JOHN DEERE TRACTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

waterl the first such Center to be devoted exclusively to Future tractor development it was here several years ago Miners and Engineers was brought together and instructed to develop a completely New Concept in tractor power not just a new engine or a new transmission or a new hydraulic system but a tractor altogether new from the ground up and so this story of a new generation of power began and here's a pictorial review of that complex job immediately creative minds go into action backed up by a lifetime of experience in tractor design gradually the dreams and calculations become images on the drawing boards designs are begun discarded and begun again the engineers meet daily to submit ideas compare notes work out problems and Report progress as the new plans develop and expand so does the engineering [Music] staff electronic computers are fed design equations complex beyond the capability of the slide rule here a problem of gear design is being solved and the answers are automatically typed [Music] detailed drawings of parts and components are made by the thousands as the months go by the engineering drawings take shape in experimental wood models of components at last the ideas of the design Engineers meet for the first time in the skilled hands of the pattern makers this is a wood pattern of a rock shaft lift arm from wood patterns moles are made for castings in The Foundry the sand mold is formed faced and then the wood pattern removed this molten metal will become a part of the experimental tractor meanwhile the fabrication of other parts begins here a piston is precision machined many parts are handmade from raw stock this crankshaft design must pass many other tests before it is accepted as a part of the new engine here the crankshaft like a musical tuning fork is subjected to extreme vibrations in a test of its torsional strength the vibration pattern of approximately 20 cycles per second is reflected on an electronic oscilloscope this 2000 power microscope reveals to the human eye the actual structure of the metals possible surface imperfections are detected as the part is studied the polarized light test is a modern device for pinpointing areas of major stress in a tractor part and in this remarkable closeup the changing shapes and colors of the polarized light are the indicators this is is a reflecto scope its sensitive ears listen for any defects in the steel bar at the right Reflections or echos are electronically projected on a viewing screen exposing the location and size of defects more test continue to assure rigid control of the metal Parts going into the tractor this x-ray penetrates the casting and searches out imperfections the developed x-ray film reveals weakness due to shrinkage and paracity but we have seen only a few of the many devices and instruments that measure quality in the pattern shop each component is carefully fashioned of wood even these must be built to exact specifications at this stage the individual wood components are assembled to become complete tractor mockups even these first basic models made of wood are reworked many times before the designers agree to proceed to the next step it takes about 3 months to do one mockup of a single tractor there are almost a thousand Parts involved styling and Hood lines are corrected with modeling clay the wood models must realistically conform to the designer's drawings in every way shape and form as development progresses engines and components are put through countless accelerated engineering tests with an electric dynamometer attached engines are operated under various loads and at various speeds during these tests data is obtained on oil and fuel consumption on this setup engine vibrations operating temperatures and firing pressures are carefully measured to achieve Optimum per performance Outdoors the engines run at full load Around the Clock in every type of weather this 4,000 hour test is the same as running an automobile about 120,000 M at Full Throttle operating records are made every 2 hours when the test is completed the engines are torn down and all vital parts are checked for wear throughout the engineering and Research Center other units are being tested at this station the transmission is shifted automatically from one gear to another a full cycle every 20 seconds it will complete 1 million Cycles before the end of the test the equivalent of approximately 20,000 hours of field work at this station The Rock shaft of a tractor is set up for a test of its durability before the test is finished it will have completed half a million Cycles the hydraulic pump is operating The Rock shaft at a pressure of 2250 lb per square in lifting a load of 2900 lb it completes three cycles per minute John Deere Engineers demand much more of a part or assembly than is required in actual working conditions here power steering is tested for its ability to take it the two red hydraulic cylinders impose on the power steering loads greater than will ever be encountered in the field over 5,000 Cycles have already been completed and the test will continue well beyond normal life expectancy after months of thorough testing of parts and components assembly L begins on the first tractors actually the first working models of the new generation of power at the dynamometer durability tests are run on the entire [Music] powertrain in this accelerated test the tractor runs continuously at full load on this platform a completed tractor is checked for ility the table is tilted to an extreme degree a gauge