n°
1
YEAR VI
APRIL 2006
The harvesting specialist’s journal
A new entrepreneurial Humanism In the 2006 business campaign, the human factor is at the centre of relations amongst production, technologies and environment
THE FOUR TARGETS FOR THE YEAR pag. 2
THE SPANISH SPECIALISTS SPEAK OUT pag. 6
THE ADVANTAGES A LAVERDA OF THE NEW MUSEUM ENGINE IN HOLLAND pag. 8 pag. 11
THE SPARE PARTS OPEN DAY IN VITERBO pag. 12
Gruppo Industriale ARGO
2
The situation by Mario Scapin
Italy, France, Turkey and Russia these are the four targets for 2006 It’s only three months from the date on which my official work in the company began and I’m already addressing the readers of LW for the very first time. I’m sure that there’s no better occasion to present our goals and the actions we are undertaking in order to attain them. It’s clear that the first of the targets concerns sales, because it’s only by achieving satisfaction on the markets that we can pursue all our other business goals. And it’s right from the market that I’d like to begin “the situation” article of this issue. Laverda’s target for 2006 concerns growth, something that can be brought into tangible effect by attaining four distinct goals: - re-acquire Laverda’s rightful portion of the domestic market; - grow in France; - strengthen our standing in Turkey; - acquire a standing in Russia. Apart from all this, we obviously intend to strengthen our standing in all the other markets and continue with the policy we have undertaken with the supply of OEM machines. Italy is the market for which the whole of Laverda feels the most affection, the one about which each member of the company is concerned and to which
particular attention is paid. Laverda has radically re-organised its sales structure over the past few months, the aim being to bring the company even closer to the customer. We are well aware that besides the technical features of the machine or the commercial and financial aspects, the sale of combine harvesters is based on the relations, the feeling of trust, established between the customer and dealer and, indirectly, between the customer and the parent company. This is why we have created the new organisation, guided by the slogan “Laverda alongside the customer for sure-fire harvesting”. And we are doing all we can to ensure that customers who decide to invest in a Laverda machine are firmly convinced of having made the right choice. This, not only thanks to the performances and the low running and servicing costs, but also owing to the “peace of mind” that comes from having the parent company right by their sides at all times. And this doesn’t change even when the physical distance from the factory is over 1000 kilometres! We are already perceiving the first encouraging positive signs, even though we must never forget that
there’s still a great deal to do, especially in a market that seems to be subjected to a further downswing in relation to last year’s all-time minimum. We launched out on a similar policy in France last year and now, with further help provided by a new and particularly dynamic marketing manager, we are obtaining the first results. Laverda is gradually gaining ground and the end of season outcome seem fairly hopeful. Turkey has been the country where we have witnessed the greatest development over the past two years. This has been particularly due to the creation of a very well organised distribution structure reaching throughout the territory. We are now strengthening our portions of the market and are reacting very well to the attacks from our competitors although the going gets tougher day by day. Laverda has just started off in Russia and has created the foundations for growth on the market thanks to the company that imports our products and that has created a distribution network in the country. Particular attention has been paid to the areas where grain crops are grown and the job orders have already begun to arrive.
Mario Scapin managing director
The harvesting specialist’s journal Year VI, n. 1, April 2006 Quarterly periodical Registered with the Court of Vicenza n. 1017 dtd. March 5th, 2002
publishing management Angelo Benedetti Simonetta Lambrocco director in charge Claudio Strati technical consultant Pietro Dal Santo art-work Andrea Rosset Piergiorgio Laverda the following persons collaborated: Federico Bassan spare parts inspector
Rémi Hugueny
Laverda France technical manager
Rafael Romero Piergiorgio Laverda
curator of the “Pietro Laverda” Historical Archive
Pier Luigi Bigerna photographs Archivio Laverda spa © by Laverda spa 36042 Breganze (VI) Italy via F. Laverda, 15/17 tel. +39.0445.385311 fax +39.0445.873355 www.laverdaworld.com webmaster@laverdaworld.com Printed by Tipografia Campisi
V.le dell’Industria 13 - 36057 Arcugnano (VI) Articles and pictures may only be duplicated if the source is cited.
To all journal subscribers NOTIFICATION AS PER ART. 13 OF DECREE LAW D. LGS. 30.6.2003, N° 196 Your identification data have been acquired by Laverda S.p.A. from either you yourselves or from public lists and registers, thus from documents accessible to anyone, for our marketing activities in the future. Laverda S.p.A. will deal with these data on paper and/or by computerized or telematic media. The information will solely be used in our company for postal purposes, in relation to our need to acquire new customers by sending commercial proposals, also in the future. Laverda S.p.A. guarantees that the data will be treated in the most confidential way and that, upon your request, your data may be cancelled (or corrected) from our archives free of charge. You are therefore entitled to exercise all the rights established by art. 7 of Decree Law D.lgs.vo N° 196/2003 and in particular, to wholly or partly allow the data to be used.
