AGCO Announces Industry-First AutoDock Header Docking System For Fendt IDEAL Combines

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AGCO is making an automated AutoDock header docking system available for all Fendt IDEAL combines that lets operators dock a DynaFlex 9300 Series draper header or 3300 Command Series corn header with one touch. (Photo courtesy of AGCO.)

If you’ve ever changed a combine header, you know it can by a dusty, dirty job that may also require a second person on the ground assisting. That’s all changing with the new AutoDock header docking system AGCO is making available for its Fendt IDEAL combines. Offered for DynaFlex 9300 Series draper heads and 3300 Command Series corn heads, the one-touch, in-cab automated system takes about five seconds to complete, and can save operators hours over a season, says AGCO. Although AutoDock is currently only available for AGCO-made headers, the manufacturer says support for third-party headers is in the works.

Total Automation

“We’re very excited to introduce this technology because it is a key first step on the way to totally automating the harvesting process in the future,” says AGCO Senior Tactical Marketing Manager Kevin Forth. “And it’s a nice follow-up to IDEALDrive joystick steering, which is another example of AGCO’s intentional creation of smart solutions for our farmer customers.”

IDEALDrive replaces the steering wheel in IDEAL combines, resulting in less operator stress and fatigue, and greater visibility of the header and feeding process. AutoDock and IDEALDrive both won 2021 AE50 award winners for engineering, and the 9350 DynaFlex draper header with AutoDock won a 2021 Davidson Prize for ag engineering excellence. AGCO is planning in-field AutoDock demonstrations this year, including one at the Farm Progress Show 2021 in Decatur, Illinois, starting on August 31; the company has also created an animated clip that shows how quick the connecting and disconnecting processes are using AutoDock.

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Using AGCO’s newly introduced AutoDock docking system takes only about five seconds to complete, and can save hours of time over the course of a harvest season. (Photo courtesy of AGCO.)

AutoDock In Action

Using AutoDock involves driving the combine to a header, lifting the header, and pressing an attach icon on a touchscreen control panel in the cab. Guide pins and hydraulic actuators automatically connect drives on both header sides, and a single-point coupler connects all mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems and mechanically latches the header in place. To remove a header, operators press a detach icon, which reverses the process. AutoDock also automatically adjusts combine header width and sets the sensitivity for header height control once the operator selects the appropriate header from an on-screen list.

Source: AGCO