Through involvement in the competition, students gain practical
experience in the design of drive train systems, tractor
performance, manufacturing processes, analysis of tractive forces,
weight transfer and strength of materials. In addition, they will
also develop skills in communication, leadership, teamwork,
fundraising and test & development.
General Information
Design Experience and
More
One of the primary concerns of industry today is that many
engineering students are entering the workforce with little or no
practical knowledge or design experience. Student design
competitions and projects are an important key to help prepare
students to be effective professional engineers.
In the 1/4 Scale Tractor Student Design Competition, students are
challenged to harness the power and torque of a specified stock
engine in order to maximize performance in the tractor pull.
Design Fundamentals
Design fundamentals such as strength of materials, statics and
power transfer will be major factors as the students design their
frame, drivetrain, hitch, clutch, weight brackets and other parts.
Although the size and shape of the 1/4 scale tractor is similar to
that of a typical lawn and garden tractor, very few parts will be
used directly from a commercial machine.
Manufacturing Processes
Not only will students gain practical design experience by
participating in this competition, they will also obtain valuable
experience as they manufacture, build and assemble their own
designs.
Many manufacturing departments cringe when design engineers simply
throw their designs "over the wall" and assume they can be easily
manufactured. Through hands-on experience with numerous
manufacturing processes, students will gain an awareness of the
capabilities and potential pitfalls in the design for
manufacturability and design for assembly.
Professional Skills
With a project of this size and magnitude, the students' skills in
communication, teamwork and time management will be greatly
challenged and developed through necessity. This project will
graduate students who can excel and perform under adverse
conditions and pressures, with professional skills valuable to any
employer.
Getting an Engine and
Tires
Each team is given either a 16 hp
Briggs & Stratton engine or an equivalent amount towards the
purchase of a 31 hp engine, and a set of Titan tires. Teams are
allowed to use up to two 16 hp or one 31 hp Briggs & Stratton
engines in their designs. Please contact Mark Crossley to get
these.
1/4 Scale
Competition Informational Brochure
Sled
Configuration
CNH Scholarship for
Winning Team
Past Results - 1998-2003
2004
2005 2006 2007 2008
2009
2010
Important
Competition Information
Sponsor
Tours
Sponsorship
Sponsorship is more than just a demonstration of a company's
investment in the community or a show of their commitment to
educational development. Corporate sponsorship is an investment in
a company's future.
Students who participate in this design competition and others
like it, are highly sought by major corporations because they will
accomplish the following:
- Receive hands-on experience in both design and manufacturing
processes;
- Learn how to manage, finance and document a design program from
start to finish;
- Learn how to communicate professionally with peers, industry
and professional engineers through fundraising and competition
events;
- Enhance team building skills as they design, build, and test
their tractors; and
- Develop time management and multi-tasking skills as they
balance their rigorous school load with the demands of an in-depth
design project.
Sponsorship is an excellent way to identify and establish
contacts with some of the most highly skilled engineering students
in the country, students who are already interested in the Power
& Machinery division of Agricultural Engineering. As you may
know, Power & Machinery students take most of the standard
Mechanical Engineering coursework but specialize in Agricultural
applications such as Off Road Machinery and Lawn & Turf
equipment.
Also, as a sponsor, you will receive immediate promotional
benefits as listed in the sponsorship
chart.
Interested in a becoming a sponsor? Please contact Mark Crossley
at crossley@asabe.org
2011 Competition Sponsors
Platinum - $8,000 + in cash or in-kind donations
Gold - $5,500 - $7,999 in cash or in-kind donations
Silver - $3,000 - $5,499 in cash or in-kind donations
Bronze - $1,500 - $2,999 in cash or in-kind donations
Site - $1,499 or less in cash or in-kind donation
Birkey's Farm Store
Holy Cow Motorsports
Kelly Sauder Rupiper LLC
Kentucky Corn Growers' Association
Walz Scale
2012 Competition
Date & Location
May 31 - June 3, 2012
Expo Gardens Fairgrounds, Peoria, IL
Competition Co-Chairs
Mike Ciolino,
Caterpillar, Inc.
Jim Kopriva, Kopriva
Farms
2012
A-Team Rules
2012
X-Team Rules
Competition
Handbook - January Release
Configuration Change
for 2012
The chain connection point on the sled will be raised from
5.5" (140 mm) to 8.5" (216 mm) for one pull in each weight class.
The other pull in each weight class will be performed with the
chain attached to the bottom of the sled.
How to Register a Team
If you plan to enter a team in the 2012 competition, please send the
following information in an email to Mark Crossley as soon as
possible. We will ask for more detailed team information in April
2012. If your school will
be entering an X-team (junior teams who modify their first team's
previous year's tractor), please send the same registration
information below and identify it as an X-Team.
Team Name:
-Advisor's Name
-Advisor's Phone Number
-Advisor's Email Address
-Team Captain's Name
-Team Captain's Cell
Number
-Team Captain's EMail
Address
-Shipping Address for Tires & Engine (if different than
Advisor's address) - must be a university address