3
Communication by Simonetta Lambrocco
There’s Man at the centre of the Laverda world The values of a new entrepreneurial Humanism in the company’s campaign for 2006 The centrality of Man is the theme of Laverda’s campaign for the year 2006. Reflections as to the very best way to communicate our company’s “mission” and products. as well as the value of the Laverda brand, led to the choice of this theme, considered an extremely important part of the communication strategy. If one focuses one’s attention on the centrality of the human factor (with a truly “humanistic” conception of “doing”), one cannot but understand that this is the true and only link between aspects bound to productive processes and ones bound to using and benefiting from the tangible product: Laverda has chosen to testify to these values besides the products, and to build its communication campaign around them. The human factor is a precious value. It’s that extra something that makes a company win and nowadays, it’s what makes Italian-made products differ in relation to the productions of other countries. Not by chance is Italy the birthplace of Humanism. It’s immediately evident that the image transmits a series of positive sensations. The protagonist is a satisfied, self-confident entrepreneur. The expression on his face is a picture of peace-of-mind. His glance is directed towards what we imagine to be his horizon, the future. Thus the first image of satisfaction and serenity is associated with an idea of strong dynamism, the essential characteristic of every businessman. The promise and peace-of-mind that come from knowing you’ve made the right choice. And the reasons at the roots of this promise of serenity and satisfaction are the superior reliability, low
running and servicing costs and high performances of a Laverda combine. In actual fact, these are some of the advantages enjoyed by our protagonist after having chosen Laverda. Advantages that provide a real sense of satisfaction thanks to the profitability of the investment and the pride of possessing a “red”. The tone of the communication is enthralling and underscores the importance of the human factor in an absolute way, both with reference to the entrepreneur to whom the message is directed and with reference to Laverda. The body copy declaims: “The energy of every enterprise grows upon sure-fire values. Like those that many farmers have found in Laverda. Certainty about the quality of the crop processed. The competitive advantage of possessing a versatile, reliable machine that can cope in an agile way with any type of ground. The backup provided by a great team, ready to help you whatever you need, from technical assistance to practical training. To increase your productivity. To plan your future with confidence. Sure that you have invested your energy well. This is what being a Laverda Customer means, as Laverda has been in the field for over 130 years”. Lastly, as testified by the “Values in the field” pay off, the new campaign underscores these very values. Values are something solid, concrete, something you can believe in, in which you can invest. They are the result of an well-rooted company tradition and testify to the historicity of the Laverda brand. Values are not just the result of technical decisions and solutions. They speak of skill, involvement and the enthusiasm of the men who make up the
company. And all this is not an abstract concept but a concrete aspect of daily work, with a nice reference to the field in the first sense of the word. But getting back to the main message, the headline says: “An untiring worker, an enterprising business-man, a tranquil man. He’s a Laverda customer. Listen to someone who uses Laverda”. With more than one Laverda machine at his side, that satisfied and serene but enterprising and dynamic entrepreneur is like each of the many farmers and farm-contractors who work or who choose to work with the “reds”. Simonetta Lambrocco
4
Italy
The journey of a grain of corn through the combine-harvester The advantages of conventional machines when it comes to preventing damage and mycotoxins There are sayings and clichés that no one dares to deny or change. For instance, try to talk to a farmer and call a cob an “ear”, or tell a rice grower that his harvest will be plentiful because you’ve seen the cobs bent over by the weight of the grains they contain. Most people will think it strange even though it’s more than correct. Once upon a time, it was plausible to affirm that a car with rear-wheel drive was “no good in the mountains”. Yet many vehicles with rear-wheel drive have been kings of the rally. Then, all at once, it was fashionable to have “everything in front” and front-wheel drives were the only thing to choose. Lots of clichés, fashions that come and go and that are sometimes the result of artful advertising or a well-arranged grapevine. Even a sector historically bound to traditions like that of farming could not escape the law of fashions and clichés. And an example is the muchdiscussed problem of corn mycotoxins. With nerve and badly masked arrogance, an expert one day affirmed that to prevent mycotoxins from spreading further, it was absolutely essential to thresh corn with a “rotary” combine. The expert did not deign to explain what he meant with the term “rotary”, partly because he did not know and partly because the aim was to distract people’s attention from the true problem of mycotoxins. Here’s a simple example. It’s like saying that if you harvest a bad apple with a machine, it will rot more than if you picked it by hand. If an apple is bad at the origin, it always will be, however it is harvested. To understand the expert’s outlandish affirmation in a better way, we decided to accompany a “healthy” grain of corn through three different types of combine harvester: two “unconventional“ machines and one of the “conventional” type. Unconventional combines are the ones with “forced” separation systems comprising one or two rotors instead of the straw walkers. These combines also comprise hybrid machines, i.e. ones where, along with the classic beater and drum, there are two longitudinal rotors that thresh and separate the crop, and axial machines, i.e. ones without beaters and drums but just one or two rotors that beat and separate the crop along the axis of the rotors themselves. On the other hand, the conventional combine has a drum and concave for threshing, a thrower and group of straw walkers for separating the residue grains from the straw. According to some people, unconventional machines of the rotary type treat the grain in a better way than “conventional” machines. Let’s make a first distinction between hybrid rotary and conventional machines. Since they both are fitted with drums and concaves, we think that differences in the way the grain is treated by one system or the other can be excluded. If one then considers the “forced separation by rotors” in the hybrid and conventional combines, which takes place through the jolting movement of the straw walkers, it will be obvious that the grain of corn can only be damaged by stress from the rotors that turn it and convey it along so that it can pass through
the slits in the sieves, forged and full of sharp edges, installed just under the rotors. But let’s begin with the ear of corn where our nice little grain is well rooted along with a few hundred of his brothers. The corn plant with its laden ear is suddenly pulled downwards by the husker which, if its plates and rollers are well adjusted, detaches the ear and conveys it to its auger. And the grain could already sustain the first damage during this phase through being detached too quickly, or because the auger hasn’t been regulated in the correct way and has worn, sharp coils. We’d like to think that everything occurs without damage, so here’s our grain of corn, still attached to its ear, at the entrance to the elevator channel in which it rises towards the threshing mechanisms. This is another critical phase. If the flow is uneven between the husker auger and the elevator beating bars (even flow is something that’s guaranteed by the exclusive PRF system in Laverda’s combine harvesters), the poor little grain of corn will be overcome by other cobs that are picked up and released by the elevator beating bars. The risk of breakage in this case is very high. Here we are at the threshing components at last. But what sort will they be? Conventional or axial? We’ll soon find out. If the ear rolls over and over between the drum and concave, we know that the grain of corn will be husked away from the cob which, all in one piece, will be carried towards the straw walkers along with the leaves, if any. If the ear that rolls along with the others were to be caught up and hurled this way and that by one or two of the large coils and then ended up by rolling along towards the end of a long tunnel, then we’d know that our grain of corn had finished up in an axial system. In both cases, the grain is separated from the cob thanks to the beating effect of the metal bars that act with an identical tip speed in all threshing systems, whether they’re arranged in an axial way or across the crop flow in the combine harvester. This tip speed, which is the result of long, triedand-tested experience, must be kept at a constant rate so as to ensure that the grains are treated in a delicate way, otherwise they will tend to break. The factors that negatively influence this stability are bound to drums that operate at an unstable
rate (something that cannot happen in Laverda’s combines since they use drums with inertial weights), or to drum and rotor transmissions that are affected by irregular flows through the machine (here again, this does not happen in Laverda’s machines as they are fitted with the PRF feeding system). But our grain of corn has escaped being separated in the drum and prefers to proceed along the combine. In the axial one, it continues to roll this way and that together with the crumbled leaves and cobs. It is gradually forced towards the exit and is crushed against the rotor grates where it is recovered. The same thing happens in the hybrid machines, the only difference being that the blades of the conveyor roller push it against one of the rotors where it is caught up and separated by force through the grates underneath. It is a different story in the conventional combine harvester. Resting on a corn leaf, our grain skips along a ramp of the straw walkers until a hefty 220 mm jump overturns the leaf. The grain then slides over a nice preparing pan and from thence, is sieved along with lots of other grains and cleaned by a bracing breeze, after which it rolls down the chute of the grain sieve towards an auger. It’s true that the same thing happens in the two rotary machines. However, it’s also certainly true that the grains are battered about a bit more before they reach the sieves and do risk being damaged. If not, how could one explain “forced” separation? The grain now passes from the grain pan auger to the elevator which, large or small, conveys it along with the others found in the grain tank. Even here, the risks are not lacking: slow chains, worn vanes that bend and crush the poor grains against the sides of the elevator, worn, sharp augers, etc. But Laverda also provides exclusive solutions in this part of the machine: screws with coils made of hardox, able to last for the entire life of the machine without ever wearing out, convenient chain stretchers and, most especially, elevators in hot-dip galvanised sheet metal in bolted modules for quick servicing and replacement of any worn parts. And finally, our grain of corn prepares for its journey towards the storage area. From the big unloader of Laverda’s M series, a large trailer receives an abundant stream of healthy, clean, whole grains of corn (105 litres per second) that mix with others conveyed beforehand by other machines. Our friendly little grain looks around itself and is amazed to discover that there are no grains in better conditions, although it has just learnt that lots come from those “rotary” machines which, according to a certain “expert” are the only combines to be recommended for harvesting corn. Our little grain smiles to itself because it thinks that the only way to become an expert is to experience a discovery journey through a combine harvester. Obviously, a conventional one! Angelo Benedetti
Argo informs
Gruppo Industriale ARGO
Tractors on show and support for Lega del Filo d’Oro during the Tour of Italy Landini decided to take part in the “Tour of Italy in tractor” at the same time as production of the Powermaster tractors began. This “Tour” event was organised by the Ferraris Racing Team of Cremona and by the journal “Macchine e Trattori”. Moreover, it benefits from sponsorship by The Verona Trade Fair authority, Unacoma and Unima. It got off to a start on January 14th in Trepalle (Sondrio), the highest borough of Italy, and terminated when the Trade Fair was inaugurated on February 9th and the procession was welcomed in piazza Bra. Tour Italia, the Italian Tour (thirty or so laps totalling about 4,300 kilometres), also aimed to collect funds for “Lega Filo d’Oro”, the association that aids deaf and blind children. Landini took part in Tour Italia with a PowerMaster 220 tractor, alternately driven by Ferraris team pilots Andrea Navarra, Alessandro Bruschetta, Alessandro Proh and Salvatore Tatò. A Landini info point had been created in the square of each lap arrival town, with a desk, armchair, table, panels illustrating the Tour, loud-speakers and lights so as to collect funds in favour of Lega Filo D’oro and alongside, an exhibition of Landini tractors was set up by the area dealers, with pamphlets and marketing materials for potential customers and visitors. The Tour was widely publicised by the press and media. Amongst the sponsors who subscribed to the event were Banca San Paolo di Torino, Trelleborg, the Ferraris racing team, Vero Italiano, Samas, Carino, Vaia, Levissima and Cap Consulting.
