A new star in the cornfields and on the streets: a Zetros agricultural tractor with Allison fully automatic transmission

New “Secutor” is more fuel efficient, productive and comfortable than a farm tractor

Mainz, Germany – Corn harvesting in Germany demands tractors that can perform both in the fields and on the roads. Thanks to a conversion by Brandenburg-based, Germany Harald Bruhns GmbH, farmers can now rely on a new “Secutor” agricultural tractor – a Mercedes-Benz Zetros with an Allison 3500 Series fully automatic transmission.

“In Germany 500 million tonnes of agricultural produce are transported every year. The distances are constantly increasing, and the use of tractors is becoming less effective. Conventional trucks can tackle the road driving much more quickly,” explains Reyk Wernicke, sales manager of agricultural engineering at Harald Bruhns GmbH. The highly specialised, all-terrain off-road truck from Mercedes-Benz was remodelled and restricted to a maximum speed of 60 km/h so that the vehicle is registered as a tractor/agricultural tractor. As a result, the vehicle can be driven with a driving license class T and is excluded from Germany’s driving period rule and Sunday traffic ban.

Harald Bruhns GmbH selected the Zetros chassis as the base because it has a flexible, robust body and a chassis which can be adjusted for off-road operation. “We immediately decided on the Allison automatic when we came to the transmission choice because it has the essential advantage of powershifting. This means traction is continuous without power interrupts, which is a mandatory requirement for our application. During gear changes with a conventional dry slipping clutch under heavy load and terrain conditions, the vehicle gets stuck, and starting it again is very difficult,” Wernicke continues. In fact the Allison torque converter is not a wear component and ensures coupling with the engine without the need of a dry clutch. It delivers torque multiplication and superior startability while reducing driveline stress and wear.

The choice of the transmission was the right one, Wernicke says: “The handling of the Allison transmission is really easy. When we present it to farms, the drivers are excited because the transmission is so easy to handle, and the driving comfort is very high.”

The Secutor is available with a 54 m³ containing silage-body from the company SGT or can be used as a liquid manure tanker (up to 28 m³). Even sprayer and fertilizer spreader bodies are possible. All in all, a total weight of up to 40 tonnes is allowed.

Secutor versus tractor: Comparative test of the University of Applied Sciences Südwestfalen, Germany

During the corn harvest in 2010, the Secutor was working beside farm tractors where its potential was proven. This was even scientifically tested last November by the University of Applied Sciences Südwestfalen. The Secutor was compared to an equivalent tractor; both units had the same transport weights, and the valid maximum speed was 60 km/h. The attached Tridem push-off trailers were identical in construction except for the hitch. The Secutor used 58.63 litres of fuel per 100 km on a length of 27.8 km per tour; the tractor consumed 88.13 litres of fuel. The Zetros consumed 34 percent less fuel than the tractor. Notably, the Secutor was seven minutes faster per tour (17 percent) than the tractor. This meant that up to two more tours per day were possible with the Secutor. Also, the Secutor offers an additional tonne of load capacity because of its lighter weight (see table 1).

The remodelling: From Zetros to Secutor

During the transformation from Zetros to Secutor, several enhancements were implemented by Harald Bruhns GmbH. All were approved by Mercedes-Benz, meaning that the Secutor can be maintained and repaired in all Mercedes-Benz commercial-vehicle garages. The wheelbase was shortened to 4200 mm, to improve manoeuvrability. Additionally, stronger rear axles with increased springs were mounted. The large-volume implement tires provide optimal protection from the ground and traction at a vehicle-outside-width of 2.75 m (front axle 560/60R22.5, rear axle 600/55R22.5). The construction of a bowl clutch as a connection to the trailer enables optimal cross-country mobility by a 13° swing angle. In addition, a powerful hydraulic system was mounted with 140 litres/min pump performance at 200 bar and includes a hydraulic tank with 200 litres with an oil cooler at the cab backside. It is controlled by an ISO Bus controller.

In September, the first Secutor was placed on German farmland in support of the 2011 corn harvest.

The Zetros

The four-wheel drive Zetros is available as a two-axle vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 16.5 or 18.0 tonnes and a payload (excluding body) of 10 tonnes, as well as a three-axle vehicle with a maximum of 25.0 or 27.0 tonnes and a payload of 16 tonnes. All versions have a large-scale 7.2 litre in-line six-cylinder OM 926 LA Euro 5 engine, capable of producing 240 kW (326 hp) and a maximum torque of 1300 Nm between 1200 and 1600 rpm.

Whether on a construction site, farm field or in an open-cast mine, the Zetros is a robust vehicle for the toughest missions. This vehicle is an outstanding choice for many applications including breakdown service, fire brigades, civil protection, military and even power line installation for the energy sector.

Table 1

Secutor versus tractor: The results

Technical data of the Zetros Secutor - Overview

About Harald Bruhns GmbH

The Harald Bruhns GmbH from Karstädt inBrandenburg,Germany, was founded in 1990 with four employees. Since then, the company has grown tofour facilities and 60 employees in total. It is a UNIMOG general agency offering agricultural logistics, municipal engineering, trading and service of agricultural equipment. In addition, Harald Bruhns GmbH handles commercial vehicle remodelling, bodywork, and painting.

About Allison Transmission

Allison Transmission is the world’s largest manufacturer of fully-automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, medium- and heavy-tactical U.S.military vehicles and hybrid-propulsion systems for transit buses. Allison transmissions are used in a variety of applications including on-highway trucks (distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency), buses (primarily school and transit), motor homes, off-highway vehicles and equipment (primarily energy and mining) and military vehicles (wheeled and tracked). Founded in 1915, the Allison business is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.and employs approximately 2,750 people. Regional headquarters with dedicated support staff are located in China, The Netherlands, Brazil, Indiaand Japan. With a global presence in 80 countries, Allison has over 1,500 independent distributor and dealer locations. More information about Allison is available at www.allisontransmission.com.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "plans," "project," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," “intend,” “forecast,” “could,” "potential," "continue" or the negative of these terms or other similar terms or phrases. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks. Factors which may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made include, but are not limited to: our participation in markets that are competitive; general economic and industry conditions; our ability to prepare for, respond to and successfully achieve our objectives relating to technological and market developments and changing customer needs, the discovery of defects in our products, resulting in delays in new model launches, recall campaigns and/or increased warranty costs and reduction in future sales or damage to our brand and reputation; the concentration of our net sales in our top five customers and the loss of any one of these; and labor strikes, work stoppages or similar labor disputes, which could significantly disrupt our operations or those of our principal customers. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. All information is as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in expectations.

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Press Contacts

Claire Dumbreck, Propel Technology, Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK, OX15 4FF. +44 (0)1295 724130 / +44 (0) 7768 773857. claire@propel-technology.com

Miranda Jansen, Allison Transmission Europe B.V. Marketing Communications, Baanhoek 188, 3361GN Sliedrecht - The Netherlands , Tel: +31 78-6422 174. miranda.jansen@allisontransmission.com

Press Enquiries
Claire Dumbreck, Propel Technology, Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK, OX15 4FF. 44 (0)1295 724130 / 44 (0) 7768 773857. claire@propel-technology.com

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