Bearings and the future of autonomous agricultural equipment

Meeting the challenges of precision, durability and maintenance in autonomous farming.

- Chris Johnson

The World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts that agricultural drones, autonomous tractors and seed-planting robots will be crucial in securing future food supplies. Each of these technological innovations offer substantial benefits like increased operational efficiency and reduced environmental impact. Yet, as autonomous agricultural machinery rapidly evolves, one of the most critical components in these can be traced back to 5000 BC: mechanical bearings. Here, Chris Johnson, managing director at SMB Bearings, explains why the unique demands on bearings will become increasingly important to the success of autonomous agriculture.

Autonomous agricultural machines — such as self-driving tractors, planting robots and crop monitoring drones — are transforming how food is produced. These machines hold immense potential for increasing efficiency and precision, reducing reliance on manual labour and minimising environmental impact.

As reported by McKinsey & Company, the WEF advises that fully autonomous orchards and vineyards in the United States can deliver more than $400 per acre per year in value. These technologies could significantly increase farmers' returns on investment (ROI) in automation.

However, to achieve these outcomes, every part of the system must work seamlessly. Bearings in agricultural machinery need to be incredibly reliable, durable and capable of supporting the precision movement required for tasks like sowing, tilling and harvesting. As the use of autonomous agricultural machines increases, the demands on precision components like bearings become more pronounced.

Demands on bearings in agricultural equipment