Tightening the loop between concept, validation and refinement by combining field testing with digital design tools

Revolutionizing the agribusiness industry

In Brazil’s vast agricultural landscape, scale is critical since distances are longer, herds are larger and operational pressures are higher. Recently, expectations around efficiency, sustainability and data-driven decision-making have intensified across the livestock industry.

At the center of this evolution is Siltomac, a family-owned agribusiness group deeply embedded in the full agricultural value chain. Unlike many equipment manufacturers, Siltomac operates closely within the realities of the field. The company raises cattle, manages feedlots, produces crops, manufactures livestock machinery and markets beef under its own brand.

“We are cattle producers ourselves,” says Mariana Rodrigues, chief operating officer (COO) at Siltomac and part of the third generation now leading the company. “We live the routine. We understand the pressures, productivity targets, cost control, sustainability and operational efficiency. That experience drives our engineering decisions.”

To stay ahead of agribusiness requirements and changes, Siltomac leverages Siemens Digital Industries Software’s Designcenter™ X Solid Edge® software and Teamcenter® software, which are part of the Siemens Xcelerator business platform of software, hardware and services.

Engineering for a new livestock reality

Brazil’s role in global agribusiness has been consistently growing. As production increases, so does the need for more advanced equipment, such as field machines, that are robust, precise and increasingly intelligent.

For Siltomac, this means designing feed mixers, fertilizer spreaders and livestock handling equipment that go beyond basic mechanical performance. Today’s livestock producers expect measurable results that constantly affect their bottom line: consistent feed quality, operational transparency and actionable data.

“The market is changing fast,” explains Rodrigues. “Technology is no longer a differentiator. It is a requirement.”

For example, feed quality is no longer judged by visual consistency alone. Siltomac collaborates with universities on research initiatives to better understand feed homogenization and nutritional delivery. When looking ahead, simulation tools may be used to analyze material movement inside mixers, optimizing geometry and performance
before cutting steel.

However, to reach that level of sophistication, the company first had to navigate its own internal processes.

Shifting from paper drawings to digital control

Previously, Siltomac’s engineering workflows were fragmented. Drawings were paper based and revisions were difficult to track. As machine geometries grew more complex and assemblies expanded to scale, the limitations of that approach became impossible to ignore.

“We had a lot of drawings, a lot of versions, and it was easy to lose track,” says Rodrigues. “When products became more complex, it became difficult to maintain control.”

With early attempts at 3D implementation, Siltomac exposed another issue: a disorganized database. Without structured data management, even modern computer-aided design (CAD) tools could not deliver their full value. The turning point came with adopting Designcenter X Solid Edge for 3D design and Teamcenter for data and lifecycle management.

With Designcenter X Solid Edge, Siltomac’s engineers gained the ability to model complex geometries, visualize full assemblies in 3D and reduce design errors before production. Interference checks, digital prototyping and clearer documentation accelerated development cycles.

Siltomac is also benefiting from the walkthrough command in Designcenter X Solid Edge. “This feature in Designcenter X Solid Edge transforms how we present designs,” says Guilherme Rossi Maria, mechanical designer at Siltomac. “With immersive visual tours, we can help our clients and other teams understand the design in a more visual, more engaging way. Given the complexity of our equipment, which has thousands of parts, the time savings in assembly design are monumental. The new AI-driven magnetic snap feature can speed up assembly design severalfold.”

Leveraging AI-driven capabilities such as the magnetic snap feature to automate assembly processes, Siltomac reduced manual modeling effort and significantly accelerated assembly design. These AI-powered features enable engineers to focus on innovation and performance optimization instead of repetitive tasks, significantly increasing productivity. Additionally, these advancements not only improve engineering performance but also directly impact profitability, scalability and longterm competitiveness in a rapidly evolving agribusiness market.

Using Teamcenter centralized the company’s engineering environment. Revision control became structured and traceable. Design data, bill-of-materials (BOMs) and documentation were organized within a single system, connecting engineering to production and beyond.

“Using Designcenter X Solid Edge and Teamcenter, processes became clear and traceable,” says Rodrigues. “Today, development is organized, connected and intuitive.” The results were immediate with faster product development, reduced confusion on the shop floor and improved collaboration across departments.

“In our fast-changing market, seamless collaboration is key,” says Rodrigues. “Leveraging Designcenter X Solid Edge in the cloud allows our team to access the latest designs anytime, anywhere, and cloud storage keeps our data organized and safe.”

