Peterborough: investing in tomorrow
A multi-million pound investment at Perkins Peterborough facility is under way to prepare for production of its EU Stage V engine solutions, as it continues to demonstrate its commitment to the agricultural market.
Agricultural machines come under the scope of EU Stage V, the next phase of EU emission standards, which will be introduced during 2019 and 2020. Perkins commitment to this market can be witnessed by the considerable investment at its Peterborough facility as it prepares for the manufacture of these engines.
“In a changing world, agricultural customers expect more and more from their engine suppliers,” said Peterborough facility manager Rob Walker. “They operate in a competitive marketplace, so they need engines that deliver on reliability, meet a range of emissions standards, maximise uptime, provide efficient power, and bring them the best return on their investment.
“All of this means there’s a strong requirement for our facility, and wider business, to develop year-on-year, which we’re fully committed to doing.”
Driving continuous improvement
With Peterborough’s world-class facility producing Perkins engines from 0.5 to 7.1 litre, Stage V standards impact every engine produced there. To ensure those engines continue to deliver unrivalled quality, while meeting the most stringent emissions standards the industry has ever seen, the facility has been making major investments in the latest advanced manufacturing technology across the site.
Outstanding new engines
Peterborough is also the home of our new compact Perkins® Syncro range, available in 1.7, 2.2, 2.8 and 3.6 litre options. In order to optimise our assets, and help us stay cost-competitive for our customers, the 2.8 and 3.6 litre engines will be manufactured on the same assembly line as our Stage V 1204 engine. To make this possible, we’ve made significant further investments in upgrading the line. Seven pieces of existing automation have been modified and four new automated/robotic cells added. This advanced robotic technology allows us to manufacture new engines to the highest standards, where repeatable outcomes, precision and quality are guaranteed.
One of the newest robots is responsible for fitting the new flywheel housing to our Perkins Syncro engines. This precision machine picks up the component, applies a liquid joint and attaches it to the engine, guaranteeing repeated quality on a key element of the new engine’s design. Other robots will take over processes that have traditionally created difficult ergonomic challenges for our technicians, speeding up the build process and supporting the needs of our workforce.
“Our industry-leading robots work alongside and complement our human workforce and have allowed us to deliver on Stage V well ahead of time,” said Rob. “Modern manufacturing technology, combined with real-life engine expertise, ensures we get consistent precision and quality, so the products we produce are right first time for any customer who takes an engine from our facility.”
As part of Peterborough’s commitment to Stage V, it’s also building a dedicated facility for the manufacture and integration of engine aftertreatment. With up to 90 percent of our compact ranges requiring on-engine aftertreatment to meet Stage V, a huge increase in volume will be required. Our brand new facility, which is expected to be operational towards the end of next year, will allow us to meet this latest challenge.
Repeatable quality guaranteed
While the Peterborough facility already sets the bar extremely high, it remains committed to getting better every day. We’re making huge investments in our processes, technology and people to ensure we continue to set the highest standards for engineering excellence and support our customers’ ambitions in the future.
Peterborough facility
Situated in the east of England, Peterborough is where the Perkins story began nearly a century ago. Today, at our 125,000-square-metre facility in the city, we manufacture Perkins® 400, 1100, 1200 and Perkins Syncro engines, which power hard-working agricultural machines across the globe.
With a great British engineering heritage, our roots run deep in Peterborough. It’s the place where our customer-focused values – for quality, reliability, innovation and collaborative working to deliver engines that meet your needs, your way – were first established.
As the agricultural market continues to evolve – and the needs of your business change – you can trust Perkins to invest in the right technology, processes and quality to ensure our engines give you the power you need, however you need it.
“With world-class technology, precision processes and a highly-skilled team, Peterborough is in fantastic shape and ready to provide customers with the support and partnership they need to have a successful and profitable future,” concluded Rob.
