Ag-equipment development challenges

An engineer in the field discusses the need to tread carefully during the agricultural product-development process.

An increase in average farm size and a decrease in active farming population in recent years have resulted in an increase in farm machinery size. Some industry experts forecast that the market for larger and larger tractors will continue to grow in coming years, with a good portion of these large farms being managed professionally. Many will use new technologies such as global positioning systems (GPS) for precision and prescription farming. Inexpensive skilled labor being a rare commodity has been addressed through advances in computers and electronics. Any new machine is therefore more sophisticated with increased operator comfort and ease of controls, resulting in a strong integration within the engine, powertrain, and hydraulic systems.

A direct result of these trends is a race among equipment manufacturers to develop machines with higher and higher power or capacity and wider or stronger implements. While some of this is inevitable, there needs to be careful evaluation of some of these decisions in the design stage so that OEMs, service organizations, and end users all reap maximum benefits from their investments.