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The 42nd Big Iron Farm Show was held in Fargo, N.D., the second week of September. Many of the innovations on display at prairie farm shows make their debut at Big Iron a year earlier.

“The KX7 units simply bolt in, the same as OEM. No modification. No other changes. Half the width gives more options because it takes two KX7 inserts to equal the width of a single traditional concave. You can run two or even three different inserts to tune the thresher for optimal threshing.

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The company’s wide variety of specialized custom designed concaves fit different conditions, allowing many mix and match options to optimize combine performance.

“MaxThresh is a very aggressive threshing insert. You’ll notice that the bars are almost perpendicular to the direction of the crop mat as it enters the rotor. That forces the crop mat to lift up and over the bars, versus a more conventional concave with straight bars. The MaxThresh promotes more grain on grain threshing, thus improving both grain quality and threshing capacity.

He said that while the performance data is encouraging, farmers don’t only buy the KX7 for capacity, but also because it lets them easily customize their combine to suit the situation. “A farmer who’s cutting a couple thousand acres of wheat wants a setup to optimize the combine in that crop. However, he benefits from a different setup if he’s cutting lentils or canola or dry beans. Again, he wants the concaves that are most suited to the crop and the conditions.”

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“In the case of a John Deere combine we have six half-width frames with seven inserts that are bolted into each frame. There’s a lot of ways you can configure that. For each region, we’ve developed recommended combinations suitable for the crops and conditions there.

“We have two main box designs – the MaxThresh and the MaxRound,” said Theisen, the engineer who led the development of the KX7 concaves.

FARGO, N.D. — Kondex KX7 concaves are half the width of original equipment manufacturer concaves. The company’s wide variety of specialized, custom designed concaves fit different conditions, allowing many mix and match options to optimize combine performance.

“The flexibility of the concave design allows for minimal changes between these crops, giving farmers the ability to easily configure the concave to optimize performance in all crops.”

Because KX7 is half-width, the operator has double the number of options in configuring for different conditions and different crops, according to Kondex representative Andy Theisen, who was on site to answer questions about the KX7.

“It’s hard to quantify the benefit of quick change concaves because the setup is so configurable. You can run different concaves simultaneously. There are so many ways to set it up.”

“Deere test data shows a performance benefit in the magnitude of 20 percent with our concaves. I’ve also had conversations with PAMI up in Saskatchewan, but we haven’t formalized a testing agreement yet.”

GC4425 is said to deliver improved wear resistance, heat resistance and toughness, while grade GC4415 is designed to complement GC4425 when enhanced performance and more heat resistance is needed. Both grades are suitable for use with tough materials like Inconel and unalloyed stainless steel ISO-P grades that are complex and difficult to machine.

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He said the John Deere data is good, but some farmers don’t buy the KX7 for capacity, but because it lets them customize their combine to suit the situation.

“Those are the inserts that go into the frames. We have the MaxThresh and the MaxRound. MaxThresh is a very aggressive threshing insert. You’ll notice that the bars are almost perpendicular to the direction of the crop mat as it enters the rotor. That forces the crop mat to lift up and over the bars, versus a more conventional concave with straight bars.

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“In northern North Dakota and Montana and through the southern prairie provinces, most farmers cut all their small grains with three or four rows of the MaxThresh and two or three rows of the MaxRound. When they transition to the more gentle, easier threshing crops, they switch to two rows of MaxThresh and four rows of MaxRound. We also offer a small hole version of the MaxThresh for the toughest threshing conditions.”

Quick-change modular concaves allow producers to custom-tune 
their threshing setup with a variety of mix and match options

With both GC4425 and GC4415, the insert’s substrate and coating have been developed to better withstand high temperatures. Both contain a second-generation Inveio® layer, a textured chemical vapour deposition (CVD) alumina (Al2O3) coating developed for machining. Inveio creates a strong barrier towards the cutting zone and extends the life and wear resistance of tools.

Because the KX7 is half the width of the original, the operator has double the number of mix and match options in configuring for different conditions and different crops, according to Kondex representative Andy Theisen, who brought KX7 samples to the show.

And that in itself can create a problem, he added. With so many combinations, how does an operator know he’s got the right mix? Is it all trial and error, or sheer luck?

“A farmer who’s cutting a couple thousand acres of wheat wants a setup to optimize the combine in that crop. And he wants a different setup if he’s cutting lentils or canola or dry beans. Again, he wants the concaves that are most suited to the crop and the conditions.”

Sandvik Coromant, part of the Sandvik group headquartered in Sandviken, Sweden, has announced that it is adding two new steel-turning carbide grades – GC4415 and GC4425 – to its range in an effort to improve cutting speeds and reduce energy consumption. Sandvik Coromant has reported that an average tool life increase of 25%, in combination with reliable and predictable performance can minimise materialise waste.

“The MaxRound is a gentler insert that promotes additional separation. It does that with more grain on grain threshing.

“Another unique thing we do is put a tungsten carbide coating on our threshing bars, using a laser cladding process. This gives them phenomenal wear life. We have seen bars that have done 25,000 acres and the working edge of the bars look like new.

The GC4425 grade reputedly provides extremely high process security through its ability to retain an intact edge line. Because the insert can deliver more pieces per edge, fewer carbides are consumed to machine the same number of components; consistence and predictability also help to minimise material waste.

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Theisen said the company makes a version of the KX7 for John Deere, called the Convex Revolution. Instead of Kenox half-width bolt-in modules, Deere uses the same concept, but it’s a full-width solid weld-in concave.

The GC4425 grade was subjected by Sandvik Coromant’s customers to pre-market tests. Among these was a general engineering company that applied both a competitor’s insert and the GC4425 insert, in the manufacture of pressure rollers. An ISO-P grade was subjected to continual external axial machining and semi-finishing at a cutting speed (vc) of 200 m/min, feed rate of 0.4 mm/rev (fn) and depth (ap) of 4 mm.

The Kondex booth at the recent Big Iron show in Fargo had a constant line of farmers stopping to check out the inter-changeable concaves. Built in Wisconsin, the KX7 is a modular design with a series of different inserts that fit OEM combines.

The Kondex booth at the recent Big Iron show in Fargo had a constant line of farmers stopping to check out the inter-changeable concaves. Built in Wisconsin, the KX7 is a modular design with a series of different inserts that fit OEM frames.

“Yes, that can be an issue,” Theisen said, “To solve it, we work closely with our dealers. They know the cropping situation in their local area. Each store sells a combination they have found appropriate for their area.

“The MaxRound is a gentler insert that promotes additional separation. You’ll notice again that the bars are at an angle and they sit high, above the frame. This creates a few more edges, which encourages better separation, especially in high moisture conditions. It gives the crop mat just a little bit of an extra shake.”

The company has stated that this illustrates the gains that can be achieved if the right machining elements are brought together. To help with process monitoring itself, Sandvik Coromant has also developed CoroPlus® Process Control software that can monitor machining in real-time and act according to programmed protocols if specific issues occur — for example, by stopping the machine or replacing a worn cutting tool.

Across the Northern Great Plains, many farmers end up buying seven frames, giving them their two main setups. A typical list price for a complete kit with six frames is $5575. Additional frames are $960 each. Kondex KX7 concaves are available to fit most CaseIH and John Deere rotary combines.

Manufacturers typically measure tool life by the number of workpieces machined. While competitor’s grade machined a reported twelve pieces before wearing out due to plastic deformation, Sandvik Coromant’s insert produced eighteen pieces and, in doing so, worked 50% longer with stable and predictable wear.