CASE IH AFX 8010

THE Case IH AFX 8010 combine has been revised for the 2006 harvest, with improvements including more power and added features to the cleaning system, as well as a new header choice and an updated automated steering system.

Built in North America, this Axial-Flow® combine benefits from the brand's 25-plus years of experience in building and marketing rotary combines. Case IH's policy has always been one of continuous improvement and this was rewarded two years ago at Agritechnica where the 2004 model of the AFX8010 was judged Machine of the Year.

Case IH has taken a new approach to improving the power output characteristics on the latest version of its flagship combine, rather than using the engine management to provide a simple power boost facility, the AFX8010's new remapped engine management features a power curve that results in the output rising by up to 50hp when the going gets tough.

The revised 10.3-litre, six-cylinder, turbocharged and intercooled Case IH diesel is Tier III compliant and produces 405hp at its rated speed of 2,100rpm, but as the engine speed drops under load, the unit is capable of a maximum power output of 455hp at 1,950rpm. This new optimum power rise capability gives the new AFX8010 up to 28hp more pulling power than its predecessor.

The AFX rotor at the heart of the AFX8010 has been optimised for crop flow over the years, helping ensure the harvester lives up to its promise of providing advanced threshing and separation that is proven to deliver top-quality grain in a cost-effective way.

A strong feature of the AFX rotor is the impeller at the front of the rotor that progressively accelerates the crop to threshing speed. This also creates a vacuum that pulls both the crop and the dust into the rotor cage, helping improve the operator's visibility in front of the header.

To optimise productivity in any crop, the speed of the AFX rotor is infinitely variable between 220rpm and 1,200rpm and can be controlled at the flick of a switch in the cab. The AFX8010's lightweight concaves and separation grates can also be easily accessed and interchanged to optimise the combine for grain, maize, beans or any other combinable crop.

The cleaning and grain management systems downstream from the AFX rotor have been revised for the 2006 harvest and now features Case IH's new X-tra Force™ cleaning system to help maintain the high levels of crop throughput.

The X-tra Force system gives the AFX8010 a self-levelling active cleaning system which includes the grain pan and pre-sieve, top and bottom sieves and the Cross-Flow™ fan. Able to deal with a side slope of up to 15 per cent, the system actively lifts the blanket of residue away from the sieve surface, allowing the crop to pass through the screen more quickly, especially in high-moisture, high-yielding corn conditions.

Both the top and bottom sieves are controlled electronically from the rear of the machine and from the cab so that settings can be adjusted on the move.

Almost as important as the threshing system on any combine is the process of getting the crop into the combine in the first place. At the front of the AFX8010, there is now a wider choice of headers than ever before with the option of the 2030, 2040 and 2050 Series grain headers or the 2100 Series corn headers.

The 2030 Series header is already well established. It has the cutterbar positioned close to the crop auger and is available in 24ft and 30ft cutting widths. The 2040, meanwhile, has been designed to better cope with high-volume, long-straw crops, and has the cutterbar fixed 15cm further forward than the 2030. It is also available for the AFX8010 in both 24ft and 30ft cutting widths.

The 2050 Series header is brand new to the AFX combine and features an adjustable cutterbar that can be set to the ideal position for the crop being harvested. For short-straw crops the knife, which like the 2030 and 2040 Series is belt driven, is positioned as close as possible to the feeding auger. For long-straw crops however, like oilseed rape, the cutterbar can be moved up to 50cm further forward.

Using the 2050 header with your AFX8010 allows you to fine-tune the header to the crop in the field and is typical of the attention to detail that Case IH takes to develop technology that today's professional farmer or contractor can use to make a real difference to harvesting performance.

The position of the 2050 Series header's cutterbar, which is available in 24ft and 30ft widths, is controlled electro-hydraulically from the cab. It has overlapping base plates so that the bottom of the header remains closed over the entire stroke of the knife, with no filler plates required at any stage of its movement.

The 2100 Series corn header is available in six and eight-row versions for the AFX8010, with the larger model folding hydraulically for transport. The headers feature adjustable cob stripper plates to ensure optimum results as the rollers draw the stalks downwards. The stalk choppers below can be individually disengaged if required. The entire header is constructed using tough but lightweight materials to ensure optimum efficiency and extended service life.

The AFX is fitted with a header recognition system that automatically adjusts the combine's systems and controls to operate whichever header is fitted. All grain headers for the AFX also feature Case IH's Terrain Tracker header control system as standard. Electro-mechanically controlled via sensors and skids under the header, this system is designed to keep the header parallel to the ground so that it automatically hugs the contours of the land.

To keep the header operating at optimum width, the AFX8010 is available with Case IH's Cruise-Cut auto guidance system. Using a cab-mounted, laser scanner that can be set up to monitor either the left or right hand side of the header, the system automatically steers the combine from headland to headland by continuously monitoring the point where the standing crop meets the cut crop.

Although the steering wheel does not turn to match any adjustments that the Cruise-Cut system makes when it is engaged, moving the steering wheel disengages the auto-steering and returns the steering to operator control. The system also disengages automatically at the headland when the system can no longer recognise a line of standing crop to follow, and re-engages automatically when the standing crop is re-acquired upon returning to work.

The new features on the 2006 AFX8010 have resulted in a high-performance combine that more than ever matches the requirements of today's agricultural businesses. As part of the Case IH offering, power and durability is built-in, and backed up by a dealer network geared to ensuring maximum uptime and productivity from professional products.

Being the brand's flagship combine, the AFX8010 combines deliver a great value and the best business solution for farmers by offering low cost ownership and top quality grain production. With its high adaptability of crops, farmers are assured a flexible solution for their harvests.

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