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Valiant Challenge Bears Fruit:The Launch of “M7001 Series”

Kubota's manufacturing base for large tractors is located three-hundred kilometers north of Paris on the French-Belgian border in Bierne, Dunkerque Precinct, Nord Department. While other countries were also considered initially, this location was selected because, in addition to France being the center of European agriculture, it is close to a seaport, which made it convenient for exporting products to North America and other regions.

A global development framework was created for large tractors so that local needs could be reflected immediately. Due to differences in the business culture and product development climate, tenaciousness was required in development to find a meeting point. For example, the concept of “trial production” was different: Product development at Kubota traditionally consisted of actually fabricating prototypes; but mainstream trial production in Europe involves fabricating prototypes in threedimensional design. Inaoka's team believed that ease of use could not be determined unless prototypes were actually fabricated to identify the issues and problems that cannot be identified in 3D design. The development approach of “fabricating prototypes on-site and actually touching them” has been a Kubota tradition, which has resulted in high quality and customer trust. The development team fabricated prototype tractors, while teaching the local staff the importance of this step and debating with them until they were convinced.

Today, good design is required even for tractors, as it is said that quality shows in the appearance. For the first prototype, particular importance was placed on exterior design such as the bonnet, and four-eyed headlamps were installed. In addition, Kubota pursued lower prices by reducing manufacturing costs while aiming at creating a tractor with high mobility and usability.

One of the features of the newlydeveloped large tractor is “electronic control.” In recent years, “precision agriculture” utilizing IT is required to reduce the environmental impact by distributing the proper amount of fertilizers and chemicals; and as agriculture becomes more precise, electronic control of tractor is becoming more complex. On the other hand, achieving ease of operation was an important goal for Kubota, which had set “all-out pursuit of ease of use” as a product concept. Kubota achieved simple and comprehensible operability by integrating the tractor and implement information on one LCD and developing an all-in-one terminal that minimizes the number of user operations to the limit. In addition, optimum workability that reduces the operator burden was enabled by implementing integrated control of the engine, transmission, hydraulic equipment, implements, etc. through a CAN network. Furthermore, the tractor was designed to support precision agriculture by incorporating compatibility with implement control using GPS/ISOBUS and installing an automatic steering system. This approach to precision agriculture will be an important touchstone toward achieving sustainable agriculture, which Europe and other developed countries are aiming at.

In December 2013, Kubota announced that KUBOTA FARM MACHINERY EUROPE S.A.S. (KFM) would be established in Bierne, France. Development proceeded at a rapid pace in parallel with plant construction. One challenge was the local sourcing of parts. In Japan, it was easy to share the image of the specifications with suppliers based on long years of interaction, but the situation with European suppliers that Kubota was dealing with for the first time was totally different. Kubota staff made assiduous efforts to finalize the specifications one by one and managed to start test production. As the start of fullscale production neared, a sense of mission to “deliver tractors that would please customers” helped integrate the minds of all staff and became the driving force to overcome various walls and hurdles.

In February 2015, “M7001 Series” tractors were exhibited at SIMA, one of the three major agricultural machinery trade shows in Europe, and received the “MACHINE OF THE YEAR 2015” award. The design and achievement of integrated control through best matching with the implements made by Kverneland AS were highly evaluated. In August, Kubota and its dealers began field demonstration of the M7001 Series, starting in southern France, and received voices of praise and expectations from many users.

In September 2015, the opening ceremony of KFM was held in grand fashion. Guests of honor included the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan in France and the Vice Governor of Nord Department, as well as Kubota president Masatoshi Kimata, KFM president Manpei Yamamoto and KFM employees from the Kubota side. Many members of the European press also came to cover the event. In his welcome speech, Kimata said: “2015 will be a year of challenge for Kubota to leap to the next stage. We would like to provide products and services that will exceed the ‘expectations’ of customers at a speed that will exceed their ‘anticipations’.” Thus, the “M7001 Series” finally entered the mass production phase.