KUHN, the pioneer, the innovator....machinery innovations and product launches. Innovation and quality were the main priorities while the company was gaining recognition the in the

The best selling disc mower in the world

KUHN, the pioneer, the innovator.

01 I 50 years of innovation disc mower

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KUHN,the pioneer...From 1949, KUHN chose to make

the shift to mechanical traction and

manufacture tailored machines.

KUHN rapidly became one of

the fi rst agricultural machinery

manufacturers in France to

modernise agricultural practices.

The fi rst mechanical traction

mowers were side mounted with

fi nger bars.

50 years of innovation disc mower I 02

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KUHN, pioneer in agricultural

developmentThe 1960s marked the golden age of

mass consumption and prosperity. It

was the beginning of a great period of

development.

In the early 1960s, more than

26,000 machines were produced

each year in KUHN Saverne, France,

including 12,000 side fi nger mowers

and 9,500 tedders and rakes (2).

In an era of countryside mechanisation

and modernisation, Kuhn made multiple

machinery innovations and product

launches.

Innovation and quality were the main

priorities while the company was gaining

recognition the in the agricultural

machinery sector.

KUHN, the pioneer and expert

in disc mowersIn 1967, KUHN launched the GMD 4 (1) -

the fi rst rotating disc mower, which

revolutionised fi eldwork. This new

machine was immediately sucessful

as it allowed and increase in forward

working speed and improved operator

comfort.

The need to sharpen the mower blades

daily became a thing of the past.

The GMD 4’s oval-shaped discs greatly

improved the fl ow of forage through the

machine and into the swath, on all types

of fl at or sloping terrain. This disc mower

was also a lot less prone to blocking and

rapidly became the world leader in fi eld

disc mowers.

The new FC 44 (3) rotors with steel fi nger

bars cut the forage and directed it towards

an adjustable comb.

The teeth on the combs aerate and

regulate the swath, accelerating the

drying process. This design made a huge

step in improving forage quality.

KUHN, the pioneer

of new techniquesIn 1980, KUHN launched its fi rst trailed

mower conditioner, the FC 300 (4). This

machine was very manoeuverable and

provided high levels of operating comfort

whilst maintaining high performance.

In 1992, KUHN introduced the fi rst trailed

mower conditioner with in line transport -

the ALTERNA 500 (5). Its 5 metre working

width was able to meet the increasing

demands for higher output.

By 1994, KUHN had developed the

LIFT-CONTROL system (6) that

considerably improved ground contour

following and the mower unit suspension.

This design with an integrated safety

mechanism, maintains constant cutter

bar pressure on the ground. Both GMD

mowers and FC mower conditioners

were then equipped with LIFT-CONTROL.


KUHN, the innovator.

For years, KUHN has continued to

develop innovative solutions in the

disc mower sector:

• By moving forward with the

modernisation of farming, all

around the world,

• By developing solutions to suit

customer demands such as;

maintaining forage quality,

increased operating comfort,

productivity, safety, reliability and

reducing maintenance costs,

• With the objective of optimising

your profi tability and return on

investment!


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KUHN THE INNOVATOR, HELPING YOU PRODUCE GREAT QUALITY FORAGE

Producing good quality forage for a herd

whilst reducing production costs is a key

challenge for todays farmers. At a time

when reducing production costs is essential,

harvesting the entire feed value

of grasslands to reduce concentrate

øcosts is your main challenge as a farmer.

It is also the goal at KUHN. KUHN’s product

development teams are constantly working

to fi nd solutions that retain forage quality,

using cutting edge technology, engineering

and quality materials. ‘Reducing forage

contamination from 4% to 2% can save you

£78/ha/year*

*Source: Landwirtschaftkammer Niedersachsen

Produce clean cut forage without impurities!Oval discs(1) facilitate forage fl ow to the

rear, preventing overlapping which can lead

to forage loss.

The OPTIDISC cutter bar (2) optimises forage

fl ow, especially with large volumes and at

high speeds, due to wider spaced converging

discs. This also contributes to improving

mowing quality in diffi cult conditions.

Perfect ground contour following (3)The different suspension systems and clever

kinetics of the disc mowers provide perfect

ground contour following thanks to:

- The wide travel range on front-mounted

FCs and GMDs,

- Dynamic height control on GMD 100,

- LIFT-CONTROL hydro pneumatic

suspension on GMD and FC LIFT-CONTROL,

- CONSTANT FLOAT suspension on FC 1060

trailed mower conditioners.

Prevent forage contamination and optimise ground pressure (4). Mowers with LIFT-CONTROL hydro pneu-

matic suspension benefi t from constant,

easily adjustable ground pressure, keeping

your forage clean from impurities.

KUHN the innovator: helping you produce quality forage (5,6,7)The wide setting range of the rotor with

fi ngers (multiple possibilities with rotation

speed and comb position) makes it easier

to adapt conditioning intensity to the type

of forage, crop maturity and weather

conditions.

For more delicate crops use the conditioning

roller. It is pressure adjustable to preserve

the leaves of leguminous plants.

Calibrate your swaths as and when you want (8,9).Adapt forage delivery to humidity levels,

weather conditions and the downstream

harvesting chain with:

- wide spreading for fast drying and one less

pass with the tedder.

- Airy and narrow swath delivery to prevent

the wheels of the tractor from driving over

and fl attening the forage.


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KUHN, BRINGING YOU MORE WORKING COMFORT

Manoeuver in total safety (1)The objective of our innovation is also to

improve operator ease of use and comfort,

maximising productivity.

The GIRODINE headstock that trailed mower conditioners and mowers are equipped with

is a the perfect illustration of this.

It enables you to work at high speeds in total safety.

Even in the tightest of angles and at full

speed, the main transmission is always aligned with the tractor and protected.

