Collaboration and IP protection

We believe in collaboration - it is at the heart of the Customer Machine Engineering Team (CMET) offering. By working together, we know we get better results.

Rightly customers keen to embark on work with CMET, want to understand how we can work together, whilst ensuring Intellectual Property (IP) and confidential data is kept safe.

Case study

A leading agricultural original equipment manufacturer (OEM) approached Perkins to repower one of its machines to prototype machine level.

During the project there was a high level of collaboration between CMET and the customer. This included the open sharing of customer CAD drawings allowing the CMET to conduct in depth machine analysis and assess project viability.

The process also included:

• The customer was on-site for a joint Technical Integration Workshop (TIW) and tour of the facilities
• Ongoing design development
• Regular project updates and timing plan reviews
• Scheduled design reviews

The collaborative approach allowed Perkins to share its extensive knowledge of the Perkins® Syncro 3.6 litre engine, whilst incorporating machine installation knowledge learnt during the new product introduction (NPI) validation programme. This knowledge combined with the customer’s input meant the end user requirements were firmly at the heart of the finished product.

Throughout the project, all proving test personal were subject to strict confidentiality procedures.

Perkins also introduced the following measures to protect project confidentiality:

• The customer machine was protected with privacy screens within the workshop to ensure the upmost discretion
• Firewall protected information storage – designs, data and all other project related information were kept on a separate access, password protected hard drive that only CMET personal can access
• Firewall protected data sharing site – access to all project information shared with the customer is put onto an access-controlled site

The collaboration resulted in a prototype machine ready for demonstration at test bed level, which provided wide ranging benefits to the OEM. Not only was the machine performance improved but the noise of the Perkins Syncro 3.6 was lower than the engine being replaced. Beyond the machine performance, the installation requirements were well understood which reduced the NPI timeline, and significant benefits were proposed in the OEM’s manufacturing plant as the design enabled the customer to reduce the number of assembly cells in their manufacturing process.

The customer was provided with 3D models and other technical data to replicate the work conducted by CMET and can be used in the customer’s NPI process.