Experience 04 / Agricultural operations and design
Winkler Ranch
Design Engineer · Ranch Hand
Period2016 — 2025
LocationNewell, South Dakota
FocusCAD · 3D printing · Heavy equipment
Overview
Hands-on agricultural work paired with practical CAD, printed tooling, equipment repair, and repeated field validation.
Contributions
- Designed valve-alignment tools for waterline installation, a corn seed disc meter, and electric-fence reel parts.
- Operated and maintained tractors, skid steers, and utility vehicles.
- Diagnosed and repaired mechanical systems to reduce operational downtime.
- Worked directly in the same environments where the custom tools were installed and evaluated.
Tools and methods
- CAD
- 3D printing
- Heavy equipment
- Mechanical repair
- Rapid prototyping