Case IH was recently awarded recognition from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and SIMA, the French farm equipment exposition.

The Case IH 3020 Flex Head was honored with an ASABE AE50 award for 2011.

For two decades, the AE50 awards have recognized the best products introduced the previous year in the agricultural, food and biological systems industries. A panel of experts selects up to 50 winners based on commercial impact, contributions to agriculture and engineering, and advancements in engineering and technological significance.

The winners were announced at ASABE's Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference on January 6, and recognized at Ag Connect Expo January 8-10.

 About Case IH 3020 Flex Head

The Case IH 3020 Flex Head was developed to handle a wide range of field conditions to increase field time and improve productivity and grain savings. The Case IH-exclusive cutterbar design positions the flex head as close to the ground as field conditions require and is light enough to float over the most adverse conditions.

SIMA Innovation Awards

Two Case IH technologies in development, the vehicle-to-vehicle control system (V2V) and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) PTO recently won SIMA Innovation Awards.

Since 1950, the SIMA Innovation Awards have recognized the most innovative equipment, products, techniques, and services from across the globe. Award submissions are judged by an international panel consisting of specialists from the fields of research, higher education, and development.

The 2011 judging panel consisted of 15 experts from six countries.These awards recognize the most innovative agricultural equipment, products, techniques, and services from throughout the world.

The Case IH V2V control system took home gold medal honors, while its CVT PTO for tractors received a silver medal.

Both the V2V control system and CVT PTO technology were derived from Case IH’s Customer Driven Product Design (CDPD) process where customers work directly with design engineers to develop and improve Case IH equipment.

Vehicle-to-Vehicle Control System – Gold Medal

The V2V control system is an application of its Advanced Farming System (AFS), and is the first of its kind in the ag industry. Using a wireless connection, such as a  Bluetooth device, the V2V control system allows one driver to synchronize the data exchange, traveling speed, and steering of two vehicles. For example, during harvesting, the driver of a combine can also control the movement of the tractor and grain cart to maintain consistent, on-the-go unloading.

CVT PTO for Tractors – Silver Medal

The Case IH CVT PTO technology harnesses a tractor’s powertrain and control technologies to improve productivity, comfort, and cost effectiveness. This  technology allows an infinite number of speeds so that speed can be continuously adjusted to match the current operation conditions – and controlled at lower engine speeds – without disengaging the PTO system. This leads to significant fuel savings and ensures a secure connection between the tractor and equipment during slow-speed starting or emergency stops.

It is equipped to work with the Auto Productivity Management (APM) system, which allows the operator to select the desired ground speed based on the application. The system maintains the desired ground speed, similar to cruise control on a car, and stores up to three different pre-set target ground speeds. It allows quick and easy transition from field to road, customized to an individual producer's specific operations.