deutz live 1/2009

Service
3D engine model
Sales in the 3rd dimension
Anew visualisation tool will in future save
DEUTZ- customers time. While in the past it
has taken up to three weeks for a customer
to receive the drawing of the engine he has chosen
with the sales team, the new DEUTZ Sales Engines
Configurator (DESEC) can deliver within two to three
days, synchronising directly with customer discussions.
For the customer, this represents a vital time
advantage, since the drawing gives him the ability
to check the engine for individual parameters such
as fit and connectivity options.
DEUTZ engines are used all over the world in the
most varied installations. From the customer's perspective,
this translates in to a myriad of different
demands on sales staff. The requirement to supply
the customer with a type of engine exactly tailored
to his needs leads to many individual variations.
From the different requirements, there are currently
around 6,000 “active” combination possibilities -
and in theory there could be several hundreds of
thousands of them.
Significantly accelerated quotation processing
Until now, it has taken up to three weeks before the
customer received a drawing of his chosen engine
configuration in 3D via CAD (Computer Aided
Design) in STEP format. The manual composition
and checking process was too long, and today it is
all automated. Hampering the issue was the fact
that the CAD systems required to read STEP files
are only available in the CAD departments and the
STEP files are enormous, containing up to 500 MB
of data.
With the new DEUTZ Sales Engines Configurator
(DESEC) and the 3D sales models that it generates,
quotation processing can now be significantly
accelerated and improved.
Once the customer and the sales associate
have chosen the required assemblies via the ELTAB
electronic pocket book, the associated assembly
numbers are transferred to Cologne. Here, thanks
to DESEC, the 3D models of the chosen individual
engine configurations are generated at the press of
a button. Immediately following this, the configurations
are then put on the Internet for downloading.
The sales- associate also receives an e-mail containing
the download link. A 3D sales model
(approx. 5 MB), a STEP model (100-500 MB) and a
PDF document containing engine views and an
assembly description are generated.
“The sales process and the final agreements
with the customer can be significantly accelerated.
Moreover, every sales document or 3D model we
create reflects the technological leadership and
quality of our engines”, says Dirk Rehder, head of
Information Systems Sales & Services.
The trick here is that the 3D model of a complete
engine, unlike in the previous STEP models
22 DEUTZLIVE 1/2009
which occupied some 500 MB of space, take up
only around 5 MB and can therefore be sent easily
by e-mail. One particular feature is that the sales
model can run on any modern conventional PC,
meaning that no software installation is required.
The 3D sales model can not only be viewed from all
sides, but individual assemblies can also be hidden
or commented. The model also contains embedded
PDF documents on the customer connection points,
for instance the flange dimensions and pipe diameters.
The 3D STEP model can also be integrated virtually
into the selected installation scenario and
checked for individual parameters such as fit and
connectivity options. In future, processing will be
simplified even further, with an online mask soon to
make DEUTZ sales partners' work ordering the 3D
model easier.
“This program is really significant right now,”
explains Dirk Rehder. “In 2011, the changeover to
the stricter Tier 4 interim emissions stage will come
into force. Many of our customers can't currently
imagine how the required exhaust modifications to
the engine will impact on the various installation
scenarios in their equipment. With DESEC, we can
visualise this and so give the customer a preview of
the next generation of engines.” ■
Photo/Illustration: DEUTZ AG