Chassis
Compact on the road and stable in the field
- High-volume standard 850/50 R30.5 tyres for minimum ground pressure and utmost stability
- Manoeuvrability due to steering angle of 21 degrees on both sides
- Road drive with a transport width of 3 metres and harvesting with an external width of 3.5 metres
- Telescopic axle with extendable telescopic rail for optimum stability in the field
- Automatic hydraulic inclination compensation for a constant horizontal alignment of the Keiler, i.e. uniform cleaning also on the side slope
- Faster and more comfortable telescoping of the axle
- Significantly more powerful steering
- NEW: Automatic self-steering (optional)
Improved automatic hydraulic slope levelling for optimised cleaning and greater comfort for pickers
Drive wheel
Comfortable and powerful for extreme harvesting conditions
Movement and manoeuvring made easy! The ROPA Keiler 2 RK22 can be equipped with a drive wheel or a drive axle for increased traction and soil protection also under extremely difficult harvesting conditions. Even with this optional equipment with high-volume 850/50 R 30.5 tyres the road transport width remains just 3.00 metres. The integrated axle freewheel allows speeds up to 40 km/h on the road. It can be coupled and uncoupled whilst driving at any time. The maximum speed with a coupled drive wheel/axle reaches up to 14 km/h.
The new and practical automatic operation using tractors with ISOBUS is a convenient and elegant solution. The drive wheel/drive axle is automatically actuated in the applicable direction of travel during start-up and controlled synchronously, then switched off again when stopped. A significant advantage, as there is no need to constantly engage, disengage or switch to reverse the drive wheel/drive axle when manoeuvring or starting.
The thrust can be adjusted separately at the terminal for precise adaptation to different operating conditions. In addition, an anti-skid control (ASC) prevents the wheels from spinning, which improves driving performance, protects soil and increases operational safety.
Despite the large-volume 850/50 R30.5 tyres, the steering angle remains identical to that of the standard machine at +/- 21 degrees, as do the hydraulic and PTO configurations.
Drive axle
High-capacity hydraulic pumps and oil motors for enormous thrust under challenging conditions
Drive axle and drive wheel
| Pump | 90 cm ³ |
| Motor right | 3,150 cm ³ |
| Motor left | 1,000 cm ³ |
In a potato harvester, a drive axle is not only a useful feature, but also the technically and economically most appropriate solution for a wide range of harvesting conditions.
Improved traction is a key factor. Potato harvesting sometimes involves working on soggy, loose or hilly soil. With non-driven axles, this quickly leads to the tractor slippage. A drive axle ensures that the available traction can be actively utilised. The harvester runs more smoothly, stays on track and can work reliably even under difficult conditions.
The reduction of the tractor's load also plays an important role. Without a drive axle, the tractor not only has to pull, but also to overcome increased rolling resistance.This can lead to the so-called "bulldozing effect", i.e. soil builds up in front of the wheel resulting in a loss of traction. In extreme cases, the wheel cannot move forward at all. The movement is maintained thanks to the active drive of the drive axle. The wheel sinks less and can roll smoothly over the raised ground. This reduces the traction requirement and means that smaller or more efficiently utilised tractors can be used.
Another important factor is soil protection. Slippage results in smear planes, precisely what you want to avoid on arable land. The drive axle reduces wheel spin of the tractor wheels and distributes power more evenly. Results: improved soil structure and long-term increase in crop yields.
The drive axle also scores highly in terms of work quality and safety. Uniform feed motion ensures consistent harvesting performance, clean separation of soil from tubers and less blockages. At the same time, driving stability improves, especially on slopes or when turning at the headland, which is a safety factor that should not be underestimated.
New drive axle
The new drive axle and the Black Bruin wheel hub motors combined with a separate hydraulic pump, deliver maximum thrust and traction. The ROPA has specially developed a control block that enables sensitive control of the drive axle and smooth engagement while driving.
An anti-skid control (ASC) prevents the wheels from spinning, which improves driving performance, protects soil and increases operational safety on wet ground and slopes.
