 3W6 Buggy. The new smaller Dry Box fertilizer spreader is designed to easily attach to your existing tractor. This new size spreader is made with a stainless steel hopper and comes with a single spinner.

Irrigation Pipe Trailers

In the works is our new GK Irrigation Pipe Trailer. Currently in production, the new trailer is designed for the rugged conditions of the Pacific NW. This heavy-duty pipe trailer is powder-coated for extra durability and comes with a single or dual axle.

The post GK Introduces New Ag Products appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Storing according to tuber size

In order to grade different sizes of potatoes and onions during storage and processing, web graders are used. Optionally, the new web grader, type WG 900, can be permanently integrated into the receiving hoppers RH 12 Combi, RH 20 Combi, and RH 24 Combi. This new combination of two coordinated machines makes it possible to combine crop intake, soil cleaning, picking, sorting, and dividing the crop into two different sizes with just one machine. And all of this happens with an optimal, straight-aligned crop flow.

Merging conveyor belt for all impurities and trash.

For an improved, flexible use of the receiving hoppers RH 20 and
RH 24, the PU-rollers of the pre-grading unit can be used in heavy, sticky soil conditions not only for tuber grading, but also for cleaning off adhering soil. An optionally integrated merging conveyor transfers the trash, which is separated by the rollers of the grading unit, onto the soil cross conveyor.

The advantage is that merged amounts of trash are discharged all at once onto a single downstream following conveyor. If the pre-grading unit is only to be used for pre-grading (fractioning), then the pre-grading cross conveyor can simply be pushed back over the collecting conveyor belt. The collecting conveyor belt is mounted within the width of the machine and is better protected against collisions during maneuvering.

Working lights

Six LED working lights are optionally available for the receiving hoppers type RH 20 and RH 24 to illuminate the machine and its surrounding. The working lights can be individually aligned or repositioned.

Protective casing for the operator terminal

For dust-free and waterproof storage of the operator terminal and other operating devices, such as a remote control for the store loader, all Grimme receiving hoppers can now be equipped with a protective casing.

The post Grimme RH Series Gets New Upgrades appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

In the first quarter of 2021, Varta was able to increase group revenue by 2.9% to € 204.3 million compared to the same period of the previous year. The adjusted EBITDA rose by almost 16% to € 59.9 million.

“Varta has further increased its profitability. We are optimistic about the second half of the year. All segments continue to contribute to the growth of our company and were able to further increase the good results. The properties of our new lithium-ion round cells are met with great interest from customers. We are thus opening new and larger areas of business. In the meantime, we have also been able to win our first customer for our V4Drive in the automotive sector. Varta remains successful with its innovation strategy,”

says Herbert Schein, CEO of Varta AG.

In the second half of the year, in particular, Varta expects an increase in revenue and business results thanks to new customer orders in the area of True Wireless Stereo Headsets (TWS).

“In order to emphasize our focus on the successful business with our lithium-ion batteries, we have decided to rename our Microbatteries & Solutions segment to Lithium-Ion Solutions & Micro batteries,”

says Schein.

Armin Hessenberger, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Varta AG, adds:

“Varta is a thoroughly healthy company. Thanks to our further increased profitability and our low level of debt, we have the opportunity to continue investing heavily in the lithium-ion business and at the same time to pay our shareholders a dividend for the first time. The decision will be made at the general meeting next month.”

Lithium-Ion Solutions & Microbatteries segment grows by 2.7%

Revenue in the Lithium-Ion Solutions & Microbatteries segment rose from € 118.7 million to € 121.9 million in the 2021 financial year. This corresponds to revenue growth of 2.7% compared to the previous year. The development of the rechargeable lithium-ion cells for high-tech consumer products, especially for true wireless premium headphones (TWS), was as expected. The USD / EUR exchange rate development and the adjustment of prices in the non-strategic area of assembly, i.e. the tailoring of the battery arresters for the customer, had a negative effect. New customer projects will have an impact on sales and earnings in the second half of the year.

The Microbatteries and Power Pack Solutions product groups have developed very positively. When it comes to hearing aid batteries, Varta is benefiting from the increased demand for rechargeable lithium-ion cells. The high growth rate continues in the Power Pack Solutions business. The adjusted EBITDA rose from € 40.8 million to € 45.9 million (+12.5%), which corresponds to a disproportionate increase compared to the sales development. The increase in earnings is the result of further increases in productivity and efficiency. This results in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 37.6% in relation to sales, which corresponds to an improvement in the adjusted EBITDA margin of 3.3 percentage points compared to the previous year.

Household Batteries segment continues to develop positively, high demand for energy storage systems

The Household Batteries segment comprises the consumer batteries business and energy storage systems. Sales increased from € 79.7 million to € 82.4 million in the 2021 financial year. This corresponds to a sales growth of 3.4% compared to the previous year. Adjusted EBITDA rose from € 10.9 million to € 13.9 million (+27.5%), which corresponds to a disproportionate increase compared to the sales development.

By focusing on the branded business, the consumer batteries business has significantly improved its profitability compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The business with energy storage systems grew very dynamically in the financial year and doubled compared to the same quarter of the previous year and was thus able to gain additional market shares. The adjusted EBITDA margin is 16.9% in relation to sales, which corresponds to an improvement of 3.2 percentage points compared to the previous year and thus builds on the successful fourth quarter of 2020.

Outlook: new lithium-ion round cells open up new markets, start of the pilot line on schedule

The structural growth of the core markets, strong market position in these core markets as well as the continued high investments in the expansion of production capacities will lead to positive business development in 2021. This outlook is based on the assumption of constant exchange rates.

