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An Overview
The quarter scale tractor design contest is an activity
sponsored by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE).
Students design and build 1/4 scale tractors to compete nationally against other
universities.
Some important points:
- All tractors use the same model engine, a 16hp Briggs &
Stratton Vanguard, Model 303447
- All tractors use the same drive tires, Firestone 26 x
12.00 – 12
- Additional regulations are defined regarding tractor
design
For a full list of rules from this year's competition
(2008) can be found
here
Major Scoring Categories include:
- Written Design Report
- Team Presentation
- Individual Tractor Design
- Performance Competition - Traditional Tractor Pull,
Maneuverability
How does the tractor pull work?
Click
Here
Additionally, teams can compete in a website design
competition, which focuses on how well a team promotes their university, ASABE,
the competition, and their team.
Looking for a more in-depth detail about the competition,
check out the national website
here
*You will need
the free Adobe Acrobat Reader 
for the .pdf files.
Why Compete?
Design Experience and More
One of the primary concerns of industry today is that many engineering
students (of all majors) 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 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 are major factors as the students design their frame, drive train,
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 are used directly from a commercial machine.
Manufacturing Processes
Not only do students gain practical design experience by
participating in this project, they also obtain invaluable experience as
they manufacture, build and assemble their own designs.
Many a manufacturing department cringes 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 gain an
awareness of the capabilities and potential pitfalls in the design for
manufacturability and design for assembly.
Professional Skill
With a project of this size and magnitude, the students' skills in
communication, teamwork and time management are 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.
NOTE: Content of this page was
adapted from the national competition web site.
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