Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
John Deere joins the fight against COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of John Deere engineers have expanded their search for innovation from making farmers more productive to keeping employees safe. Denene Erasmus reports.
John Deere is one of many companies around the world that has responded in a creative way to helping safeguard communities against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). “The current environment has presented some huge challenges, and we saw some opportunities to help keep our fellow employees safe,” said Craig Sutton, manager of Technology Innovation Strategy at John Deere, in a statement.
3D printed clips
A group of John Deere engineers worked together to develop a 3D-printed clip that can be affixed to a standard protective cap and used to hold a face shield in place.
Explaining how the idea was conceived, Dr Eric Johnson, technical leader in John Deere’s Additive Manufacturing division, said in the statement that thanks to the company’s investment in 3D printing and readily available skill sets at their technology centres and factories, a small group of engineers was able to “jump on video calls and figure out how to affix a face shield to a baseball cap quickly and inexpensively”.
The design includes the clip that can be affixed to a standard baseball cap; three clips are used to hold the protective face shield in place.
Kurt Bechthold and John Vieth of John Deere’s Waterloo Works factory in the US came up with the design, and the company is now manufacturing the plastic clips in-house, using its own 3D printers.
Working from home, Bechthold used his own 3D printer to test five increasingly improved iterations of the clip.
“Every John Deere 3D printer, and a lot of John Deere engineers in North America
not share equipment or tack, that they maintain their distance from other riders/people at the yard, and that they not linger at the yard after riding. The SAEF and the relevant stakeholders are also still discussing whether coaching will be allowed.
Farriers and vets
Due to the lockdown, veterinary services may be compromised. While veterinary services are deemed essential, it may become more difficult to get a vet to come out to see your horse. In this case, your vet may be prepared to consult with you telephonically, and decide whether he/she needs to consult in person.
If you, for whatever reason, need to take your horse to the vet, you will need a movement permit, which you can get from your vet.
Farriers are now also considered essential, and are allowed to see horses that have not been shod for a minimum of seven weeks. They will need to organise movement permits through a vet. Vets and farriers must wear masks and observe biosecurity. They also have to keep a list of dates, names and addresses of people whose horses they see.
• Dr Mac is an academic, a practising equine veterinarian and a stud owner. Email her at farmersweekly@caxton. co.za. Subject line: Horses.