The company is still very well positioned in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and fluctuating infection rates. Production at the company’s own locations has been running without interruptions since the beginning of the pandemic, and there have been no effects on the supply chains.

The positive business development will accelerate in the second half of the year thanks to new customer projects and orders in the CoinPower area. In addition, the development of new lithium-ion round cells will open up further business areas. The construction of the pilot line for the new lithium-ion round cells in the 21700 format at the Ellwangen location is proceeding according to plan. Pilot production will start at the end of the year.

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Tuesday, April 20, 2021, DemoDay 2

• 11:30 a.m. CST (educational session): Permanent Cropping Equipment in the Western U.S.: Exploring Opportunities, Objectives & Obstacles with Fruits & Nuts (educational session)
  The variety of fruits and nuts grown in the west makes California and the surrounding states one of the most agriculturally diverse regions on the planet. This diversity of specialized crops requires innovative approaches to farming practices once done by hand or the most primitive tools.
  Hosted by Kim Schmidt, Ag Equipment Intelligence Executive Editor.
• 1pm CST (product demonstration): Italian Fruit Equipment Demo 1
  Discover the right equipment for your business: soil-working equipment and crop protection equipment.
  Featuring: CaBa, Sicma, Tierre, IDEAL, CarraroSpray, Martignani
• 1:45 pm CST (product demonstration): Italian Fruit Equipment Demo 2
  Discover the right equipment for your business: Components and harvesting equipment
  Featuring: Officina meccanica B E G, LaCruz, Braglia, FaberCom

The DEMO DAYS are a series of edu-promotional events hosted on the World Ag Expo digital platform and dedicated to U.S. importers, dealers, and agribusiness professionals looking to expand their suppliers’ network. They are completely free and organized and promoted by ITA (Italian Trade Agency, the governmental agency that supports the business development of Italian companies abroad) and FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation.

The registration is FREE (link to subscribe: https://bit.ly/3sDEzXE) and all the registrants will be presented with complimentary AgTech insight reports and for the entire months of April and May, plus a possibility to win an AEI VIP subscription by digital raffle.

During each event the attendees are able to enjoy, for free, three different programs: an educational session with Lessiter Media experts and two U.S. market dedicated product demonstrations specifically created by Italian manufacturers.

Every digital event focuses on a different topic.

The first DEMO was about hay and forage equipment, all the related videos are now available on-demand at this link: https://bit.ly/3x0uiaG

Here’s the program of the third and last DEMO DAY

Tuesday, April 27, 2021, DemoDay 3

• 11:30 a.m. CST (educational session): Vegetable Cropping Equipment in the Western U.S.: Exploring Opportunities, Objectives & Obstacles (educational session)
  Dedicated to those who are looking to capitalize on the evolving vegetable markets in North American agriculture.
  Hosted by Ben Thorpe, Ag Equipment Intelligence Associate Editor.
• 1 pm CST (product demonstration): Italian Vegetable Equipment Demo 1
  Discover the right equipment for your business: soil-working equipment, Sowing planting and manuring Equipment, Crop Protection Equipment.
  Featuring: Selvatici, Tecnoagri, Ferrari Costruzioni, Mingozzi
• 1:45 pm CST (product demonstration): Italian Vegetable Equipment Demo 2
  Discover the right equipment for your business: Harvesting Equipment, Components. Featuring: Ortomec, DaMilano, Annovi Reverberi, Zappettificio Muzzi.

All the Italian companies participating in this project are actively looking for partners in the U.S. (dealers and distributors), which is why DEMO DAYS are the perfect opportunity for American businesses to take a first step towards expanding their agricultural tech portfolios to best serve their future and recurring customers.

The Italian presence at the 2021 World Ag Expo digital edition has been the busiest ever with 41 companies still digitally exhibiting and networking with dealers, farmers and importers until 2022 while showcasing a wide range of products. These span from parts and components to highly specialized harvesting equipment.

The list of the Italian Companies at World Ag Expo can be found below.

Soil-working equipment: GRAZIOLI REMAC, TIERRE GROUP, CABA INDUSTRIE, TECNOAGRI, LACRUZ, SICMA, FAZA, BERTI MACCHINE AGRICOLE, SELVATICI, FERRARI COSTRUZIONI.

Equipment for sowing, planting and manuring: BASSI SEMINATRICI, BONSEGNA, GRAZIOLI REMAC, BICCHI, ORTOMEC, MASCAR, FAZA, FERRARI COSTRUZIONI.

Crop protection equipment: IDEAL ITALIA, CABA INDUSTRIE, MARTIGNANI, OFFICINE MINGOZZI, OCLL – CarraroSpray.

Harvesting equipment: CESARI, OFFICINA MECCANICA B E G, CABA INDUSTRIE, REPOSSI MACCHINE AGRICOLE, RIBERI – DAMILANO GROUP, ORTOMEC, MASCAR, LACRUZ, FAZA, BERTI MACCHINE AGRICOLE, ROC.

Equipment for handling and transport: BONSEGNA, GRAZIOLI REMAC, CESARI, BICCHI, TECNOAGRI, FARESIN.

Equipment for conditioning of products after harvest and livestock husbandry: GRAZIOLI REMAC, REPOSSI MACCHINE AGRICOLE, PERUZZO, FARESIN

Components: DIGIDEVICE, EMILIANA SERBATOI, FABERCOM, DINAMICA GENERALE, ANNOVI REVERBERI, LACRUZ, AMA, SPILA, SALVARANI, ADR, SIMOL, WALVOIL, ZAPPETTIFICIO MUZZI, BRAGLIA, BUCCHI.

Irrigation equipment: ROVATTI

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