Spelle, Germany - Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG., a farm machinery manufacturer, has introduced a new highly wear-resistant carbide counterblade for its BiG X forage harvesters, designed to deliver consistently high chop quality and a significantly longer service life. The cutting tools of a forage harvester are exposed to extreme wear, particularly the blades of the cutting drum and the counterblade.
The new counterblade is fitted with carbide blocks made from sintered tungsten carbide and cobalt, one of the hardest materials available for agricultural applications. To ensure a durable and reliable bond, the carbide is attached to a specially developed steel body using an advanced soldering process. Individual carbide blocks are precisely soldered along the cutting edge, allowing the cutting tools to remain sharp for much longer than conventional counterblades.
This carbide tipping delays the rounding of the cutting edge many times over compared with standard designs. As a result, not only does the counterblade maintain its sharpness, but wear on the chopping drum blades is also reduced. This ensures consistently high chop quality across different crops. Additional carbide blocks protect the surface of the counterblade from erosion, further contributing to its extended service life.
Wear levels vary depending on the harvested crop, with grass and whole-crop silage placing significantly higher abrasive stress on the counterblade than maize. To optimise durability, Krone recommends first using one side of the counterblade in maize, then continuing with the same side for grass and whole-crop silage. Once worn evenly, the counterblade can be turned and the process repeated, starting again with maize before moving on to more abrasive crops.
By using carbide technology, Krone significantly increases the service life of both the counterblade and the chopping drum blades. Longer replacement intervals reduce downtime, assembly time and operating costs, while ensuring reliable performance and consistently high chop quality over multiple harvest seasons.
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