RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Studies
MODERN AGTECH
Looking beyond
BEST PRACTICES
Sustainability in the agricultural sector requires a constant search for optimization and innovation. Our sector knowledge is the key to successful consulting and project realization. We continuously research trends, best practices and benchmarks for agricultural engineering. We create strategies that allow agricultural technology companies to continue successful in the future.
Best practices and trend analysis - join our network.
For our studies, we collaborate with key experts within the AgTech industry. We investigate questions that are currently being asked in agricultural engineering and, together with our partners, find the best solutions for industry-specific problems.
INDUSTRY RESEARCH
Technologie-Management
INDUSTRY 4.0 IN THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY
Vision or vapor ?
Industry 4.0 describes - as defined - the comprehensive networking of the means of production, including the integration of all necessary data, in order to manufacture products customized and yet highly efficient in larger quantities. Since product customization and production efficiency are also typical requirements for the production of agricultural machinery, the industry inevitably has to deal with the contents of I4.0 and pick out the elements that are relevant to them.
TriAhead analyzes the various building blocks of Industry 4.0 for suitability for the agricultural machinery industry within the scope of currently running projects - and ensures the safe implementation.
Production Management
BUILD-TO-ORDER PROCESSES
The industry should only produce what the agricultural sector really needs in the marketplace - not an easy task with seasonal demands, different international standards of requirements and high market volatility.
The implementation of build-to-order processes requires the continuous networking of the sales & marketing department with the production areas in order to match market requirements with production capacities.
TriAhead develops suitable processes and tools for and with leading companies in the industry.
Technology Management
3D PRINTING FOR THE AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY INDUSTRY
Additive manufacturing processes represent an element of the Industry 4.0 initiative that is of interest to agricultural engineering.
Additive Manufacturing technology is advancing at an extremely fast pace, printers are becoming more efficient and the products made on them are becoming more robust. The stage in which the application was limited to rapid prototyping applications has long been exceeded and the threshold for use in series production has been reached.
TriAhead develops methods for selecting the right (= economically produced) part spectrum, analyzes the latest technology developments in the printer market and accompanies pilot projects during the introduction.
Production Management
LOGISTICS BEST PRACTICES IN AGTECH
Mastery of product complexity is no longer conceivable in the agricultural engineering industry without suitable logistics systems.
In addition to the generally broad product portfolio, additional equipment and options drive the number of modules, components and individual parts. The industry demands its own solutions to store, transport and handle tons-heavy axles and wheels, voluminous cabins and thousands of small bulk goods.
TriAhead is putting together best practice solutions to facilitate the design of standardized logistics processes.
Technology-Management
INNOVATIVE PIPE BENDING PROCESSES
Hydraulic circuits are currently indispensable in agricultural machines - they allow the relatively lossless transmission of high pressures and flow rates, especially between work machines and attachments.
It is undisputed, that curved metal tubes of various diameters provide the best basis for power transmission. Due to batch sizes and complex designs, tube production currently often causes high surface requirements for storage, complicated handling during order picking and complicated provision on the assembly lines - with moderate dimensional accuracy.
TriAhead is developing groundbreaking innovations and is currently testing them in pilot applications.
Production Management
LINE BALANCING & SEQUENCING
The balancing of fluctuating market demands with existing production capacities presents a particular challenge for every company that is producing agricultural technology.
The reasons: The line balancing of a broad product portfolio with technically very sophisticated products, which are subject to constant changes, requires clean production BOMs, precisely described, standardized assembly processes and precise time recording. And any change in the customer takt to adapt to the actual order situation causes efficiency losses and quality problems. In addition, consideration must be given to order sequencing, in which product restrictions and up-to-date parts availability must be taken into account in order to avoid stress situations in the assembly line.
TriAhead conducts appropriate data analysis and develops pragmatic methods and systematics to select suitable tools for the efficient solution of the complex task.
Production Management
PRODUCTION SYSTEMS FOR THE AGTECH INDUSTRY
Production systems form the basis for quality, efficiency, short delivery times and flexibility.
Small quantities, pronounced seasonality, high variant complexity and wide component variance are a particular challenge in the agricultural technology industry. TriAhead explores the key approaches to focus on value-added processes and avoid waste in production processes. The methods and processes of a production system must be adapted to the individual characteristics of the products and companies in the agricultural engineering industry.
TriAhead develops processes and methods that are tailored to the specifics of agricultural machinery production and helps companies to implement their own individual production system.
