"Learning and experiencing means diving into every technical detail! But when it comes to the compressed air system of modern tractors, you’d have to dismantle half the vehicle to give students—like the master trainees here—a detailed look at the structure and function of an air brake system. And because new tractors must meet updated certification standards, which require special valves to prevent trailer brake failure in the event of a torn or damaged air hose, you’d essentially have to dismantle two tractors at once: One to show how the old system works and another to illustrate the new technology in action.

For this reason, DEULA has equipped the Centre of Excellence for Agricultural and Construction Machinery Technology with two pneumatic training walls, where any configuration can be reconstructed and understood using genuine components. Dipl.-Ing. Tietjen GmbH is the world’s leading supplier of compressed air brake systems for tow vehicles. Now in its third generation, the company provides all the components required to ensure safe braking for both tow vehicles and their trailers. And because the engineers at Tietjen have such extensive experience and know every type of compressed air brake system inside out, we commissioned them to build two mobile training walls—where we can train the journeymen and master technicians of tomorrow in pneumatics. It’s not cheap, but it adds a whole lot more depth to the training sessions: This setup lets you build any type of brake system, fully operational and equipped with all the right measuring tools and accessories: From the brake pedal and every imaginable valve and control block, to pressure accumulators, sensors, all the way to the brake light switch and brake lights. Connected to the training centre’s compressed air line, any imaginable scenario can be recreated—even a leak in the line!

Although the effects can still be observed at the back of the tractor, we can now understand WHY and HOW something in the system works—or doesn’t—much better thanks to Tietjen’s new training walls!"

Mike Atig on behalf of DEULA Westfalen-Lippe