Designing online

Major developments in Internet-based technologies are profoundly changing the engineering/design process, revolutionizing the way OEMs and suppliers do business, and speeding the industry's time-to-market.

Without question, having an effective e-business solution is a primary focus for most OEMs and suppliers competing in today's off-highway industry. While the industry has not yet seen a major alliance such as Covisint, the exchange developed by automotive giants General Motors, Ford Motor Co., and DaimlerChrysler, the potential of e-business as an enabler for off-highway product development is by far its greatest value to date. Companies are drastically reducing product design cycles as Web-based collaboration tools offering real-time development options continue to flood the business-to-business (B2B) e-marketplace.

John Deere & Co. is among the forefront of off-highway OEMs using Internet-based technologies to improve a product line. Deere partnered with software-solution developer and marketer PTC to develop its 9750 Single Tine Separator (STS) Combine (Figure 1). The 9750 STS features a patented Deere single tine-separation system-a breakthrough in agricultural harvesting equipment-leading Deere to win in the both the heavy-equipment category and best overall entry in the PTC 2000 Awards Competition, an international forum for PTC customers to display successful achievements using PTC solutions.