The TF 40.7 Hybrid and the TF 42.7, great winners marking Merlo's 50th
Two prizewinning machines at Agritechnica underscoring the level reached by the technological department of Merlo which this year celebrates its fifties anniversary
Merlo's 50th anniversary year could not have opened under more auspicious signs. At the most recent edition of Agritechnica the Cuneo manufacturer came away en plein with a prestigious innovation gold medal awarded to the TurboFarmer TF 40.7 Hybrid plus a Machine of the Year 2014 title taken in the Logistics and Transport category by the TurboFarmer TF 42.7 as well as a vote by the jury commission naming the Multifarmer MF 40.9 as a Meilsteine der Landtechnick (A Technological Milestone for Agricultural Machinery), one of twelve models, and the only telescopic handler, which have been most influential in the mechanization of modern agriculture. Furthermore, Merlo was the only non-Germany company capturing one of the four gold medals awarded in the competition which drew 393 entries.
It was obvious at Agritechnica, and again at the Fieragricola in Verona, that there was no lack of new features signed by Merlo (see the December 2013 number of Mondo Macchina/Machinery World) though the TurboFarmer TF 42.7 remains the most outstanding for such technological content as EDP (Eco Power Drive), a system based on an electronic control device (ECD) which manages the diesel engine as well as the CVTronic transmission. The result is smooth progressive acceleration at low engine r.p.m. ensuring reduced fuel consumption by some 3.65 lt/hr which, multiplied for 1,000 hours of operation on average over the year, comes to savings of 2,650 liters. Calculating the cost of diesel at 1.1 € the liter, the savings over the year grow to about 4,000 € meaning a much faster return on investment. On another issue, safety, Merlo offers the M CDC system, Merlo Dynamic Load Control which goes beyond European
EN 15000 type approval by providing the operator with a valid instrument for verifying dynamic safety and receiving feedback before the system blocks the boom. The virtual load is shown on a display with an illuminated dot which acts as a traffic light to let the operator know, with the blink of an eye, the margin for maneuver to act on. For this totally new model, Merlo has designed a tailor-made cab with an interior width of 1,040 mm, the most spacious in this category. Life aboard is enhanced by comfort, the ergonomics and visibility in keeping with the name the record cab. Looking to future requirements for the Turbofarmer 42.7, Merlo is offering as options a mechanical PTO, a tow bar and 20 ton capacity tow hitch, all in compliance with EU agricultural type approval norms. Thanks to the modular construction of the TF 42.7 and the TF 40.7 Hybrid the two models have been integrated into the same design project but with two distinctions. The hybrid features unique characteristics with performance similar to that of telescopic handlers in the same category but with a downsized four-cylinder diesel engine with a rating of 75 Hp rather than 100 Hp, a lithium battery pack and three operating modes. When running in the full electric mode the telehandler can operate for a maximum four hours on electric power, with the diesel engine turned off, in silence and without emissions. In the hybrid mode, the small diesel provides current to the electric traction motor to power the generator and recharge the lithium-polymer batteries at the same time while an ECD automatically manages starting and switching off the engine which can be set to run at a fixed 1,200 r.p.m. to drive and pump and power the telescopic boom. The same principle works for the diesel on mode with the difference that the engine is set at 1,800 r.p.m. and remains running. The selection of a mode is up to the operator and based on the type and place for the work to be performed. The features of the TF 40.7 hybrid and the TF 42.7 put them on the new frontier of telescopic handlers and Merlo is the pioneer in the field of telescopics and their use.
