Inefficiencies in modern machinery?

[PowderedToastMan]

Hi all,
I am an Ag- Engineering student.
Soon I will be asked by my college to make a project for my course based upon making something better.

I have decided to do this project on something Electrical in modern Ag machinery.
I already have a few ideas running around but wondered what people think -

What are some of the most in-efficient things in modern farm machinery or agricultural electronics systems you have encountered?

If anyone has any ideas or experiences I would like to hear them, I won't steal anything just looking around to see what sort of things farmers deal with on the machinery side of agriculture.
I'm not a farmer myself, so wouldn't necessarily know much about operating machinery or usage on a daily basis but am am still interested In knowing what farmers think is most in-efficient about modern electronics on farm machinery or just what's in-efficient in general about modern machines.

Thanks all.

 

[Robt]

One of the most inefficent things on a farm is father... however if you ask him he will say his lazy son is worse... If you can replace both of those.... Good thread.
Think about things that HAVE to be done daily. Thats where id start.

 

[manhill]

Hi all,
I am an Ag- Engineering student.
Soon I will be asked by my college to make a project for my course based upon making something better.

I have decided to do this project on something Electrical in modern Ag machinery.
I already have a few ideas running around but wondered what people think -

What are some of the most in-efficient things in modern farm machinery or agricultural electronics systems you have encountered?

If anyone has any ideas or experiences I would like to hear them, I won't steal anything just looking around to see what sort of things farmers deal with on the machinery side of agriculture.
I'm not a farmer myself, so wouldn't necessarily know much about operating machinery or usage on a daily basis but am am still interested In knowing what farmers think is most in-efficient about modern electronics on farm machinery or just what's in-efficient in general about modern machines.

Thanks all.

Not enough thought going into k.i.s.s.
Time wasted chasing corroded connections.
Access to said connectors.
Quality of connectors
Cost in downtime.
Systems designed with lots of bells and whistles should have a fallback to basic 'keep it going' service.

That's my opinion for what it's worth.
Good luck

 

[PowderedToastMan]

Not enough thought going into k.i.s.s.
Time wasted chasing corroded connections.
Access to said connectors.
Quality of connectors
Cost in downtime.
Systems designed with lots of bells and whistles should have a fallback to basic 'keep it going' service.

That's my opinion for what it's worth.
Good luck

Wow, very good suggestions.
I'll note them down for possible ideas for my project.
Could you elaborate on k.i.s.s? I.e what is it?

 

[PowderedToastMan]

One of the most inefficent things on a farm is father... however if you ask him he will say his lazy son is worse... If you can replace both of those.... Good thread.
Think about things that HAVE to be done daily. Thats where id start.

Thanks, I'll note that down. ?

 

[PostHarvest]

On electronics in farm machinery, I like to quote Richard Danby when he was a director of RDS Electronics. "You need to build to a military specification but charge a pocket calculator price". Agriculture is absolutely the worst environment (maybe with the exception of oil exploration) for electronic systems as they are used for short seasons and then stored for months in the open air or hopefully in a shed. I know of a major manufacturer of off-road vehicles that used to specify military grade connectors, but then removed the seals to save a few pence, with the result that they were virtually useless.

On efficiency, powerful modern engines are readily available, but do you really need a 200hp tractor to ted hay? There seems to be a large number of high powered tractors doing jobs that could be done by smaller units. The problem is that smaller units are not so versatile and don't have the creature comforts of the big machines.

 

[david ll]

K.I.S.S keep it simple stupid

 

[Courier]

Auto electrician we use had been in Ford Rally Team support and when they got a new vehicle to work on the first thing they would do was to replace all the fuses with LED blow-glow type and any doubtful connections were replaced with soldered joints for peace of mind.

 

[PowderedToastMan]

K.I.S.S keep it simple stupid

Thanks, I never heard the phrase before... ?

 

[PowderedToastMan]

On electronics in farm machinery, I like to quote Richard Danby when he was a director of RDS Electronics. "You need to build to a military specification but charge a pocket calculator price". Agriculture is absolutely the worst environment (maybe with the exception of oil exploration) for electronic systems as they are used for short seasons and then stored for months in the open air or hopefully in a shed. I know of a major manufacturer of off-road vehicles that used to specify military grade connectors, but then removed the seals to save a few pence, with the result that they were virtually useless.

On efficiency, powerful modern engines are readily available, but do you really need a 200hp tractor to ted hay? There seems to be a large number of high powered tractors doing jobs that could be done by smaller units. The problem is that smaller units are not so versatile and don't have the creature comforts of the big machines.

Very good that, I see your point. Noted down. Thanks!!

 

[Andrew]

Biggest inefficiency for me is telescopic controls. Diggers you can change what movement does what, so why not loaders?
if you get on a different make and forward reverse is in a different place to you’re used to you’re not very efficient.

A simple setting to change layout from JCB to Merlo to Class etc wouldn’t take much but would improve efficiency, safety, and maybe encourage people to change brands.

 

[Nearly]

Auto electrician we use had been in Ford Rally Team support and when they got a new vehicle to work on the first thing they would do was to replace all the fuses with LED blow-glow type and any doubtful connections were replaced with soldered joints for peace of mind.

I've never heard of those before.
Just googled them. Stunning. Thanks.

 

[snarling bee]

The biggest inefficiency IMO is emission control in engines.
Older engines are far more fuel efficient and have far less 'systems' on them which cost to produce and cost when they go wrong.

 

[PowderedToastMan]

Biggest inefficiency for me is telescopic controls. Diggers you can change what movement does what, so why not loaders?
if you get on a different make and forward reverse is in a different place to you’re used to you’re not very efficient.

A simple setting to change layout from JCB to Merlo to Class etc wouldn’t take much but would improve efficiency, safety, and maybe encourage people to change brands.

I definitely get what you saying, I have my Handler operators license and have driven a few of different manufacturers so I know where your coming from.
Very good suggestion, noted down!!
Thanks.

 

[PowderedToastMan]

The biggest inefficiency IMO is emission control in engines.
Older engines are far more fuel efficient and have far less 'systems' on them which cost to produce and cost when they go wrong.

Yeh, definitly. Some manufacturers just put everything on there. SCR, EGR DOC everything and it takes up space not to mention potentially power and resources.
Thanks for the idea!!

 

[ollie989898]

As above the quality of wiring, insulation and connectors in vehicle electronics. You would think given the cost of the machines and complexity the designers would include ways of simply testing for the resistance and continuity of wiring looms somehow.

 

[AnyOldName]

Can’t CAN systems have a continuity diagnostic built in? If it’s not already there then why not?

It’s not uncommon to get diagnostic error messages indicating a problem with a particular sensor, some are as specific as saying “cannot communicate with widget sensor #3.” I can’t think of a reason you couldn’t have a CAN function that simply checks the continuity on each leg of the wiring harness.

 

[manhill]

To round off your education, a stint in an ag dealer repair centre would show you some of things that make the mechanics swear.

 

[Fendtbro]

The biggest inefficiency IMO is emission control in engines.
Older engines are far more fuel efficient and have far less 'systems' on them which cost to produce and cost when they go wrong.

It’s not the emission standards that’s the problem. Nobody wants to breath in diesel exhaust all day, and the modern ones run amazingly clean! The problem is the poor quality components that Are used..

 

[Fendtbro]

By far my biggest bug, is one machine Is a telescopic loader.. one is a digger, one pulls a trailer/baler/ plough. 3x cabs/ engines and the rest of it. Far too much money tied up. I am working on a solution...