Get ready to spend a lot less time in your hay fields. Last week Vermeer unveiled the first continuous round baler (CRB).
The baler is currently in the development stages and will allow producers to bale non-stop, forming two bales simultaneously. Vermeer has been working in cooperation with Lely Group in the creation of the CRB concept machine.
“When operators must stop and wait for each bale to eject, that eats up a lot of time that, when you add it all up, could be devoted to another field or another task,” says Jason Andringa, President of Forage and Environmental Solutions at Vermeer Corporation. “Continuous baling will help operators become more productive, so they can produce the same, if not more, bales in the same amount of time, and with fewer balers and operators in the field.”
When the first bale is nearing the preferred size it will begin to head backward to the bale ramp. Simultaneously another bale will start forming near the feed intake. Upon finishing the original bale will be ejected. Then the next bale moves into the main chamber for completion. The process repeats continuously until the field is finished.
“Stopping, waiting and starting again takes a toll on the operator,” Andringa adds. “So in addition to improving productivity and saving time, continuous baling also helps to reduce operator fatigue.”
The CRB is something hay and forage producers around the globe have been waiting for, says Alexander van der Lely, CEO of Lely Group.
“No matter where you are, there is a certain window of opportunity to perform baling and forage harvesting to create the right feed for cattle. The continuous round baler allows you to bale more bales, with the right quality, in the narrow window of opportunity you have,” van der Lely relates.
A release date for the CRB has yet to be set as it is still in the development phase.
