CLAAS Tractor designs and manufactures tractors for the CLAAS Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of agricultural machinery. As part of its plant modernization strategy, the company is using the 3D EXPERIENCE platform to effectively manage the increasing complexity of its products, optimize assembly line operations, and digitally plan and control production with full traceability.
CLAAS AXION 900 TERRA TRAC is a new product line where the rear crawler system, typically used in combine harvesters, is combined with more traditional front drive wheels. This is the first fully suspended half-track tractor on the market that combines the convenience of a standard tractor with the advantages of a crawler tractor in terms of traction and soil protection. The large contact area of the tracks reduces soil compaction, helping farmers improve soil quality and increase yields in a more sustainable way. AXION 900 TERRA TRAC tractors are produced at the CLAAS Tractor plant in Le Mans, France, and are the first product from the company built on a fully modernized assembly line. CLAAS Tractor, which produces about 8000 tractors per year for the CLAAS group,
“Previously, the factory was very ordinary: semi-dark workshops with cramped workspaces where workers had to wait for parts to arrive on the conveyor,” says Étienne Bourasso, Production Director at CLAAS Tractor. “Today, the workspaces are much more spacious, ergonomic, and open. We now offer better working conditions and can therefore guarantee the highest quality of service.” Today, the Le Mans plant is one of the most modern tractor manufacturing facilities in Europe. It received the Vitrine Industrie du Futur award, presented by the French national organization Alliance Industrie Du Futur in conjunction with the French Ministry of Industry.
“Receiving this award demonstrates that our assembly line is at the forefront of technology and that we have installed the production equipment necessary to manufacture high-quality and affordable products made in France,” said Bourasso. “This sends a powerful signal to our customers, shaping our image as a top-tier organization in terms of both products and working methods.”
The factory of the future must integrate products that have yet to be created and that no one has yet imagined.
At the core of the modern CLAAS Tractor factory lies a new technological platform that enables the company to implement innovative design and manufacturing methods, including 3D and modeling. The company had long used the CATIA design application from Dassault Systèmes and decided to implement the 3D EXPERIENCE® platform, as well as the ENOVIA information management system, to ensure continuity of digital data between departments. At the same time, it chose DELMIA to create a virtual model of its assembly line to improve product quality, increase productivity, and manage an increasingly complex and diverse range. CLAAS Tractor digitized its factory by developing the AXION 900 TERRA TRAC, the first machine designed and built using the 3D EXPERIENCE platform.
“The factory of the future must integrate products that have yet to be created and that no one has yet imagined,” said Burasso. “This is the first instance where tracks have been built on our assembly line. Creating three-dimensional images using the platform allowed us to see how we could adapt the process, previously created for four-wheeled tractors, to the new model of the tracked tractor.” By developing the new model in 3D, designers and engineers can assess the feasibility of the new design and adjust the assembly line before production begins.
“The 3D EXPERIENCE platform played a key role in creating the factory model, as all manufacturing aspects, such as lifting and clamping devices, could be checked virtually,” said Nathan Dufurg, tractor design engineer at CLAAS. “We were able to adjust the design to account for the new equipment installed at the factory. Thus, the rear tracks of the AXION 900 TERRA TRAC completely change the configuration of the tractor. Since they are longer than the tires, the tanks had to be moved along the tracks next to the cabin. We had to lift them to install on the tractor. The transition of the new factory to digital technologies allowed us to ensure that this is feasible.”
CLAAS Tractor manufactures machines for customers around the world, which presents them with special, unique challenges. “The agricultural tractor market is very complex and diverse. Diverse requests come from Europe, Asia, and North America,” acknowledged Burasso. “We have to deal with seasonality, which causes significant fluctuations in orders. Additionally, the technologies embedded in our products are becoming increasingly complex.”
One of the main goals of the company in implementing a new technological platform was to find the best way to manage the growing complexity of products, allowing for better and faster fulfillment of individual customer requests while reducing the burden on staff. “We very rarely produce two identical tractors in the same year,” said Frank Bruno, process architect at CLAAS Tractor. “We always have about 20 different models with more than 300 options on one assembly line. This means that each product is a unique assembly unit. The 3D EXPERIENCE platform was the only way to plan in advance the integration of specific options and the entire production process.”
Using the 3D EXPERIENCE platform allows CLAAS Tractor to take into account individual customer wishes at early stages of development and foresee ways to implement them during assembly. “By using this platform, customers configure each tractor themselves when placing an order,” said Marc Dasse, technological methods technician at CLAAS Tractor. “During the ordering process, the customer sees what the tractor will look like with the selected options, as well as the modified assembly process. It’s very simple.”
Thanks to the product modeling capabilities of DELMIA, engineers can determine how each product will be manufactured and identify any issues before they arise. “The platform allows us to model, verify, and optimize various assembly options for different variants,” said Burasso. “Then we can ensure that each combination will not cause problems during assembly. Additionally, we can monitor product compliance with technological requirements at the workplace.”
Since the launch of the 3D EXPERIENCE platform, we have had fewer reworks due to process issues.
