Full Load Design Review

2003-2004 Full Load E-Team

• Seth Elkington – agricultural engineer• Matt Hess – electrical engineer• Ty Windhorst - business, marketing• Chris Jensen – mechanical engineer• Veronica Meyer – mechanical engineer• Matt Shewmaker – mechanical engineer• Ian Toevs – agricultural engineer• Dr. Donald Elger – mentor, Professor of

Mechanical Engineering• Dr. Linda Morris – mentor, Professor of

Marketing

Project Background

• Situation

• Existing Product/Sugarbeet harvest

• Existing Technology

• Complaints of Farmers

Situation

For tuber and sugarbeet crops:• Simultaneous harvesting and loading• Trucks are required to make position

changes relative to combine to fill uniformly

• Truck and combine operators rely on hand signals to communicate specific actions relating to the proper loading

Existing Product/Sugar Beet Harvest

Existing Technology

• Hand signals

• Two-way radios

• Home built signaling systems

View from 10 and 18 Wheelers

View from Digger

Goal

• Build an affordable, practical, and versatile communication device usable on farms of any size

• Product will be easy to use and manufacture

• Product will improve both the safety and convenience of harvesting crops

Product SpecificationsThis product will:• Continually relay position information from

the harvester operator to the truck driver(s)• Ensure that the truck is positioned for

proper loading• Be competitive with existing technology.

The final outcome will be to form a corporationwhich will manage the manufactured product tobe sold to the mass market.

Design Issues/Alternatives

•Mounting

•Input/Output Interfaces

•Multiple Frequency

•Electronic Design

•Cost Competitive

Mounting in the Tractor

Mounting in the Truck

Receiver Mounting Designs

Hangs from the back of receiver from the top mirror bar outside of truck.

Wrap-around clamp onto mirror on the outside of truck.

Hangs from the side of receiver from top mirror bar outside of truck.

Transmitter Mounting Designs

Clamp will allow for a variety of attachment methods.

Description: Flange wraps around rod attached to top of digger controls

The angle bracket attaches to side of digger controls & side of transmitter.

Input Designs

These input configurations address our human factor issues.

Output Designs

Multiple Frequency

• Eliminates crossed signals between multiple combines and trucks in the same fields

• Could accommodate large farms and industrial operations with numerous frequencies

Obstacles in Designing Electronics

• Hire professional EE

• Recruit EE student(s) from the EE Senior Design Course

• Consult faculty/graduate students

Additional Features• Relative Velocity Sensors

– Truck could match the speed of the harvester

• Load Sensors– Harvester operator could load the truck

evenly and accurately to prevent overloading

• Accelerometers– Automate the STOP! signal transmission

Market Possibilities

• Preparing a product package

• Tradeshows

• Finding a buyer/investors

Price Plan and Strategies

* Based off of 1000 units produced.

•Estimated unit cost of manufacturing: ~$82–Outsourced circuit Board: $20/ unit–Outsourced display panel: $10/ unit– Input Devices: $20/ unit– Injection Mold Enclosure: * $30/ unit–Assembly labor: $2/ unit•Estimated unit cost of marketing: ~$15

•Suggested retail –Transmitter: $147/ unit•- Reasonable profit margin is set at $50.00 per transmitter–Receiver: $147/ unit•- Reasonable profit margin is set at $50.00 per transmitter–1 Transmitter – 2 receivers package: $411•- Reasonable profit margin is set at $40.00 per component

Additional Industry

• Additional product models?

• Signal Automation?

• Other industrial applications?– Road construction– Aviation

Project Budget

Component Cost

Electronic components $5,000Hardware components $1,000Enclosure components $4,000Other expenses $2,700

Total amount $12,700

Management Plan

Questions?