HORSCH Roadshow 21/22
At the beginning of September, the HORSCH Roadshow took us on a trip through Europe to present our various innovations to our dealers and customers in an especially modified showtruck – after quite a long time live and with direct contact. How did the idea come about and what is shown at the tour?
The idea behind the Roadshow
The idea of the HORSCH Roadshow was born right in the middle of the Covid 19 pandemic, at a time when face-to-face events already had been a thing of the past for quite some time. When the Agritechnica was postponed to March 2022, HORSCH took a decision: We need something new to present our innovations to the customers and dealers. At that time, several digital events had already taken place and quite successfully so. But we still wanted to go back to a face-to-face communication and exchange – at least within the bounds of the allowed possibilities. For according to HORSCH’s philosophy this direct contact is irreplaceable.
The first idea to invite everyone to the HORSCH FITZ training centre was dismissed as because of the pandemic it simply was not possible to foresee how the situation would develop and if it would be possible to organise such an event with large groups indoors. So we needed another plan. We soon knew: If people cannot come to HORSCH, HORSCH has to go to the people and make a tour through Europe. The plan was to carry out a lot of small events – always within the bounds of what was possible and allowed.
And, thus, the idea of a Roadshow was born. For it allowed for doing what HORSCH holds dear: going out to the customers and show them the HORSCH innovations.
Maestro singulation system AirVac:
The AirVac metering device allows for an exact grain singulation and can be used universally for different seeds. With different metering discs maize, sunflowers, sugar beets, soybeans and rape can be singled reliably. The AirVac system is based on the principle of vacuum singulation where the seed is sucked to a perforated disc. During the metering process the grains that have been taken up pass a scraper that eliminates double spots. What is special about the AirVac scraper is that no adjustment is required. The contour has been optimised in such a way that a reliable singulation is guaranteed for all crops.
The concept and the realisation
The objective of the Roadshow is, despite the postponed Agritechnica, to find a way to meet the dealers and farmers to supply them with information about technical innovations.
First, we had to prepare a concept. We had to decide about questions like: What should the showtruck look like? What should be in it? Which countries can we travel to? How many trucks do we need additionally to transport the machines?
In addition to the specially modified showtruck we organised six more trucks to transport the machines. The showtruck is the mobile HORSCH headquarters and a presentation room at the same time. And now the trucks tour through Europe full of information and machines and present the innovations.
Schedule and tour plan
In September, the tour started at the Sitzenhof in Schwandorf. After that, the trucks went to Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and many other countries. Unfortunately, because of the development of the pandemic a lot of countries had to be crossed out from the tour plan as it would not have been possible to hold the event because of the rigid stipulations. But HORSCH cannot be stopped and everything that is possible within the bounds of the pandemic takes place.
It was particularly important to involve the dealers directly, centrally and at an early stage. The concept and the idea quickly met with their approval. They actively supported the HORSCH team with regard to all tasks such an event involves: invite the customers, load and unload the machines, prepare presentations or translations. They welcomed the HORSCH employees and the farmers with open arms. Without them the concept and its organisation would not work.
What is presented?
HORSCH mainly shows the innovations and machine updates of the Agritechnica, among others Joker CT, Finer SL, Versa 3 KR, Focus 3 TD, Pronto DC, Cura 6 ST, Leeb CS or Leeb VN/VL but also many other machines. Here, too, the dealers are involved and provide the tractors for the machine demonstrations. The machines are introduced one after the other and are then shown practically in the field. After that, the farmers can drive and test the machines themselves. The HORSCH team is always available to answer the customers‘ questions.
In winter, it unfortunately is too wet to use the machines in the field. So the innovations are exhibited in a hall. In the showtruck, the customers can warm up and get further information about different systems and machines.
For the inside of the showtrucks is equipped in such a way that different things can be presented or tested. Among others you can discover the digital world of HorschConnect and for example test the machine control system via the smartphone by means of a simulation. The HORSCH telemetry portal is shown at a flat screen where you can watch demo machines and different tests.
The truck is also equipped with the Maestro singulation system AirVac which can be tested on site. You can carry out a simulated row control where the machine meters seed. You can also click through the terminal that visualises the machine. In addition, you can test the row control system at a tablet by means of the MobileControl app. Moreover, the so-called pulse width modulation system also is on board the showtruck and gives an insight into the plant protection of the future.
The HORSCH showtruck and the Roadshow team are going to tour through Europe until the end of March 2022.
Pulse width modulation:
An important topic in the crop care sector is how to save plant protection agents or how to better wet the plants. This is where the pulse width modulation (PWM) comes in. The PWM system opens and closes the nozzles by means of a small solenoid and an aglet. The advantages among others are the infinitely variable adaption of the application rate without changing the spraying characteristics, but also the individual nozzle switch off or the curve compensation which allows for achieving a new level of precision.
Some impressions of the Roadshow in Poland.