McHale to present the new Fusion Vario Plus
Film binding advantages
The Vario Plus can apply plastic to the barrel of the bale instead of twine or net wrap. The advantages of this system are:
- Chamber film acts as a wrapping layer;
- Chamber film results in better shaped bales;
- Chamber film delivers higher quality silage; and
- Chamber film makes recycling easier.
Should an operator wish to use net wrap for hay or straw, this can be done with a simple changeover.
Sobus compatibility
The Vario Plus is Isobus compatible. It can be plugged into any Isobus tractor connection and operated via the tractor’s own terminal in the cab. If the customer wishes to operate an Isobus-controlled machine with a tractor that is not Isobus compatible, they can do so through the McHale ISO-Play consoles which are available as an optional extra.
Profi-Flo pick-up with adaptive intake
The new Profi-Flo pick-up has been designed to increase crop intake through more efficient crop flow. The new tapered feed channel encourages the crop to flow from the pick-up, towards the rotor and into the bale chamber, maximising throughput. To reduce maintenance, all Profi-Flo pick-ups are fitted with a heavier driveline which reduces chain load and increases chain life.
McHale has also introduced adaptive intake which has been specifically designed to allow the intake area to automatically adjust up and down to changes in material flow.
The design of this intake area has a number of advantages:
- The intake area automatically adjusts to the volume of crop which allows the machine capacity to be maximised in light and heavy rows/swaths;
- Intake area automatically adjusts to allow the machine to better handle uneven and lumpy rows/swaths;
- Better crop intake; and
- Less chance of blockages occurring.
Commenting on this feature, McHale Irish sales manager, James Heanue said: “The new Profi-Flo pick-up sees an improvement in intake and increases throughput capacity. Isobus has also made the whole baling experience easier and more enjoyable for operators from a driving and maintenance perspective.”
The new Fusion Vario features a quicker bale transfer and faster wrapping speeds. An improved transfer with a smoother sequence reduces the transfer delay while the wrapping speeds have increased to match the new machine intake.
A control keypad is fitted to the rear of the Fusion Vario Plus to allow the operator to control the following functions:
- Indexing of the wrapper, rear wrapping roller up/down;
- Wrapper start/pause, cut and hold release; and
- Work lights, two spare customisable buttons.
All McHale Fusion Vario Plus machines come equipped with an Intelli-Chamber which has increased the speed at which the chamber opens and closes for more productivity. This technology determines the opening height of the chamber to suit the bale diameter and increase bale ejection speed as the chamber is only opening to the size required to eject the bale. Operator comfort has also been enhanced to ensure this process is carried out in a seamless and gentle manner, according to McHale.
Other features
New bale shape assist indicators are fitted to the Fusion Vario Plus. A load cell on each door lock measures the bale load on each side and displays accurate bale shape feedback to the operator for informed driving and better bale shape. It is fitted with individual grease and oil pumps. The grease pump is connected to the downward movement of the bale tip, while the oil pump is connected to the upward movement of the bale tip. This ensures that grease and oil is applied evenly and continuously as the machine operates.
A larger net/film brake has been fitted to all Fusion Vario Plus machines which, the company said, provides 25 per cent more tension to be easily achieved.
New panel lighting has been added to the machine to aid the operator when changing rolls of film when it is dark. These lights are neatly fitted underneath the side panels of the machines and can be switched on/off from the control console or the rear keypad on the machine.
Optional extras
Depending on machine specification, a number of additional optional extras are available for machines which include: 1,000rpm gearbox, selectable knives, NRF/net loading device, side tip, and
bale weighing and moisture system.