A farmer's workplace

Have you ever dreamed of your ideal cabin, one that combines ergonomics, comfort and safety? One that goes back to Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, the quintessential comparison of human symmetrical proportions to those of universal symmetry? The man in this famous work from 550 years ago is an excellent example of how stability and the center of gravity are central in a circle – exactly where the shape of cabs is headed today, many of which will be exhibited at Systems & Components in November 2017.

Ergonomics in cabins

Ergonomics is based on “anthropometry,” the study of the measurement of humans. The word “ergonomics” comes from the Greek words ergon, meaning work, and nomos, meaning laws. In other words, ergonomics signifies a person's relationship to work and is equivalent to creating a productive and efficient work environment. To be both productive and efficient, one must also be comfortable and safe.

In the agricultural field, farmers spend many hours in a cabin - the determining factor of the quality of the farmer's work environment. This requires the optimization of the entire work environment, in this case a cabin, thus leading to a higher economic return.

Fundamental characteristics

To provide this environment, a cabin must be equipped with the latest technological innovations. Grammer Ag, a leader in the development of systems and components for cabins, said, “Modern agriculture is placing ever-greater demands on machines and their operators. We concentrate our efforts on the aspects of biomechanics, ergonomics, vibration absorption, and user-friendly operation with the goal of steadily improving the comfort of the end user.” (Source: www.grammer.com).

Siac-Lochmann recognizes the need for safety and comfort and is constantly striving to improve their cabins according to European laws and specific certifications. “All of our cabins pass the ROPS, FOPS and TOPS tests for the static seal of the frame as well as the pressurization test of European regulation EN 15695 – 1:2009, Class 4 in case of contact with toxic chemical agents.”

As Fritzmeier, one of the leading cabin manufacturers, said, “We are going in the direction of system integration with increasing requirements in safety, ergonomics and performance for the machine operator of the future which leads to an increasing digitalization of machines and cabs.” To best achieve this goal, companies with a shared vision, including Fritzmeier, have come together as the Cabin Concept Cluster (CCC) to propose a product that fulfills all the needs of the end user.

Connectivity in cabins

The main theme of Systems & Components is “Connectivity – Stay with us, stay connected!” Siac-Lochmann highlights this connectivity through their cross-industry approach in the design and production of cabins for agricultural, construction, municipal and industrial sectors.

Connectivity at its peak is present in the Smart CAB, the culmination of the hard work and creativity of the CCC, which will be unveiled exclusively at Systems & Components 2017, where the ideas of many different people and companies are brought together, connected, to present the ideal cabin.

All information for visitors and exhibitors is available online at www.agritechnica.com.

Interview with Alexandra Herrmann, spokeswoman for the CAB Concept Cluster and responsible for Products and Marketing at Fritzmeier Systems

 “Connectivity: Stay with us, stay connected!” is the theme of Systems and Components 2017, and nowhere is this better highlighted than through the Smart CAB, created by the CAB Concept Cluster (CCC). The CCC is a group of companies and associations that share a similar innovative outlook to address the need of the agricultural industry to have an “ideal” cabin, the Smart CAB, which will be unveiled at AGRITECHNICA 2017 at Systems & Components. Alexandra Herrmann, spokeswoman for the CCC, shared some of the Cluster's history and background.

What is the CCC and the Smart CAB?

The CCC is a group of 13 companies and associations (Aurora, Bosch, Fritzmeier Systems, Grammer, Hella, Hydac, MEKRA Lang, Tenstar, S.M.A. Metalltechnik, Lumod design agency, TU Dresden University of Technology, Deula, AEF and DLG with Systems & Components as hosting partner) that have come together to share their knowledge and expertise to create the perfect cabin, the Smart CAB.

Where did the idea of the Smart CAB come from?

All the partners benefit greatly from the positive synergies when theory and daily practice come together. We all have similar goals - we are all driven by system integration, modularity and digitalization. In the end, we wanted to give potential customers the chance to see that we have created something great and have integrated a lot of functions and innovations. They have the possibility to see what we have done by collaborating.

There is also the economic value added for the OEMs which is much more than just product benefits: they are offered the opportunity of final series implementation while risks remain limited and costs are reduced while they strengthen their own competitiveness in the market.

The main theme of Systems & Components this year is “Connectivity – Stay with us, Stay connected!” How can you see this in the Smart CAB?

The CCC is the perfect example of connectivity and is demonstrated in every aspect, from the basic concept of bringing many companies and associations together to the actual interaction of the many systems and components that we bring together in the final product.

Behind the Cluster people are working together and in the end, it's all about the connectivity between people to make sure that we keep up to date with the project and are constantly bringing the best and most recent developments to the table. Together, all members of the cluster network benefit in the market, much more then when dealing as individual companies.

Can you give us a preview of some of the new aspects that will be featured in the Smart CAB?

The Smart CAB is based on a multifunctional serial cabin, which is developed to meet the requirements in the agricultural industry. Our big driving factors are system integration, interconnectedness and digitalization as well as modularity.

When it comes to the Smart Cab as a final product, we have to ask you to wait until the official unveiling at Systems & Components.

All information for visitors and exhibitors is available online at www.agritechnica.com.