OptiStruct Technology Streamlines Production and Maintenance for CLAAS Harvester Reel Assembly
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS)
Applicable Industries
- Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Traffic Monitoring
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
CLAAS is a Germany-based company that ranks among the world’s leading manufacturers of agricultural machinery. The company is the European market leader for combine harvesters and the number one producer of forage harvesters globally. CLAAS operates in more than 140 countries, offering a diverse product line to meet the varied needs of the agricultural industry. The company is committed to continually improving its products to enhance performance, reliability, and customer satisfaction while reducing production and serviceability costs.
The Challenge
CLAAS, a leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery, was facing the challenge of reducing production and serviceability costs of their harvester reel hub assembly system. The existing system, although successful and field-proven, was identified as a candidate for redesign to improve profitability and customer satisfaction. The primary objective of the redesign was to increase serviceability by making an individual reel hub easier to replace without compromising the rigidity of the existing assembly design. The incumbent design had numerous welded lap joints that provided enhanced stiffness, which was a critical factor to maintain in the new design. The challenge was to find a unique reinforcement bead pattern that would meet the redesign objectives while using the same material stock and package envelope.
The Solution
To meet the redesign objectives, CLAAS turned to Altair OptiStruct design optimization software. OptiStruct’s topography optimization capabilities were leveraged to define the optimal reinforcement bead pattern that would meet the stiffness objective. The software provided the optimal bead pattern layout for the new reel hub design, which was then used by CLAAS die engineers to create a release level design. The new design significantly reduced the assembly from eight parts to just two, thereby cutting costly welding processes from production and increasing assembly efficiency. The new design also simplified in-service maintenance, as each reel hub could now be removed independently without the need to dismantle the entire system.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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