masters of Precision RAUCH

mAsters of precision

RAUCH, the German manufacturer of innovative, high-quality fertiliser spreader machines, has recently opened Europe’s most modern fertiliser spreader test hall to meet agricultural requirements of the future, thus further increasing the innovative focus that has made the company a leader in its sector.

Over the last few years, the family-owned company, now in the hands of the third and forth generation, has gone from strength to strength. Global business expansion and introduction of innovative, cutting-edge products has further cemented RAUCH’s position as a pioneer in its sector.

“We are top specialists in fertiliser spreaders and the wide-ranging expertise accumulated in this segment makes us unique on a global scale,” says Managing Director Wilfried Mueller. RAUCH’s innovative and customer-centric focus combined with the latest development technologies and modern production equipment guarantee first class product quality, reliability and long product lifespan, appreciated by farmers and agricultural contractors around the globe.

New level of testing

RAUCH is headquartered in Sinzheim, Baden-Baden, Germany, where the company has been developing and building machines since 1921, with the first fertiliser spreader developed in 1932.

In early 2019 the company achieved another important milestone, when it commissioned a new test hall worth €2.5 million. The most modern, digital testing and analysing technologies area allows for fully automated evaluation of spreading trials. In the new test hall, 250 tonnes of fertiliser will be spread and tested every year. Alongside classic, mineral fertilisers, RAUCH will also test and optimise the distribution of biofertilisers, says Mr Mueller.

“With the new hall, our company has got a scientific flair - we will be able to even better meet the demanding requirements of the professional agricultural industry for a higher level of efficiency and ecology in needs-based plants nutrition in an ideal way. With the modern equipment, it will be possible to determine the exact amount of fertiliser the plants need - no more, no less, thus reducing costs for the farmers while protecting the environment at the same time. Precision is key, and this is one of the areas that our R&D team has focused for a long time.”

Big and efficient

Mr Mueller explains that another focus is on improved performance - with a growing world population and limited arable land, agriculture demands more efficient, bigger machines that can be operated easily, smoothly and - due to their seasonal employment - with the highest level of reliability.

With the rising demand for bigger machines, RAUCH launched AXENT 100.1, a precision large area spreader for granulated fertilizer and lime, with a quick-change system enabling application of two spreading modules, introduced to all of the company’s important markets. In 2017, RAUCH AXENT 100.1 won the ‘Australian Machine of the year 2017’ award. The company reaped success on the other side of the globe as well - the AXIS-H 50.1 EMC+W fertiliser spreader received the coveted AE 50 award of the renowned American Society of Agriculture and Biological Engineers.

“The market asks for more intelligence brought into the machines. This has been one of the biggest changes we have seen in recent years and one that will present numerous challenges. Connectivity is a big topic at the moment - our engineers have been very busy researching this area in recent years, to come up with a platform to connect to, not only to our machines, but also to other farming machinery within a combined system, a single platform that a farmer may use.”

At the cutting edge

Each year RAUCH invests around 8 per cent of net sales in R&D. “We have a highly motivated and capable team of some 70 engineers, of whom most come from the farming background. They understand the farmers’ needs and know that it is not just about building a machine - the whole systems including the soil and plants need to be considered,” Mr Mueller points out, adding that to sustain the technical expertise, the company works with universities and secondary schools and offers a number of internships as well as apprentice training.

“Right now, we are investing in an internal project to increase the number of machines that will be even more customer-oriented. But it is not just the machine itself that we provide - we have an excellent level of services, probably the best in the world. The machines have a very short window of operation and must perform faultlessly. This is what we can guarantee.”

“We want to be the benchmark in the sector. For some years we have been working on a project to bring the fertilizer direct into the soil and therefore reducing the use of fertilizer even more and be prepared for areas with less water. Furthermore, just recently we started researching the possibility of using drones for spreading. This is a brand-new project that we will start testing soon and I’m sure it will bring further enhanced benefits for the farmers and further strengthen RAUCH’s position as a trend setter in this sector.”