Engineering students from the University of Saskatchewan continue to get high marks in competition while attracting attention from U.S. Midwest implement manufacturers.
The Sled Dogs team put in its best showing at the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers’ annual quarter scale tractor international student design competition, held this year in Peoria, Illinois, June 2-5.
The U of S students placed fourth in a field of 26 teams, including third place in the written design report and the $2,500 Campbell Scientific award for integration of electronics.
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Terry Fonstad, associate professor of engineering at the U of S, said the team’s consistent top five finishes year after year are starting to create a buzz of internship job talk among big agricultural manufacturers.
“The one thing that I noticed is that the large machinery companies in the Midwest are now looking to recruit our students due to their standing that they’ve accomplished over the last five years,” he said.
“They’ve put the University of Saskatchewan on the map as a source of engineers for companies traditionally in the Midwest, like Caterpillar, Deere, Agco. They’re starting to come to me and say, ‘do you think that student would come down to John Deere and work.’ That never used to happen. They didn’t even know where we were.… It opens a whole world of opportunity to students coming out of Saskatchewan,” he said.
Fonstad said other Canadian universities are also doing well in the prestigious engineering competition. The University of Manitoba placed fifth and Universite Laval sixth.
“It was tremendous,” he said.
The contest has four components: written design report, team presentation, static design judging and performance, which comprises a 1,000 and 1,500 pound tractor pull.
Teams must design their off-road vehicle according to the year’s regulations, taking into account performance, safety, serviceability, manufacturability and cost effectiveness.
They document their work in a written report and then “sell” the product in an oral presentation.
Rules and regulations are published every fall and modified each year to keep pace with emerging technologies.
Engineers and industry representatives judge the events.
Participating teams are each given a set of tires and an engine and must then supply all additional components. This makes budget planning and sponsor procurement a valuable dimension of the project.
Visit www.asabe.org/students/tractor/asaecomp.html for competition results.
