Executive Summary
Vermeer builds large machines that have complex hydraulic and electronic components and assemblies. The job of the fluid power and systems teams is to create rules and guidance frameworks to aid engineering groups across the company in being intentional and purposeful in how they route hoses and harnesses. For instance, their advice helps mechanical engineers avoid routing hoses and harnesses sharp edges, moving parts, and accommodate the radius limits of different hose or harness types.
Before partnering with Vertex, Vermeer’s design teams struggled to collaborate efficiently. Engineers may have had to wait for a scheduled all-hands design review to share changes. It is essential to have a tool that allows issues to be found and fixed during the design phase in the most efficient way possible. The following is a recap of the challenges Vermeer Corporation faced, how they were solved by partnering with Vertex, and the added benefits Vermeer has experienced.
Vertex Optimizes Assembly Process
While the value brought to the design review process was vital, Vermeer also saw added value in the prototype assembly process. With Vertex, they can identify issues in the prototype build process, allowing engineers to address before the next build. When the designs are ready to be assembled, providing 3D representations of the product to technicians is a huge help. Currently, the primary visualization is 2D drawings of the intended routes and components. With Vertex Software, assemblers can view everything in 3D and “move around” the machine to understand the designer’s intent behind the hose and harness routes. But the benefits don’t stop there. Vermeer discovered a significant advantage when documenting best practices, as all the comments and suggestions are saved in Vertex.
“It’s a good way for us to document what needs to be addressed in future versions of the different parts. Not just the hose and harness routes, but mechanical parts as well.” -Hayley Langley, Project Engineer
Vertex as a Trusted Partner
Even more critical to Vermeer was the value of Vertex as a trusted partner. Roth said that what excited them was how Vertex responded to a list of specific suggestions his team had early in the implementation.
The willingness to listen to us and act on those suggestions effectively–that’s the biggest value that I always discuss with people here. It’s where I think this partnership can continue to go in the future. Vertex excels on the customer service and support side. Quite frankly, that’s something you don’t get with the bigger software companies. You may have a number to call, but you’re not always talking to the same person. The service level we receive from Vertex is significantly elevated beyond that.” -Ethan Roth, Project Engineer
While Vermeer sees opportunities to expand the use of Vertex software in other departments, such as sales and service, the immediate goal is widespread use across all engineering departments.
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Services: ECS, S3,RDS, MSK, Elasticache |
“The software speaks for itself. Once somebody uses it on one project, they will continue to use it and make it part of their everyday process. That shows the future capabilities and opportunity to integrate the platform into our use cases and workflows even more. We want to continue working with Vertex to grow that user base.” -Grant Fidler, Design Engineer