A hydraulic accumulator originally developed for the automotive industry is opening up new possibilities for agricultural machinery operating under extreme conditions. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) has successfully transferred proven passenger car technology to a demanding new application.
For years, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) sold piston accumulators for automotive applications. When this chapter closed, the door opened to a new opportunity. Mauro Lasagno, Global Key Account Manager for Mobile Machinery, recognized that the technology still had strong potential – just not in its original application. Through his close ties to the agricultural machinery industry, Lasagno learned that CNH Industrial N.V. was facing challenges with the hydraulic systems used in its agricultural equipment. The tractors used for the production of sugar cane, in particular, operate under extreme conditions and place high demands on component durability and temperature resistance.
At the time, CNH relied on diaphragm accumulators, which were failing after only about half of their intended service life. The challenge was compounded by the installation situation: the accumulators are mounted direct at the transmission and can only be accessed with significant effort. “This would require dismantling larger parts of the drive train. That costs time and money, so the requirements for service life have to be correspondingly high,” explains Jens Wolfram, Global Segment Director Mobile Machinery – Agriculture.
The operating environment made matters even more demanding. In Brazil, where many of these machines are used, high temperatures, extreme humidity, and continuous operation are the norm. Under these conditions, standard diaphragm accumulators proved unsuitable. Lasagno proposed a different approach: testing FST piston accumulators that had been used successfully for years in millions of passenger car transmissions.
The accumulators produced at FST’s Lead Center Accumulators in Remagen met the customer’s expectations. A 0.75‑liter piston accumulator proved to be a good fit for agricultural applications and was mounted directly on the transmission. Initially, FST supplied the accumulators as spare parts, with an adapter developed by the customer. Today, that intermediate solution is no longer necessary.
Comparative testing delivered clear results. The FST piston accumulator achieved a service life three to four times longer than the diaphragm accumulator previously in use. By building on proven passenger car technology and adapting it flexibly, FST was also able to provide test samples to CNH within a very short timeframe. “We were able to convince CNH – and now supply the accumulator in series production,” Wolfram says.
The successful transfer of technology has sent a strong signal beyond this single application. FST is now examining whether the concept can be extended to other customers and transmission systems. “For us, this is a special success story,” Wolfram adds. “A component originally developed for passenger cars is finding its way into agricultural machinery – with virtually no technical modifications.”
CNH Industrial N.V.
CNH Industrial N.V. is an Italian-American multinational corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The company’s legal headquarters are located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with operational headquarters in Basildon, UK. CNH Industrial manufactures agricultural and construction equipment under brands including Case IH and New Holland.