Mow with peace of mind! (2)

GMD mowers and FC mower conditioners with LIFT-CONTROL come with an active “NON STOP” safety system.

Should the machine meet an obstacle, the

mower unit pivots upwards towards the rear, to avoid it. It then returns to the working position as soon as the obstacle has been

cleared.

Change knives in the blink of an eye!

(3)The FAST-FIT system is available on most KUHN mowers and mower conditioners.

Changing knives safely takes no time at all!


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KUHN THE INNOVATOR,EXTENDING THE SERVICE LIFE OF YOUR MOWER

In addition to the LIFT-CONTROL

suspension system, other systems protect the vital components of the mower or mower conditioner to extend

the life of your machine.

The most precious components are

protected (4)If one of the discs is met by a sharp impact, the disc shaft will shear just

above the bearing, thanks to an

intergrated shear groove.

The PROTECTADRIVE system protects

the gearwheels.

The savings are huge: in less than 15 minutes the machine can be back up and running at a low repair cost.

Less vibrations (5)Latest generation disc mowers are

equipped with shock absorbers between

the cutter bar and the chassis. They reduce vibrations effectively, especially at higher speeds and contribute to a longer

machine life.

Flexible side guards (6)

KUHN’s newest disc mowers and mower conditioners have FLEXPROTECT polythene side guards that bend without

breaking and without damaging the

machine if hit by an obstacle.


A master of products from design

to production

The KUHN Group’s strategy has always been to master its product range, from the design phase to

production, including every key step of the industrialisation process. This approach allows us to offer mowers that have been designed, developped and produced entirely by KUHN, down to the fi nest details, to guarantee that

the machine you buy is of highest quality.

This approach is the result of 50 years experience of manufacturing disc

mowers in is unique in the world of agricultural machinery.


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Foundry (1)Having the foundry enables us to provide

the farmer with innovative technical

components.

The chassis is linked to the cutter bar

with a fl at angle bracket in SG quality cast

iron (spheroidal graphite, similar to steel)

and equipped with silent-blocs to reduce

vibrations caused by fast mowing on hard

ground. It also reduces wear on the cutter

bar support zone - a KUHN patent.

Pinion cutting and heat

treatment (2)The cutter bar is a precision mechanism

that can be subject to diffi cult conditions,

such as; intensive and long operations,

high powered tractors, uneven terrain

and low cutting heights... Cutter bars,

disc bearings and gearwheels are

essential parts that undergo high

precision machining, various phases of

heat treatment and perfectly controlled

rectifi cation. For example, this has

enabled us to offer the widest cutter bar

on the current market (5.20m) that does

not need oil changes.

Specifi c bearings (3)Mower conditions vary throughout the

world, therefore we need to be able to

offer advanced technical solutions with

components such as cutter bar bearings.

Unlike many bearing manufacturers we

are able to offer key elements including

lubrication quality, better sealing, abrasion

resistance, reduced clearance and high

rotation speed.

High quality spare parts (4)Discs and skids are essential components

for a high quality cut so they are integrally

manufactured at KUHN. After being shaped

they undergo specifi c treatment to harden

them to abrasion-resistant standards and

to produce the optimum anti-vibration

shape. Knife features (quality of steel

and treatments, shape, resistance to

deformation due to violent impacts and

wear) are also one of our priorities, for both

your safety and profi tability.

Assembly and quality

control (5)Once produced, individual parts undergo

many checks before being sent to the

assembly line. At the end of the line, each

cutter bar is put through a functional

check (operating temperature, bearing

temperature, power requirement,…).

At the end of the assembly line,

powertrains and hydraulic and electric

circuits are controlled on the machines

and large sub-sections.

A fully assembled machine is pulled out of each series produced, to undergo intensive driving tests on the road, on pathways and in the fi eld before being taken apart for appraisal.


And tomorrow?

The global popluation is ever

increasing.

By 2050, the worldwide

population will have increased

by 2 billion people, therefore

agricultural production will have

to double to keep up with the

world demand.

At the same time, farms will

only get bigger and be using

more advanced technology.

Advances in managment are

already starting to revoutionise

farming businesses.


www.kuhn.com

Investments will continue in

Research, Development, and

innovative industrial tools.The key to meeting the challenges in

mowing as well as in all other areas of

agricultural production is developing

technologies. Today, a team of atleast

50 people are working on electrical

developments and their progress is

picking up speed.

The KUHN Group will continue to invest

massively in Research and Development

as well as in its industrial infrastructure,

to succeed in the “high-end” and “high-

powered” product sector, especially in

mowers, to meet your requirements more

precisely in terms of quality, performance,

profi tability, precision and connectivity.

To make your investment great!

And retain KUHN’s status as the world’s

best-selling disc mower manufacturer!

You will fi nd all information, fi lms and

animations illustrating KUHN’s mower

innovations on the 50 years mini-site:

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Information given in this document is only for information purposes and is non-contractual. Our machines are in compliance with regulations in force in the country of delivery. In our literature, and for improved illustration of certain details, some safety devices may not be in operating position. When operating these machines,

these devices must be in position in accordance with the requirements indicated in the operator’s manuals and assembly manuals. Respect the tractor gross vehicle weight rating, its lift capacity and maximum load per axle and tyres. The tractor front axle load must always comply with the regulations of the country of delivery (In

Europe, it must reach minimum 20 % of the tractor net weight). We reserve the right to change any designs, specifi cations or materials listed without further notice. Machines and equipment in this document can be covered by at least one patent and/ or registered design. Trademarks cited in this document may be registered in

one or several countries.

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KUHN, the pioneer, the innovator....machinery innovations and product launches. Innovation and quality were the main priorities while the company was gaining recognition the in the