ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FROM SEARS SEATING
[FORTGESCHRITTENE TECHNOLOGIE VON SEARS SEATING]

November 2007 - Word Document download

Sears Seating - World Leaders In Seat Technology

The world leaders in seat technology will once again be using Agritechnica to demonstrate why it is the major supplier to leading manufacturers such as John Deer, CASE IH and New Holland.

Sears will be displaying their awarding winning Vibration Reduction System (VRS) and Vibration Elimination System (VES) computer controlled seats and the new 5500 series seat.

The success of Sears Manufacturing can be partly attributed to the working relationship they have with specialised companies such as Lord Corporation who have developed the unique seat dampening technology based on proprietary and patented Magnetorheological (MR) fluid.

This technology is used by leading automobile manufacturers, and is at the very heart of the new Audi TT. This features a continuously variable real-time suspension damping control - ‘Audi Magnetic Ride'. This is from Delphi Corp and is made possible by LORD MR fluid technology. Other high performance manufacturers such as Ferrari also use this advanced technology.

Sears use this solution to significantly reduce vibrations to operators in equipment for virtually any industry. Agricultural equipment manufacturers have been quick to recognize the many benefits the Sears seats provide by enabling higher productivity from faster travel speed and helping protect operators from the health risks associated with excessive exposure to vibrations.

A ride simulator at Agritechnica 2007 allows visitors to see for themselves the efficiency of Sears Vibration Elimination Seats (VES) compared to a standard air-suspension seat.

The ride simulator also features the advanced Sears Vibration Monitoring System (VMS), which visually shows the level of vibration in all three axis while logging the exposures levels for monitoring and analysis purposes. This is in full compliance with the current EU Directive on Physical Agents Directive (Whole Body Vibration), which is now implemented for the construction industry and will be enforceable in the agricultural sector from 2012.

The Sears ride simulator reproduces tractor bouncing with a variable displacement up to 75 mm peak-to-peak and a variable frequency of 0 to 4 Hertz. This simulator features two seats – a standard suspension seat and a Sears VES Active Seat.

Also on the stand are examples of the OEM seats the company provides, including the Case IH 'Positive Response' seat (in Red leather) and New Holland 'Auto-Comfort' seat.
The Sears VES Active Seat is part of an intensive R&D programme into providing ever more comfortable and safer seating. It develops further the John Deere Active seat, which Sears developed in partnership with the company.

The Vibration Elimination System VES Active Seat System is the first air suspension seat that combines Electro-hydraulic technology, with a low natural frequency (LNF) Airide air spring system, coupled to the unique integrated Vibration Control System VCS with DUO damping for both horizontal and lateral isolator.

It provides the ultimate vertical (Z axis) vibration isolation, in normal vehicle operation or over rough and very rough terrains.

The fully integrated Vibration Control System VCS with unique DUO damping horizontal (X axis) and lateral (Y axis) isolator package, has been designed to work in concert with the VES technology to reduce and control existing and additional vibrations created when driving more quickly over the ground.

Unlike standard agricultural seats, which compromise shock and vibration control, the VES seat system automatically adapts to both the driver's body weight and continually changing levels of shock and vibration, improving operator productivity and reducing fatigue.

The Active seat technology (developed in partnership between John Deere, Sears and Parker) has already won the prestigious Agritechnica Gold Innovation award in 2001.
It was the outstanding success of the John Deere Active Seat that led Sears to introduce the Active ‘Vibration Elimination System' (VES), to all original equipment (OE) customers
The computer controlled VES system can reduce the frequency rating of suspensions to less than 0.5 Hz. For the operator, this means significantly improved comfort, ride performance, productivity and operator well being.

Benefits of VES Active Computer Controlled Seats

The Sears VES ACTIVE COMPUTER CONTROLLED suspensions allow for optimum ride performance in the OE seat market.

The speed sensitive Active VES actually senses and compensates for vertical movement, predicting the ride requirements of the vehicle.

The VES combination can operate below 0.5 Hz, cutting vibration transfer by over 90%. The system absorbs virtually all rough vertical jolts and vibrations, significantly improving operator comfort, productivity and ultimately health.

Field studies by leading manufactures have proven that the vehicle fitted with a VES seat can be driven safely up to 50% faster across the ground greatly improving productivity while still reducing potential HAV, WBV operator exposure levels.

The ride simulator clearly shows the high efficiency of the Sears VES Active Seat. For those riding the simulator, they can feel the major difference and even spectators can witness the obvious difference in ride comfort between the two seats.

The ride simulator gave visitors to Agritechnica the opportunity to witness for themselves the efficiency of the Sears VES Active Seat in reducing vibrations significantly.

Retrofit Solution

For customers with existing equipment, wanting to benefit from significantly reduced levels of vibration, SEARS offer the VRS seat. Being a retrofit solution, it simply replaces the existing seat to effectively reduce vibration by as much as 60%, thereby enabling faster travel, greater comfort and help reduce the risk of injury resulting fro exposure to vibrations.

World Leader

Retrofit Solution
For customers with existing equipment, wanting to benefit from significantly reduced levels of vibration, SEARS offer the VRS seat. As a retrofit solution, it simply replaces the existing seat to effectively reduce vibration by as much as 60%, thereby enabling faster travel, greater comfort and help reduce the risk of injury resulting fro exposure to vibrations..

Visible Comfort

The display of seats on show at Agritechnica 2007 clearly demonstrates why Sears Manufacturing is the world leader in seat technology and, by association with advanced technology companies such as Lord Corporation, are leading the way in the elimination of vibrations to operators of machines through all industries.

* Copy of the European PAD directive is available here