Click to view
larger image

Case IH, a worldwide leader in the farm equipment industry, has been providing customers with a full-range of tractors, tillage products, seeders and sprayers for the past 160 years. One group of machines, the 1200 ASM Series Planters, is available in six models, with 18 different configurations. The 1200 Series is a top-of-the-line precision planter that delivers accurate population and precise in-row seed placement. The machine is also designed for easy transport and storage, retracting to just nine feet, compared to the width of 40 feet it spans in the field.

Since the planter’s inception in 2000, Case IH has been using igus® System E2 Energy Chain® to house and protect hydraulic cables during the everyday operation and retraction process. The System E2, designed to deliver high stability and long service life, plays an important function in the planter, on and off the field.

During operation, the Energy Chain not only guides and protects the hydraulic hoses in the planter, but eliminates debris build-up as well. Because of the open design of the E2, debris does not become caught inside the chain, reducing overall maintenance to the machine. The Energy Chain also stands up against the daily exposure to crop residue, wheat stubble and liquid fertilizer.

The System E2 Energy Chain also aids in the retraction process of the planter. Mounted on the underside of a telescoping hitch that extends from an open to closed position, the Energy Chain guides the hoses into the nine-foot retracted position.

Paul Paluch, Planter Engineering Manager, vouched for the reliability of Energy Chain.

“We don’t expect to replace the Energy Chain from igus at all,” he said, “and the machine’s life is 10 years.”

Paluch also recognizes the various benefits for Case IH and its customers.

“Customers love the maintenance-free feature of the Energy Chain and we love the fact that Energy Chain is simple, cost-effective and reliable, even when compared to more expensive solutions.”

To learn more about Case IH, visit www.caseih.com.