Peoria, Illinois--Focus on executing an appropriate design and stick to schedule. That was the governing principle that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln followed in achieving success at the 22d annual International 1/4-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition, sponsored by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
This is the second time that the Huskers have taken the Wehner-Detra traveling trophy: they won also in 2016.
In the runner-up position was last year's winner, South Dakota State University, who has now placed among the top two teams for the last three years. They were followed by the University of Missouri, the Ohio State University, and North Carolina State University, in third through fifth places, respectively,
“Team captains Devon Vancura, Zak Kurkowski, Jonah Bolin, and Noah Bolin focused the team on appropriate designs based on what was expected at competition," said Roger Hoy, faculty advisor to the Nebraska team. "Further, they forced the team to be disciplined with the timeline so that ample time was present for testing and required redesign based on test results." The team was well prepared for competition, with few surprises to deal with, Hoy added.
Twenty-four teams, from the US, Canada, and Israel, competed in the 2019 competition. Sponsored by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, the 1/4-scale tractor contest is unique among student engineering-design events, providing a realistic 360-degree workplace experience. It is a popular recruiting event for many sponsors, who find among the participants practiced, high-achieving prospects with strong technical, communication and leadership skills honed by competition experience.
The event was held May 30 - June 2, at the Peoria Expo Gardens. Sponsors of the 2019 competition include: AGCO Corporation - Jackson, Briggs & Stratton, Campbell Scientific, Case IH, Caterpillar, Danfoss, Deere & Company, Kubota, New Holland North America, SolidWorks, Thomson, Titan International, and Applied Industries. Also, Claas, GSI Grain Systems, Katie McDonald Photography, MacDon, and AGCO Corporation - Hesston, as well as Igus, Miller Electric Manufacturing Co., and RCI Engineering. Other supporting sponsors include AC McCartney Farm Equipment, HarvestMaster, Kelly Sauder Rupiper LLC, Kondex Corp, Martin Sullivan Inc., Precision Planting, SJ Smith Co, Star Equipment, and Walz Scale.
ASABE is an international scientific and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems.