Efficiency improves fuel savings

On the financial health balance sheet for farms, fuel is a significant contributor to costs. Many pieces of agricultural equipment use diesel-powered engines:

• Tractors
• Combines
• Harvesters
• Transport trucks
• Pumps

Any opportunity to reduce fuel consumption can help farmers move closer to breaking even and profitability. Keeping machinery well-maintained is common advice to help minimize fuel costs, as well as using more efficient equipment.

In their mission to help farmers reduce their operation costs, manufacturers are designing innovative new equipment with improved fuel economy. In the quest for efficiency, every component counts. Seemingly small adjustments and improvements add up over the course of a vehicle’s lifetime for significant fuel-conserving benefits.

Thanks to its unique properties and ability to dampen vibration, rubber has a significant role to play in improving engine efficiency in agricultural vehicles. Let’s take a closer look at how rubber components can mitigate issues that affect fuel consumption in agricultural equipment.

Picture the difference between a race car tire speeding along a smooth track and a tractor tire clawing its way through muddy, uneven terrain. That’s rolling resistance. As tires deform on the driving surface energy is lost. Higher demands are then placed on the vehicle’s engine to keep moving and overcome that rolling resistance. More demand on the engine = higher fuel consumption. Minimizing rolling resistance has a direct impact on improved fuel economy.

However, the answer isn’t simply to use stiffer tire materials. Many other factors need to be considered, such as safety and traction on wet surfaces, operator comfort, and protecting vehicle components from vibration.

With proper analysis of all the factors and conditions for specific applications, a custom design and formula for tires and tracks can be developed to minimize wasted energy without compromising overall performance.  Rubber can be manipulated in many ways to offer unique properties ideally suited for agricultural environments.

As soon as the engine is turned on, a tractor vibrates. The vibration will then increase once the tractor starts to move across uneven terrain. Although some vibration is unavoidable, minimizing vibration reduces wear and tear on engine components and helps preserve their integrity over the long term.

Rubber offers excellent buffer properties for damping vibration. Not only is rubber flexible, it also maintains its stability. Custom-formulated rubber bushings and engine mounts absorb vibration to help protect the motor and other power transmission components, which results in better fuel economy.

For an engine to run smoothly, it has to have good seals and gaskets. Keeping debris and contaminants out, holding fluids such as oil in place and reducing internal friction are critical for engine performance. Optimizing engine output with proper fluid pressure and reduced drag leads to improved fuel efficiency.

Basic physics dictates that the heavier an object is, the more force it will take to move it. Therefore, heavier tractors and equipment require more fuel to move. Every opportunity available to reduce weight will contribute to fuel efficiency. However, lightweight equipment may not offer the durability needed for specific jobs.

When choosing equipment, the best option is the closest match for size and weight needed to get the job done. For OEMs developing different models to offer a range of weight and durability, custom rubber components can be developed to best suit each model.

Custom rubber components optimized for all factors including weight and durability help the engine, transmission, and other vehicle components maintain good fuel efficiency.

Agricultural vehicles and machinery being developed or re-designed with fuel efficiency in mind can benefit from many custom rubber components such as:

• Tires
• Tracks
• Bushings
• Mounts
• Seals
• Gaskets

Consulting experienced rubber solutions engineers is the best first step to determine the suitability of rubber components to improve engine efficiency and fuel economy.

Soucy Baron has over 50 years of experience designing, testing, and producing custom-engineered rubber parts for off-road vehicles and machinery. With our technical dominance in materials engineering and experience working directly with OEMs, we provide quality, high-performance compounds for your component needs. We can work with you at every step of the process, from firming up initial ideas to minimizing production costs, and ensuring compliance with applicable regulations.