Gone are the days when the vast majority of tractors used on Irish and UK farms were built in UK factories. Today, CNH Industrial’s plant in Basildon remains the only source of UK built tractors aside from JCB’s Fastrac production line near Cheadle, Staffordshire.
New Holland is Ireland’s second most popular tractor brand, accounting for 19.6% or 15,011 of all tractors taxed on Irish roads as of 31 December 2021.
The New Holland factory in Basildon has the capacity to build over 90 tractors daily.
New Holland (formerly Ford) has been building tractors in Basildon since 15 May 1964. At the time, all components, including the engines, were designed, built and assembled on site at the global manufacturing hub. At the time, 70% of production was exported, representing 1% of the UK’s entire export income. As the Ford-New Holland merger came into play, Basildon became the global headquarters for New Holland. Today, New Holland is among the top 20 UK export companies, sending products to 120 different markets. Since the factory opened, over 1.6m tractors have been produced and 3.1m engines have been built on the Essex campus.
Today, the plant is responsible for the design and assembly of the world’s entire supply of T6 and T7 tractors, ranging over 35 models, from the 145hp T6.145 right up to the 315hp T7.315 HD. Over 12,500 different tractor specifications are possible.
The transaxle with the engine and front axle just fitted.
The facility has undergone significant investment in recent years in order to accommodate the handling of methane gas fuel for its methane T6 tractors. Although one unit is currently built daily on the existing line, fuelling and testing has to take place in a specific area. The large T7 HD tractors are assembled on a separate line designed to accommodate the weight and size of components involved.
The factory
The tractor factory is located in Essex in the southeast of England on the outskirts of Basildon. The 40ha site is responsible for the employment of over 1,000 people, 600 of whom are directly involved in assembly, with the remainder involved in design, admin and operations. It is cited as being the largest provider of employment in the region.
The plant operates on one shift from 6.45am to 3.45pm daily, excluding breaks and a half day on Fridays. The day we visited, 92 tractors were scheduled to be built, this being at the higher limit of the plant’s capacity. New Holland says it has the capacity to build 18,000 tractors annually. No tractor is built for stock. Every tractor has a customer. Whether it’s for dealer stock or an end user, every tractor is built to order.
The AGVs are used at the start of the line to transport the transaxle as the engine and front axle are fitted.
To the surprise of some, not every tractor that rolls of the production line is compliant with Stage V engine emissions standards. A proportion of Stage III tractors are still built for “low-regulated” markets such as Australia, eastern Europe and South Africa. These tractors are quite distinct and still retain the T6000 and T7000 model numbering from the previous generation.
It’s no secret that certain Case IH models are built in Basildon, mainly these Stage III tractors and certain larger models. Meanwhile, the majority of the Stage V Case IH tractors destined for Europe are built at the company’s own plant in St Valentin, Austria.
Like most modern tractor plants, Basildon is more of an assembly hub today as opposed to a factory.
No manufacturing takes place on site. All major components are shipped from elsewhere in a Just in Time (JIT) fashion, a process which has been in play for 28 years.
For example, engines are sourced from sister company, FPT Industrial in Italy, while transmissions come from Antwerp, Belgium or Modena in Italy. This sees more than 75 truckloads of parts and components arrive to Basildon daily.
Tractor assembly
Upon entering the factory floor, the degree of automation for a facility approaching 60 years old stood out. Interestingly, automation is something the factory has embraced now for almost two decades. Primarily, in the form of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) which are now in operation 19 years.
The process starts whereby AGVs transport the transaxle to where it is then married up with the engine. Once married up and the front axle fitted, the unit is suspended on the 2km monorail which is largely unchanged since 1964.
The plant contains 2km in total of assembly line which weaves through the plant floor. The assembly process is comparable to a fish spine, with the main assembly line being the backbone and each of the sub-assembly areas serving as the smaller bones feeding into the backbone. Building each sub assembly nearby to the station where it is fitted to the chassis makes the process more efficient.
The automated paint process uses an electrostatic technique for better paint adhesion.
As you would expect, the line doesn’t stop during the shift unless triggered to do so in an emergency – it moves along at a continuous slow pace. Each unit makes its way through each station where each team member fits their assigned components on the move. While New Holland officials say a completed tractor rolls of every five to six minutes, it takes 2.5 days on average for each tractor from start to finish.
