‘dificult not tobe impressed by Massey Fergusons giant Beauvais plant located an hou’ dive north ‘of Paris, The largest tsetor manufacturing stein Feanoeit churns out 19,000 units yeas, and isthe biggest European tractor plant operated by its Duluth, Goorgia-based parent company the AGCO Corporation, ive differnt brands are produced in addition to Massey Ferguson, incuding AGCO's Challenger, Fendt, and Vara ‘marques ~ sold in Europe ~ and AGCO-branded tractors, destined for the American market. chaps sueprsingy al ‘makes and models are produced ona single, mixed-mode ‘2-workstation line. A chasis onthe first workstation atthe start of the day willbe driven out that evening, roughly 45, : hours of work content later, depending on the mode specification involve. Business is booming according to Andre Lair, Managing Director a the Beauvais plan, Only few years after -€130m (USS178m) investment to double «capacity, growing demand willsee volumes rise even further, from 90 units per day to 98 bythe end of 2008. Biomass energy; rocketing food prices and the need to wrestle the highest yells possible fom cach hestare of ground have all contributed to sigaificarly higher levels of demand, he explains ‘As carmakers search for solutions to help steer them through tough economic conditions, explains what they can learn from recent innovations by agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers “Thanks to a ten percent improvement in productivity were building almost 100 tractorsa day without requiring ‘nother major round of investment"he says. "Inventory turns have also increased - up from 16 tarns a year in 2004 025 by mid-2007~ although that gue is slighty lower now because of the uncertain economic conditions” ‘Adapting to current economic conditions AX privately held British construction equipment ‘manufacturer [CB,the story i lightly diferent, The world’s third-largest manufacturer of construction equipment, wth 8 plants around the world (11 in the UK, thee in India, and ‘one each in the USA, Germany, Brazil and China), [CB sold 100 machines worldwide in 2007, utamatve manulacurng solutes + paver /december2008+ wn automotemanttactringslutens omBut last your also saw the start ofa steep downturn inthe construction industry, leading toa dump in demand. With volumes dosen by 20 percent, and withthe possibilty of further rections in demand, the company was forced to sinnounce job cuts of approximately 10 percent ofits UK ‘workforce Around 5O0 manufacturing postions across According to Exces Director of Automobile and Aerospace David Har, the old factory had not Featured ‘moving tacking. The new installation marks major step in the plan to build an extension housing to neve automated ‘ab Finishing lines designed to produce fll: trimmed cabs for JCB’ Backhoe and Loadall ange. "The intention was ‘Thanks to a ten per cent improvement in productivity, we're building almost 100 tractors a day without requiring another major round of investment” ~ Andre Lair, Massey Ferguson [> British JCB factories were ost, with a proportionate number of staff positions, about 150, also being et “JCB dealers around the world are experiencing lower sales because of reduced customer activity, mainly in the house building and commercial property sectors and this chine build programme” explains JCB Chief Executive Mathew Taylor. "The losses are reretabe, but necessary to ensure that JCB remain competitive and well positioned to benefit rom any smarket upturn” > Facility investment to improve efficiency JCB, like AGCO, is preparing forthe frure Setting up to be competitive and productive when the anticipated turnaround arrives. ditionally, the company’s heavy plant division, [CB Heavy Products, has recently completed the first phase ofits move to anew purpose ui Factory ~ representing 2 £40m (USS70m) investment in its Staffordshire manufacturing operations ‘Work onthe new facility, located in Uttoxeter, UK, started in 2007, and according 0 Taylor represents "an ‘opportunity to capitalise on future growth potential when the construction equipment markets recover” Production at ‘he A 86m? plant began in late Augusta ran oF wheeled and zero-alswing tracked excavators being fist off the in. A ransfer of employees from the company’: site located in the centre of Uttoxeter tothe facility will tke place in a series of moves scheduled becween now and early 2008 Designed to manufacture a range of 25 tracked and wheeled excavators, fom seven t 46 tonnes, the new Factory has also received new production equipment an investment intended to boost both ‘quality and productivity. Key o this yas been the installation of automated conveyor lines from materials handling specialist Excel Automation, the same ‘company that succesfllycaried cut @ £500,000 (1U3$874,000) project carried ‘out at JCB cb systems plant in Rugeley, UK, dedicated tothe manufacture of cab modules for installation at other [CB manufacturing sites toautomate the production proces, streamlining it and reducing headcount he sys, ‘The desig for both lines began in September 2006, with ‘commissioning carried out in vo stages: the Backhoe installation, completed in March 2007, and the Loadall Tine, carried out during JCB's September shutdown, “The timescale was very tight. JCB was keen to get the improvements in place as quickly as possible, especialy with the Backhoe line” says Excel Project Manager Tony Maycock With an overall length of $0 metres the Backhoe line has 21 stations and feetues accumulating conveyors at the lad land unload ends to allow for buffering The line speed is approximately one metre per minute. Conversely the Loadall Tinets 71 metre long and has 20 stations. Operating speed is slightly less than one metre per minute too is equipped swith accumulating conveyor, pls a shuttle-car system povwered by an inductive loop This later feature, explains Maysock, “is an extremely neat salution~ it voids having a solid conveyor forming & barrier across the sesembly shop, a power-feed centenary syst or loose wires.” The new ca finishing lines have also allowed [CB to ‘make changes ats main assembly plant in Rocester, ‘UK, which wll now receive fll finished cabs, according to Steve Cartwright, JCB Project Manufacturing > "CB's new actor in Utoxeter cludes innovative automate corMeyo Tes rommaterieanding specail Exel Aeration utamatve manulacurng solutes + paver /december2008+ wn automotemanttactringslutens omFarm and construction “ot Dero’ F-Series ecard acersrepresel heros ‘Santali upo specatty nts unched bythe company nears design engineers, it made sense to use the platform while developing the new powerplant the development team using the soar to tale thei early ideas theowgh a series of irtal testing proseses to prodiace the finished 3D mode! rom the outset, NX enabled us to i “The JCB444 represented our first move into diesel engine manufacturing. Customers and the industry at large were watching - we had to get it right first time ~ Allan Tolley, JCB components ofthe eventual 3 engine model into a single assembly file that everybody on the development team ‘worked within says Tolley."We were all working in context, With changes made to the design ofa part by one engineer visible to every other engincer helping to ensure thatthe ingerrelated parts fi together ‘What’ more, NX helped speed up progress tothe next stage of product development - ‘real wor’ physical tral of the prototype engine in construction vehicles. Prototype construction was further aided by the ft that JCB’ component suppliers and specialist prototype manufacturers could use the NX 3D design dat in th fown CNC machining and laser based prototype machines t0 sranwfactare new parts, The resul? The launch of what was heralded asa ground breaking produc, perfectly suited to its purpose of po construction and eaeth-moving equipment. The fina ering pradict was rated asthe worlds most powerful atomotive tioel engine interme of outpat per lite of capacity, “NX played a significant p Tolly.Itafforded ws the flexibility to work in an iterative way, making rapid changes a the product evolved and supporting usin our goal of bringing an innovative, high performance engin to market without delays or re work Guarding against excessive complexity (One downside of an expanded range, similar to that a John Deer, the increase in relative complexity; and with this can come dis- economies of scale including: ineeeased alersals and pre-production inventories, longe lead times, extended planing cycles and higher product costs problems which further compound the aleady complex the agricultural and construction vehicles industry ‘At Massey Fergusonis Beauais plan, for instance, Andre Lair provides graphic lustratons of this complexity. AGCO. about wo launch a new tractor, Considering possible option utamatve manulacurng solutes + paver /december2008+ wn automotemanttactringslutens om