Tractor Pulling 2006, Landini and McCormick sponsor of the championship The “Tractor Pulling 2006” Championship is at its third edition and it’s sponsored again by Landini and McCormick, brands of the Argo Group, which still invests on this sports discipline, more and more loved and followed by all the Italian farmers. This discipline was born in US half a century ago and has been diffused in Europe for only a few years. The Landini Bufalo 3000 will be the protagonist of the 2006 competitions, started on April 30th in Parma. This tractor, during the last edition, climbed on the first step of the podium thanks to two wins: The Pro Stock Category of the TPI 2005 Italian Championship and the Tractor Pulling Italian Cup: The “Tractor Cup”. Driven by Elio Moretti, the Bufalo 3000 has been further updated and improved in mechanics and look: the cover is new in line with the more recent Landini Family Stile. With a power of more than 500 HP, the Bufalo 3000 has been
manufactured by Landini specifically to participate in the Tractor Pulling competitions starting from the Legend model. The Tractor Pulling Competitions are very spectacular. They consist in towing a special ballasted trailer called “sledge” in a track of about 100 metres of beaten ground. After the Opening Day on April 30th at the Kartodromo in Parma, these are the following appointments: May 14th at Lendinara (Rovigo), May 28th in Marene (Cuneo), June 11th in Pezzolo di Russi (Ravenna), June 24th in Fiume Veneto (Pordenone) late night, July 8th in San Prospero (Modena) late night, July 22nd in Senigallia (Ancona), August 5th in Argentera di Rivarolo (Torino) late night, September 2nd in Gonzaga (Mantova) late night, September 17th in Thiene (Vicenza).
Rex, Vision, Mistral and Power farm the protagonists of the Carnival in Cento For the third consecutive year, the Argo Group has sponsored the Carnival in Cento, an extraordinary international festivity which consists in a parade of a lot of multicoloured allegorical carnival floats and VIPs along the street of the small town near Ferrara. This appointment attracts thousands of people every year. The Argo Group has participated to this manifestation with its innovative spirit. The Carnival in Cento has also been an occasion for a concrete participation for ARGO with the direct involvement of its tractors always interested in the towing of the carnival floats. During five Sundays between February and March, the protagonists of the European Carnival have been about 15 tractors which belong to the Rex, Vision, Mistral and Power farm series, chosen among the Landini wide range thanks to their reduced dimensions, agility and manageability. The appointment with the most famous and appreciated Carnival in Europe, twinned with the Carnival in Rio, has become the ideal scenery to increase the value of the Company which is interested in all the applications, the playful ones involved. The non competitive walk in the historical “Colombare“ of Breganze The “Walk in the Colombare“ returns and is at its 34th edition. This is a traditional foot race along the historical routes in the hills of Breganze. Organized by the Laverda’s foot Association, a very important sportive group, the non competitive race, homologated Fiasp and valid for the “Piede Alato” Competition, will take place on June, 4th, 2006 on routes of 7, 12, 21 and 4 kilometres for the disabled people. For Information and registration, please contact: Silvana Radin (0445 874270) and Wilma Abriani (0445 874675).
6
The markets
This is how farmers and farm-contractors “make short work” of their harvests Spain, the satisfied comments of customers who work with Laverda
Juan Miguel Martos, Osuna - Seville “It’s a pleasure to work like this”
Luis Soldado Arco, Cordoba: loyal to the “reds” for over 35 years With more than 35 years of experience in the sector, Luis Soldado Arco is now one of the most influential and important farmers and farmcontractors in the province of Cordoba and, more generally, in the entire area of Andalusia. He has always trusted in Laverda and its products and has always used the red machines for harvesting. His very first Laverda machine was an M-150, after which he passed on to a 3350 AL, then a 3550 AL, followed by a 3700, a L 521 Integrale. He now possesses an M 306 LS 4wd, which is his latest purchase. Nowadays, Luis Soldado has a fleet of 3 harvesting machines that each work for about 700 hours per campaign, threshing durum wheat, barley, maize, sunflower and various types of pulse vegetables. And when it comes to the efficiency of his machines he told us that he is very satisfied, and also underscored another very important matter, i.e. that the Laverda machines are always very simple and economical to service. How would he describe Laverda and which, in his opinion, and the three main features of the machines? “I’d say the red machines from Breganze are high on performances, are reliable and extremely low on running costs”. Would you consider buying another Laverda machine? “I’m already thinking about buying a new M 306 LS next year, so as to renew my fleet”.
