Boosting Equipment Reliability in Agriculture: How the Right Pneumatic Cylinder Can Make the Difference.
Agricultural equipment operates in some of the harshest environments, pushing components to their limits season after season. One critical component that directly impacts equipment reliability and field productivity is the pneumatic cylinder. When these fail prematurely, farmers and equipment dealers are forced into a costly cycle of downtime, repairs, and replacements—a problem one agricultural dealer recently set out to solve.
The Problem: Excessive Cylinder Failures Hurting Productivity
A value-add dealer of precision seeding equipment was experiencing an unacceptable failure rate on pneumatic cylinders used in a large-scale air seeder. The competitor’s cylinders were failing within a few thousand acres, forcing farmers to replace components far too often. With up to 48 seeding heads operating on a single machine, these frequent failures weren’t just a hassle—they were damaging the dealer’s reputation and costing customers valuable time and money.
The Alkon Solution: Customization for Maximum Performance
Frustrated by the high failure rate and short lifespan of off-the-shelf cylinders, the dealer turned to Allenair, an Alkon Corporation family brand, for a better solution. Rather than simply swapping one cylinder for another, Alkon worked with the dealer to customize a standard Allenair cylinder to better fit the specific demands of their application.
Custom Cylinder Features:
The Results: Higher Efficiency, Lower Costs, and Greater Yield
After 13,000 acres, the Allenair cylinder continued to operate at peak performance, with no signs of dirt contamination, failure, or loss of function. This massively reduced downtime, saved farmers money on replacements, and gave the dealer confidence in offering a superior product to their customers.
Instead of relying on cheap, disposable pneumatic cylinders, farmers can now invest in quality, rebuildable cylinders that extend the life of their equipment and maximize yield.
Invest in Equipment That Works as Hard as You Do
At Alkon, we specialize in hydraulic and pneumatic solutions designed for heavy-duty industrial and mobile applications, including agriculture, material handling, and fluid power systems. Whether you need custom-engineered hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic actuators, or air distribution systems, Alkon delivers precision, durability, and cost savings for OEMs, equipment dealers, and end-users alike.
Looking to boost your customers’ equipment performance and yield? Contact our sales team today and find out how Alkon can help.