The ball coupling without lubrication

The KS80 special version was developed for a very simple reason: trailer couplings actually have to be lubricated every time they are used. This is very costly and time-consuming. "I know companies where someone has to service and lubricate every single bearing point on all machines once a week," reports Toni Milhahn, who works in product management and as a sales engineer at ROCKINGER Agriculture GmbH. It is also important to ensure that the correct amount of grease is applied to the coupling. "Too much can lead to some of the lubricant getting into the soil or onto the crop. Too little leads to coupling damage," explains Marcus Reinländer, Cable Plant Production at Agrargenossenschaft e. G. Kirchheilingen.

"If we assume that a third of tractors in Germany are equipped with a KS80 and wear insert, we arrive at around 8,300 couplings that manage without lubrication. According to our calculations, this corresponds to a total of around eight tonnes of grease saved per year. And that's just through one lubrication point per tractor"

At first glance, the KS80 with wear insert does not appear to be any different from the standard KS80 or comparable couplings. It consists of a coupling ball and a towing pan, which are installed in the height adjustment. As usual, the towing pan is positioned on the ball head from above. It is secured against unintentional uncoupling with the aid of a hold-down device and creates a clearance-free connection. The special feature of this coupling only becomes visible when you look into the towing socket. It contains a wear insert made from high-performance polymers. The material for this insert was specially developed for ROCKINGER by igus® GmbH. It means that no additional lubrication of the coupling is necessary and maintenance is reduced to a minimum.

ROCKINGER needed a plastic that could withstand the adverse operating conditions in the field. "High drawbar loads, swivelling angles, extreme weather conditions and dirt were in our specifications," recalls Toni Milhahn, Product Manager and Sales Engineer at ROCKINGER. At a driving speed of 40 km/h, two and a half to three tonnes of drawbar load put pressure on the coupling and the wear and tear. That is why igus® GmbH developed a material that is durable and resistant.

The KS80 with wear insert is used, for example, in balers, loader wagons, manure spreaders, tippers or crop sprayers