SCHÄFER Perforated Metal supplies characteristic radiator grilles for Fendt’s special Vario tractors

Neunkirchen, 3rd August 2022. Together with the agricultural machinery manufacturer Fendt, SCHÄFER Perforated Metal has been designing the characteristic bonnet ventilation grilles for Fendt Vario tractor models since 2017, most recently for the special tractors in the Fendt 200 V/F/P Vario series. These eye-catching perforated sheet metal grilles at the front of the bonnets supply the engine with air, while protecting the attachments and the engine itself from unwanted external influences. The ventilation grilles, manufactured in Neunkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, are delivered just-in-time and ready for installation to Fendt’s cab factory in Asbach-Bäumenheim.

Generally speaking, the front end is one of the main visible surfaces on vehicles and this also applies to tractors. The air entering the engine compartment is guided through so-called beading, the strengthening and shaping strips on an engine bonnet. The Fendt 200 Vario combines function and design in a very special way. The shape and direction of these strips, which are crucial for ventilation, reflect the agricultural machinery manufacturer’s corporate design and gives the radiator grille additional stability.

In order to achieve both the necessary functions and the brand-specific design, the radiator grilles are made of four embossed perforated sheets. Prior being formed in a deep drawing process, the perforated sheet with rounded-edge hexagonal perforations is produced from 1.0 millimetre thick deep-drawing steel of grade DC06.

Besides the mechanical finishing, the coating on the ventilation grilles is also something special. They are dip-coated and then provided with a final powder coating. In this way, the finished radiator grilles can easily withstand the extreme conditions of the DIN EN ISO 9227 compliant salt spray test.

"SCHÄFER Perforated Metal was involved right from the very beginning when the first prototype of the new generation Fendt 200 V/F/P Vario was developed. Since then, together with Fendt, we’ve continued to develop, evaluating the experience gained and incorporating this into both the design and production," says Torsten Schoew, automotive expert for engine protection and cooling at SCHÄFER Perforated Metal.