Rod Ends for Agricultural Machines: low-maintenance

A leading company in the agricultural machinery sector needed to improve the efficiency and durability of its machinery, which is exported worldwide and used in varying operating conditions. With the aim of maintaining high performance and reducing downtime, the company decided to work with a partner specialising in the design of rod ends and pre-assembled linkages – pivotal elements for ensuring reliability and superior mechanical performance.

Application challenges

Agricultural machines have to cope with demanding operating conditions, such as constant exposure to dust, dirt and other contaminants, as well as operating under high loads and complex movements.

The main challenges include:

High wear: components were subject to high levels of wear due to high turning speeds and large swivelling angles.
Heavy loads: the machines had to operate under significant loads, which required components capable of withstanding high stress, maintaining low radial clearance and low friction.
Reduced maintenance: it was essential to minimise maintenance, to keep operating costs down, including lubrication costs, and to reduce unscheduled downtime.
Reliability: the machines had to guarantee high efficiency and operate continuously without unexpected failures, especially in contaminated environments.

Therefore, rod ends had to assure correct operation even in the presence of contaminants, while maintaining low radial and axial clearance, low friction, and corrosion resistance. They also had to be durable, reliable and high-performance, with an extended service life that reduced maintenance.

The proposed solutions

To meet all the application needs required by the customer, the expert team of Rollon Group’s Rotational Units business unit proposed two highly customisable product lines designed to meet the specific challenges of the agricultural sector.

Tescubal® rod ends were chosen for particularly demanding applications with complex movements. They are characterised by:

Wide swivelling angles and high turning speeds.
Availability in various configurations, including self-lubricating bronze or steel bushings.
Materials of construction such as galvanised steel or stainless steel that help achieve optimal long-term strength.
Heavy load capacity, making them ideal for large agricultural operations.

Tescubal® rod ends

Classic Line rod ends are designed for applications requiring high efficiency and low backlash. Key features include:

A techno polymer outer ring that helps ensure extremely low backlash.
Reduced maintenance due to their inherent resistance to contaminants.
Long lifetime and high performance, reducing the need for lubrication and improving operating efficiency.

Classic Line rod ends

Part of the scope of supply also included the design of pre-assembled linkages, a further solution to improve efficiency and reduce assembly and handling costs. These linkages, manufactured to customer specifications, are characterised by:

Threading obtained by rolling or turning, as required.
Right and left-hand threading available, with centre distance adjustment.
Customisable materials including machining steel, stainless steel and anodised aluminium.
Availability of coatings compliant with ISO 4042:2018.
Availability of shaped (with bends) or straight rod.

The proposed solutions not only simplified the assembly process, but also ensured greater structural strength and reduced downtime.

An example of configuration

Application examples

Agricultural tractors

Tescubal® solutions handle dynamic stresses during field work, ensuring smooth and precise movements even under heavy loads.

Seed drills

For modern seed drills, component accuracy and long lifetime are essential to avoid interruptions in seeding cycles. Durbal Classic rod ends offer superior resistance to dust and contaminants, with minimal maintenance required, allowing continuous and efficient operations.

Combine harvesters

Rod ends are used in the handling mechanisms of combine harvesters, where they must support rapid and continuous movements. The ability of the proposed solutions to reduce friction and wear contributes to longer component life and higher machine productivity.

Results

By implementing Tescubal® and Durbal Classic rod ends and pre-assembled linkages, it is possible to achieve several key benefits:

Reduced downtime: the reliability of the components can help to reduce unplanned failures.
Lower maintenance costs: reduced wear and the need for minimal lubrication can reduce maintenance costs.
Increased productivity: the ability to operate under high loads and demanding conditions can improve the overall efficiency of agricultural machinery.

Conclusions

Working with a specialised partner has enabled the agricultural company to significantly improve the performance of its machines, successfully tackling the technical challenges of the sector. The use of customised rod ends and pre-assembled linkages ensured tangible results in terms of efficiency, reliability and sustainability, making the project a true example of innovation applied to the agricultural machinery sector.

Meeting the customer’s requirements was made possible thanks to one of the industry’s widest ranges of rod ends. In fact, Durbal and Chiavette Unificate, each with over 70 years of experience, are the Rollon by Timken group’s specialists in the design and production of rod ends, angular and axial plain bearings, spherical plain bearings and clevises.

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