Cabrera Sanchez brothers, Palma del Rio (Cordova): “As much as 300 tons of maize per day” The Cabrera brothers are two young farmcontractors who are carrying on the family tradition in this sector. Their fleet of machines now comprises 3 combine harvesters and their most recent purchase is a Laverda M 306 LS 4 wd, bought in 2004 and with which they have already faced two campaigns. During the summer season, they harvest wheat, barley, sunflower, various pulse vegetables but especially maize which, in their specific case, is the most important product, the one to which they dedicate the most time and energy. The Cabrera brothers don’t just thresh far and wide in Andalusia. Once the Andalusian campaign has terminated, they push on northwards to the Castilla Leon region and continue harvesting there: at least one of their machines easily works for 1,000 hours a year! When they had to decide which combine to buy, they were particularly interested in certain fundamental aspects, such as: the Laverda levelling system, acknowledged as a true extra bonus, the reliability of a machine able to work uninterruptedly and one that could guarantee high-level performances with various different crops, especially maize. “When we’re harvesting maize, the machine reaches a production rate of about 300 tons per day” explained the brothers, thereby confirming their full satisfaction, “with a very satisfying fuel consumption”. Would they purchase a new Laverda machine? Well, they’re already negotiating a new M 306 LS...
Juan Miguel Martos is a well-known and important farm-contractor from Seville who has long-since been familiar with Laverda’s harvesting machines. The particular soil conditions and requirements in the province where Martos works oblige the farmers and farm contractors in the area to use AL mountain machines. And to offer his customers the utmost in quality and productivity while working with a machine in full safety, Martos did not hesitate to opt for one of Laverda’s 255 AL 4WD combines when he had to purchase a new machine last year. The main reasons that convinced him and encouraged him to buy a Laverda combine were the high efficiency and productivity provided by the machine as well as being able to count on a totally safe combine. Laverda’s 255 AL 4WD can reach all parts of the fields with the utmost safety, a very important aspect when you talk about “mountain combines”. Juan Miguel Martos also possesses a Laverda L 523 Integrale and is already thinking about replacing it next year with the ultra-new M 304 LS 4WD Integrale model, a unique machine when it comes to those available at the present time. Thanks to its characteristics, it is a top-bracket combine that features both high quality and tiptop performances along with the front and rear four-point AL system, making it an authentic gem of technology and quality bearing the Laverda trademark. After a positive campaign with the 255 AL 4WD combine, the opinion expressed by Martos about the machine is very flattering. “I’m actually surprised about the optimum efficiency and performances” he declared, “but also about the minimum fuel consumption and about the reliability and safety of the machine. “Asi da gusto trabajar!” … it’s a pleasure to work” he concluded.
7 New pieces in the French network puzzle Another four companies. Here’s the new dealer “decalogue” Laverda’s combine harvesters are distributed in France by a network of harvesting machine specialists. The evolution of Laverda’s dealer network has been proceeding from the year 2000 to date, the aim being to achieve widespread coverage throughout France. But this geographical coverage is not enough. Laverda intends to create a solid network based on specific skills so as to promote, market and assist its combines. Thus, each of the 32 French dealers is a true specialist when it comes to harvesting machines. The Laverda dealer personally decides to develop specific skills in the field of harvesting machines as part of his business, without considering the results, performances or market portions before all else, but with the prime aim to satisfy the demands from the market. And to respond to these demands and meet the requirements of the customers who actually use the harvesting machines, the Laverda dealer is first and foremost an entrepreneur who directs his company as a consequence, complying with a sort of decalogue that includes: specialisation of the sales force, training of the sales personnel, technical personnel and those who deal with spares. All this plus service available in both the workshop and warehouse on a permanent basis throughout the season, an adequate stock of spare parts and dealer identification. As part of this development policy, Laverda can now count on the new, recently appointed dealers in France, who are already selling and servicing the famous red combine harvesters. These dealers are: in Alsace: Alsaterr in Dannemarie (68) tel. 03 89 25 05 66; in Burgundy: Bouilloux Petit in Dijon (21) tel. 03 80 78 82 20 and Bouilloux Petit in Senozan (71) tel. 03 85 36 08 08; in Beauce: Lesage in Janville (28) tel. 02 37 33 62 20 and Louriou in Morigny Champigny (91) tel. 01 64 94 64 63; in Rhône Alpes: Chosalland à Pizay (01) tel. 04 78 06 23 04.
From Alsace to Breganze to “have a look first hand” Farmers and farm-contractors visit the parent company along with dealer Alsaterr Laverda is developing its performances on the French market. And a visit to the parent company in Breganze is always much appreciated by both current and potential customers, especially when it comes to discovering the technical specificness and production processes of the red combines. This is why Laurent Fuchs, proprietor of Alsaterr, our dealer for the Alsace area, organised a trip to the Breganze factory for twenty or so Alsatian farmers and farm-contractors last March. The visit was co-ordinated by area manager Guy Nevoret. The guests were welcomed with a dinner at the Belvedere restaurant in Bassano del Grappa on the evening of Thursday, March 14th. On Friday morning, everyone came to the Laverda plant where they were hosted by Angelo Benedetti, the sales and marketing manager. The Argo Group and Laverda organisation was described as well as the entire 2006 combine harvester range. The visit around the production plant, conducted by Pietro Dal Santo, the technical assistance service manager, aroused the real interest of the French guests who were able to get a first-hand view of the exceptional construction techniques of the new assembly lines. They were also highly impressed by the quality of the controls and inspections conducted throughout the entire manufacturing process. The group of guests then proceeded to the spares department where they saw the significant stocks and ascertained the technologies and organisation created to ensure that spare parts can be provided urgently during the season when needed.
