2010 New York State FFA

Ag Mechanics CDE

General Overview
The NATIONAL FFA Ag Mechanics CDE contest description, rules, and format are located on the National FFA
website. http://www.ffa.org/documents/cde_agmech.pdf
However, due to limited time, space, resources, and equipment, the New York State version is a smaller scale
condensed version of the national contest. We try to follow the format and theme as much as possible, but must
make modifications to content, scoring, timing, and level of challenge.

General Rules
1. Teams should consist of at least three members but no more than four. The scoring system will count the top
three scores from each part of the contest, dropping the lowest from teams of four. Teams of two will be
allowed to participate but will not likely be competitive for team awards as they would not have a third score
to add to their team total. They could still be competitive for individual awards however.

a. For scoring examples, see the end of this document.

2. Students must provide their own standard personal protective items. This includes work shoes appropriate for
shop work, and industrial strength safety glasses. Students must also wear these items during the hands-on
skill portions of the contest without being reminded. If a judge needs to remind a student to put these on,
they will have points deducted for safety violation.

3. Any specialized safety equipment that would be necessary for specific tasks will be provided by the contest
coordinator. For example, if there was a welding station, there would be gloves, jacket, and helmet provided.
Students may bring their own specialized equipment if they wish. However, depending on the skills that are
being assessed, the judge may not allow the student to use their own materials. For example, if there is a
precision measurement station and the goal is to evaluate how well a student can read a mechanical
micrometer, students will not be allowed to use their own personal digital micrometer.

4. The National FFA Ag Mech CDE requires teams to bring their own laptop computers and printers. This is NOT
required at the state competition. If computers are required, they will be provided. However, students should
be familiar with standard Microsoft Office programs such as Word and Excel ahead of time.
 5. Official Dress is allowed but not required or even recommended. Depending on the hands-on skill activities,
there is potential for good clothes to be ruined by things like oil stains, grease, melted solder, and hot sparks
from grinding or welding equipment. Students should use judgment when choosing what to wear in the
competition. It should be safe and free from inappropriate images, language, etc.

List of Activities for 2010 Convention at SUNY Cobleskill

PART 1 – Individual Written Test – 50 question multiple choice test based on various topics from Agricultural
Mechanics textbook (Herren & Cooper, Delmar Publications).

PART 2 – Team Problem Solving Activity– Lengthy multiple part written problem solving activity involving boom
sprayer calibration calculations such as travel speed, application rates, pressures, etc. This will be broken up into 2
parts…
a. A spray boom simulator will be set up and students will run this boom, with the help of a contest judge or
assistant, at a regulated pressure for a period of time capturing the liquid (water with food coloring) into a
calibrated container. Students will then take a couple other measurements or readings including the nozzle
type / part number, the nozzle spacing, and the regulated pressure.
b. Students will take the information gathered in part A above and with the aid of a TeeJet nozzle catalog and
a computer with Microsoft Word and Excel will perform a number of calculations in order to answer specific
short answer questions. The overall intent and direction of the questions will be in determining whether
the sprayer is applying chemical at the correct rate or not along with the recommended pressures and
travel speeds for a specific application according to the catalog provided.

For supporting information regarding boom sprayer calibration and examples of the calculations those students will
be expected to do, please visit this website. http://www.teejet.com/english/home/tech-support/nozzle-technical-
information/sprayer-calibration.aspx

For supporting information regarding the use of Microsoft Excel to perform calculations, please visit this website.
http://office.microsoft.com/training/training.aspx?AssetID=RC100745681033

NOTE! Students will still be able to complete this station without having to use Excel but they will lose a few points.
National FFA clearly states in its contest description the importance of using a computer and the software in the
national level competition. We will not put a ton of points on this component of the contest, but there will be some.
PART 3 – Team Skills Activity – Multiple part activity involving AC electrical wiring, DC electrical circuitry, and
electrical measurements with a Digital Multi-Meter. Students will be allowed to work all together or “divide and
conquer”, their choice. The following activities will need to be performed.
a. Wire a simple switch and light circuit to an electrical panel (breaker box). The cable will already be run
from box to box but students will need to do the stripping, connecting, and clamping of the cables and
wires to their respective terminals on the components and do it according to NEC.
b. Wire a DC electrical circuit on electrical trainer boards according to a circuit schematic and test for proper
function.

c. Use a digital multimeter to perform measurements of available voltage, voltage drop, resistance, and
continuity on a pre-wired DC circuit and use the measurements to perform calculations such as Ohm’s
Law.

References that may help for electrical team activity… http://www.learn-c.com/schemat.htm

http://www.indepthinfo.com/wire-switch/

http://mechatronics.mech.northwestern.edu/design_ref/tools/multimeter.html

PART 4 – Individual Skill Activities – Three separate activities which must be done by ALL team members. NOTE! If
a student chooses not to do one of the activities listed below, they may do so by simply notifying the contest judge.
Their individual and team scores will likely be affected by this, but we do not want to force a student to do
something they are not comfortable with.
a. Welding – students will perform a one-sided flat butt weld using 6011 electrode and a one-sided horizontal
fillet weld using 6013 electrode. Students will be scored on weld quality, penetration, and appearance. The
biggest challenge in this activity will be that the steel used to weld will be relatively thin. Therefore, control
of heat and speed will be critical to avoid burning through yet still ensure a strong penetrating weld.
 Students will be given one extra piece of steel (2 X 4 inch plate) and one extra of each electrode for the
purpose of practicing and setting the machine correctly before performing the weld for a score.
b. Small Outdoor Power Equipment – This station will amount to three small short activities
1. Valve adjustment on a small gas engine
2. Identification of common fluids (look and smell) such as oils, coolant, etc.
3. Identification of chains based on pitch and amount of wear
c. Diesel Engines – This station will amount to two small short activities
1. Identification of common diesel engine components, both on actual diesel engines as well as on tables.
2. Testing nozzles using an OTC nozzle tester and comparing test results to specifications.

