The right mix

Volvo Penta joins Siloking at Agritechnica, where the mixer feeder manufacturer will inaugurate its new generation of mixer feeders — and mark the beginning of Siloking’s exclusive use of Volvo Penta engines.
Volvo Penta is joining forces with Siloking, the market leader in cattle feeders, on the new Siloking SelfLine 4.0 — the latest generation of self-propelled cattle feeder, with a unique ergonomic cab, built-in feeding management software, oil-saving hydraulics, and a powerful Volvo Penta D5 or D8 engine, with 1,000-hour maintenance intervals.

The German manufacturer switched from competitor engines to Volvo Penta for its complete line of large feeder-mixers — four series in all. The Compact 1612 and Premium 2215 use Volvo Penta D5 engines with power outputs of 105 to 160 kW (143 to 218 hp). The Siloking System 1000+ 3024 and Siloking’s newest model, the System 500+ 2519, use Volvo Penta’s D8 engines with power outputs of 160 to 210 kW (218 to 286 hp). Volvo Penta engines produce high torque at low speed, resulting in low fuel consumption. The engines also produce less vibration and are easier to maintain, with 1,000-hour service intervals — twice as long as previous engine technology.

A step above
Rather than providing a simple plug-and-play solution, Volvo Penta went the extra mile to make sure that its engines were properly installed and could work in harmony with the machines’ hydraulics for greater efficiency. Working closely together, Siloking and Volvo Penta were able to create a driveline so efficient that, in combination with an advanced Bosch Rexroth filter system, hydraulic oil demand in the SelfLine 4.0 has been cut by 20%.

And despite switching from Stage IIIB to Stage IV engines, fuel efficiency has remained steady — and, in some instances, even improved. Because Volvo Penta provides engines with most add-on assemblies factory-mounted and has a common driveline concept for both engines, Siloking has also increased its production line efficiency.

“The main reason for choosing Volvo Penta was to have a steady partner with whom to build a long-term business relationship,” says Ulrich Hund, head of marketing-communication at Siloking. “Changing out the engine — the heart of the machine — in a line of equipment can be a monumental undertaking, but with strong support from Volvo Penta, it only took 10 months before everything was running smoothly. That’s no time at all.”

“We had strong cooperation between Siloking’s R&D department and Volvo Penta’s application engineers,” agrees Miron Thoms, head of industrial engines for Volvo Penta Central Europe. “Siloking is a highly professional organization to do business with and an excellent customer for Volvo Penta.”

The new Siloking SelfLine 4.0 was unveiled in Germany in July but is making its international debut at Agritechnica, 10-14 November. Siloking can be found in Hall 5 at stand D28, where it will be displaying four models from the new SelfLine 4.0: a Compact 1612, two sizes of Premium 2215, and a SelfLine System 500+ 2519. Meanwhile, Volvo Penta is in Hall 17, Stand D33, where it will be showing its Stage IV D5 and D16 engines, as well as its selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system.

Download high resolution image (The Siloking SelfLine Premium 2215, equipped with a Volvo Penta five-liter engine) >>