When family-owned German manufacturer
ROPA Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH was designing one of the world’s largest and most advanced sugar beet harvesters, it collaborated with Volvo Penta to ensure its
Tiger 6S would have the power and torque to support a daily haul of around 2000 tonnes, while working as reliably and efficiently.
Beets are the source of around 20% of the 176 million tonnes of sugar consumed annually around the world. Germany is one of the world’s top five growers of sugar beets, producing over 4 million tonnes of the sugar that we use and consume each year.
Every bit of suitable weather in the short timeframe between late September to early October is crucial for harvesting beets before the soil freezes in Europe – a concern not faced by sugar cane producers in their warmer, tropical climates. Beets must therefore be extracted as swiftly and efficiently as possible with the most reliable equipment.
Looking for an energy boost
Volvo Penta adopts a
partnership approach, intensively collaborating with customers throughout a machine’s pre-production stages to optimize powering, positioning, fitment and performance of an engine, or by comprehensively training an OEM’s field service technicians. This approach tailors power solutions fit for operational and application, as Michael Gruber, Head of Technology, ROPA, proudly reveals:
“It was important that we had an industrial engine that is durable, robust and reliable, so we informed Volvo Penta of our desires and requirements for Stage V very early on. The result was the Volvo Penta
D16 TWD1683VE, which provides immense power [796hp/585kW] from its six inline cylinders and dual turbochargers while delivering very high torque at the very low RPM that is necessary for harvesting beet.”
In the 1000-1100 RPM range, the 16.12-liter diesel engine generates a huge 3,550 Nm (just 100 Nm below maximum torque), enabling it to work for longer in the low-speed range. This results in valuable fuel efficiency while supporting more stable, sympathetic vehicle operation in pursuit of that all-important maximum uptime.
Its common-rail injection, SCR catalytic converter and AdBlue combine for even cleaner, more efficient, power generation, while enabling compliance with the most stringent off-highway exhaust emission standards without the need for exhaust gas recirculation or a diesel particulate filter.