After lunch together with Laverda’s Breganze staff members and the visit to the company museum, the Alsatian guests set off home, satisfied of having had a “first hand look” at the assembly line of a combine harvester. Rémi Hugueny
8
The products
The engine that agrees with the environment The new Tier 3 range reduces both harmful emissions and noise Safeguarding the environment and the health is becoming a priority objective to an increasingly greater extent, even more so when it comes to the machines that work in close contact with nature. This is why Laverda introduced the new Tier 3 engines in 2006, ones that will provide a further contribution towards the effort to reduce harmful emissions. The term Tier 3 stands for engines that are not for use on the roads and that comply with the third level emissions established by the European standards, a highly restrictive level that requires a very accentuated reduction of all the emissions produced by internal combustion engines. The harmful emissions produced by a diesel engine comprise two main families: the first includes gaseous emissions, formed by unburned hydrocarbons in particular (thus the particles of fuel that have not been used for combustion) and nitrogen oxides (which represent the undesired result of combustion), while the other family comprises the particles or fine dust, called particulate, both of which are extremely bad for the environment and for our health. The need to reduce the harmful emissions produced by engines has obliged diesel engine planning engineers to conduct a great deal of research. And this has subjected engines to a sort of technological upheaval that could even be described as a “Copernican” revolution since the engines of just a few years ago have no longer anything to do with the modern ones. If technical solutions like the turbocompressor or intercooler for cooling the intake air are now common to all the engines installed in agricultural machines, there are lots of other unfamiliar solutions in our world. Use of the common rail system represents a generational leap forwards for combine harvesters. The term stands for a fuel injection system in which the conventional injector is replaced by a sort of solenoid valve handled by an electronic control unit. Thanks to a dedicated pump, the fuel is maintained at ultra-high pressure within a manifold, called rail, that supplies all the engine’s electro-injectors, one for each cylinder. The electronic control unit receives a whole set of information, e.g. the engine rate, the operating temperature and the position of the accelerator, after which it proceeds with an infinite number of processing operations per second. As a result, it transmits electrical
signals to the injectors, causing them to open and inject fuel into the combustion chamber. Injection takes place according to the instructions provided by the electronic control unit and leads to a succession of microscopic “sprays” whose sequence is optimised so as to provide the best engine performance. Thus, lots of tiny fuel injections that vary as to duration and relative position, assuring the utmost performance in relation to power and torque, the least possible harmful emissions, the minimum noise from the engine and the extremely low fuel consumption. An engine with such an evolved injection system achieves its best performance when
it is equipped with four valves per cylinder, since the four-valve layout allows the injector to be positioned exactly in the centre of the cylinder, thus ensuring an optimum combustion. But with four valves (thus two dedicated to the intake phase), the intake ducts can also take on a different shape. In short, the duct associated with a valve can be designed to optimise the way the cylinder is filled at the top torque rate while the other can be designed to ensure the maximum filling action at the top power rate. This means that the maximum quantity of air can enter the cylinder in any condition, and the result is obtained in engine performance terms. Moreover, the different shaped intake
ducts also optimise the way the mass of air moves around the combustion chamber and this improves the combustion of all the fuel, thus achieving high performances and a low amount of harmful emissions. But there are lots more innovations, such as the EGR system (exhaust gas recirculation). Exhaust gases are inert, meaning that they are not able to ensure fuel combustion. However, the addition of a small quantity of exhaust gas inside the combustion chamber allows the combustion temperature to be stabilised, with enormous advantages when it comes to reducing the nitrogen oxide emissions. Exhaust gas recirculation in the combustion chamber can be achieved in two different ways. First, an electronically controlled valve is installed outside the engine to allow the exhaust gas manifold to communicate with the intake one, thus partially mixing exhausted gases with air on the intake. In the other method, the exhaust valve opens to a tiny extent during the intake phase thanks to the particular shape of the camshaft. This creates a partial backflow of exhaust gas into the cylinder. Besides the reduction in emissions, another important evolution has also concerned reductions in the noise produced by the engine. As a result, the common rail injection system has been able to achieve a more regular combustion process in the combustion chamber, thus keeping the noise down. But the basic mechanics have also been subjected to developments. So much so, that the valve system in the more recent engines is no longer installed on the front side of the engine but on the rear, behind the flywheel. This has led to considerable advantages since, thanks to its inertia, the flywheel turns in a perfectly homogeneous way. This means that the valve system gears are no longer subjected to the vibrations that lead to noisiness. Lastly, the modern instruments used for structural analysis, such as the FEM system (“calculation with finite elements”), applied to all the fundamental parts of the engine, the computer simulations concerning the ways the cylinders vibrate, the engine blocks, the intake and exhaust ducts and the computerised analyses of the combustion processes, have all contributed towards optimising the constructional shapes of all the components, thus achieving the minimum amount of vibrations and the lowest possible noise which, as is known, is always caused by a vibration.
9
The services
After-sales assistance, multilanguage service The Laverda technicians’ strong relations with customers throughout the world Laverda’s philosophy has always been directed towards customer satisfaction. First and foremost, our customers must be able to work with peace of mind. Reliability and optimum performances must be completed by a service that often makes an end customer decide to choose one brand rather than another. With its after-sales service staff, Laverda knows that it can count on men who have long-since understood this central aspect of the combine business. All members of the team can boast many years of experience in the sector. They know what it means to be near to both the customers and dealers, particularly at busy times in the harvesting season. When the after-sales service technician has to work in the countries where the machines are marketed, in the eyes of the dealers and end customers he represents the manufacturer. The esteem and trust established at that time is thus remembered and remains firm throughout the years. At the various agricultural machinery trade fairs held all over the world, it’s not rare for the customers of countries where Laverda technicians have worked to ask for news about this or that technician even after fifteen or twenty years. This confirms how these after-sales service men have left their mark and how much they have been appreciated by the customers. Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Denmark, Russia, Khazakistan, Japan, Cuba and Venezuela are only some of the many countries in which the after-sales service specialists have worked and are still working, and where they are bringing the name of Laverda to even greater heights. A true “mission” because, thanks to lengthy experience with Laverda technologies and since they are fully familiar with the great capacity and potential of the “red” machines, the men who belong to the aftersales service team have practically espoused the brand. They fervently believe in it and talk about Laverda as they speak of home.
In actual fact, the current strength of the after-sales service lies in its affection for the brand-name and the willingness to provide service outside the company. And besides the mere technical aspects, this is also a highly important part of the interpersonal relations. Our technicians must behave in an impeccable way with the people they meet as they represent the image Laverda presents to the outside world. Lots is done when it comes to technical training since it is essential for the dealers and end customers to be aware of the technical and production capacities of Laverda’s machines. This is also part of considering the Laverda products they purchase with rightful concern. Technical training does not only take place in the factory, but also with the importers and dealers. Our combine harvester specialist, Gianfranco Dal Santo, recently held a training course in Turkey (the first of the numerous meetings planned for the year). 23 persons from the various assistance centres of Laverda A/S, Turkey, took part in this course, which lasted 5 days. Technicians from the remotest areas of the Asian country participated in the course, coming from regions as far away as those on the borders with Syria, Azerbaigian and Greece. The requirements of Laverda’s customers in Turkey are harsh since in that country, a combine harvester works an average of 1,500 hours a year with various crops: barley, wheat, sunflower, maize and rice, even travelling hundreds and hundreds of kilometres to reach the various farming areas of the country. Occasions for technical training are very important since the participants face up to the various different situations and local needs. The wealth of technical information that Laverda’s product specialists impart to the dealers’ technicians is an extremely important resource, so much so that they are continually invited to the country where they contribute towards enhancing Laverda’s image and turning it to account to an increasingly greater