As all tractors are built to order, components required for specific tractors are assembled into kit trolleys. These modular trolleys can be seen throughout the plant and contain the exact number of components to form certain sub-assemblies. However, some assembly stations contain an inventory of smaller components. Typically, operators are guided by a tablet mounted on each trolley and a barcode scanner system. The tablet shows a graphic of the specific task along with part quantities and basic instructions.
Each station along the line is responsible for the fitment of specific components and sub-assemblies.
The build sequence in terms of models tends to go from one extreme to another for one simple reason – a smaller horsepower basic tractor takes less time at each station compared to a more complex larger 300hp tractor, allowing operators to balance their time accordingly.
Paint process
Once the chassis is fitted with all necessary components and ancillaries it leaves the monorail and goes for paint prep and painting.
Trolleys along the assembly line are fitted with a tablet and bar code scanner which helps guide operators and manage inventory.
Preparation involves an automated pressure-washing and degreasing process. At the moment the priming and final paint process is mainly automated, with finishing touches and intricate areas done manually.
Total baking time is 4.5 hours. This allows what appears to be a matte finish time to harden and become glossy. According to New Holland, this 20-year-old paint process is due to be upgraded by August, which will speed up throughput.
All cab frames are built in France and are assembled to order in Basildon.
Once the final coat is applied and baked on, the chassis re-joins the continually moving line. At this point the HD tractor models take a separate line built specifically for the larger chassis and components. The non-HD tractors re-join the suspended monorail while the HD models continue their journey via AGVs.
The over head gantry delivers the completed cab to the specific chassis on the assembly line.
With the complexity of modern tractors, the station dedicated to the fitment of wiring harnesses has been elevated so that operators have more space and can concentrate better, which New Holland says has been effective.
Other remaining electric components and pipework are fitted at this stage. Moving on, fuel tanks and exhaust gas after treatment systems are fitted.
Cab and bonnet
The bare cab frames are made by CNH at its Croix factory in France. Each frame undergoes full assembly on a dedicated sub-assembly line in Basildon. However, the sequence remains the same as the main line, whereby each completed cab joins the chassis it is destined for. A team of four lowers and secures each cab to the specific chassis. All connections are made and the mudguards are fitted.
Four operators fasten the cab to the chasiss.
The bonnets, which are sourced-painted (similar to the roof pan and mudguards) are now fitted via robot to aid efficiency. Final components are fitted and each tractor moves to the fluid filling station. The specific tyres are then fitted via a gantry system as the production line nears an end.
Quality checks
Unlike other tractor plants we have visited, where tractors drive off the assembly line unaided, New Holland tows each tractor with a tug tractor to the pre-delivery inspection (PDI) line for final calibrations and software installation. During our visit, New Holland officials said this is a process due to be upgraded, in order to streamline the process so that tractors can drive directly off the assembly line.
Every five to six minutes a completed tractor rolls of the assembly line during the shift.
Tractors are then started and undergo quality control. One operator is assigned per unit who tests all of the tractor’s fundamentals.
Each wheel is mounted using a remote contolled gantry system while the tractor moves on the assembly line.
Tractors then undergo testing on one of two rolling roads to test diff locks, braking systems, torque etc.
Throughout the assembly process, quality is monitored and managed at every station. Individual components and subassemblies are checked at random. For every set number of operators, a team is assigned who then reports to a group leader.
On average it takes 2.5 days from when assembly starts to when the tractor rolls of the line.
When a problem occurs half way through the line, New Holland, unlike some manufacturers, takes the approach of dealing with the problem as it appears. Some manufacturers opt to wait until the tractor rolls off the line to address such problems.
Every tractor is towed off the line for PDI and final calibrations and startup.
Brands doing the latter believe that this keeps the line working at maximum productivity.
New Holland on the other hand believe that addressing the problem there and then saves time at a later stage whereby the issue may not be as easily resolved due to the fitment of other components.
Basildon covers over 40ha.New Holland employs 1,000 staff at its Basildon campus.600 staff involved in tractor assembly.Capacity to build 92 tractors daily.Main assembly line is 2km long.Over 1.6m tractors built to date.