In automatic mode, ISOBUS automatically switches between forward and reverse driving. The wheel drive is also fully available at the headland.
Despite the powerful drive technology, the outer width remains at 3.0 m, making it possible to drive on public roads without restrictions.
Regardless of whether the machine is fitted with a drive axle or not, the steer angle of 21° remains unchanged on both sides. Furthermore, the configuration of the hydraulic connections and the PTO shaft remain unchanged too.
Practical insights
The benefits of additional drive technology become particularly apparent when working on extremely wet fields, as the machine remains operational even when high traction is required.
The drive axle actively supports forward motion and drives the machine reliably forward, even when the tractor's tyres reach their limits. This means that the machine retains its operational capability even on soggy soil, and harvesting can proceed efficiently.
Some fun from customers in Denmark: The Keiler's used as a crash bunker
In the latest fun video, a ROPA Keiler 2 RK22 loads another Keiler 2 RK22 to demonstrate the additional soil removal capabilities under these conditions.
If harvesting conditions are very wet and the soil sticks strongly to the potatoes, it is important to clean the tubers to ensure good quality of the harvest.
The integrated transfer roller at the transfer point from bunker trough to unloading conveyor provides additional cleaning of soil and dirt!
In addition, the unloading conveyor is constructed as a sieve conveyor. This ensures additional sieving during the unloading process, so that adhering soil is constantly detached and sieved out effectively.
The new intelligent self-steering
The new intelligent self-steering system for the ROPA Keiler 2 RK22 is ROPA's innovative solution for the automated control of the steering axle on the potato harvester. The system automatically controls the steering and ensures that the Keiler follows exactly in the tractor's tracks. This prevents the machine from 'cutting corners', which significantly reduces the turning radius of the tractor-harvester pair. The autonomous self-steering offers noticeable advantages, especially in tight turns, at headlands, and when manoeuvring and reversing.
An integrated gyroscope controls the intelligent self-steering. This system continuously measures lateral acceleration, while the steering angle is calculated real-time based on vehicle speed and the vehicle geometry recorded in the control unit. No additional steering linkage or other mechanical or hydraulic connections are required for this.
Forward and reverse! – Greater comfort, greater precision, and greater agility – track on track
The intelligent self-steering significantly reduces the driver's workload thanks to its particularly responsive and precise operation.
The ROPA on-board computers continuously control the steering axle so that the wheels of the potato harvester follow the tractor's tracks as accurately as possible. Compared to manual control via the mini-joystick, the autonomous system delivers smoother, more precise, and consistent steering.
Easy to use and quick to set up
You can easily activate the intelligent self-steering by pressing the multi-function button and the steering button on the left or right control unit at the same time. When entering a row, the system can be deactivated via the Start of Field key and reactivated at the end of the row via the End of Field key, provided that the self-steering has been activated beforehand. In this way, the self-steering can be optimally integrated into the working process.
Once activated, the system immediately takes over the active steering. The intelligent follow-up steering system can be activated or deactivated at any time, with the active state clearly indicated by the illuminated red steering button on both the left and right control units.
Self-steering while reversing as well
Particularly useful is the autonomous self-steering when reversing. The Keiler detects the direction of travel and steers to follow the curve. The system amplifies the tractor's steering movement, making manoeuvring in tight turns significantly easier and more precise. This feature significantly increases convenience, especially when manoeuvring in confined spaces, reversing, or aligning the tractor-harvester combination.
The driver has full control the entire time, as the system can be easily overridden by manual steering when needed and then reactivated using a key combination.
All advantages at a glance
- The Keiler closely follows the tractor's tracks when driving forward
- Active support and enhanced cornering assistance when reversing
- Intelligent detection of forward and reverse driving
- Significantly less manual steering and noticeable reduction in operator workload
- Simple activation via key combination on the control unit — without changing hand position
- Automatic deactivation and activation also via the Start of Field and End of Field keys
- No additional steering linkage and no further mechanical or hydraulic components required
- Manual steering override possible at any time