Agricultural sector
Road sector
Agricultural sector
Road sector
The idea itself—making an agricultural trailer self-steering to facilitate movement on difficult terrain and steep slopes—is not new. Until now, however, it could only be achieved through specially designed systems powered mechanically.
The collaboration between ADR Axles and the Finnish company Black Bruin has introduced the possibility of making any trailer self-steering simply by replacing its axle—or one of its axles—with the ADR TractionMax system, hydraulically operated.
ADR has in fact fitted two hydraulic motors externally to two “4218M” brakes with a 13-ton capacity, modifying them appropriately and connecting them via a hollow axle, inside which the pipes supplying the hydraulic motors are housed.
The result is an interconnected wheel assembly that can be equipped with a wide variety of rims and tires, compatible with most ADR suspensions, and featuring high braking standards that the operator can engage whenever needed.
The presence of an ADR TractionMax axle does not significantly reduce the load capacity of the trailers. In addition to enhancing the machine’s performance in the field, it helps reduce the stresses normally endured by the tractor’s mechanics, limits tire wear, and protects the soil thanks to an optimized distribution of traction between tractor and trailer.
Contributing to these objectives is the second innovation from ADR Axles, the new “Optimus” steering system, featuring rapid wheel realignment after each turn and a steering angle of up to 22 degrees. At Hannover, it was presented in combination with a 13-ton “ADR RideMatic” air suspension equipped with disc brakes, another ADR innovation in the agricultural sector.
Designed in this way, the system is able to keep the trailer bed optimally leveled at all times, regardless of the load being carried or the ground conditions on which the trailer is operating. The suspension effectively responds to the stresses exchanged between wheels and terrain, resulting in a ride that is more stable, safe, and comfortable compared to that normally offered by traditional mechanical suspensions.
The “ADR RideMatic” also counteracts dynamic load variations that occur when the trailer takes curves at full load and high speed, helping to minimize crop transfer times from the fields to the farm, thus improving productivity and reducing production costs.