HarvestersPrecisely Timed: How a Combine is Built at John Deere

A combine consists of almost 20,000 parts. It is a tech­no­log­ical power­house which must with­stand the most diverse oper­ating condi­tions around the world.

In the final assembly hall at the John Deere plant in Zweibrücken, machines that are precisely tailored to customer require­ments roll off the produc­tion line every day.

But how is such a machine actu­ally put together?

Step 1: The body comes from pre-produc­tion

The starting point for the final assembly is a solid, welded frame – inter­nally referred to simply as the ‘body’. The threshing unit has already been fitted, the side walls welded, and the first compo­nents inte­grated. The body is the foun­da­tion of the combine and comes directly from pre-produc­tion, including the paint­work. Every machine starts in the same way and is devel­oped indi­vid­u­ally from this point onwards.

Step 2: The ‘marriage’

Two assembly lines converge in the so-called East Hall. On one line is the body, on the other the grain tank which collects harvested grain. The two compo­nents meet at a precisely timed point and are connected. This moment is known as the ‘marriage’. From here, the combine begins to take on its final shape.

Step 3: On the main belt

The connected body shell is now placed on autonomous trans­port vehi­cles, known as dollies. These drive the combine through the final assembly hall step by step. Station by station, the machine continues to grow – always under the watchful eyes of the assembly teams. Various conveyors trans­port the indi­vidual compo­nents, which have been prepared else­where, onto the main conveyor towards the final assembly of the machine. Every cycle is metic­u­lously planned, yet flex­i­bility is still required because no two machines are the same.

Step 4: The cab is assem­bled

The operator’s cab comes pre-assem­bled from the John Deere plant in Bruchsal, Germany. It is placed onto the machine body using special lifting devices. The cab is not just a work­sta­tion, but a high-tech control centre: Displays, controls, and camera tech­nology are fully inte­grated here. Depending on the equip­ment, the inte­rior fittings vary consid­er­ably – from the basic version to the fully auto­mated premium cab.

Step 5: The engine is installed

Depending on the model, the engine comes either from the US plant in Waterloo or from the French plant in Saran. The powerful units are selected and assem­bled to order. The engine not only drives the vehicle but also supplies many other compo­nents via a complex hydraulic network. This requires maximum preci­sion, as the combine will later be working under full load.

Step 6: Assembly of the inclined conveyor

The inclined conveyor is the link the header and cutting plat­form to the rest of the combine. It is precisely connected to the chassis, as it directly influ­ences crop pick-up. Even the smallest devi­a­tions would affect the harvest perfor­mance.

Step 7: The filling station

At this station, all the neces­sary oper­ating fluids are filled: Hydraulic oil, coolant, wind­screen washer fluid – every­thing is dosed auto­mat­i­cally. The systems are paired to the machine monitor, ensuring that exactly the right quan­tity is provided for each model. Modern sensor tech­nology ensures real-time control and prevents incor­rect filling.

Step 8: Commis­sioning

Now it gets loud: The machine is started for the first time. Among other things, the hydraulic systems, tight­ness, cali­bra­tion, and the mobility of the mechan­ical compo­nents are checked. This station requires expe­ri­enced employees with a trained eye for the smallest irreg­u­lar­i­ties. Even the littlest errors can lead to high down­time costs during harvest.

Step 9: Comple­tion

Now it’s time for the final touches: Cameras are mounted, plastic trim panels attached, and large decals affixed – with millimetre preci­sion and without bubbles. Fili­gree crafts­man­ship at the highest level is also evident here. These final details make the differ­ence in the appear­ance – and are also a promise of quality to customers.

Step 10: Ready for the customer

When the combine leaves the hall, it is ready for world­wide use – indi­vid­u­ally config­ured, manu­fac­tured with the utmost preci­sion, and rigor­ously inspected. For assembly manager Jan Braun­hardt, this moment is still special even after many years: “When such a giant rolls off like that, it’s impres­sive every time”.