The Gekko is part of the programme of Köppl GmbH in Saldenburg/Lower Bavaria, which enjoys a good reputation worldwide as a premium supplier of single-axle motorised implements for soil cultivation and landscape maintenance. Köppl develops and manufactures various implement carriers - always with a single axle, always with a combustion engine, powerful hydrostatic drive and mechanical PTO shaft for driving the attachments and working tools. With this clear profile, the company, now managed by Karl Köppl in the fourth generation, has achieved that the implements are exported worldwide and that Köppl also develops special implements for the requirements of agriculture, e.g. in Africa and India. The appeal of "Made in Germany" contributes to the company's sustained successful development, as does its innovative strength, which is demonstrated not least by the Gekko.
When developing this trade show motorised device, the focus was on achieving a high mowing performance (with a cutting width of up to 5 m) even on very steep terrain. This is achieved, among other things, with a low centre of gravity with high ground clearance, a widened axle and two independently operating hydraulic wheel drives. In addition, the designers have realised a special innovation with the "Self-Balance" function. Benjamin Roll, Head of Design at Köppl GmbH: "The axis of the Gekko can be moved by 300 mm in the longitudinal axis." This changes the weight distribution between the axis and the attachment.
In practice, this function, known as "self-balance", is used so that the axis moves closer to the implement or further away from the cutter bar, depending on the gradient and uphill or downhill travel. Incidentally, people do a very similar thing: when walking uphill or downhill, they unconsciously change the length of their stride in order to always have a secure footing and maintain their balance.
When realising this idea, the designers were faced with a challenge resulting from the operating conditions. "The mechanical stress is very high because high forces act on the axis. Added to this is the heavy soiling to which the undercarriage components are exposed, depending on the surface," says Mr Roll. Another aspect: as the mobile machines work in the open air, lubricated linear axles were out of the question. Köppl therefore uses components from the igus® modular design system for various bearing solutions, including rotary ones. Typical for these components is the combination of high-performance polymers with incorporated lubricant (for the bearing) and hard-anodised aluminium (axis). "We use various igus® bearings and always receive good advice on them," says Benjamin Roll. This task is performed by igus® sales consultant Thomas Weber.
