Thanks to its international presence in Europe, Asia, and the USA, DEUTZ is close to its customers and able to unlock growth potential.
Simple, sustainable, and reliable. The DEUTZ Xchange team in Pendergrass, Georgia, provides engines for the entire Americas region that meet the US Tier 2 and 3 emissions standards. Demand for exchange engines is just as high in the less regulated countries of Latin America as it is in the USA, where these genuine, like-new engines extend the useful life of older agricultural machinery and construction equipment while meeting applicable emissions standards. Customers appreciate that DEUTZ Xchange engines can be easily maintained and repaired, which helps to keep operating expenses down. Launched in 2008, the exchange engine business now accounts for a considerable share of service revenue, with current overall production amounting to 22,000 engines. The DEUTZ plant in Ulm also supplies reconditioned exchange engines to the USA, and unit sales in the American market have now reached 25,000.
The local DEUTZ representatives and dealers across the Americas support their customers throughout the replacement process, from initial order to installation. Robert T. Mann, CEO of DEUTZ Corporation, believes the Company is on the right track: “Across the many individual markets, engine longevity is what matters to our customers. The simplicity and sustainability that we offer is a persuasive argument for them.” The DEUTZ Power Centers (DPCs) also aim to align the services they provide with the requirements of their customers. These sales and service outlets offer customers the full range of spare parts as well as regular maintenance and emergency repairs. Two new centers were added in 2021, DPC Mid-America in Mansfield, Texas, and DPC West in Las Vegas, Nevada. In total, eight DPCs now ensure satisfied customers and open up further growth opportunities.
“It’s very satisfying to be part of a team that ensures the final product meets our high quality standards. We all take pride in what we do!”
Smart factory pilot in Zafra
DEUTZ SPAIN is also looking to the future in Zafra, where a new smart factory for connecting rods is taking the subsidiary’s efficiency to the next level. Just over €3.9 million was invested in the construction of a new ultra-high-tech production line over the last four years. The pilot project will enable the company to produce up to 600,000 connecting rods a year for the 2.2, 2.9, and 3.6 engine series. “We are playing to the strengths of Industry 4.0 in the design of the new production line,” says Fernando Angulo, who heads up the Center of Excellence for Mechanical Fabrication at DEUTZ SPAIN.
In order to maximize the benefit from the smart factory, DEUTZ is digitalizing many previously paper-based processes and using IT to connect them. This enhances quality, improves traceability, and enables predictive maintenance. The smart factory offers DEUTZ customers greater precision, reliability, and flexibility. Launched in 2020, the system can machine three connecting rods in parallel, reducing production times on this line by around a third. “The pilot project shows the direction in which DEUTZ SPAIN is heading,” says Angulo. “It will revolutionize how we manage production. For us, it’s the ticket to ride the high-speed Industry 4.0 train.” By using human-robot collaboration systems, DEUTZ SPAIN has also reduced the costs of producing connecting rods for sub-4 liter engines.
“We are playing to the strengths of Industry 4.0.”
New Asia headquarters in Shanghai
DEUTZ has been operating in China for over 45 years. The engine manufacturer recognized the huge potential of the Chinese market early on and was one of the first international companies to invest in China. The Company has since established three DEUTZ production sites there. In a joint venture with SANY, DEUTZ produces engines for trucks, construction equipment, and concrete pumps in Kunshan. The two partners opened another production site in Changsha in 2021. A standout product of this partnership is the new 11.5 liter engine for trucks, developed for SANY by the local engineering team. In early 2021, DEUTZ started producing the 2.9 engine series in collaboration with diesel engine manufacturer BEINEI in Tianjin. Here, the partners manufacture engines for lifting platforms, forklift trucks, and smaller construction equipment.
DEUTZ’s close working relationship with its network of dealers is a crucial success factor in the Chinese market too, which is why the Company reorganized its activities in China and opened its high-tech Asia headquarters in Shanghai in the autumn. The headquarters in China’s largest city gives DEUTZ the perfect base for conducting its business in China and across Asia.
Thomas Triller, Vice Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, during his welcome speech in Shanghai (top). A look inside the new headquarters (center). Christian Zürnstein, CEO of DEUTZ Asia, and Xuejun Li, CEO of DEUTZ China (bottom).
“It’s very satisfying to be part of a team that ensures the final product meets our high quality standards. We all take pride in what we do!”
“We are playing to the strengths of Industry 4.0.”