informs the engineers of the maximum angle at which the tractor can be operated safely and determines for them the tractor's center of gravity here is tractor versus load once more this time the bucket of an industrial wheel tractor works against a heavy load in a test of strength of the frame front axle assembly and the hydraulic system as the lifting mechanism is engaged maximum stress is exerted any weakness will readily show up on this electronic recorder results of the test will reveal the stress at various points in the cold room the tractor starting mechanism lubricating and hydraulic systems are subjected to temperatures as low as 6 65° below 0 and finally the first completed experimental tractors are painted gray and moved to the test track day and night in every season they are subjected to severe punishment to reveal any weaknesses with a draw bar dynamometer behind it the tractor's performance is checked under various control loads how's this for rough goinging these bumps and jolts are far more severe than the tractor is likely to encounter in any actual fieldwork the quick turn provides a measure of the tractor's handling ability romatic and steering assemblies really get a work out here working in snow is not an unusual site in the torture area here again data from each operation is carefully recorded a pressure reading is taken off the hydraulic Rock [Music] shaft frequent baths in mud and water become a part of the tractor test [Music] program this enables Engineers to check bearing seals corrosive effects of the water and the sheet metal protection for the operator on another test track a truck which has been converted into a mobile laboratory becomes a part of the test unit this special vehicle enables Engineers to record pressures stresses and strains on the goal even Darkness fails to interrupt The Continuous testing operations the night Crews take over the pauses are few and far between and the tractor is stopped only for refueling or for a change of drivers Dawn finds the test tractor still being put through its Paces still yielding information for the development Engineers to use in their evaluations behind the lock Gates of the three John Deere experimental Farms the tractors are put to work under actual field conditions at this site deep in the heart of the Lone Star State some of the most critical tests are yet to come here the temperatures often reach well above 100° providing a good measure of the temperature control system and engine stamina this tractor is teamed up with a big capacity scraper leveling the ground for for irrigation these dusty field conditions test the capacity of air cleaners and oil seals that protect engines and bearings the lugging power of the tractor is given a real challenge working in these severe field conditions with a twar cultivator provides an excellent overall test for the tractor the industrial side of the John Deere tractor family also comes in for its share of [Music] abuse this crawler loader is assigned the difficult task of leveling a ridge turning Wasteland into crop [Music] land hour upon hour season upon season the test tractors are put to work with various implements this heavyduty subsoiler is another excellent test of engines and hydraulic systems draw bar loads of all kinds are used to multiply the hours of actual field work and the field test men are constantly alert for any sign of weakness or failure of Parts again the day never ends for the test tractor and darkness brings no respit only more Acres of work and more hours of torture early morning brings promise only of another long hard day in the field the clutch as well as other parts and units of the tractor are constantly checked a counter trips each time the clutch is engaged the same kind of count is kept of the number of times the brake pedals are depressed dynamometer tests are made at regular intervals here an oil dynamometer is hooked up to the PTO of the tractor careful checks are made of the power output of the engine this mobile field office serves as the engineer's headquarters a daily record is kept of the temperature variations at the farm a recording thermometer charts the temperatures over each 24-hour period an hour meter on the front of each of the many test tractors records the operating time matching hour for hour the temperature record every day these reports as well as operational records of each tractor are mailed to the engineering and Research Center at waterl all reports of tests in laboratory and field are carefully cataloged then they are electronically tabulated and classified punched record cards make all data from the test tractors immediately available to the design and development Engineers regular meetings are held to go over the data and to interpret it in terms of required design changes all this time field testing of the tractor continues with various implements for five cropping Seasons these experimental tractors work in all types of crop and soil conditions only after hundreds of thousands of hours is design finally approved the field test gray of the experimental tractors gives way to the familiar John Deere green and yellow and the new generation of power is on its way to the men who have such a large part in making America great The Men Who till her soil and harvest her crops work her rich Woodlands for pulp and lumber gather and process her many other vast resources The Men Who build her houses and her skyscrapers her Bridges her factories and her dams her schools and her Cathedrals yes this new generation of power will have its share in making America great [Music]