Frank Bruno and his team are responsible for shaping the production process for each tractor. Bruno claims that with the advent of the 3D EXPERIENCE platform and ENOVIA collaboration tools, it has become easier to plan and effectively collaborate with the research and development department, and the number of errors has significantly decreased. “The platform allows process engineers to design products together with design engineers, forecast assembly options, and improve the quality of processes and products,” said Bruno.
Close collaboration between process specialists and design engineers is especially important, considering that the company’s design office is located in Vélizy-Villacoublay, 200 km from the production site in Le Mans. “The platform allows data exchange in a unified environment and coordinates the work of design office staff and technologists located at different sites,” said Bruno. “This fosters communication and has helped us collaborate in the development of products and processes.”
Design engineers created the AXION 900 TERRA TRAC tractor and handed over the 3D model to the process engineers in Le Mans. The technologists then checked the assembly process of the new tractor on a virtual assembly line and reported any issues found to the engineering department. Ensuring a continuous digital process throughout the product lifecycle allows everyone to work to their full potential and create flawless machines on the first try.
“For us, the continuity of digital data is an advantage,” said Burasso. “It provides a link between product designers and assembly line workers who will use the work instructions. The platform allows assembly line workers to check the manufacturability of the design and its compliance with technological requirements, ergonomics, and quality throughout the entire development cycle of our tractors.”
Today, 3D models are used in all departments of CLAAS Tractor. “The 3D EXPERIENCE platform allows the use of 3D at all levels of the company,” said Bruno. “In the virtual space, employees get a complete picture of their future working environment and understand how the products will be assembled and the equipment will be operated. The factory manager can make the right decisions about materials and maintenance. And the customer can see the product they ordered with all options before it is manufactured.”
The presence of virtual digital twins of both products and the factory itself is particularly useful when transitioning from design to production at CLAAS Tractor, ensuring that all components can be produced at the Le Mans factory with existing equipment and that they truly match the finished product. “We model various parts of the tractor in 3D, such as sheet metal, hydraulic pipes, and electrical harnesses,” said Dufour. “Then we send the 3D model to the factory to be 100% sure that these parts can be assembled. For creating tractor parts in the design department, we use the CATIA solution. When laying out, we mainly use the ‘Mechanical Calculation’ function, which allows us to display the kinematic diagram of the tractor. This helps to form moving parts in 3D, ensuring that they do not interfere with each other.”
“As for the Panten project, it was easy for us to work with teams scattered around the world during the pandemic,” said Gal. “Anyone can connect to the platform remotely from anywhere in the world. This saved people time and allowed them to focus on their tasks, as they no longer had to constantly ask questions like, ‘Where are you now?’ or ‘Have you done this?’ The 3D EXPERIENCE platform contains all the information. Additionally, we benefit from constant updates, knowing that we are working with the latest version of the solution.”
This approach also helps the development team effectively manage changes and quickly fix errors. “Architects often use volume filters,” said Dufour. “For example, when an assembly issue or damage is reported, the part needs to be replaced. The volume filter highlights the area around the selected part. The platform then displays all parts that fall within the volume, so we can be sure that we haven’t overlooked any elements of the design and that we haven’t interfered with the operation of neighboring parts.”
The transition from paper-based 2D processes to digital 3D modeling has revolutionized the work at CLAAS Tractor. “Previously, we created a tractor prototype in the testing room to describe the assembly process on paper and sorted documentation into folders according to specifications for each product,” said Dasse. “We also used this paper documentation for training workers and updating operational documentation. The updating processes were quite cumbersome. With the 3D EXPERIENCE platform, we can forecast assembly operations using visibility tools and test assemblies on parts without a physical prototype. Workers really appreciate this.”
CLAAS Tractor has made it much easier to train workers and prepare them to work with new models. “Today, thanks to DELMIA, we are one step ahead,” said Dasse. “I can see the tractor production process in detail, and workers can study and understand the assembly processes before the tractor is physically assembled.” The ability to provide virtual models of the new factory and design information for future tractors has also helped CLAAS Tractor engage its employees in the digital transformation of the entire company.
“The AXION 900 TERRA TRAC was designed for assembly on the planned assembly line, but workers couldn’t imagine what would come next,” said Dasse. “When they were able to see the 3D models of the tractor and the factory, they quickly understood that the new approach would be much more transparent and smooth.”
Since the implementation has been successful, there are now plans to extend the new capabilities of CLAAS Tractor to other organizations and factories within the CLAAS group. “This is a pilot project for the CLAAS group that will be implemented at other factories where there is a product development department,” said Bruno. “In my opinion, this solution has allowed CLAAS Tractor to innovate, unify departments with the same data, and anticipate the production process rather than complicate it.”
“In summary of this transformation, I would say it was about passion, amazing new tools, openness to innovative solutions, but mainly about achieving our goal — serving customers by providing them with the best products,” concluded Burasso.
CLAAS Tractor is part of the CLAAS group, one of the leading global manufacturers of agricultural machinery. Founded in France, the company develops and produces a wide range of tractors, selling its products to farmers worldwide. For more information: http://www.claas.com
