CLAAS Invests in Tractor Testing Facility in France

CLAAS is investing nine million euros to build an air-conditioned tractor power test bench at its Trangé Test and Validation Centre in France to support tractor development and validation processes. The facility is designed to perform comprehensive test series on cooling systems across varying simulated climatic environments, including specialized hot cells, to verify equipment reliability under demanding field conditions.

Airflow Capabilities and Testing Instrumentation
Power evaluations inside the test facility will take place within a heated chamber utilizing a power take-off (PTO) shaft brake. Instrumentation comprises 150 sensors operating in real time to capture air velocities, coolant flow rates, water and oil circuit temperatures, and ambient air temperatures around the tractor engine bay and hood assembly.

The test building covers a footprint of 950 m² with a height of 14 meters, engineered to accommodate ventilation capacities delivering air flow rates between 150,000 and 230,000 m³/h. An overhead ventilation center controls chamber air exchange, maintains stable test-cell temperatures, and evacuates thermal energy generated during high-load trials.

Energy Regeneration and Project Timeline
Electrical energy generated by the PTO shaft brakes during dyno load absorption will be captured for on-site facility consumption and grid export. Annual power generation from the installation is projected to provide electricity equivalent to approximately 11,000 mid-range electric vehicle charges or 1.1 million domestic washing machine cycles.

Planning approval was received in late July 2026. Construction activities begin in September 2026, with facility commissioning scheduled for completion by December 2027.

Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.