Chinese CVT tractor acceleration in line with international standards

CVT, a term that is not unfamiliar, is a technological gap that once faced domestic tractors. From an international perspective, CVT technology has already been maturely applied in developed agricultural countries such as Europe and America. Although it started relatively late in China, it has gradually made practical progress in recent years.

Throughout the development history of international CVT tractors, since the mid-1990s when Fendt produced its first CVT tractor product, CVT technology has been developed for over 20 years. During this period, this technology has not stopped researching and developing products in the world tractor field. Mainstream European and American brands have launched CVT products, and currently have a market share of over 60% in Europe and America with over 200 horsepower, and are constantly expanding their products. In order to further understand the development of CVT technology in major foreign tractor companies, the editor will briefly introduce the technological development of CVT tractors produced by major tractor companies in the world today.
Fendt is the world's first company to produce CVT tractors. As early as the mid-1990s, Fendt launched the first tractor equipped with a continuously variable transmission to the market. Currently, all tractor series produced by Fendt (200Vario, 300Vario, 400Vario, 700Vario, 800Vario, 900Vario, 1000Vario, 1100Vario series) adopt this Vario type continuously variable transmission system, with tractor power ranging from 69kW to 495kW, It is the company with the widest power range (large, medium, and small) of CVT products in the world today.
When developing and designing CVT tractors, Deere Company used ZF's continuously variable transmission, but only assembled it on the 6M/6R series tractors produced in Mannheim, Germany. In addition, Deere's independently developed continuously variable transmission design adopts two planetary gear mechanisms, which are used on 7R/8R series tractors. Although the structures of these two types of continuously variable transmissions are different, their usage functions and driving control methods are the same.
CNH Group has its own continuously variable transmission technology, and in 2007, CaseIH applied CVT to its new PUMA series tractors. NewHolland, on the other hand, installed CVT on T7000 series tractors, with a transmission system called Auto Command. The mechanical structure of this transmission is the same as that of the continuously variable transmission installed on PUMA series tractors, but its control and management systems are slightly different. Currently, NEW Holland is widely applying CVT technology to its T5 series and above tractors, with a power range of 88-451kw.
German company Claas adopts a continuously variable transmission system on its Arion, Axion, and Xerion series tractors, with a power range of 114-389kw. The supporting CMATIC continuously variable transmission mainly comes from ZF company.
The tractors produced by MF's tractor factory located in Beauvais, France are equipped with continuously variable transmissions with a structure similar to that of Fendt. However, the trademark name of the continuously variable transmission installed by MF Company is Dyna-vt type, which is applied to its 6S and above series tractors with a power of 103-295kw.
Sam Deutz Fahr's tractor products are currently equipped with continuously variable transmissions on multiple series of tractors. The continuously variable transmissions installed by the company are all Eccom and Smatic continuously variable transmission systems produced by ZF company.

Although domestically produced CVT tractors started relatively late, their progress rate is very fast, taking two top domestic tractor enterprises as examples. Dongfang Hong, relying on the National Science and Technology Support Plan for the 12th Five Year Plan, began the development of CVT tractors in 2011. The LW4004 CVT tractor developed was unveiled at the National Science and Technology Innovation Achievement Exhibition for the 12th Five Year Plan in 2016. Afterwards, the LW3204 CVT tractor was expanded and developed to participate in the 2021 China International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition.

Weichai Lewo Smart Agriculture launched China's first commercial CVT tractor with 240 horsepower at the 2021 China International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition, and began mass market deployment. At present, we have expanded and developed multiple CVT tractor products, including 280 horsepower and 340 horsepower. "As China's first commercialized CVT intelligent tractor, the release of the Lovol P7000CVT intelligent tractor breaks the long-term monopoly of international brands in this field and leads domestic tractor brands into the era of continuously variable transmission."

Comparing the current situation and future development trends of domestic and global markets, as well as the large-scale operation of land and the demand for high-end equipment in China, CVT tractors have full growth potential in the future. The large number of top enterprises entering also means the potential in this field.