Beck AG in Kirchberg approached us with a specific request: Its customer, a vegetable producer had a requirement for a vegetable belt that would be gentle on the vegetables. As there was no harvesting belt on the market that could meet these requirements, Beck AG developed a conveyor belt with tiles so that the crop does not rub against the side walls of the harvesting belt, which is often the case with conventional rubber conveyor belts.
We implemented the project together with Beck AG and provided the following services:
Design of the hydraulic undercarriage, which was equipped with an additional, lowerable axle
Hydraulic components for the complex folding mechanism of the belt cantilever and for the belt drive
Configuration of the valve block and connection to the electrical control system
Creation of the overall hydraulic circuit diagram
We asked Joel Mosimann, project manager at Beck AG, about the project.
What are the advantages of this harvesting belt?
The set-up time is very optimised and the belt can be set up hydraulically by one person completely on their own.
The belt working height can be adjusted to the crop and the angle from the harvest belt to the trailer can be adjusted.
The working height on the trailer can be adjusted independently of, for example, the container. By means of hydraulic running gear, the harvesting belt can be adjusted to the topography and the trailer platform can be levelled.
The belt can be equipped with various options and retrofitted - so that changing seasonal demands can be responded to quickly, inexpensively and close to the manufacturer.
The belt starts via a soft start, which protects the components and the cut goods. In addition, the belt has an automatic belt stop by means of box/cut goods recognition.
The hydraulic and electric supply as well as the operating units for the tractor are routed through the roof construction. The connection does not go through the floor and the hoses are protected in a moving energy chain, which is placed in the roof.
The entire harvesting belt can be moved sideways. This makes it much easier for the employee to stack the crates, as it keeps the working distances short.
The shifting unit is only suspended on one side, direction of travel on the left. This has the advantage that it can be driven over the pallets placed in front.
The swivel drawbar allows the trailer to be manoeuvred effortlessly into the tramlines and makes reversing easier. With the tyre pressure control system including axle feed-through, the tyre pressure can be optimally adjusted in the field, thus minimising the ground pressure many times over.
To create more ground contact, a support wheel can be lowered in the field, which can optionally be hydraulically driven. The pressure of the support wheel is proportionally controlled and the support load on the drive axle of the tractor is increased so that the ground pressure is distributed independently of the load.
Why did you work with Paul Forrer on this project?
Paul Forrer is a household name in the agricultural machinery industry and thus also known to end users such as vegetable growers and farmers. If the point of hydraulics can be linked to the supplier Paul Forrer in a sales talk of a somewhat more complex project, this is always considered a plus point.
What do you appreciate about our cooperation?
The employees are tried and tested in the field. They not only know the cylinder from the data sheet or the offer - they also know what happens with it and how it works in practice. Correspondence is direct and familiar, and you can count on employees with many years of experience. Complex projects are realised from a single source and interfaces are minimised as a result.
About Beck AG
Beck AG in Kirchberg BE offers a wide range of trailers: municipal, commercial, agricultural and industrial trailers (also for risk spreading). In addition, they develop and design trailers from scratch and offer repairs and services for all brands.