Gone are the days when the vast majority of tractors used on Irish and UK farms were built in UK factories. Today, CNH Industrial’s plant in Basildon remains the only source of UK built tractors aside from JCB’s Fastrac production line near Cheadle, Staffordshire.
New Holland is Ireland’s second most popular tractor brand, accounting for 19.6% or 15,011 of all tractors taxed on Irish roads as of 31 December 2021.
The New Holland factory in Basildon has the capacity to build over 90 tractors daily.
New Holland (formerly Ford) has been building tractors in Basildon since 15 May 1964. At the time, all components, including the engines, were designed, built and assembled on site at the global manufacturing hub. At the time, 70% of production was exported, representing 1% of the UK’s entire export income. As the Ford-New Holland merger came into play, Basildon became the global headquarters for New Holland. Today, New Holland is among the top 20 UK export companies, sending products to 120 different markets. Since the factory opened, over 1.6m tractors have been produced and 3.1m engines have been built on the Essex campus.
Today, the plant is responsible for the design and assembly of the world’s entire supply of T6 and T7 tractors, ranging over 35 models, from the 145hp T6.145 right up to the 315hp T7.315 HD. Over 12,500 different tractor specifications are possible.
The transaxle with the engine and front axle just fitted.
The facility has undergone significant investment in recent years in order to accommodate the handling of methane gas fuel for its methane T6 tractors. Although one unit is currently built daily on the existing line, fuelling and testing has to take place in a specific area. The large T7 HD tractors are assembled on a separate line designed to accommodate the weight and size of components involved.
The factory
The tractor factory is located in Essex in the southeast of England on the outskirts of Basildon. The 40ha site is responsible for the employment of over 1,000 people, 600 of whom are directly involved in assembly, with the remainder involved in design, admin and operations. It is cited as being the largest provider of employment in the region.
The plant operates on one shift from 6.45am to 3.45pm daily, excluding breaks and a half day on Fridays. The day we visited, 92 tractors were scheduled to be built, this being at the higher limit of the plant’s capacity. New Holland says it has the capacity to build 18,000 tractors annually. No tractor is built for stock. Every tractor has a customer. Whether it’s for dealer stock or an end user, every tractor is built to order.
The AGVs are used at the start of the line to transport the transaxle as the engine and front axle are fitted.
To the surprise of some, not every tractor that rolls of the production line is compliant with Stage V engine emissions standards. A proportion of Stage III tractors are still built for “low-regulated” markets such as Australia, eastern Europe and South Africa. These tractors are quite distinct and still retain the T6000 and T7000 model numbering from the previous generation.
It’s no secret that certain Case IH models are built in Basildon, mainly these Stage III tractors and certain larger models. Meanwhile, the majority of the Stage V Case IH tractors destined for Europe are built at the company’s own plant in St Valentin, Austria.
Like most modern tractor plants, Basildon is more of an assembly hub today as opposed to a factory.
No manufacturing takes place on site. All major components are shipped from elsewhere in a Just in Time (JIT) fashion, a process which has been in play for 28 years.
For example, engines are sourced from sister company, FPT Industrial in Italy, while transmissions come from Antwerp, Belgium or Modena in Italy. This sees more than 75 truckloads of parts and components arrive to Basildon daily.
Tractor assembly
Upon entering the factory floor, the degree of automation for a facility approaching 60 years old stood out. Interestingly, automation is something the factory has embraced now for almost two decades. Primarily, in the form of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) which are now in operation 19 years.
The process starts whereby AGVs transport the transaxle to where it is then married up with the engine. Once married up and the front axle fitted, the unit is suspended on the 2km monorail which is largely unchanged since 1964.
The plant contains 2km in total of assembly line which weaves through the plant floor. The assembly process is comparable to a fish spine, with the main assembly line being the backbone and each of the sub-assembly areas serving as the smaller bones feeding into the backbone. Building each sub assembly nearby to the station where it is fitted to the chassis makes the process more efficient.
The automated paint process uses an electrostatic technique for better paint adhesion.
As you would expect, the line doesn’t stop during the shift unless triggered to do so in an emergency – it moves along at a continuous slow pace. Each unit makes its way through each station where each team member fits their assigned components on the move. While New Holland officials say a completed tractor rolls of every five to six minutes, it takes 2.5 days on average for each tractor from start to finish.
