OKLAHOMA STATE MAKES IT TWO IN A ROW AT ENGINEERING DESIGN COMPETITION

ST JOSEPH, MICHIGAN—For the second straight year, Oklahoma State University has won the ASAE ¼-Scale Tractor International Student Design competition, topping twenty-five other collegiate teams from across the U.S. and Canada.

Rounding out the top five spots were, in order, Kansas State University, University of Kentucky, Purdue University, and, in a fifth-place tie, the University of Illinois and the Pennsylvania State University.

It was a consistently strong showing across all points categories—Written Design Report, Oral Presentation, Maneuverability, Safety and Performance— that sent Oklahoma State home with the Wehner-Detra traveling trophy. They also claimed the top award for Safety.

In the Written Design Report category, the University of Nebraska placed first, followed by Kansas State and Purdue. Making top Oral Presentations, in which teams must ‘sell’ their designs to a panel of judges, were California Polytechnic State University (first place), Penn State, and University of Wisconsin–Madison.

In the Performance competition—the entertaining tractor pulls—Kansas State and the University of Arizona took first and second place, respectively. Third place went to the University of Illinois, who also earned a trophy for Best Appearance, an award voted on by the teams themselves.

Another team-balloted award, the Teamwork trophy, went to rookie contenders from the University of Wyoming, who took home the Craftsmanship award as well, for their superb attention to product detail and manufacturing.

There is no overall winner for Design, but individual components of that category are recognized. In addition to Safety and Craftsmanship, awards are given for Manufacturability (Texas A&M), Serviceability (Nebraska), and Ergonomics (Michigan State).

The fifth element of the competition, Tractor Maneuverability, was won by the University of Kentucky.

Nicholls State University was named Rookie of the Year.

Sponsored by ASAE and drawing teams from universities across North America and beyond, the 1/4-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition is held annually in East Moline, Illinois, and seeks to advance the technical and personal skills young engineers and technology students will need for success in the workplace. The 2005 contest was made possible by AGCO, Bridgestone/Firestone, Briggs & Stratton, Case, Caterpillar, Deere & Co, Kubota, and New Holland. Additional support is provided Campbell Scientific, Central City Scale, Claas of Omaha, Great Plains Manufacturing, Miller Electric Manufacturing, RCI Engineering, and the Kentucky Corn Growers' Association.

The American Society of Agricultural Engineers is an educational and scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems. Founded in 1907 and headquartered in St Joseph, Michigan, ASAE comprises 9,000 members representing more than 100 countries. For further information about the Society, contact Dolores Landeck at ASAE, 269-428-6339, landeck@asae.org.

2005 ASAE INTERNATIONAL ¼ SCALE TRACTOR STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION

Overall Champion
Oklahoma State Univ

2nd place
Kansas State Univ

3rd place
Univ of Kentucky

4th place
Purdue Univ

5th place (tie)
Penn State Univ
Univ of Illinois

Written Design Report
1st place– Univ of Nebraska
2nd place – Kansas State Univ
3rd place – Purdue Univ

Oral Presentation
1st place – Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
2nd place – Penn State Univ
3rd place – Univ of Wisconsin - Madison

Best Appearance
Univ of Illinois

Teamwork
Univ of Wyoming

Sportsmanship
Univ of Arizona

Maneuverability
Univ of Kentucky

Performance competition (pull)
1000 lb class – Kansas State Univ
1250 lb class – Ohio State Univ
1500 lb class – Kansas State Univ
1750 lb class – Ohio State Univ

Overall Performance
1st place – Kansas State Univ
2nd place – Univ of Arizona
3rd place – Univ of Illinois

Craftsmanship
Univ of Wyoming

Manufacturability
Texas A&M Univ

Serviceability
Univ of Nebraska

Safety
Oklahoma State Univ

Ergonomics
Michigan State Univ

Most Improved
(tie)
Penn State Univ
Ohio State Univ


Rookie of the Year Award
Nicholls State University

Web Site Design
The Web Site Design Competition is intended to encourage an appreciation of good promotion as a key to product success. Work is judged on creativity, functionality, and effectiveness.
1st place – Univ of Wisconsin–Madison
2nd place – Oklahoma State Univ
3rd place – (tie) Iowa State Univ, Texas A&M Univ

Campbell Scientific Award
Promotes best use of test methods and/or data acquisition in the development of a prototype design. Entries are required to submit a separate essay describing their test program.
Winner – Univ of Nebraska

X-Team Competition
“Junior" teams modify their school's tractor from the previous year; not all schools participate
Written design report – Univ of Nebraska
Oral presentation – Kansas State Univ
Tractor pull – Kansas State Univ
Overall 1st place – Kansas State Univ
2nd – Iowa State Univ
3rd – Texas A&M Univ

Cook-Off
This convivial first-night affair has no bearing on the competition but brings teams together for an informal evening of fellowship and friendly rivalry
Overall – Univ of Kentucky (Rotisserie Chicken)
Main dish – Univ of Kentucky (Rotisserie Chicken)
Side dish – Texas A&M Univ (Grilled Potatoes)
Dessert – Modesto Junior College (Homemade Heath Crunch Ice Cream)