New Holland release FR header range

The five model FR range delivers between 450-824hp and offers industry-leading chop quality and consistency, which, when combined with the range's unsurpassed throughput, provides the most efficient and productive package on the market.

"The latest generation of FRs represents the pinnacle of forage harvesting technology, and is the culmination of over 50 years of pioneering forager firsts." Stated Hedley Cooper, New Holland's Head of Harvester Product Management.

"In 1961, New Holland revolutionised the world of forage harvesting with the Model SP818. Today, over half a century later, yellow blooded engineers are hard at work at our Harvesting Centre of Excellence, in Zedelgem, and the home of the FR, to provide today's high output contractors and cooperatives with the productivity, efficiency and reliability they require."

FR450 and FR500 models feature Cursor 9 and Cursor 13 engines, both of which boast ECOBlue™ Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology for Tier 4A compliance. The ECOBlue™ SCR system offers significant performance advantages, and the new FR450 and FR500 now develop maximum harvesting power of 450hp and 520hp.

Fuel consumption has also been optimised courtesy of ECOBlue™ SCR technology. The Power Cruise™ technology enables further fuel savings in the field, and the ultra-low road mode engine speeds, as low as 1400rpm, enable up to an additional 20% reduction in fuel consumption.

Emissions reductions with the ECOBlue™ SCR are achieved through AdBlue injection to neutralise the harmful exhaust emissions by turning them into water and nitrogen. The AdBlue system has been designed for minimal operator input, and the 150 litre tank only needs to be filled every two diesel refills. Operators are kept informed of AdBlue levels via the FR's IntelliView™ IV display.

A key component of the FR range is the all new chopper body, which New Holland say has significantly enhanced chop quality in terms of uniformity and throughput. The new body also makes changing from grass to maize settings simpler.

The FR also features the latest advances in blower design, which have optimised crop transfer from the cutterhead to the processor and trailer. The paddle type blower has increased the mass of smooth flowing air by a full 40% to transport higher volumes of crop more efficiently and thus reduce the risk of crop accumulation in the chopper body area.

Advanced computational fluid dynamic analysis was also conducted to establish the smoothest and best possible path for the crop, and an impressive value of 80% has been achieved for crop flow direction stability. A more stable flow means reduced turbulence and greater unloading efficiency.

Ultimate throughput is guaranteed courtesy of the roller wind guard, which can be adjusted from the cab. Designed to ensure smooth crop flow from swath to forager, it prevents crop flow disturbances for uniform feeding. Retractable fingers smoothly and efficiency transfer the crop to the feed rolls, and optional paddles can be specified when working in the densest and most demanding conditions.

Pick-up speed has been significantly increased thanks to the addition of a supplementary tine bar, bringing the total to five, which enables higher ground speeds, perfect when working in unstable climatic conditions or for contractors looking to increase productivity and profitability.

All headers can be quickly and easily attached courtesy of the 'quick-attach' logic, and lateral and vertical header height correction are managed from the comfort of the cab to ensure that the header follows the contours of even the most uneven ground without bulldozing or lifting.

Styling on the FR range is in keeping with current New Holland styling, with some elements compared to the recent 50th anniversary model. The sculpted steps form a natural arc for easy cab-access, and the operator platform has been widened with sculpted hand rails for safe entry and exit. The side panels open as a single unit on self-supporting gas struts for easy servicing access.

Daily maintenance has been further simplified courtesy of significant advances in feed roll packaging. The entire area has been sealed thanks to the addition of precision placed plates which form a protective seal around the feed roller to prevent the build-up of debris, which can substantially reduce time consuming daily cleaning. Furthermore, this system has the additional benefit of improving crop flow and reducing costly side 'fall out' losses.

In conjunction with the FR header range has been the development of a high capacity 300FP grass pick-up header. Available in two working widths, the three metre model is perfect for transport intensive operations, whereas the super-wide 3.8 metre version makes light work of even the widest grass swaths.

The FR range has been engineered by design to offer productive biomass harvesting. Cutting edge technology is combined with a complete range of customisable options so that the FR can be specified to match diverse biomass harvesting operations. The high inertia biomass drum features 2x20 knives for a fine cut for more efficient digestion and combustion.

The Dual Drive function of the HydroLoc™, variable chop length system, enables 'straight through' crop-flow by disengaging the threshing mechanism, perfect for miscanthus biomass harvesting. The 130FB coppice header with integrated saw blades, can slice through coppice stems of up to 15cm and produce uniform woodchips. The protruding 'trunk' efficiently feeds stems into the feed rolls for effective harvesting.

The FR's multi-award winning IntelliFill™ technology enables the operator to accurately fill the trailer with minimal losses, even when visibility is limited. A specialised 3D camera mounted under the spout guides the crop flow into the trailer, ensuring a uniform fill. The spout mounted sensor creates a distance image of the trailer and its surroundings based on near infra-red technology, which means crops can be accurately discharged up to a distance of 20 metres; what is more, the system needs no manual calibration, and recognises different types of trailer automatically, eliminating complex and time consuming set-up procedures.

This system provides notable advancements in terms of operator comfort and can lead to significant increases in productivity: operators can concentrate on harvesting without having to continually check over their shoulder to monitor crop discharge. During long days, and even in the dark, the automatic spout guidance will consistently reduce crop spoilage, increasing the forage harvesters' overall quality of work.

Fully integrated yield mapping reporting is another feature on the FR. Yield mapping information can be downloaded from the FR, analysed using New Holland PLM™ software so that contactors can provide customers with accurate reports on their field performance, enabling them to tailor inputs to enhance future yields. This is the perfect example of New Holland, contractors and customers forming a virtuous cycle to enhance yields and mutual profitability.

All models in the FR range are fully compatible with a wide range of headers including the Marangon for New Holland direct cut header which is the default choice for super-intensive dairy farms and biomass operations. The six metre header offers a super fine cut with 14 ultra-flat round cutting discs for uninterrupted flow that transmits zero stress and strain to the cutting bed, enhancing machine reliability and reducing costly down time during tight cutting windows. The main frame is composed of one module to which the cutterbar has been fully welded for increased strength and inherent stability. Moreover, when cutting tall, high value whole crop, it can be elevated via hydraulic struts to prevent knocking off valuable seeds.

Furthermore, all New Holland combine maize and grain headers, together with specific Forage Harvester maize headers can be fitted.

The two-position Variflow™ system enables operators to alter the location of the blower based on the crop being harvested. The Blower rotor is precision placed depending on the crop to tailor the blower force required for efficient transfer of material up the spout. The system features one maize and two grass settings: one grass door position for first cut, heavy silage and the second, which virtually eliminates the gap between the blower and the grass door, for light second and third cut silage.

Local release of the New Holland FR range to either supplement or replace the current CR and CX range is yet to be confirmed. http://agriculture.newholland.com/au/en/Pages/homepage.aspx has details on the currently available New Holland harvester range.