extent. One of the other important resources of Laverda’s after-sales service team is its language prowess: Russian, Romanian, Spanish, German, English, French, a bit of Arabic and Turkish are all languages that the team members have learnt alongside the technicians with whom they have worked around the world.. Human relations are at the roots of the strong image possessed by the Laverda technician who, thanks to his willingness to give a hand, his love for the brand, his cultural heritage and technical skills, is more than able to provide an optimum service for the Laverda dealers and customers of the world. Pietro Dal Santo
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The events
Kenya trusts in farming Ambassador Ann B. Nyikuli visits Breganze to get to know the mechanisation techniques Ms. Ann B. Nyikuli knew nothing about Laverda’s combine harvesters. But having been installed at the Embassy of the Republic of Kenya in Italy for the past six months, and having looked into various Italian industrial activities with a view to potential new relations between Italy and Kenya as part of the Chambre Européenne des Experts project for introducing Italian companies to the world market, she explicitly asked to visit the Breganze plant during her end of March trip around the province of Veneto. And the visit, which took place on Thursday 23 March 2006, was highly appropriate for the ambassador and for Kenya’s commercial delegation. In actual fact, along with tourism, the main source of income for the African republic is agriculture. And it’s a highly important sector thanks to exports comprising tea, coffee and flowers, but which also produces wheat and corn. As the man in charge of agriculture sustained during the visit to the Laverda plant, the aim is to achieve self-sufficiency as regards agriculture and food production, and this within the shortest possible time. Nowadays, the agricultural territory is divided into small lots, which are cared for and cultivated by the proprietors themselves. But in view of the farsighted and important selfsufficiency goal, agriculture is sure to be given great impulse during the future years. As the ambassador explained, there are already large farms owned by just a few “big farmers” who must necessarily invest in mechanisation and technology. “I myself,” added Ms. Nyikuli with pride “am the daughter of a farmer and have married one. So you will understand how concerned I am about this fundamental aspect of the economy of my country”. But the ambassador is not the only one to be concerned: it seems that the Government of Kenya intends to encourage the importation of farming machinery by completely abolishing the importation tax. Kenya would thus act as an impulse for the neighbouring countries as well, also thanks to the consolidated political stability that this republic has enjoyed for years. As Mario Scapin, the director general of the Breganze company, declared during the meeting, thanks to the reliability, strength and long-lasting characteristics of its products, designed and developed to work for long hours in even very difficult harvesting conditions and also by virtue of the simplicity with which the routine maintenance operations can be carried out, Laverda actually possesses all the necessary requisites for agriculture which, like that of Kenya, would require lots of machines. After the receptions and formal welcoming
speeches, and as established by the protocol for visits from official governmental-ministerial delegations, there was a brief presentation of Laverda and the Argo Industrial Group and the relative products, followed by a visit to the factory and a description of the main phases of the production process. The day drew to a close with an exchange of gifts and extremely favourable comments from the delegation, whose members were particularly fascinated by the size of the factory and the way it was organised, as well as by the imposing Laverda combine harvesters. Simonetta Lambrocco
INDUSTRY, TOURISM BUT ESPECIALLY AGRICULTURE IN THE COUNTRY’S ECONOMY Kenya (with an area amounting to 582,650 square kilometres, 33.8 million inhabitants in 2005, capital city Nairobi with about 3 million inhabitants) borders on Ethiopia and Sudan in the North, with Uganda in the West, with Tanzania in the South, with Somalia in the East and with the Indian Ocean in the South-East. It’s economy is mainly based on agriculture, a sector which, compared with the neighbouring countries, possesses considerable potential. Agriculture actually sustains three-quarters of the population. It functions well, exporting a lot of tea and coffee, as does the manufacturing industry. The financial markets and banking system are more highly developed than in many of the other African countries while international tourism had acquired large margins of growth in the production of GNP over the past few decades. Politically speaking, the country is run in a centralist way with a pluri-party system since as far back as 1991. President since 2001, Mwai Kibaki is also head of the government. The population comprises many different tribes: as elsewhere, the European presence has led to the cultural decline of many of these groups, relegating those more bound to ancient customs such as the Masai, who arrived in Kenya around the year 1500, to the outskirts. The official languages are English and Kiswahili, but there are lots of tribal languages as well. The Islamic religion is practised in the coastal areas for the most part, while Christians, Animists and Muslims are to be found inland. Crossed by the Equator, Kenya (the savannah is the main environment where antelopes, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards and cheetahs live) comprises three very different morphological regions. The central-western tablelands where the Kikuyu farmers once lived covers about 20% of the territory with 80% of the population. The desert area is a vast expanse of practically uninhabited steppes: this is the home of the Somalian, Boran and Meru nomadic shepherds. Lastly, the coastal area is formed by fertile alluvial soil. Farming is practised in the south. The climate is mainly dry and temperate/hot. Between December and March (Kenya’s summer), the days are dry and hot while the evenings are cool and not very damp. The wet season normally occurs in April and May, with torrential, intermittent bouts of rain. The temperatures drop between June and August (Kenya’s winter) and the country turns green. Warmer days and showers characterise September to November, Kenya’s springtime.
In the pictures, the Kenyan visit in Breganze.
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A big Laverda museum amongst the tulips The collection of Cor Dees, Breganze brand enthusiast, has opened in Holland The Laverda Museum at Lisse, in Holland, was created thanks to the authentic passion of Cor Dees for the Laverda brand in all its expressions. Cor Dees has always collected Laverda machines and gadgets, and decades of collecting have given rise to a true museum. Fascinated, from a very early age, by Italian design as well as by the superb roar of the silencer and toughly-built lines of the fabulous and legendary Laverda motorbikes, Cor has been collecting everything that concerns the Laverda trademark for some time now. His collection does not merely include about 60 motorbikes, which are a joy to look at in themselves, but also pamphlets, vintage photos and film clips that testify to some of the successes enjoyed by the Breganze brand in historic races such as the Milan-Taranto one, the Giro d’Italia and many Endurance-races, like the 24-hour Barcelona race, Francorchamps, Oss de Bol d’Ór, Monza, etc. But the fascination exercised by the Laverda trademark extends still further to include the vintage farming machines produced by the company, of which the private collection of Cor Dees comprises several precious examples. The private collection is on show in Akkervoorderlaan 10 at Lisse (in the de Engel area), in the Netherlands. The museum was recently inaugurated and can only be visited by appointment. Amongst the
other enthusiasts, Piero Laverda, Augusto Brettoni, Nino Caretta, Roberto Gallina, Edoardo Dossena, Fernando Cappellotto and numerous other representatives and former employees of the Breganze plant took part in the first “Laverda Museum Meeting”, which was held in the middle of April. At that time, the private museum was opened to the public after a collective motorbike ride through the “bollenstreek”, the famous tulip area, escorted by the police. The pilots took part in the tour on Laverda’s renowned racing bikes, which included a large number of SFCs, but also the Laverda V6. The entertainment terminated with a gala dinner and evening festival. Various prototypes and racing bikes from the Laverda family’s collection were on show. Amongst these were the first and most ancient Laverda (dating back to 1947), the 6-cylinder Laverda Endurance Racer, prototypes of the first 1000 cc 3-cylinder motorbike, the two-stroke 3-cylinder Lesmo 350cc bok3e as well as three different 1000 cc 3-cylinder Endurance racer models, a few 750cc SFCs and many other unique Laverda models. As our friend Cor explains: “When I set up my museum, my desire was to give an image to the history of the Laverda trademark in homage to the company that has been creating technologies for the farming world since 1873”. I met Cor a couple of years ago. During one of his frequent trips to Breganze to look up friends of the past and aficionados, and to savour the sparkling April air as he roamed around the Torcolato hills, he learnt that a museum with lots of vintage farming machines had just been inaugurated at the Laverda plant. He naturally could not leave Breganze without having first visited the renovated farmhouse within the company grounds that had been turned into this museum. He paid us a visit and, as a great enthusiast and connoisseur of the Laverda trademark, much appreciated our collection, which has become even more comprehensive since then. That day, Cor explained his project to me, telling of how he intended to set up a private museum in Lisse. And I am happy that that project has now become a reality. Thanks Cor, for your stimulating passion. Simonetta Lambrocco Two pictures of the Laverda Museum in Lisse.
