The design and manufacture of world-class engines set strict criteria for parts suppliers. AGCO Power has relied on Hetitec for years, as their speed and accuracy support both the product development and quality of the end products.
AGCO Power, a long-term Hetitec customer, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of diesel engines. The company is part of the international AGCO Corporation group and is headquartered in Linnavuori, Nokia. It also has production facilities in China, Brazil and Argentina.
AGCO Power is well-known for its heavy-duty diesel engines. The strengths of its AGCO Power CORE product family include robust power, economy and adaptability for future fuel solutions.
Kari Aaltonen, Director of Product Development at AGCO Power, says that the company’s mission is to develop the world’s best power source solutions sustainably to meet customer needs.
– The key aspects of our product development strategy are efficiency, reliability and total cost of ownership. It’s also important that our products are as environmentally friendly as possible when being used. Even though sustainability isn’t the main topic in world politics right now, climate change is still ongoing, and we must work to slow it down.
The core of AGCO Power’s product development expertise lies in Linnavuori’s 150 professionals. In addition, there is an extensive network of partners who play a significant role in the operation. Aaltonen emphasises that operators who genuinely bring added value to their own work are selected as partners.
AGCO Power CORE – a multi-award-winning engine series
The AGCO Power CORE engines offer strong evidence for a successful product development process. According to Aaltonen, the reason behind their creation is the view that diesel will be needed in the future, which was clarified at a group meeting in 2011.
The design, which began a couple of years later, simply aimed at building the best engine in the world – efficient, economical, reliable and suitable for customer needs, such as agricultural tractors. At the same time, solutions were sought to reduce production costs.
– Ten years of development work resulted in an engine that has received excellent feedback and a wide range of awards. Customers have achieved world-record fuel economy results with it, says Aaltonen.
The engine was designed to be compatible with future renewable energy solutions with only minor changes. It was known that the US was expected to introduce new Tier 5 emission standards in 2028–2029, which would include CO2 emission limits for the first time.
– We were among the first to have a Tier 5 package already developed, but following the change in administration, the legislation was postponed to the future for the time being. However, we already have a solution for that, which has also inspired competitors to move in the same direction.
The latest pride of the product family is the CORE engine, the production of which began in Linnavuori in autumn 2025. It is designed for agricultural tractors, forest machines, combines, aggregate drives and other types of machinery.
– The CORE is already available at the tractor manufacturer Fendt in four different tractor models. There are also several ongoing projects aiming to begin its series production within a year or two. The market area is primarily Europe and North America.
The quality of the new engine is also reflected by the fact that Aaltonen has heard that a large-scale international engine manufacturer is using it as a benchmark for its own engine development.
Hetitec contributes to smooth product development
AGCO Power was one of Hetitec’s first customers. Aaltonen, who has been leading product development for 15 years, remembers the first steps of the cooperation well.
– We were looking for a partner who would deliver prototype parts for our product development quickly and with a small batch size. We found Hetitec, whose role has been further strengthened and established for us since the early days. Their expertise is particularly valuable for prototype deliveries, and they’re nearby, which makes cooperation uncomplicated, flexible and fast.
Aaltonen praises Hetitec’s overall expertise, which spans from material knowledge to 3D printing and fast deliveries.
– The components they provide are available almost immediately, and they are also able to take care of the machining. This makes our work easier and saves our resources for other things. In addition, their strength in 3D printing gives us savings in mold costs, he says.
– The engine development process always includes various design changes, so Hetitec’s delivery speed and ability to react to changes are of great importance. Otherwise, there’s a risk that projects and schedules would be delayed, which could easily lead to other problems. They make our lives much easier.
Hetitec’s flexible and fast delivery capability is also a valuable advantage in spare parts, if, for example, the permanent serial production supplier ceases operations.
– In addition, we also make remanufactured engines in Linnavuori to replace those brought in by customers. These may be decades-old engine models for which the supplier of original parts may no longer exist. Even then, it’s important that someone is able to make the same parts with high quality and in a small batch size.
Strict criteria for CORE engine parts supply
The most significant parts supplied by Hetitec for CORE engines are oil pans, flywheel housings and exhaust manifolds. It has also manufactured, among other things, intake pipes and several smaller parts.
– It takes a wide range of professional skills to make parts that meet strict quality criteria. The important thing about oil pans is that they reliably hold oil and are not porous. The flywheel housing has strict requirements in terms of dimensional accuracy and materials.
On the other hand, heat resistance is critical for exhaust manifolds that are used at temperatures up to 550–600 °C. Ensuring this requires strong materials knowledge and manufacturing expertise, states Aaltonen.
– All of this is important, because the product delivered to the customer must work flawlessly. We want to protect our customers from equipment failures, as repairing or replacing engines in the field takes a significant amount of time, effort and money.
Future developments for AGCO Power and the cooperation
Customers and many test results have already shown that AGCO Power is capable of designing and manufacturing the best engines in the world. However, remaining competitive and profitable require continuous development. What does Aaltonen think about future development trends and goals?
– One significant area of development for us is keeping costs under control and reducing them in current production. We also already apply a wide range of AI-based tools in product development to aid in design. They’re used for, among other things, topology optimisation, simulation and, in general, to be able to make even better and more functional parts faster than before, he says.
– Of course, this is also related to Hetitec. We’re really happy to have a supplier like them, with whom we will surely continue to do great things in the future.