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The Springarm team picked up the Prototype Award and a cheque for $10,000 at this year's Fieldays for inventing and developing a ballcock arm that won't break.
Sometimes the simplest product design can be uncannily clever and offer real benefits to the end user.
Two such designs caught the eye at the Fieldays Innovation Awards, one a godsend to anyone working with livestock and the other making life just a little easier for sheep farmers.
Walking away with the Prototype Award and a cheque for $10,000 was Springarm Products Limited. The company has adressed the age-old problem of inventing and developing a ballcock arm that won't break.
Instead of snapping when put under pressure by thirsty or inquisitive animals, the Springarm flexes - saving water, time, money, and reducing stress.
It was conceived by farm manager Ric Awburn; he was standing at an empty trough one evening, watching the cows nudging the ballcock, causing the arm to snap. He thought, "if only the arm could give a little". Fast forward two years and he has a durable and reliable ballcock arm that's easy to install on all types of valves and will be a saviour to livestock owners.
Throughout the Fieldays, a steady stream of farmers was handling the Springarm, wondering - no doubt - why they couldn't have thought of the simple solution.
"We received non-stop, positive feedback from farmers coming through who've been facing water supply issues for a long time," director of Springarm Products Limited, Marianne Awburn, told Rural News. "Many had relief on their faces as there's now a solution to a problem they've faced for so long."
At the other end of the spectrum, two farmers' daughters, Stacey Bell and Georgina Ranger - both students at St. Peters School Cambridge - have come up with the clever, simple and aptly named 'Mark It' drench gun.
The stand-out feature was an attachment at the base of the nozzle, taking the form of a round boss, which houes a sponge. Soaked with a food dye, after the animal is drenched and the nozzle is withdrawn from the mouth, the sponge leaves a streak of dye on the animal's cheek.
It is designed to fit all types of drench guns. The clever duo suggested the simple addition allowed users to be sure all stock had been drenched, removing the problem of under or overdosing animals - saving both time and money.
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With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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