Case IH is making high technology grain harvesting affordable and attainable for more farmers and contractors across China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, as well as parts of Africa and South East Asia with three Axial-Flow® 4000 Series combine models; the 4077HD, 4088HD and 4099 available, or soon to be available in these countries.
Designed in the USA, Axial-Flow 4000 Series combines harvesters are built at parent company CNH Industrial’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Harbin, China.
Compact dimensions, operator comfort and advanced features are combined with high harvesting capacity, thorough crop threshing, low grain losses, gentle grain handling and unsurpassed sample quality. These benefits are characteristic of Case IH Axial-Flow single-rotor technology, which has become the benchmark for harvesting quality and performance since the first Axial-Flow combines were launched in the USA in 1977.
“The Axial-Flow 4077HD, 4088HD and 4099 are the most productive combines in their class,” said Massimiliano Sala, Product Manager for Combine Harvesters in Asia, Middle East and Africa.
“Their simple design allows them to be adapted quickly to suit changing harvesting requirements, field conditions and crops, making them the perfect choice for contractors and farmers with multiple crops.
“Owners can move from corn, to wheat, to sorghum, to rice in hours, compared with almost two days for conventional or hybrid combines, so more time is spent harvesting and seasonal output is increased.
“Axial-Flow 4000 Series combines are also very easy to use, so even operators who are new to the Axial-Flow concept can quickly learn how to harness their full potential,” Mr Sala said.
Agritechnica visitors treated to Virtual Walk Around Experience
Held in Hannover, Germany, Agritechnica is the world’s largest agricultural technology trade fair, welcoming more than 450,000 visitors from 130 countries.
In 2019, Case IH’s parent company, CNH Industrial, has a dominant presence at Agritechnica, with the combined stand spanning 7300 square metres, and Case IH is featured right at its very heart.
Case IH’s global product offering is so vast, however, that every product from every market would never be able to be displayed in a single location. For this reason, Case IH offered selected guests a unique opportunity to get to know the Axial-Flow 4000 Series combines by using virtual reality technology.
Powered by Tenstar, participants in the Virtual Walk Around Experience wear special virtual reality goggles, while holding a controller in their hand to point to parts of the machine, or virtually walk around it. They can even open doors, remove panels and look inside different parts of the combine harvester. Spectators, meanwhile, can see what is happening as it is projected onto a screen.
“The Axial-Flow 4000 Series Virtual Walk Around Experience is our first foray into virtual reality for this type of activity,” Sala said.
“As a global brand, our product offering is tailored to the needs of each market – but we also understand that our customers travel all around the world in search of the latest technology.
“Virtual reality enables us to show our customers the main benefits of our machinery, without requiring it to be physically present at every trade show or exhibition,” he said.
“With virtual reality, people have an ‘immersive experience’ where they can get a great feel for the key technical aspects of the machine.
“And it is a lot of fun to play with—something many Agritechnica visitors may have never before experienced,” he added.
Case IH has been using virtual reality technology in its research and development for a number of years, and is also developing virtual reality training simulators to assist operators in getting the most productivity from their machinery.
Experience rewarded with international accolades
Case IH has over 40 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of rotary combine harvesters with the Axial-Flow name well-known and highly regarded throughout the agricultural world.
In July 2019, the Case IH Axial-Flow 4099 model was named as one of the Top 50 Chinese agricultural machines, receiving the esteemed “Harvester of the Year” title in recognition for its outstanding design and excellent performance in the field.
The Axial-Flow 4000 Series also played a major role in Case IH winning the National Agricultural Machinery Consumer Satisfying Brand Award in China in March 2019.
The Harbin plant, in north-east China, is the largest manufacturing complex of its kind in the region, occupying 400,000 square meters and employing some 350 people. It produces a state-of-the-art range of tractors, combine harvesters, headers, and other equipment for Case IH, and other CNH Industrial brands.
This year in May, the plant achieved Bronze status in the World Class Manufacturing (WCM) program, proving CNH Industrial’s commitment to the pursuit of world-class manufacturing excellence. World Class Manufacturing is one of the global manufacturing industry’s highest standards for the integrated management of manufacturing plants and processes.
The Harbin plant recently celebrated the production of its 1000th Axial-Flow Series combine.
Impressive features
All three models are powered by FPT Industrial 6.7-litre, six-cylinder, in-line engines which meet Tier III emission standards, are turbocharged and air-to-air after-cooled to provide proven, dependable performance in all conditions.
Rated power outputs for the Axial-Flow 4077HD, 4088HD and 4099 models are 180hp, 210hp and 230hp at an engine speed of 2100 rpm, with maximum power outputs of 200hp, 240hp and 260hp produced at 2000 rpm. All engines provide excellent torque characteristics, deliver optimum fuel consumption and transmit their power through a three-speed hydrostatic transmission, with a 500-litre fuel tank featuring on all 4000 Series models.
The grain-on-grain threshing action that the Axial-Flow rotor provides limits grain losses through more effective separation and ensures that grain which goes into the tank is of the highest quality to generate maximum value.
All models feature a Cross Flow® cleaning system which uses chevron-shaped fins to create a uniform, high volume of air, just enough to achieve the cleanest possible grain sample but minimise grain loss. Unlike conventional systems, air is distributed evenly across the underside of the sieves to eliminate air pockets, while fan speed is fully adjustable to cater for finer-seeded crops, resulting in higher cleaning capacity.
Large grain tanks feature on all models to maximise the time spent harvesting. The 4077HD is fitted with a 5000-litre grain tank and 4.1m auger which unloads at the rate of 63 l/sec, while the 4088HD and 4099 models have 6000-litre and 6500-litre grain tanks, together with 5m augers which unload at the same rate.
An integrated straw chopper features two rows of knives in a 2 x 14 configuration to provide optimum residue performance. The proven horizontal, twin-disc spreader with two-speed spread control evenly distributes chopped material on the field for optimum integration into the soil. Customers who wish to bale straw can specify the optional straw beater for perfect bale processing and optimum density.
To optimise their performance potential, Axial-Flow 4000 Series combines are fitted with a spacious, comfortable cab which incorporates over 3.74m2 of glass area, providing the operator with a panoramic view and excellent visibility over the header.
Operator comfort is enhanced by the A-pillar monitor, ergonomic control layout and suspended, individually adjustable seat, together with a high-capacity air filter and the standard heating/ventilation system. Air conditioning can be specified as an option to provide the ultimate in-cab environment.
Because of their mechanical simplicity, Axial-Flow combines incorporate fewer moving parts than either conventional designs or more complex rotary and hybrid machines, so they are simpler to operate, more reliable and less costly to maintain.
All service points on the Axial-Flow 4000 Series models can be reached from the ground or a single step, so routine maintenance is easier, faster, cheaper and safer than with other types of combine, resulting in more time spent harvesting and higher output potential.
For more information about Axial-Flow 4000 Series combines, visit www.caseih.com or speak to an authorised Case IH dealer.
