Claas has developed a braking system that stabilises the tractor-trailer combination to prevent it from jack-knifing when travelling downhill with a heavy load. It should also prove to be useful on slopes and slippery surfaces with baler wrappers, slurry tankers, forage wagons or even trailed sprayers.
Available on Arion 500 and 600 tractors with Cmatic transmission and air brakes, the system operates using sensors in the transmission to record engine torque and transmission loads. The brakes are automatically applied when critical thrust forces are exerted on the tractor.
The tractor driver can actively increase the braking action of the combination by pulling back the drive lever in auto or drive stick modes. This increases deceleration by reducing the transmission ratio and increasing the engine speed to match the forward speed. The system can also be used with active cruise control up to a maximum speed of 20km/hr.
Other benefits include assisting the operator when reversing trailers, forage wagons and balers by triggering the braking action as soon as the driver initiates a change in direction using the reversing lever or the button on the CMotion control lever.
Available this summer, the braking option can also be retrofitted to 2021-built Arion 500/600s.