As all tractors are built to order, components required for specific tractors are assembled into kit trolleys. These modular trolleys can be seen throughout the plant and contain the exact number of components to form certain sub-assemblies. However, some assembly stations contain an inventory of smaller components. Typically, operators are guided by a tablet mounted on each trolley and a barcode scanner system. The tablet shows a graphic of the specific task along with part quantities and basic instructions.
Each station along the line is responsible for the fitment of specific components and sub-assemblies.
The build sequence in terms of models tends to go from one extreme to another for one simple reason – a smaller horsepower basic tractor takes less time at each station compared to a more complex larger 300hp tractor, allowing operators to balance their time accordingly.
Paint process
Once the chassis is fitted with all necessary components and ancillaries it leaves the monorail and goes for paint prep and painting.
Trolleys along the assembly line are fitted with a tablet and bar code scanner which helps guide operators and manage inventory.
Preparation involves an automated pressure-washing and degreasing process. At the moment the priming and final paint process is mainly automated, with finishing touches and intricate areas done manually.
Total baking time is 4.5 hours. This allows what appears to be a matte finish time to harden and become glossy. According to New Holland, this 20-year-old paint process is due to be upgraded by August, which will speed up throughput.
All cab frames are built in France and are assembled to order in Basildon.
Once the final coat is applied and baked on, the chassis re-joins the continually moving line. At this point the HD tractor models take a separate line built specifically for the larger chassis and components. The non-HD tractors re-join the suspended monorail while the HD models continue their journey via AGVs.
The over head gantry delivers the completed cab to the specific chassis on the assembly line.
With the complexity of modern tractors, the station dedicated to the fitment of wiring harnesses has been elevated so that operators have more space and can concentrate better, which New Holland says has been effective.
Other remaining electric components and pipework are fitted at this stage. Moving on, fuel tanks and exhaust gas after treatment systems are fitted.
Cab and bonnet
The bare cab frames are made by CNH at its Croix factory in France. Each frame undergoes full assembly on a dedicated sub-assembly line in Basildon. However, the sequence remains the same as the main line, whereby each completed cab joins the chassis it is destined for. A team of four lowers and secures each cab to the specific chassis. All connections are made and the mudguards are fitted.
Four operators fasten the cab to the chasiss.
The bonnets, which are sourced-painted (similar to the roof pan and mudguards) are now fitted via robot to aid efficiency. Final components are fitted and each tractor moves to the fluid filling station. The specific tyres are then fitted via a gantry system as the production line nears an end.
Quality checks
Unlike other tractor plants we have visited, where tractors drive off the assembly line unaided, New Holland tows each tractor with a tug tractor to the pre-delivery inspection (PDI) line for final calibrations and software installation. During our visit, New Holland officials said this is a process due to be upgraded, in order to streamline the process so that tractors can drive directly off the assembly line.
Every five to six minutes a completed tractor rolls of the assembly line during the shift.
Tractors are then started and undergo quality control. One operator is assigned per unit who tests all of the tractor’s fundamentals.
Each wheel is mounted using a remote contolled gantry system while the tractor moves on the assembly line.
Tractors then undergo testing on one of two rolling roads to test diff locks, braking systems, torque etc.
Throughout the assembly process, quality is monitored and managed at every station. Individual components and subassemblies are checked at random. For every set number of operators, a team is assigned who then reports to a group leader.
On average it takes 2.5 days from when assembly starts to when the tractor rolls of the line.
When a problem occurs half way through the line, New Holland, unlike some manufacturers, takes the approach of dealing with the problem as it appears. Some manufacturers opt to wait until the tractor rolls off the line to address such problems.
Every tractor is towed off the line for PDI and final calibrations and startup.
Brands doing the latter believe that this keeps the line working at maximum productivity.
New Holland on the other hand believe that addressing the problem there and then saves time at a later stage whereby the issue may not be as easily resolved due to the fitment of other components.
Basildon covers over 40ha.New Holland employs 1,000 staff at its Basildon campus.600 staff involved in tractor assembly.Capacity to build 92 tractors daily.Main assembly line is 2km long.Over 1.6m tractors built to date. 
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