UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When people think about engineering and design, tractors might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, a team in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences designs and builds tractors to compete in a contest against students from around the world.
The Penn State Pullers design team prepares for the engineering design competition hosted by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, which takes place over several days in June at the Expo Gardens Fairgrounds in Peoria, Illinois. The pullers meet in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Building, where they receive support from faculty in the department.
Members build a quarter-scale tractor over the year to use at the competition’s events, which include a tractor pull, a maneuverability contest and an endurance contest. Both team membership and the final competition assist in providing students with hands-on experience that they otherwise may find difficult to obtain.
“This competition teaches skills needed to design things,” said Suat Irmak, professor and head of agricultural and biological engineering and co-adviser to the team. “It brings a sense of community to our students.”
Sam Anderson, club treasurer, saw the value in the sense of community within this team. He said he is pleased to have an opportunity to interact with people who share similar backgrounds yet also bring their unique strengths to the team.
At present, there are five majors represented on the team, and Anderson noted how they all value having a range of backgrounds. He added that there is a lot of work to be done, so anyone who enjoys working with their hands will fit in perfectly.
“There are several team members who don’t have much experience working with machinery, and that’s okay,” Anderson said. “You’ll pick up a lot as you go. Sometimes it’s by watching, but if you can get your hands on something, you learn way faster than you ever could looking over someone’s shoulder.”
Students can engage in many tasks, including computer-aided design, fabrication and welding, among others. Most of these tasks are divided among various team members, and team leaders make a point of allowing every member to try out a skill at least once, even if he or she may not be performing that skill on the tractor for the competition.
As members bond through designing and building the tractor, they can compete in practical competitions and scientific and educational contests in the overall event. In this respect, they develop a paper and presentation on which they are judged.
At the end of the contest, participants can win individually and as a team. In the past, Penn State Pullers have placed as high as in the top four and have earned several other awards. Current members hope to build the team back to where it was in 2010-14, during its most successful competition period.
Club meetings are held once or twice a week, with most beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesdays in 123 Ag Engineering, which is the same room as the engineering shop.
For more information, email Anderson at sba5417@psu.edu. The team also has a website that contains information on membership and competition.