Agricultural manufacturers rely on technology to adapt to precision farming
Machinery costs are still high, but there are ways to adapt to the market
Precision farming technology has transformed the manufacture of agricultural machinery. For better use of the soil, inputs and application of products, tractors and harvesters, for example, already leave the manufacturers with advanced technological innovations shipped, such as scanners, microprocessors and software. However, the costs of these productions can still be high for all manufacturers.
The solution may be in partnership with those who produce these technologies. Maintaining the production of machines and adding hardware (physical product, such as displays, controllers and sensors), software (operating system) or both (an equipment that already comes with the integrated technology of the factory) from a supplier. Hexagon's Agriculture Division, headquartered in Florianopolis, has been developing, since 2004, integrated solutions for the management of operations from planting to harvesting and logistics, enabling the automation of machinery and the maximisation of operational control.
"These are technological tools that enable the monitoring, planning, automation and systematisation of machines and workflows in agriculture," explains Bernardo de Castro, President of Hexagon's Agriculture Division. "Not all manufacturers have the resources to support the development of precision farming technologies, and that is where we operate. "We develop embedded technologies for tractor and implement manufacturers, with the goal of transforming them into true technological tools for agricultural efficiency.”
Pulverjet, a manufacturer in the sprayer industry, is an example. "We noticed that we had a deficiency in the GPS controllers of our implements, which generated a high cost of after-sales service and technical visits in the field," says the company's director, Marcelo Variza. "We needed innovative solutions from the national market, which were ready to be installed in the machines and which added market value to the sprayers". The adaptation came through Hexagon, with the implementation of products from the HxGN AgrOn platform, such as AgrOn Auto Steering and AgrOn Sprayer Control.
Solutions - The idea of the solutions developed by Hexagon is mainly to improve productivity and bring value to the machinery, making it more modern and precise. Another advantage lies in the support provided to the manufacturer, whether it is technical in the field or for the development of new projects between companies. Furthermore, the partnership provides a continuous training program for the technical team, so that the service to the final customer is of high quality and more agile, generating greater satisfaction.