GREGOIRE’S GRAPE HARVESTERS GL7 & GL8 SUCCESS STORY

Poclain Hydraulics and Grégoire’s partnership is a vineyard success story that spans decades. At the heart of this story, Grégoire’s self-propelled grape harvester range, the GL7.4 and the GL8.6, are a true convergence of technology and high-level performance.

Grégoire is one of the main actors in vineyard equipment worldwide. Created in 1946 and located in Cognac, France the OEM covers 35% of the international wine growing machine industry, or 350 grape harvesters delivered worldwide in 2020. On an upward trend since 2017, sales are expected to reach 700 units in 2021: 400 grape harvesters and 300 grape sprayers.

Two self-propelled grape harvesters are the core Grégoire’s range. The GL7.4 and the GL8.6 models represent 30% of Grégoire’s production. These machines are recognized as the most respectful of the fruit with an ARC system picking head and an EASYclean sorting system that guarantees a level of cleanliness of 99.8 %, with no leaves or stems in the hopper.

Grégoire’s GL7.4 and GL8.6 models integrate a high level of expertise with hydrostatic transmission systems integrating upgrades such as the TWIN-LOCK™ anti-skid system and braking solutions to meet the challenges of both work in the vineyard and while roading.

“There is a real synergy between Grégoire and Poclain Hydraulics in the operation of the machines,” Luis Martin de Sousa, Machine Embedded Electronic Manager at Grégoire, says.

Grégoire’s GL7.4 and GL8.6 features match the increasingly demanding market requirements:

High quality harvest requirements
Maximized crop yields
Spray flow and distribution efficiency
Focus on harvest parameters
Optimized fuel consumption
Free the driver’s attention to concentrate on work

The Poclain Hydraulics’ TWIN-LOCK™ hydraulic anti-skid system guaranties productivity in the vineyard regardless of the ground slope or conditions. On slopes up to and over 40%, the system adapts the traction on the front wheels and transfers the excess traction to the rear axle to maximize gradeability. TWIN-LOCK™ helps prevent skidding and preserve soil integrity. It maintains a consistent harvesting speed between 3–5 km/h for maximum productivity. For the sprayer, the ideal consistent speed is between 6–10 km/h.

TWIN-LOCK™ Anti-Skid Benefits

The compact motor size for the GL7.4 and GL8.6 is fully optimized and proportional to the wheel size. The GL7.4 is equipped with MHP20 TWIN-LOCK™ motors with parking brake for the rear wheels and MS05 two-speed high flow for the front wheels. The GL8.6 is equipped with MHP27 TWIN-LOCK™ motors with parking brake for the rear wheels and MS08 two-speed high flow for the front wheels. These new generations of wheel drive motors offer a standard 15% increase in power for better traction and a higher field capacity, thus optimizing crop quality during harvesting and homogeneous sprayer distribution.

GL8.6 equipped with MHP and MS motors and VB brake valves

Transmission Management and Speed Regulation

The Poclain Hydraulics SmartDrive™ CT 300 Phases software matches, personalized to Grégoire’s needs, and manages global transmission and speed regulation including precision braking of the machine on a slope and speed regulation in harvesting or spraying campaigns. The automatic engine rpm management will supply the necessary power depending on the activity variables: use of auxiliary tools, vehicle speed, and machine load. SmartDrive™ meets the needs and frees up the driver’s attention.

This smart management program guarantees precise and controlled fuel consumption. “Since 2017, our self-propelled grape harvesters and sprayers allow for a fuel savings of 20% thanks to optimal management of the combustion engine torque and hydrostatic transmission motors. We have the lowest fuel consumption in the vineyard industry,” Mathieu Tabardel, Global Product Manager, points out.

The Poclain Hydraulics EcoDrive contributes to noise level reduction with engine speed management. This is particularly helpful when roading through residential areas or while carrying out long periods of work during early morning hours in areas where it is important to keep noise pollution to a minimum.

Gregoire is the only OEM worldwide to choose to maintain a four-wheel drive function both in the vineyard and on road. The advantages are numerous, starting with guaranteeing a better grip on-road. On-road/off-road fourwheel drive adds comfort and security for the driver while simplifying the system design. This optimizes oil flow to all four motors, and reduces oil overheating.

This set of features makes the GL7.4 and GL8.6 very maneuverable and very easy to operate. Both machines are perfectly adapted to their environments for a high level of security and optimized yields.

Poclain Hydraulics Braking Solutions for Grégoire’s GS4 and GL8 Range

The evolution of the vineyard industry and the need for grape harvesters to travel on-road at speeds of up to 40 km/hour now requires the use of high performance service brakes.

This is the case, for example, in Germany where vineyard plots can be far apart and road trips are long. Grégoire’s 40 km/hour grape harvester, designed specifically for Germany is homologated only in this country.

The GS4 Grégoire range also go up to 30 km/h. Poclain Hydraulics’ multi-disc oil-immersed brakes meet the braking needs at this speed. Fully integrated into the motors, they deliver an all-in-one solution that can reduce the machine’s environmental impact. Thanks to the performance of this type of brake, Poclain Hydraulics motors are a highly sought-after solution for grape harvester transmissions, both for those ranging from 12 to 14 tonnes, as well as those from 10 to 12 tonnes.

In addition, the Poclain VB020 service brake valve and the VB200 accumulator charging valve also support these machines’ braking needs.