The growth in professional agricultural remapping will be highlighted by Avon Tuning HD at LAMMA with the company growing it network of authorised agents in the UK to over 150 to meet the greater demand from farmers for increased efficiencies from existing machinery.

Improving engine characteristics at source has greater reliability benefits and assessing a tractor’s health before adding a remap is essential to ensure the machine will operate reliably once it is installed.

“LAMMA provides the ideal platform for us to meet new and existing customers that are using out remaps and to get feedback on how they are working in the field,” explains Gareth Jones, director at Avon Tuning HD.

“We also use the show to highlight further opportunities for new agents to join the network of authorised installers across the country. The increase in agents over the past two years is a clear indication that farmers aren’t replacing tractors as regularly as before, and, being able to increase work efficiencies through professional remapping, is allowing farmers to improve work efficiencies from existing equipment,” explains Gareth.

How does it work?

This engine technology has migrated its way across from the automotive industry, but it is now commonplace in agriculture for those looking to increase power of existing tractors. Avon Tuning HD has been offering an engine remapping service on agricultural vehicles for over a decade.

Engine remapping is the process of editing the engine control unit (ECU) to alter the characteristics and performance of the engine. A typical remapping process would result in increased power and torque. However, peak power does not necessarily have to be increased.

“Remapping is very different to fitting a chip or a tuning box which would have accounted for a large proportion of the engine tuning market around seven to 10 years ago. Tuning boxes or chips gave the industry a bad name, but professional remapping is improving the image and is much safer as the installation and map editing is carried out by an experienced engineer. Getting good power in the correct way is hard and requires dedication and research, however there are shortcuts used to achieve similar results, but the long-term damage it does to the engine and running gear are costly,” says Mr Jones.

Users are seeing greater benefits to increasing work efficiencies both in the field and on the road through being able to use the same tractor to pull bigger, wider implements, or haul trailers up hills quicker, helping to complete the same job in a shorter time, as Mr Jones explains.

“A low powered machine working at the top of its rpm range will be working hard to maintain a level of performance and could be using more fuel than it needs to. By adjusting where and how the fuel is delivered to the engine will allow the same tractor to power the same implements at lower rpm or in a higher gear, thus reducing fuel use.

New agent opportunities

With over 150 certified installers across the UK, Avon Tuning’s network has seen the number approved agents double over the past 18 months. The increase means farmers looking for local support now have a wider choice with agents as far north as Kirkwall in the Orkney Isles, throughout Scotland and Wales, and across England as far south as Devon and Cornwall.

All new agents are fully trained to use the software and how to spot potential issues on machines before installing a remap. They also have the support and back up from the experienced team at Avon Tuning HD’s Bristol HQ, where all the ECU map edits are handled.

Remaps are applied to machines on farm in around two hours with the original ECU map downloaded and saved before a new bespoke map is fitted. By editing the software at source, the process is safer, and the engineer has greater control of engine parameters.

Gareth concludes: “We are still looking to increase our agent numbers in the UK and plan to start a European network next year. As machinery main dealers revaluate depot locations and farmers look to make machinery last longer, having a local Avon Tuning HD agent is a big reassurance.”