There is a great deal spoken of technology, especially digital technology, within the agricultural supply industry, but the rate at which developments permeate to ground level is never as rapid as its proponents would wish.
In a bid to accelerate the process, various government agencies have created channels for tech companies, start-ups and people with ideas to communicate with manufacturers and other businesses which might benefit from fresh input.
Practical application
AgriTech Ireland is one such group which describes itself as a technology cluster, formed to ease the transfer of technology and expertise between smaller start-ups with an idea, and larger companies looking for innovation.
Recently it held a conference at the RDI Hub situated at Killorglin, Co. Kerry at which various presentations were given, including some work by students of the nearby Munster Technological University (MTU) which helps support the cluster.
The students were showing some final year project work which required the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D printing.
CAD is now an essential tool in any engineering design office and companies are eager to recruit those with the knowledge and ability to put it to good use.
Saving costs with technology
The case studies given in a poster display ran through the whole process of creating a new product, from precise measurement of the item it is designed to engage with, to final reconstruction in model form.
Throughout the process, consideration is taken of the ability of materials to cope with the forces they may encounter when in use.
This is primarily done through Finite Element Analysis (FEA), which is a method of calculating the stresses within a material, it only became possible when computers arrived to perform the massive calculations involved.
Once an item has been engineered in the computer, it can move to a visual assessment in the form of a scale model produced through 3D printing, in plastic, the finished items having every resemblance to a plastic construction kit.
From here, it is a matter of making adjustments and the final decision as to whether to put it into production in real life in a time span that is a fraction of traditional methods, and at a fraction of the price.