At the exhibition dedicated to wine-growing technologies, the Cuneo-based group is also bringing the multifunctional tracked carrier Cingo M8.3EVO with drill and shredder, the Cingo M500C and the full electric e-WORKER EW25.5-90 4WD telehandler. A precious opportunity for Merlo to show live the potential and effectiveness of its vehicles for this type of activity
San Defendente di Cervasca (CN) | The Merlo Group will participate again this year in “Enovitis in Campo”, the only dynamic exhibition in Italy entirely dedicated to viticulture technologies, scheduled for 12 and 13 June at the prestigious AgriVar farm premises in Palazzo di Varignana, in the province of Bologna.
“The trials and demonstrations that take place directly in the vineyard are at the heart of this event,” explain Merlo staff, “and for us it is a valuable opportunity to show live the potential and effectiveness of our vehicles for this type of activity. We want to support the many wine producers who are making their quality products known in Italy and abroad".
The highlight of Merlo's news will be the self-driving Cingo, which was presented last year as a prototype but is ready to amaze visitors for the 2024 edition. The Cingo M600A-e is a tracked carrier equipped with a 100% electric propulsion system, able to move autonomously within the row and perform steering manoeuvres to enter and exit the rows.
Characterised by 360° environmental perception sensors, an intelligent unit for data analysis and high-precision localisation based on GPS RTK (Real-Time Kinematics) technology, the operator can record a route (no matter its length) in the vineyard so that the machine can follow it to perform specific jobs.
The activation of the installed equipment, i.e. the sprayer, occurs automatically by following start- or end-points previously recorded together with the route. This allows for maximum precision, thus reducing waste. This technology also makes it possible to include in the route the approach to a recharging column, so as to make battery charging more immediate. The software developed manages the different phases of work outside and inside the vineyard in various ways: it maintains the right distance from the rows, stops if it encounters an obstacle (a person, for example, because safety is always Merlo's priority) and then searches for new routes that then converge on the preset trajectory.
At the event Merlo is also showing off the Cingo M8.3EVO multifunctional tracked carrier with drill and shredder. The Cingo multifunctional tracked carriers offer a wealth of technology, the result of Merlo's decades of experience, designed to operate in confined spaces and guarantee compactness, safety, versatility and manoeuvrability. The model is offered both with the shredder - ideal for shredding pruning residues, stalks, small shrubs or for cleaning slopes and paths - and with the drill, ideal for precisely drilling holes in the ground to accommodate poles, supports, planting young plants. Both attachments are compatible with the quick-coupling system. The 17-HP Kubota diesel engine, hydraulic servo-assisted controls and high attachment angle of the tracks allow the machine to overcome obstacles and reach up to 4 kilometres per hour. The integrated parking brake ensures a safe stop in less space. The maximum capacity is 800 kg.
Merlo will also show the Cingo M500C, a handy and particularly compact transporter with easy and intuitive controls, whose robust rubber tracks exert low specific pressure on the ground. The machine can be used in all sectors for the handling of material in confined spaces and on steep and uneven terrain. With a total width of 690 mm, it transports the material with ease, passing through doors and gates and in the narrowest passages without any problems.
Of course, the full electric e-WORKER EW25.5-90 4WD telehandler, the flagship of the Merlo zero-emission generation, cannot be missing at Enovitis either. Merlo electric telehandlers are equipped with a 100% electric drive, which can be combined with either four or two-wheel drive: a solution that ensures not only high precision and modulability of the transfer speed and high power and torque to the wheels, but also unparalleled ease of use. The new electric drive allows a maximum speed of 25 km/h, while ensuring millimetric control of travel, and is capable of delivering sufficient power to allow equipping the machines as “Agricultural tractors with telescopic boom”, giving the possibility of towing farm trailers on the road.
In terms of hydraulics, this range is also capable of delivering performance comparable to similar conventionally powered models. In addition to the two front motors, the 4WD models such as the one present at Enovitis are equipped with an additional motor for rear traction. This allows discharging the driving force to the ground on all the wheels, ensuring traction in all circumstances, even in off-road conditions.
