Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Invention of ballcock arm that doesn't break wins at the Fieldays Innovation Awards

By Caitlan Johnston
Multimedia journalist·Te Awamutu Courier·
23 Jun, 2021 09:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Ric Awburn (left, front) says they were overwhelmed with interest for SpringArm. Pictured with him is wife Marianne (right, front) and Paul Possen (back, left) and Amber Western. Photo / Supplied.

Ric Awburn (left, front) says they were overwhelmed with interest for SpringArm. Pictured with him is wife Marianne (right, front) and Paul Possen (back, left) and Amber Western. Photo / Supplied.

Local farmer, doubled as an inventor, Ric Awburn and his team, including wife Marianne, took out the top prize in the Prototype Award category of the Fieldays Innovation Awards for developing a ballcock arm that won't break.

SpringArm Products Limited was born out of a frustration of ballcock arms in troughs breaking too often, which resulted in water systems coming under major pressure.

Even just a nudge from a cow would sometimes snap the ballcock arm.

"It doesn't take much for them to break, they just snap off and the water just starts overflowing from the troughs," says Ric.

Ric, who manages a 500-cow farm in Te Kawa, says sometimes they would run out of water for their home, meaning them and their three boys couldn't shower or even flush the toilet.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He believed other farmers would be able to relate to his frustrations and this was affirmed following the high volume of interest they received at Fieldays this year.

"We've just watched all of these people come in and seeing the relief on their faces because there's a solution to their problem that they've been facing for so long," says Marianne.

Instead of snapping when put under pressure, the SpringArm flexes, saving farmers water, time, money and stress.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ric started developing SpringArm two years ago.

One evening on the farm he watched as the cows nudged the ballcock, causing it to snap.

He thought to himself "if only it could give a little" which was quickly followed by a lightbulb moment.

"I went home that night and I grabbed the springs of my boys' motorbike stand and I cut a brass arm in half and drilled a few holes to put it together to see if the mechanism would work," says Ric.

Discover more

New Zealand

Jailed for manslaughter as a teen, he's now the future of farming

14 May 12:00 AM

Ute tax a step too far for NZ workforce

14 Jun 08:00 PM

Totara log transforms into new sculpture

17 Mar 03:00 AM

Innovators bring solutions to agricultural problems

22 Jun 04:12 AM

"Personally, it works for me. It's saved me time and a lot of hassle."

SpringArm Products Limited received a $10,000 cheque for winning their category at the Fieldays Innovations Awards which was held on Thursday night in the Functions Hub.

The money will be going towards product development.

Ric says he and Marianne are currently planning their next moves and hope to get a product to market soon.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Sport

Magic prepare for clash against Tactix in Christchurch

07 Jul 01:31 AM
Waikato Herald

'Serious' condition: Two hospitalised in Waikato crash

06 Jul 11:10 PM
Waikato Herald

Caught on tape: Identity finally revealed of Jaguar-driving teen behind CBD rampage

06 Jul 06:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Magic prepare for clash against Tactix in Christchurch

Magic prepare for clash against Tactix in Christchurch

07 Jul 01:31 AM

There are four games remaining in the 2025 ANZ Premiership season.

'Serious' condition: Two hospitalised in Waikato crash
Waikato Herald

'Serious' condition: Two hospitalised in Waikato crash

06 Jul 11:10 PM
Caught on tape: Identity finally revealed of Jaguar-driving teen behind CBD rampage
Waikato Herald

Caught on tape: Identity finally revealed of Jaguar-driving teen behind CBD rampage

06 Jul 06:00 AM
NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her
Waikato Herald

NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her

06 Jul 12:48 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP