Designing Durability into Autonomous Agricultural Machinery

Soucy Baron
Agricultural
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The work ethic of farmers is often held up as the gold standard. The classic English proverb “Make hay while the sun shines” refers to the fact that farmers take advantage of the conditions they need to get the job done. Seeing farmers out working in their fields at all hours is a common sight. However, the industry is changing, with pressure to increase crop yields while dealing with labor shortages.

OEMs are working hard to help farmers by incorporating technology to overcome production and labor challenges. The increase in research and development of autonomous equipment is a good example of technology with the potential to transform farming.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, the ongoing transformation of farming that includes digitalization and automation of farming tasks may be an important part of the solution to challenges facing U.S. agriculture, including rising production costs, climate change, and labor shortages. 

The global autonomous farm equipment market is expected to grow from a value of  USD 68.15 billion in 2023 to an anticipated USD 121.81 billion by 2033.

A McKinsey & Company article from 2023 says that shifting pressures are leading farmers to be more open to agtech innovations as potential tools to optimize their returns and minimize their financial risk. 

For the purposes of this blog post, autonomous means equipment and vehicles that can operate without requiring a human. Autonomous equipment may still offer a remote-control option so that there is a human in control, but they aren’t necessarily in the field. Examples of autonomous agricultural equipment and machinery include the following:

  • Tractors, combines, and other vehicles that can navigate fields and follow predetermined paths without needing a human operator sitting in the driver’s seat. 
  • Sprayers, seeders, weeders, and equipment that can be programmed to do a predictable, repetitive task instead of requiring human manual labor.

Autonomous farm equipment offers many benefits that are essential to the agriculture industry, such as:

  • Increased efficiency and productivity
  • Reduced labor costs
  • Improved precision and accuracy
  • Decreased accident risks with less human operator fatigue

According to Farm Equipment, Those within the industry agree and see a relatively quick adoption of autonomous technology on farms over the next 5 years — especially for applications that eliminate repetitive tasks and reduce skilled-labor costs. 

The development of autonomous agricultural equipment poses specific challenges to OEMs. Autonomous models need the durability of traditional designs, such as the ability to operate in rough terrain and harsh weather, with additional considerations:

  •  Protection of sensors and electronics that are vulnerable to dust, moisture, and physical impact
  •  Energy efficiency
  •  Minimizing downtime and maintenance

Custom rubber components have a crucial role to play in the development of autonomous agricultural equipment to bolster performance and durability. In this blog post we’ll take a more detailed look at how custom rubber components can be strategically designed into autonomous agricultural equipment.

Agricultural vehicles and equipment have always had to be robust to stand up to uneven terrain, moisture, debris, temperature extremes, oils, chemicals, and more. To accommodate automation, extra components are needed:

Sensors – sensors are used to avoid obstacles and/or monitor conditions such as humidity and pressure.

Electronic systems – electronics are used to determine the orientation of equipment for precise navigation and control.

Antennas – GPS RTK antennas are used for positioning and navigation. These antennas need protection against environmental conditions.

Cameras and vision systems – object recognition systems and remote monitoring use cameras and vision systems.

Moisture, dust, and contaminants can wreak havoc on these components, and they need extra protection against vibration and shock.

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To increase yields with autonomous vehicles, hours of operation may be extended. In order for the equipment to run continuously, it must stand up to longer hours of operation and not require extra fuel. Custom rubber components contribute to energy efficiency and uptime in several ways:

Reducing energy loss to vibration – the damping capabilities of rubber can minimize the detrimental effects of vibration

Increasing component lifespan – by isolating and protecting other critical components, rubber helps reduce component failure so that autonomous equipment can run longer without requiring component replacement or maintenance.

Streamlining maintenance – some autonomous equipment is designed with easily replaceable modular components, allowing for quick swaps of worn or damaged parts without extensive downtime

Innovative agricultural vehicles and equipment require specialized approaches to minimizing noise, vibration and shock, and isolating sensitive components against harsh conditions

The unique properties of rubber allow it to be engineered to overcome new technical challenges and provide the durability and performance that the agriculture industry demands.

OEMs turn to Soucy Baron to design, test, and produce performance-critical elastomeric parts that meet challenging requirements. 

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Partnering with Soucy Baron means more than just high-quality products — it means gaining a trusted advisor committed to optimizing your machinery's performance in the most demanding environments. Whether it's extending component durability or ensuring reliability under extreme conditions, we provide solutions that exceed expectations.

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