Overall, Siltomac accelerated product development cycles by up to 60 percent, enabling faster time-to-market, reduced shop floor errors and miscommunication by up to 80 percent via improved design clarity and documentation and improved cross-department collaboration, reducing project turnaround times from days to hours.

The company also increased overall engineering efficiency using a fully connected digital workflow, reduced reliance on physical prototypes by up to 85 percent via digital validation and simulation-driven design and accelerated validation cycles from weeks to days by combining real-world testing with digital engineering tools.

Designing from experience, not assumptions

Since Siltomac operates their own feedlots, engineers regularly test prototypes in real-world conditions. Equipment is not simply shipped to customers and evaluated using feedback loops months later. Instead, the company deploys it internally, monitors it daily and refines it via direct observation. Additionally, thanks to this in-the-field exposure, many product innovations originate in these environments.

“How can we make this routine easier?” asks Rodrigues, describing how their engineers embrace the field experience as much as they do design. “That is often where new ideas begin.”

One example is integrating on-board weighing systems into feed mixers. These systems collect operational data and generate reports that allow farm managers, often overseeing properties from long distances, to make informed decisions about feed distribution and costs.

Brazil’s geography amplifies this need because farms can be separated by hundreds of kilometers. Owners are not always physically present, so data has become the bridge between management and execution. By combining field testing with digital design tools, Siltomac has managed to tighten the loop between concept, validation and refinement.

Siltomac engineers model components in Designcenter X Solid Edge, manages assemblies via Teamcenter and tests prototypes in their production farms. Improvements are captured digitally and reintegrated into the product lifecycle. Rather than product development, their process has become a sort of continuous optimization.

Overcoming the human challenge of Digital Transformation

Technology adoption in agriculture has historically faced resistance – following the adage of: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Machinery operators often prefer familiar systems and teams accustomed to legacy workflows can be hesitant to embrace change.

“The biggest challenge was the team,” explains Rodrigues. “We had experienced employees working one way, and new employees joining with different expectations. We had to integrate everyone. However, when people understand the reason for change, it becomes easier.”

As engineers became more comfortable with 3D modeling and structured data management, the benefits reinforced themselves. Today, the company operates with a unified digital environment connecting design, production, sales and after-sales support.

“Improving collaboration, reducing errors and enabling faster production,” says Rodrigues. “These are the benefits we see thanks to using Designcenter X Solid Edge and Teamcenter.”

Recognizing data as the next frontier

If the first phase of Siltomac’s transformation was about digitizing design, the next phase is about data intelligence.

The company is investing in tools, processes and training to build stronger datasets across engineering and operations. With over 10 years of structured digital information, Siltomac now has a growing knowledge base that informs future development.

This shift reflects a broader industry reality that mechanical performance alone is not enough. Smart equipment capable of generating usable data will define the next
generation of agricultural machinery. By embedding sensors and electrical components into its equipment, Siltomac gives customers visibility into operations that were once opaque. Feed consistency, material use and performance metrics become quantifiable rather than assumed. For livestock producers operating at scale, that clarity directly impacts margins.

Creating a family legacy with global ambition

Founded as a family enterprise, Siltomac is now led by its third generation. Rodrigues, alongside her sister and their spouses, carries responsibility and ambition.

“Our responsibility is huge,” says Rodrigues. “We must honor our legacy and build a stronger company every day.”

Recognition has followed. In 2023, Siltomac received a major national industry award in Brazil for its feed mixer manufacturing and design, which is an acknowledgment of how deeply technology is embedded in its operations. However, the company’s vision extends beyond Brazil.

Within the next decade, Siltomac aims to expand into international markets, including the United States, Europe and broader Latin America. Entering these regions will require not only product excellence, but rigorous engineering standards, documentation control and scalable processes.

“Digital Transformation is necessary to lead the market,” says Rodrigues. “Innovation, technology and tradition, together. That is our path.”

Engineering the future from the ground up

Siltomac not only adopts software for modernization, but also to align engineering tools with lived agricultural business experience.

By integrating Designcenter X Solid Edge and Teamcenter into its workflow, Siltomac transformed disconnected processes into a cohesive digital thread. By grounding innovation in real-world feedlot operations, it ensures every design decision serves a practical purpose. In a sector where efficiency gains translate directly into food supply stability, that combination matters.

From field to factory, and increasingly from data to decision, Siltomac is engineering more than equipment. It is engineering resilience for the future of livestock production.