The agricultural sector is changing thanks to the increased use of automation, AI, and machine learning that enable more efficient and targeted use of resources through smart farming and precision agriculture. Manufacturers have to integrate new technologies and applications into their offering, but also ensure robustness, functional safety, and operational reliability for their machines.
Austrian family-owned company PÖTTINGER is a leading international manufacturer of machinery for grassland, harvesting, the cultivation of arable land, and digital agricultural technology solutions for smart and precision farming. TTControl has been working with PÖTTINGER for many years. We had the opportunity to speak with Stefan Ackermann, Director of Product Management at PÖTTINGER, who shared some valuable insights into the collaboration between the two companies, as well as the changes and challenges that lie ahead for the agricultural sector.
Even as the agricultural sector changes – reliability and safety remain key
Manufacturers in the agricultural sector need robust control systems to ensure their products meet high functional safety standards. Even as automation and assistance systems are becoming more important, the base requirement of reliable and safe operation in the field remains the same.
Stefan Ackermann sees a shift in machinery functionalities in the coming decades, “Agriculture is changing. If you compare how agriculture was done maybe 30 or 40 years ago - that was completely different to now. And, also, in the future, it will be different. But it is not the steel and iron that is changing on the machine. It's much more - the intelligence of the machine. So having more data available, collecting more data, that is one of the key issues. What is also coming around the corner is for sure higher automated machines and also, in the second step, autonomous machines. That will be something that will be important in the future.”
New technologies support the further development of new applications according to Stefan Ackermann, “We see smart farming and precision farming as one of the key aspects in the future. PÖTTINGER stands for the best working results and in future, digital products will support this. One big challenge we see in the future is the availability of data and collecting of data. Connectivity is one key aspect for the future. It is a challenge and it's also a challenge to have the right decision made by the operator on the field. And there we see a big potential, so that the farmer who is using the product gets supported by data when he is working on the field.”
TTControl supports the agricultural sector with high-performance control solutions and displays that enable and support new functionalities. PÖTTINGER began collaborating with TTControl in 2018 and launched the first machine using electronic control units (ECUs) from TTControl in 2020.
High quality standards and the fit of the products are key for the successful collaboration, but the personal aspect is also highly relevant, says Stefan Ackermann, “It is important to have suppliers like TTControl that can offer us perfect, matching solutions to fulfill the needs of our customers and the best fit for our products. We see TTControl as a very innovative company with high quality products. The products are always one of the most important things, but the decision was not only made based on product or price, it was mainly also based on the people behind the products, the people behind TTControl.”
ECUs developed specifically for agricultural machinery
TTControl and PÖTTINGER jointly developed an ECU that was specifically designed for the agricultural use case and is now used in several of PÖTTINGER’s machines. The first implementation of the TTC 508 was in the controller of the IMPRESS 185VC PRO round baler.
“PÖTTINGER has been using ECUs from our TTC 500 family since 2020 in a range of their loader wagons, round balers, mowers, as well as seed drills. These safety control units are designed to meet the needs of high-end applications in the agricultural and construction sectors. The TTC 508 is based on the same hardware as the other members of the TTC 500 family and is highly configurable, offering more flexibility,” explains Emanuele Sala, Key Account Manager at TTControl.
ECUs from the TTC 500 family are freely programmable safety controllers with a powerful processor and a compact, automotive-style housing suited for harsh environments. They fulfill standards requirements according to SIL 2 (EN 61508) / PL d (EN ISO 13849), AgPL d (ISO 25119), and ASIL C (ISO 26262).
