
A consistent theme during the Perkins press conference at The Design Studio in London was the need to adapt to a constantly changing future. Perkins, a subsidiary of Caterpillar, has emphasized the need to work with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and developing solutions on the mass market, said Andy Curtis, customer solutions director.
The message hasn’t changed even today, but the speed has.
“The future is changing and there’s no one right solution,” said Vicki Reeves, global marketing and channel development director at Caterpillar, during the opening presentation.
While that’s true in many different aspects, manufacturers have consistently found themselves behind the 8-ball. The rise of digitalization has increased the speed of evolution and revolution in the industry. The off-highway industry, which has historically been a bit slower than others due to the machines’ high costs, are under even more pressure to respond and make the necessary changes to get ahead of the curve.
Three things customers are asking for
The OEM, on a given day, faces many challenges and they’re trying to adapt to the market’s changes and expectations. Understanding those needs is critical, Curtis said, for giving the customer what they need. In particular, they’re looking for three things:
- Trust and collaboration. Customers are looking for a partner they can trust and help them understand what the market is looking for. That requires open communication and transparency from both sides.
- Smarter solutions. Technology has gotten smarter thanks to the rise of the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) create faster insights across many devices. They’re ubiquitous in everyday life and that’s especially true with smartphones, Curtis said, describing them as a window to the world and window into the user. That’s a key insight to help customers, who want that same experience and same solution. Not about one solution. It’s about, he said, developing a connected solution and how collaboratively they can do that.
- Agile support. Curtis said customers and OEMs can’t stand still. They need to be quick on their feet to adapt to changing solutions and challenges. “We have to approach this and understand which way the market will go. How do we develop those solutions?”
Engines’ evolution and revolution
James Gardiner, product marketing manager, discussed in his presentation how they’re trying to straddle the line between the engines of today (powered by diesel) and the engines of tomorrow, which will be powered by multiple sources including HVO.
He described it as strengthening the core while powering the future.
“We need to continuously develop the core engines. An optimized engine provides the building blocks for the future and help provide customers with solutions while developing engines and technology for the future,” he said.
To do that, they’ve made sure their engines are compatible with HVO and biodiesels and they can meet current worldwide legislations.
They highlighted two engine models, the 900 and 2600 series, which are part of the revolution because they will be taking the next step forward for customers in off-highway and other industries. Developing these engines, which takes many years, goes through many different steps.
“We’re continually developing,” Gardiner said. “As we start getting ready for the future, lot of technology developments.” He added they learn a lot from their customers as they redevelop and refine what has worked before and what will work for the future. The engines they highlighted at the press conference might well be the revolution now, but they will become part of the evolutionary process as companies adapt to new conditions and situations.
“Start making these future-proof for customer demands,” Gardiner said, “and we will lay the building blocks for the future with more sustainable products.”