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Imagine a Laverda Open Day at Caim Here’s how the day organised by the Viterbo enterprise went off Here’s what Federico Bassan, Laverda spare parts sales inspector, and Giorgio Peleggi, spare service manager of Caim in Chia (Viterbo), told “Laverda World” about their company’s latest Laverda Open Day. It’s the last Saturday in March, we’re right in the middle of the Viterbo campaign, in the northern part of Lazio, and it’s cloudy. There’s a bit of coming and going around a small but historic company that markets farm machinery and spare parts. It’s Caim Macchine Agricole that’s opening its doors, just like any Saturday. But this morning, everything looks spick-and-span. There are lots of flags with the Laverda logo fluttering in the breeze and a great deal of cars in the car park. All the pallets and packages ready for dispatch have been cleared from the large spare parts warehouse and a buffet has been set up in their place. All this can only mean one thing: this year’s Laverda Open Day is about to begin. As part of its business policy, Caim has been promoting genuine spare parts for about 10 years, firmly convinced that the only true saving for a professional farmer is the certainty of the absolute and guaranteed quality that only genuine spare parts can give. For Caim, the Laverda Open Day is certainly the most significant event of the past few years. It’s the venue that’s entirely dedicated to harvesting farmers invited from all over the province to take part in an event that everyone now considers an unbreakable annual engagement, well aware that on this occasion, one can take advantage of the best purchasing conditions for combine harvester spares, or can meet specialised mechanics and schedule a seasonal overhaul. But first and foremost, it’s a chance to speak with the Laverda personnel, always present at these events and always willing to give technical explanations and practical advice about how to
keep the Breganze machines at tip-top efficiency levels. But the organisers’ main aim is to encourage the customers to choose genuine spare parts and cut down the use of “alternative” spares which, although constantly dropping in this province as in others, still causes numerous problems which are mainly encountered by the specialised mechanics of the sector who are sometimes asked to assemble parts that are not perfectly interchangeable owing to their coarse workmanship. It is also worthwhile remembering that only Laverda is able to check the serial numbers, modifications and applications that, throughout the years, give rise to several versions of the same model. Moreover, only the manufacturer is able to provide guarantees with the spare part. During the morning dedicated to the Open Day, the participants were able to personally ascertain the quality of the new sieves and straw walkers on show. And
they were also able to consult the computerised and hard-copy catalogues that Laverda provides for its dealers and, consequently, for the end users who become their customers. The Open Day drew to a close amidst farewells and handshaking. Lots of orders were placed, the customers saved money, the repair mechanics scheduled their jobs and the parent company of Breganze will be able to take all the time it needs to handle the orders with precision. Caim is more than happy to have organised the event and to have contributed towards increasing the customers’ loyalty to the historic Laverda brand, now unrivalled synonym of combine harvesters. Pierluigi and Claudia Scorzoso’s Caim Macchine agricole company (Loc. Stradelle N° 5, Chia, VT, tel. 0761 743087) is looking forward to seeing everyone again at the 2007 Open Day. Federico Bassan
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The album
The recollections of a die-hard Laverda enthusiast The joy of Angiolino at the wheel of his M 112 amidst the hills of Siena Angiolino, on board his brand-new M 112 AL, was absorbed in his thoughts as he designed long trails of straw across the “Boscone” hill. The limpid sky, the green of the Ombrone valley and the heat that slowly took over from the cool morning air were an ideal introduction to a day’s work to deal with all in one go, commenting on the abundant harvest and the season that had finally decided to be benevolent and reward people’s labours in the fields. I was seated alongside him, and Angiolino never stopped chattering about the “creature” as he called the machine, that he had just bought to replace the 84 and 100 models that had been pensioned off at last. “This is something else: see how it climbs? (…) it pivots around itself (…) and look how well it levels! You feel safe in every situation, whether it’s empty or fully loaded ... Are you pleased with the wheat? Look how clean it is, without having to increase the fanning action: the others will never get wheat like this. I really needed this machine, even though I’ll have to do somersaults to pay for it”. With a careful eye on any variations in the soil, he had the sensitivity to keep the bar at a steady distance from it, watching the ends so that they did not touch the ground. “Look” he continued. “When you’re working in the hills with this machine, you mustn’t let your thoughts wander for an instant, you mustn’t let it get flooded, you must face the ground in the right way, you must feel when its “heart” needs a breather to get rid of what it’s swallowed and continue to deal with the ears that are ready to give up the grain they contain. Now, let’s stop. We’ve got to unload because the tank is full. It’ll only take a minute. Climb down, Pallino (everybody called me that when I was a boy) and see if you can find any grains in the straw we’ve left on the ground. But you’ll see that everything’s all
right, because when we started off I checked myself and there were no “patches” on the ground. This means that we’re not losing anything”. The sun was getting hotter and hotter, the dust and sweat increasingly more enveloping, but Angiolino continued to speak: “This machine’s really healthy, not even a cough, never a sign of tiredness: and do you know what’s the secret of all this? It’s simply made and easy to operate, because Laverda builds like that, without any unnecessary frippery, just getting down to brass tacks, with all the essentials and then ... even if something stops working, you just need a bit of wire, a pair of pliers and a hammer. We’ll be sure to start again, don’t worry. I filled up before we started, because I didn’t have much fuel with me. Anyway, the machine doesn’t use much: don’t worry, we’ll have enough to finish”. The day’s work drew to a close. We’d only stopped for lunch, but even after so many hours, we didn’t feel tired: as it set, the sun played amongst the cypresses on the horizon of that Sienese
countryside, so modernly described in Beccafumi’s paintings and in Lorenzetti’s Good Workmanship allegories. Angiolino is no longer with us. He died suddenly one November evening, betrayed by his “drum” (as he called his heart when it acted up) while he waited for me with his shot-gun in his hand, because we had planned to go hunting for woodcocks that evening. He just had time to tell me that a bit of wire and a pair of pliers wouldn’t have been enough to start off again that time, because he sensed that the “trouble was more serious”. His M 112 is still going strong. It works a few hectares a year and, they tell me, does its job well. A 255 4WD now operates on the “Boscone” hill: the roar of its engine and the able hands of the man who drives it exalt its power, agility and ease of handling. If Angiolino was here, with a pinch of pride and the confidence of someone who knows that he has chosen well, he would say: “Of course, it’s a Laverda”. Pier Luigi Bigerna
1978: a Laverda M112 AL working in the Tuscan landscape.
