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Applicator simulator unveiled by Growmark
Sep. 15, 2017
Eric Wilcox, Growmark manager, crop protection application and equipment, demonstrates the FS applicator simulator for media Tuesday at the Growmark Learning Center in Bloomington.
In past years, on-the-job experience was the only way to train someone to operate a fertilizer applicator for crops - a machine that can stretch 40 feet on each side.
The lessons could be time-consuming and somewhat dangerous.
“Once we find someone that we think is situated with the right mindset to do it, we have to find a way to train them,” said Bob Eichelberger, operations manager with Evergreen FS in Bloomington. “We can put them in a $500,000 piece of equipment and send them into the field and know that they are going to hit stuff and break stuff, or we can develop something where we can bring them into a room and let them get a feel for what they are going to be doing.”
On Tuesday, Growmark showcased the new FS applicator simulator, created as a training module for FS System operators to practice, study, and enhance their ability, knowledge and skills, said Eric Wilcox, Growmark manager, crop protection application and equipment.
“It’s kind of cool and fun, but overall, it’s a good learning experience,” he said.
The project took over a year to develop, but will allow operators to gain more experience. It features road and field courses; a front screen and two side screens give the operator a full view of his surroundings. The steering wheel and controls guide the booms and machine’s direction and speed. The mechanical seat moves to simulate bumps and turns.
“To the best of my knowledge, this is the first of its kind in agriculture being used for training,” he said.
Jeff Bunting, crop protection division manager at Growmark, declined to release specifics on the cost of the project.
“It was a joint effort between Growmark and the FS members because to build one like this was a big undertaking,” he said. “There was a sizable expense to it. We had to figure out how to build one together. But our overall goal is more about recruiting operators and retaining the current ones.”
The goal for new applicators is to go quickly from a classroom setting to the simulator to the field, he said.
“The pipeline of potential operators are students in colleges, universities, and junior colleges,” he said. “We would like to partner with those secondary schools and then they can see what we are trying to do with our operators. Then, when they come in, we will know they can do it because of this simulator.”
Source: THE PANTAGRAPH
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