PART 5 – Bonus Activity – Students will have the opportunity to score an additional 5 bonus points per student (15
per team) for completing one of the activities listed below. Students may complete more than one of the activities,
but only one 5 point bonus award will be given per student. In each case, the student simply needs to go through
the experience. It doesn’t matter how well they actually do with it, they just need to complete it.
a. GPS guided automatic steering tractor – students will drive a tractor through an obstacle course
using the GPS guided automatic steering function of the tractor. Students will do this with the help
of a contest judge or assistant.
b. Small construction equipment operation – there will be a couple different short obstacle courses or
tasks that students will use machines like skid steers (conventional or remote control) or mini-
excavators to move objects through.
c. Heavy construction equipment virtual simulator – a “video-game” like activity where students can
sit and operate a virtual excavator or loader scoring points for efficiency and losing points for safety
violations and damaging equipment. This simulator is used to train real equipment operators.
Timing
Teams will be allowed the following times to complete each activity. Teams not completing the entire activity within
the time allotted will be credited for what they were able to accomplish but will be penalized for what they were not
able to accomplish. Students must work efficiently to score well. Contest coordinator and / or judges reserve the
right to modify the allotted times due to unforeseen circumstances such as broken tools and equipment,
malfunctions of contest materials, questions / confusion, etc.
Part 1 – 30 minutes
Part 2 – 45 minutes total. 15 minutes for gathering the information and 30 minutes to do the calculations and
answer the questions

Part 3 – 30 minutes total to get all of the items done.

Part 4 – 15 minutes each (45 minutes total).

Part 5 – No specific time limit as students may have to wait in line depending on which activity they choose.

Teachers and students should be prepared for a total of 3 hours of activity in this year’s contest. If students / teams
must leave in the middle of the contest to do other activities (other CDEs, talent / chorus rehearsal, etc) they must
notify the contest coordinator in advance so arrangements can be made to allow them to finish. A team will not be
allowed to finish if their other commitments require them to be away from the Ag Mechanics CDE for more than two
hours.

Scoring

The scoring system for determining top individuals and teams is as follows…

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

Written examination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

Individual Skills activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 each (150 total)
Team Skills activity (1/3 of total team score) . . . . . . 50
Team Problem Solving (1/3 of total team score) .. . . 50
TOTAL INDIVIDUAL SCORING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350

TEAM SCORING

Top three written examinations . . . . . . . . . .300

Top three individual skill activities (from each of the three activities, 9 total) . . . . . . . . . .450
Team Skill activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Team Problem Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
TOTAL TEAM SCORING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1050
 SEE EXAMPLE ON NEXT PAGE!!

The scoring chart below uses fictitious chapters and names along with random numbers for scores. However, it
shows a couple key items to help understand the scoring system.

a. Notice that the two top individuals are Frank and Matthew from the Scott City chapter. Although they are
the top two individuals, they are the last place team because they were the only two people on the team.
By not having a third person on the team, they lost out on all of the points a third individual would
normally contribute towards their team score.

b. Notice that the Jerseyville team has four members on the team but they still got beat by a team of three
(Waterloo team 1). That’s because each element of the contest only counts the top 3 scores towards the
team score, not all 4.

c. Look at the total team score for the team of 4 (Jerseyville). You will note that if you take the top 3
individual scores you get approximately 759 points. Yet the total team score shows 765 points. That’s
because the total team score does NOT simply take the top 3 individual scores. Instead, it takes the top 3
from each individual section of the contest. In the shown example, if we only counted the top three total
scores, Jennifer’s entire effort would be wasted and thrown out. Instead, Jennifer’s welding and diesel
engine scores were counted towards the team total because it was one of the top three for those stations.
 Team
Proble
Individ Individua Individu m
ual Skill l Skill 2 - al Skill Team Solvin
1- Power 3- Skill - g- TEAM
Individu Written Weldin Equipme Diesel Electri Spray INDIVIDUA INDIVIDU SCOR TEAM
Team als Exam g nt Engines cal er L SCORE AL RANK E RANK
Waterlo
o1 114 134 801 1
253.6666
John 52 37 40 42 667 7
247.6666
David 69 39 26 31 667 8
299.6666
Mark 83 47 42 45 667 3
0 0 0 0

Waterlo
o2 85 93 745 3
243.3333
Alicia 75 37 45 27 333 9
233.3333
Joe 69 32 26 47 333 10
268.3333
Paul 98 27 42 42 333 5
0 0 0 0

Jerseyvi
lle 84 107 765 2
255.6666
Amanda 74 45 41 32 667 6
 Christin 270.6666
e 94 30 43 40 667 4
220.6666
Jennifer 53 35 38 31 667 12
232.6666
Debbie 56 42 41 30 667 11

Scott
City 127 147 717 4
309.3333
Frank 95 42 35 46 333 2
316.3333
Matthew 86 41 49 49 333 1
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0