Rexroth EHC-8 enables land leveling for tractors

Laser leveling made easy – the Rexroth system is designed to enable tractors to carry out productive operations. Armed with a laser combination and a leveling plate, farmers will be able to optimally prepare fields on their own in the future. This is all thanks to the EHC-8 land leveling function in conjunction with existing tractor hitch components. 

In particular in the case of rice growing and in fields with irrigation channels, the ground needs to be flat and even in order to achieve uniform irrigation and crop growth. Various studies conducted by institutions such as CGIAR, AJAR and IWMI have shown that laser leveling reduces the amount of irrigation water required, increases yields, saves energy, is cost effective and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Greater yields mean more income for farmers. However, land leveling systems available to date have been highly specialized and expensive devices which, when connected to tractors, have not allowed any other tasks such as plowing, cultivating or sowing to be carried out. As a result, farmers have only occasionally been able to afford beneficial land leveling. At Agritechnica 2019 Rexroth now presents an alternative.

With the Rexroth solution, farmers who have a tractor that is equipped with the EHC-8 land leveling system only need one leveling plate and one laser transmitter/receiver combination. This ensures that existing hitch components on tractors are optimally utilized. The control panel for accurately controlling the hitch also takes over all the land leveling functions. The signal from the laser receiver is read via CAN in the system and the software automatically sets the plate at the required level. The tractor’s existing hitch control manages the oil flow to the hydraulic cylinder of the leveling plate. 

The Rexroth solution reduces costs as the tractor can be quickly adapted to the new task. The process is optimized for efficiency and consumes less fuel than other leveling applications. The system also prevents the plate from getting stuck and thus ensures swift field runs. 

As part of the Rexroth land leveling process, the laser transmitter creates a reference plane over the field which is to be worked on. The field is then measured and an optimum mean value is calculated so that no additional soil is required and no soil is left over. The properly equipped tractor then makes its way across the field and the system automatically controls the optimum leveling.

The EHC-8 land leveling system makes it possible to carry out a wide range of leveling tasks and will be showcased to interested Agritechnica 2019 attendees at the Rexroth stand (A04) in Hall 16.