Last week, Lely unveiled what it describes as a revolutionary continuous round-baling system during its Yellow Revolution event.

The new machine, around which the system was developed, is called the Lely Welger CB Concept. For many manufacturers, the development of a continuous and affordable round-baler has obvious benefits, both from an output and efficiency perspective.

The machine was simultaneously unveiled with its American partner Vermeer in Pella, Iowa, USA, and in Maassluis, the Netherlands.

Across Facetime and in front of press in the Netherlands and dealers in the US, Lely group CEO Alexander van der Lely and Vermeer CEO Mary Andringa proudly launched the latest Yellow Revolution together.

Both firms share a similar ideology and heritage. They are both family-owned and of Dutch heritage – not to mention the fact that they jointly own the German baler firm Welger.

This latest Yellow Revolution is the ninth to be introduced by Lely since 2005 and certainly one of its most exciting. The Yellow Revolution concept was introduced by Alexander van der Lely so that the firm’s newest innovations would be recognised as such and so that they would stand out from its standard mass production colour of red.

Development of the CB Concept began in 2011 and the development team was headed up by the creative genius of Dutchman Wim Reijersen van Buuren, general manager forage technology at Lely. Less than a year later, the first working prototype was built, according to Wim.

Among the research and development team’s other creations is the Lely Welger Tornado, the firm’s latest combination baler wrapper. This is available in both fixed and variable chamber variants and is different in design to the earlier combination machine, the Lely Welger double action.

The design brief was simple, according to Wim. “We wanted to make a baler that was easy to use. We also wanted to make a round-baler that you don’t have to stop with to net and eject the bale – a continuous baler where the baling process does not stop.”

This clearly seems to have been achieved, as was demonstrated on the day.

On a 4.5-hectare plot at the launch, the Lely Welger CB baler made 43 bales of silage in 22 minutes. This gave a potential baling capacity of 117 bales per hour on this site, driving at 17 to 18km/h.

On test in straw, Wim stated that the CB easily produced 110 to 130 bales per hour in sizes of 1.5m to 1.6m diameter.

The improvements in efficiencies were immediately apparent at the launch, with no time spent stationary while netting the bale.

Many round-baler operators would also appreciate the lack of stop-start baling, plus the effect this has on both operator and machine. Increased productivity and a decrease in wear and tear will certainly be welcome.

How does it work?

Up front, things are pretty standard. There is a camless pick-up and Xtracut 17-chopper unit that feeds the crop into the baler. Key to the design is its single full-width belt, which is a phenomenal 21m long.

Alexander van der Lely said that the full-width nature of the single belt aids better bale formation in comparison with balers with a number of belts. He also added that crop losses are reduced, as there are no gaps for valuable crop to fall through.

Within the front section of the baler, there is an accumulator device, which stores or retains the belt by running it over a series of movable rollers.

Similar storage concepts are used in newspaper printing, steel or even textile industries, but for a different reason, usually to allow the paper, steel or textile to be joined to a new roll without stopping the respective machinery. The CB baler uses this storage device to allow the belt to grow around the individual bales within its chambers.

When the baling process starts, the CB baler operates like many variable chamber belt balers, except when the belt grows to the required size, which is when the bale is transferred rearwards where it is then netted and ejected.

While this is going on, another bale is formed within the front section. This allows the operator to continue baling throughout the netting process.

Bale transfer from the front to the rear is facilitated by the unique design of the bale chamber. On most conventional fixed chamber or variable chamber balers, the side walls are part of the overall baler structure. On the CB baler, the sides are effectively large rotating discs and are connected across the baler by rollers at set points.

As the bale is made and reaches its desired size, the sides with these rollers are rotated and effectively capture and isolate the bale. They simultaneously move it rearwards, ready for netting, and subsequent ejection.

Meanwhile, the process of forming a new bale has begun uninterrupted at the front of the baler, so no stopping to net is required.

So when Lely describes its CB baler as a continuous baler, it is exactly that. There is no storage, gathering or accumulation devices or chambers.

Details

Lely has released very little technical information about the CB so far. What we do know is that it features a camless pick-up and Xtracut 17-chopper unit and, of course, that lengthy belt.

It has a sophisticated bale density, transfer and ejection system, operated by up to four hydraulic rams on each side of the baler.

It has its own independent hydraulic system to operate these functions, which are, in turn, controlled electro-hydraulically from the Lely ISO BusE-link Pro control terminal.

Bale sizes are possible from 1.25m up to 1.6m in diameter, so they should facilitate most useful sizes for the European market, at least. Wheel size on the launch machine was 710/40R 22.5.

Lely confirmed that the minimum power requirement is in the region of 170hp. The price of the machine was not confirmed, but the company hinted it will cost something between the price of the firm’s round and large square balers.