CLAAS produces 300,000th baler

CLAAS has produced its 300,000th baler – a high performance ROLLANT 454 UNIWRAP round baler/wrapper – at its state-of-the-art baler factory in Metz, France.

The machine, which features a special finish, will be shown throughout Europe for the remainder of the year.

Established in 1958, the CLAAS factory at Metz produces about 5000 ROLLANT fixed-chamber, VARIANT variable chamber and QUADRANT big square balers each year.

Group Product Manager – CLAAS Greenline, Luke Wheeler, says these machines are exported to more than 100 countries throughout the world. Besides being used to bale a wide range of pasture and cereal crops, CLAAS balers are used to process more than 25 different crops, he says. “These include baling cotton in South Africa, peanut stubble in USA, rice in Korea, flax in eastern Europe and hemp in Germany.”

The factory has produced a number of innovations, including the single knotter, FINE CUT chopper unit and the Power Feeding System found in QUADRANT square balers.

“Metz has also played a pioneering role in the development of CLAAS Implement Controls Tractor technology,” Luke says,

“As its name suggests, ICT monitors the performance of towed implements, such as QUADRANT 3400 big square balers, and then automatically adjusts the travelling speed of the tractor via the ISOBUS interface to ensure optimum performance.

“For example, should the baler become overloaded, an auto-stop function switches off the power take-off shaft.” The factory, which employs more than 400 staff, has been extensively modernised and expanded in recent years.

Improvements include the commissioning of a new assembly line in 2010 that allows the simultaneous assembly of 21 different baler types and models and a new cathodic painting shop in 2013.

“Cathodic painting is the same technology used in the automotive industry,” Luke says. “Each part is dipped in five different baths to clean and prepare it for two coats of paint. The positively-charged panels are lowered into a negatively-charged dip tank that contains an electrically-conductive water-based paint. The paint particles are spread evenly over the entire surface of the submerged parts to create a flawless coating, even on parts with complex structures.” The parts then undergo two cleaning operations to remove any excess paint before being dried for 45 minutes in a 200°C gas furnace. After cooling, the final coat is applied before a second drying session.

The fully-automated process comprises 70 trolleys, each capable of holding 1000 kilograms of parts, which move along 1100 metres of rail track. Despite its complexity, the entire process is carbon-neutral and has remarkably low power requirements.

CLAAS is recognised as a global leader in fodder harvesting technology, manufacturing an integrated line of forage harvesters, mowers, conditioners, rakes, balers and feed wagons.