Dozens of ag equipment manufacturers and their representatives made their way to Milwaukee last week to test the compatibility of their products against one another at the Agriculture Industry Electronic Foundation (AEF’s) Spring Plugfest.
As a proud founding member of AEF and the organization’s secretary, AEM is pleased to support the semi-annual Plugfest events hosted by AEF. Held every six months, with one in Europe and the other in North America, these well-attended industry events bring together engineers to assess tractor-implement compatibility between a variety of distinct brands.
“AEM is committed to bringing the perspective of North American equipment manufacturers to AEF, and we encourage manufacturers to participate in Plugfest events and do their part to help ensure interoperability of ag equipment around the world,” said AEM Senior Director of Agricultural Services Austin Gellings. “It was great to see engineers representing AEM members come together last week in Milwaukee to test their products and work toward agreed-upon industry solutions that benefit farmers and manufacturers alike.”
During testing, implement manufacturers are given the opportunity to connect with tractor manufacturers through a system of rotating tables. Every 45 minutes, implement representatives rotate to a different tractor manufacturer to test compatibility and adjust as needed. Over the course of a few days, each participating organization can engage in testing with one another – all in one location.
In addition to offering chances for assessing tractor-implement, Plugfest events serve as forums for networking and collaboration between industry professionals. While real-time adjustments are often made by Plugfest participants to ensure product compatibility, other situations require more work back at the company to complete any necessary changes.
Participants include the whole range of engineers -- software architects, cloud security experts, autonomy and high-speed experts, among others -- who come together to not only connect their machines, but also to share ideas and best practices for improving the ag industry and creating the connectivity that equipment users have come to expect.
In addition, AEM held several committee meetings alongside last week's Plugfest. These groups included AEM’s Ag Technology Leadership Group, CE Technology Leadership Group, Autonomous Machines Coordinating Committee, and Cybersecurity Committee. This was a unique opportunity to create interindustry alignment with AEF while providing exposure to the great work happening in both the ag and construction equipment industries.
About AEF
AEF is a global non-profit organization founded to improve cross-manufacturer compatibility in agricultural equipment. Founded in 2008, it includes participation from eight agriculture equipment manufacturers, three associations, and over 300 general members that work together to improve cross-manufacturer compatibility of electronic and electric components in agricultural equipment.
AEF’s ISOBUS database establishes and maintains the compatibility of agriculture equipment across brands and products, giving farmers more choices for equipment purchases as they look to expand or make new connections with their current fleet. Prior to purchasing new equipment, farmers can check the AEF ISOBUS database to see if and how compatible the new equipment will be with their current equipment.
For more information on AEM’s involvement on in AEF and its Spring Plugfest, contact AEM’s Austin Gellings at agellings@aem.org, or visit www.aef-online.org.
