ADR: the multinational axis

Security for the drivers of agricultural machines refers not only to the tractor these are maneuvering but also the equipment which is connected to the tractor. For reached speeds, mainly in road, a crucial component for the security of transport is the trailer. Italy, in the province of Varese, a company devoted over fifty years to the study of this problem, designing and building axles and suspensions for trailers. In the course of these years, the ADR company has developed to become a producer of reference in Europe, with the purchase of other societies in France, Poland, and England.

Engineer Sergio Frigerio, responsible for the r & d Department, demonstrates how the axis is an essential component of the trailer. Moreover, in ADR, it is more correct to speak of assembled components because the axis is treated in this company, in most cases, as an element of set that allows a customization for the required purpose.

"With the acquisition of the French company Colaert have treasured a new mode of our products: in the footsteps of his experience have been the first to Italy to introduce the concept of the component coordinated with other components", said Frigerio. In fact, often the Italian buyer considered wise to use different components from different manufacturers always looking for the most convenient to later assemble the set. Initially ADR proceeded to the innovation of components within the same product. 10 Years ago he introduced spheroidal alloy hubs in the agricultural sector. The agricultural machine today must also be considered as an agricultural machine that circulates often on roads or as a road all-terrain and also the axes must meet new requirements.

For their products, ADR uses spheroidal alloy, a type of cast iron with a tenor of lower with respect to the traditional carbon and a crystal structure that ensures the machine resistance at the physical level; mergers can obtain forms optimized with not far from the intermediate steel mechanical properties. Geometries mostly approaching the demands of the tractors also circulating on the road with the trailer are, therefore, possible. In addition, the structure, which wasn't possible with previous technology of the slabs in steel can lighten. This was the first revolution to the Italian company. "We then thought reducing the tara". We have achieved, because for some years, pass along the full square section (easier to work to the winch because full square section Gets the part for mounting bearings) to the tubular, lighter. However, this is not so critical as in commercial vehicles, already almost all the axes in agricultural machines are from the billets of full square section to the tubular. "In a shaft that leads 10-ton earn 50 to 60 kilos", says the engineer Sergio Frigerio.

"We have started our experimentation with the tubular commercial." Inspiring us in commercial vehicles, we have applied to the structure of the axis more resistant materials, and we have created square profiles of rounded edges created with two profiles in C soldiers, with welding inside and outside of the tube. "The end result is an original profile, with a geometric feature well defined, an original welding technique, materials of high higher resistance and gain mass", adds.

"Then there is the issue of the suspension." Working with profiles holes are different properties and the suspension, which has its own elasticity, takes advantages because it partially exploits the elasticity of the pipe, who works as a torsion bar, giving a better dynamic behaviour with respect to the full traditional axis. The ideal is to have the complete kit of shaft, suspension and couplers supplied. The suspensions are of two types: the traditional, crossbows, still widespread in agriculture by its robustness and the more recent, hydraulic. Since the beginning of the development of this new technology, we are working with a major German company specialized in hydraulic facilities for tractors and earthmoving machines. The hydraulic suspension in the trailers is relatively young, but in other machines such as harvesters, it is quite widespread. "To help and assist our clients in the implementation of these suspensions in their vehicles, are also promoting the kit premontado with hydraulic suspensions, fittings and control box", explains the head of r & d.

Two years of study and experiments, as well as a considerable financial effort, led to what is now the product of ADR, the Black Bull, star that is proposed as the new generation of shafts for agricultural machines. The search for the lightness without reducing the resistance is the starting point for a future where they generalize the use of hydraulic suspensions also in the agricultural sector. To obtain a significant reduction of the weight, the structure of the axis has been redesigned replacing the traditional billets with a patented tubular profile ADR, built with materials of high resistance. In addition, have been also created original manguetas molded in special steel. Some important processes of mechanization have been completely revised. A perfectly homogeneous behaviour of tubular profile with any solicitation has been obtained with an exclusive method of welding that develops a very superior resistance by integrating the tubular and material basis without solution of continuity. New modules for the mechanization of the manguetas and the tubular with very close tolerances allow a coaxiality of all components of the body of the axis, with a consequent less wear and tear of tyres and an excellent braking. A system of molding that vira compatiblemente with the position of the tractor. This is an extremely comfortable, primarily when performing maneuvers under way back. The system, which has had great success among the users, is being enriched with a safety device which assists the driver of the tractor in the event of failure: autodirectriz makes the axis piloted in the case that the hydraulic power assistance failspreventing problems of maneuverability of the trailer.

Origins with a commitment to the evolution

Flavio Raddrizzani, President of ADR, tells how his company, over a period of some decades, it has developed to such an extent to boast of their right to the title of 'multinational of the axis'. This is an exemplary case that shows how family businesses have exploited the long wave of Italian economic boom to take a leap of quality, in order to impose at European level.

"My parents founded this company in 1954 as a small craft company, doing odd jobs on behalf of third parties." My brother entered the company in the 1960s to manufacture axes. In those years, here in the surrounding area had many firms producing cranes for the construction. I went into this activity in the 1970s and precisely in those years we went from the building, which had already exhausted its propeller thrust, to agriculture and special transport. At the end of the 1980s we acquired the first concurrent, Colaert Essieux signature, a French company much more advanced technologically than we, but at that time was not well managed. The merger of the two companies was very positive, allowing an exchange of technologies and prudent management. Indeed, in those years French agriculture was much more modern than the Italian and the decidedly more advanced machinery, therefore their axes were more cutting-edge than ours but they went only to the French market. We cannot attribute to us the merit of having started the export of its technology to the rest of Europe. In addition, a company acquired in Poland, •ATW, has begun to function as our sub-proveedores and another British company, Tyremart Agricultural, was in charge of distributing our products also in the market. With the entry into the European Union, the market in Poland has started to give us great satisfaction. There our company, in addition to selling directly, produces the components which are then assembled here in Italy and France. "The largest investments, during our history, have been always reserved to the development of the technology of products", explains the President of ADR.

A modern research centre that will occupy about 1000 square meters, which flanqueará to the staffing of apparatus of testing (of which a part a roller Bank only in Europe that simulates in laboratory conditions of service and a latest dynamometer for testing of brakes) is currently being built. This is the best guarantee to ensure products experienced laboratory under all kinds of effort and not only on paper, in order to avoid unpleasant problem in the middle of the field.