AgJunction announced that CLAAS, one of its major OEM Solutions customers, will begin factory installation of the GPS Pilot with CLAAS S7 and CLAAS S10 guidance control terminals during Q4 2014 at manufacturing locations in Harsewinkel, Germany and Le Mans, France.
Introduced at last year’s AGRITECHNICA show in Hanover, Germany, the S7 and S10 terminals were phased into the CLAAS aftermarket GPS Pilot platform beginning in the spring of 2014 through their dealer network.
“This is the logical next step in our longstanding relationship with CLAAS,” said Rick Heiniger, President and CEO of AgJunction. “Automatic steering has never been a more important component of precision agriculture than it is today, and our factory integration efforts with CLAAS highlight just how critical steering technologies have become to progressive OEMs.”
The CLAAS S10 features a 10.4 inch high resolution touch screen and full integration with the CLAAS GPS Pilot auto-steer system, a centimeter-level auto-steer solution developed by AgJunction. CLAAS S10 advanced features include reference line management, adaptive AB contour, and enhanced auto-turn and headland management, and display capabilities for up to four vehicle-mounted cameras.
The GPS Pilot auto-turn system enables operators to automatically execute a turn at the end of a row, increasing efficiency and reducing driver fatigue, with either a fixed turn configuration or a real time adjustable configuration for individual turns. After turning, the system provides efficient line acquisition ensuring accurate machine placement and row spacing from the beginning of each row.
The CLAAS S7 and S10 include AgJunction’s dual-frequency GNSS receiver integrated into the terminal housing, configurable for RTK, OmniSTAR® and GLONASS applications as well as integration with CLAAS GPS Pilot.
The GPS Pilot and S7 will serve as the new standard control terminal for all CLAAS steering systems. The GPS Pilot and S10 provide an advanced option package that allows broader integration with ISOBUS implements as well as machine sensor networks.
Factory integration will be available for the CLAAS 2015 model year beginning in October 2014. Initially, the S7 and S10 configurations will be available on CLAAS LEXION combines, CLAAS Jaguar Forage Harvesters, CLAAS XERION tractors, CLAAS AXION and CLAAS ARION standard tractors.
In an effort to maximize operational efficiency and customer service, the Companies have also begun integration efforts for vehicle-specific configurations within the CLAAS factory order management system, allowing customer requirements to be entered directly from the dealership when placing orders.
"In contrast to the aftermarket approach, our factory integration initiative allows a seamless delivery of customer specific solutions without the need for any additional configuration at the dealership,” added Heiniger.
Installations will initially begin at two CLAAS manufacturing facilities in Europe with the future goal to integrate additional CLAAS locations outside Europe, including North America.