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From manual to mechanical reaping, two centuries of harvesting Laverda has always been the first to introduce technological innovations, right from the Thirties Reaping grain crops has always required a high level of organisational ability in farming. Owing to uncertain weather, there are really only a very few days in which crops can be reaped in an optimum way. If harvested too early, the wheat may be too damp and unsuitable for storing whereas a late harvest gathered in bad weather can lead to a lot of wheat being lost. From the 18th to the 19th century, quick harvests could only be ensured by hiring large teams of reapers who bound the cut stems together on the fields to form sheaves, which were then allowed to dry. After this, threshing and winnowing went on until winter. Over the centuries, farmers have used various methods for separating the wheat grains from the chaff or from the ears. One of the most simple forms of threshing was to use animals for crumbing the wheat. Otherwise it could be beaten with rollers, slides or similar mechanisms towed by draught animals, or threshed by hand with simple hand tools, like the flail. Progressive development of these techniques and their mechanisation led, at the beginning of the 19th century, to the creation of the first mechanical threshing machines. They were initially dragged by horses and then driven by steam engines. The North American smith C.H.Mc Cormick built the first reaping machine in the world in 1831. It is now on show in the Museum for Science and Industry of Chicago. Mechanization of the reaping operation, which reached Europe at the end of the 19th
Harvest in the hill: a Laverda power mower MF4 B equipped with a reaping implement. The sheaves were bound together by a third operator and threshed by a fixed threshing machine. Below: traditional wheat threshing through animals trampling in the South of Italy hills where nowadays the modern Laverda combines work.
century, became widespread thanks to the use of animal-drawn mechanical mowers in particular. These were outfitted in a special way and made a fundamental contribution towards the development of grain crop cultivation, as they made man’s work much easier. In Italy, Laverda was the first to begin building these machines in 1934 with the 48A model. It was equipped with reaping implements and was operated by two workers, who were able to deal with the work previously done by lots more people. The next step was to create machines able to cut and form sheaves in a mechanical way, i.e. the reaper-binder. The invention of a mechanism able to knot the binding string was a determinant part of this progress. Reaper-binders first appeared in North America towards the end of the 19th century and were then exported to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. Once again, in Italy, Laverda was the first to produce a reaper-binder on an industrial scale. This was the ML6 model, which was presented in 1938 and was followed, about ten years later, by the ML5 BR version, a smaller and lighter machine that also mechanised the reaping work on hillsides and mountain areas, which account for much of the Italian territory. These machines were initially drawn by animals and were subsequently equipped with a wheel that drove the mowing and binding apparatus. After this, the machines were adapted for
15 use with tractors and driveline transmissions. Both models were extremely successful, with about 2000 machines sold each year. They remained in production until 1973. It’s interesting to remember that use of these reaper-binders was initially obstructed in the Po River Valley area by the labourers’ organisations, as people thought that the machines would seriously threaten their jobs. Thus use of these machines was prohibited by special prefectorial decrees for a certain time. But widespread use of small haymaking machines, i.e. power driven hand-mowers during the Second World War, also led to the production of implements suitable for mechanical reaping in small plots of land and, as was customary at that time, between the rows in vineyards and olive groves. Besides the specifically adapted reaping implements that needed two workers to operate them, Laverda also produced frontal binders. These stemmed from the reaper-binders and enjoyed a certain commercial success, especially in some of the foreign markets. The most evolved was the MAS 4 self-propelled reaper-binder which was produced until the end of the ‘70’s. But getting back to technological developments, it was Holt Co. Stockton in the United States that used a combustion machine for reaping and binding in 1911. But the first reaper-binder that did not have to be towed by animals or tractors was built in 1938 by Massey-Harris. Use of self-propelled reaper-binders was exported from the United States to Europe only after the Second World War. These machines were first used in more advanced and profitable farming areas such as those in France, Great Britain and
Germany, after which they also migrated throughout the rest of the continent, giving rise to technological progress that changed the face of agriculture. Thus the combine-harvester represents the conclusion of this long and complex mechanisation process, as the essential parts of the threshing machine and reaper-binder became integrated. Use of the combine has led to a drastic decrease in the labour force required for harvesting grain crops and, moreover, in the grain that was lost when the sheaves were first bound and then carried to the threshing machine. It also influenced the farming policies, first as regards soil-working and then in relation to the evolution of grain crop varieties. A highly important role that still keeps all the manufacturers of the world busy in their efforts to continually improve the machines. Piergiorgio Laverda
A Laverda MAS 4 motor-binder at work: we can note the height of the wheat variety, necessary for a good binding of the sheaves. Below: A binder ML5 BR model with mechanical haulage and the advertising image of a binder ML 6 model in the fifties.
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The history, the stories
Rural and culinary rites of the spring The traditional Venetian welcome for the new awakening season True to the centuries-old tradition of the “Most Serene” Venetian Republic, the Venetian New Year starts on the first of March. A “peculiarity” that doesn’t seem all that strange if one remembers that September, October, November and December, if considered literally, refer to the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth months of the year. If the New Year begins in March, those months “coincide” with their name. The Venetian tradition also makes sense for “seasonal” reasons: it seems more logical to begin the New Year with spring, when all the biological rhythms awaken and everything starts to proliferate, rather than in deep winter. And certain areas of the countryside in the territories of Venice and Friuli still take part in this centuries-old tradition with the “brusamarzo” (“burn March”) rites, the big bonfire that burns out the old year (the event takes place earlier in some zones, where it coincides with the conventional year’s end), and with the “bati marso” custom. “Battere marzo” (“beat March”) is a habit that’s being rediscovered in the provinces of Vicenza, Padua and Treviso, more generally in the foothills and in many mountain villages, with festivals or parades, or cars blowing their horns and following each other in a procession with swarms of kids where the protagonists (often young people’s groups in the rural towns or school children organised by their teachers, who love to brush up the traditional culture) “beat” and clash pans, lids and hooters. All this happens at the beginning of March, but also towards the end of the month. A rowdy way to say farewell to the cold season that’s finishing and to open up one’s ears and senses to the coming Spring, the flowering plants, nature’s awakening, farming and cultivation. And the spring awakening tradition goes hand-in-glove with the culinary one. Here again, rural tradition takes pride of place: the egg, also rooted in Easter traditions, becomes the very symbol of the biological clock that begins to tick again, microcosm of a life that’s ready to blossom. A country proverb reminds us that there’s no Easter without eggs. The egg as essence of spring and representation
of the earth’s fertility and farming work. Thus the egg has become, and is, not only the symbol of spring-time Easter, but also the typical ingredient (and the colour that gladdens the eye and brings joy to the heart) of the fresh, traditional Spring specialities, like the sweet Venetian bun, created as a “noble” elaboration of bread and forerunner of the more complex “Colomba” cake. Besides the egg, there are lots of other symbolic ingredients in the new season’s recipes, such as lamb, kid, vegetables and greens that refer to the renewal phase of both the year and of life. The religious festival of Easter also acquires vestiges of ancient pagan rites bound to the sacred idea of the farm’s harvest. A sign of hope for the future.
Laverda S.p.A. via F. Laverda, 15/17 - 36042 Breganze [VI] Italy t. +39.0445.385311 f. +39.0445.873355 webmaster@laverdaworld.com www.laverdaworld.com
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