Topcon Precision Agriculture (TPA) has announced an agreement with SAME DEUTZ-FAHR (SDF), to produce a new product line for SDF dedicated to precision agriculture.
Topcon is a business unit of Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS), and SDF is one of the leading manufacturers of tractors, combine harvesters, engines and agricultural equipment.
The agreement provides for cooperation between Topcon and SDF’s engineering department to develop state-of-the-art precision farming products. The products will be designed for SDF tractors and combine harvesters and marketed with the brand Agrosky™ via SDF’s distribution network. Agrosky is SDF’s brand of precision farming products.
The partnership will allow the entire range of SDF products to be equipped with precision farming devices, ranging from automatic steering, with precision from +/- 2 cm, to the most sophisticated machine control systems.
Albert Zahalka, president of Topcon Precision Agriculture business unit, said, "Our products represent the company’s history of 80 years in the precise positioning business, our overall commitment to excellence, and the integration of our technology for measuring and precision geolocalization systems with electro-hydraulic control of agricultural machines.
“It is our commitment to SDF to provide superior accuracy and reliability with every component we provide.”
In particular, according to Franco Artoni, SDF’s sales, marketing and after sales executive director, “Precision agriculture is becoming increasingly important, especially in the countries of Western Europe where SDF is present on a grand scale. Our company has always believed investment in Research & Development to be strategic and this is without doubt an area of great potential. From the partnership with Topcon we expect to be able to offer our clients precision farming systems that are cutting-edge in the market, always in line with their requirements and technological processes which, in this sector, are constantly changing."
Ivan Di Federico, chief strategy officer for TPS, said, “Automatic steering and productivity measuring and control software are a natural development for machinery that is ever more sophisticated, but also increasingly easy to use and very cost-effective. Our precision systems minimize risks and improve the performance of both tractors and combine harvesters.”
The new Agrosky SDF products for tractors and combines will be officially presented at Agritechnica 2011.
About Topcon: Topcon Precision Agriculture is a business unit of Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc. (TPS). TPS designs and manufactures precise positioning products and solutions for the global surveying, construction, agriculture, civil engineering, mapping and GIS, asset management and mobile control markets. TPS’ parent company, Topcon Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange – 7732), was founded in 1932.
About SDF: Based in Treviglio, Bergamo (northern Italy), SAME DEUTZ-FAHR (SDF) is one of the world's leading manufacturers of agricultural tractors, combine harvesters, farm machinery and engines. SDF products are manufactured and marketed under the SAME, Deutz-Fahr, Lamborghini and Hürlimann brands.
Tractors range from 30hp to 270hp and combine harvesters from 120hp to 450hp. In 2010, SDF employed some 2450 people worldwide and recorded sales turnover of €855 million, generating an EBIT of €20,1 million.
The group holds a 25.1% stake in DEUTZ AG, an independent and world-leading manufacturer of diesel engines, listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
Source: Topcon Precision Agriculture
