Agricultural Machinery Conference

Efficient Engineering for a World of Demand

Around the turn of the last century, by capitalizing on the advances made during the industrial revolution, we began to see the effects of mechanization on the agricultural industry. Dozens of companies were manufacturing tractors and other farm machinery to help the farmer become more efficient. Over the decades, these machines evolved to be able to cover more ground and soon, fewer and fewer farmers were required to feed a quickly growing nation and world. In 1900, 38 percent of the work force was farming. By the end of that century that number had decreased to only 3 percent.

Even today, efficiency is a driving force both in agriculture and agricultural equipment design. New design software has meant the time it takes for a new combine to go from concept to production has been drastically reduced. Through the use of e-mail and other advanced communication techniques, design teams scattered across the globe are able to communicate quickly and easily. Even electronic systems within the machinery itself are helping to facilitate assembly, make engines more fuel efficient and provide the operator with much easier controls.

Speaking of the operator, today’s farmer can spend his day in the comfort of an air conditioned cab, sitting on a seat that automatically adjusts to conditions in the field, reducing fatigue thereby making him more efficient and effective.

Even today’s service technicians are more efficient, due to the advances in machine diagnostics.

This year’s line up of sessions at the Agricultural Machinery Conference is designed to reflect this efficiency trend. Whether it’s a session on operator efficiency, computer aided analysis, remote vehicle diagnostics or any of the other dozen technical sessions, we hope you take away information that will help you become more efficient in your job.

See you Cedar Rapids!

Leslie Shalabi
General Chair
23rd annual AMC
Vice President - SE10
Madison, WI